Be An #ArtsHero and Dance/USA Designate June 14-18 as Dance Industry Unite Week of Action

Be An #ArtsHero, the non-partisan grassroots coalition working to mobilize all disciplines and regions of the Arts & Culture sector, has announced a partnership with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, as they aim to create a week-long national conversation highlighting the Arts & Culture sector and its significant economic value. The partnership between Be An #ArtsHero and Dance/USA seeks to advocate for the relief, recovery, and representation of the Arts & Culture economic sector, which adds a massive $918 billion in value to the U.S. economy while providing 5.2 million American jobs. Additionally, the organizations request that the White House publicly recognize that Arts & Culture in America are vital not only to the mental and emotional well-being of our nation's families and local communities, but also to our nation's global economic competitiveness.

In the open letter released as part of the Dance Industry Unite campaign, Dance/USA writes, "as our industry starts to reopen, we need substantive support to do so effectively, safely, and in ways that are sustainable now and beyond the pandemic."

Specifically, Be An #ArtsHero and Dance/USA call for the establishment of a Secretary of Arts and Culture in the federal Cabinet (representation); and urge that Washington provides proportionate and dedicated economic relief for the Arts & Culture sector, integrating such proposals as the Putting Creative Workers to Work proposal into the the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan, which are currently being considered in Congress.

A staggering number of Dance Industry Workers are still facing unemployment. The unemployment rate for dancers and choreographers rose significantly in the third quarter of 2020 to 54.6 percent or 8,000 professionals. This is nearly five times the industry unemployment rate in 2019, which was 10.7 percent or 3,000 professionals. Dance Industry Workers are defined as dance artists and dance professionals, including choreographers, independent artists, artistic directors, executive directors, presenters, agents, dance educators, dance administrators, dance students, and dance archivists.

A January 2021 report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Argonne National Laboratory, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) specifically noted that within the arts and culture sector, "Nowhere has the [COVID-19] effect been more direct, deep, and immediate than on the performing arts." There can be no full American economic recovery without a robust Arts & Culture recovery, and for that to happen, Arts Workers need to remain Arts Workers.

During the Dance Industry Week of Action (June 14-18), which coincides with the Dance/USA 2021 Virtual Conference, Dance Industry Workers and Supporters are encouraged to sign their name to the open letter, contact their federal elected officials, and share their stories on social media using the campaign hashtags #ArtsWorkersUnite, #DanceIndustryUnite, #ReliefRecoveryRepresentation, and #Dance.

Visit https://beanartshero.com/dance-industry-unite for more details on how to get involved.