National Endowment for the Arts Announces Grants to Music and Dance Companies to Appear at International FestivalsMarch 29, 2007
Washington, D.C. --In the realm of foreign exports, few can rival the arts for their ability to showcase the creative, imaginative, and visionary qualities of the United States. To support performances of music and dance companies to significant international festivals, the National Endowment for the Arts has established USArtists International. Through this program, 23 arts organizations were recently awarded grants totaling $86,600 to help them travel to and perform at international festivals. This NEA program is managed by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, for New York City-based ensembles, and by the Trust for Mutual Understanding, for engagements in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. Fifteen of the grantees are dance companies and eight are music ensembles, together representing a diversity of styles. The dance companies include modern dance, ballet, jazz, and traditional/folkloric companies while the music ensembles are a cross-section of contemporary new music ensembles, experimental and improvisational music idioms, jazz and jazz hybrids, folk and traditional forms, and spoken word. Collectively the ensembles will travel to 22 different festivals in 14 countries in the European Union. Festivals include Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland), Musik Triennale Köln (Germany), Springdance Festival (The Netherlands) and the XIV Annual International Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival (Poland). National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia said, "The United States boasts an astonishingly diverse and exceptional array of performing arts organizations. It is vital that audiences outside the U.S. have the opportunity to see some of this exciting work. And it is equally important that American artists have the experience of performing for overseas audiences." Please see the complete listing of awards.
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation supports the richness and diversity of the region's arts resources and promotes wider access to the art and artists of the region, nation and world. To learn more about the Foundation, its programs and services, visit our Web site at www.midatlanticarts.org For more information on the National Endowment for the Arts, please contact the NEA’s communications office at 202-682-5570 or visit the web site at www.arts.gov.
National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency |