Statements
Mission
New Dialect is a contemporary dance organization dedicated to fostering a sustainable ecosystem for today's dance artists, audiences, and advocates in Nashville. It is our goal to increase the visibility and accessibility of contemporary dance in the South, and to raise awareness and appreciation of our art form by providing the public with world class dance education and performance experiences. We partner with local, national, and international artists to create one-of-a-kind productions that connect us more deeply to ourselves and each other.
Background
Banning Bouldin, a graduate of The Juilliard School, began the work of New Dialect out of a desire to help foster a sustainable ecosystem for contemporary dance in her hometown of Nashville, Tennesse.
After spending eight years dancing internationally, she returned to Nashville in the Fall of 2010, and was quickly engaged as a contemporary dance instructor and guest choreographer for the Nashville Ballet and Vanderbilt University. As she worked within the local dance community, she soon perceived a need for more opportunities for dance artists to train, create, and share their work with the public.
New Dialect was founded in 2012 to be a community resource for dancers, students, teaching artists, choreographers, and audiences. The organization received nonprofit status in 2013.
As of today, New Dialect is actively achieving the tenets of its mission, and has garnered the support of an ever-growing community of participants, partners and patrons, as well as the recognition and support of Metro Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commissions, South Arts, the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron, Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Impact
2022 Accomplishments:
- Hosted a two-week our first in person Summer Intensive and Winter Intensives since the pandemic. Sessions were led by award winning dance artists Sidra Bell, Jesse Zarrit, Yin Yue, Elia Mrak, Jay Carlon, Chuck Wilt, Banning Bouldin, Rosie Herrera, Kendra Portier, and Tamisha Guy.
- Co-produced the southeastern tour of internationally acclaimed director-dancer Bobbi Jene Smith's dance theater play, Broken Theater, in collaboration with American Modern Opera Company. Performances took place in Chapel Hill, NC, on Carolina Performing Arts main stage and at OZ Arts Nashville.
- Continued participation in South Arts' Momentum program. The initiative is an extension of South Arts' Dance Touring Initiative and was designed to increase access to the work of Southern-based dance artists by creating a regional network of presenters, artists, and mentors. South Arts has provided professional development support throughout the pandemic and is providing a significant production subsidy to underwrite our performances in 2022-23. Momentum is funded through the major support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Continued work as research artist at the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron. As the key representatives from the South, Banning Bouldin and New Dialect stakeholders are participating in the Center's Creative Administration Research, a project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that has stated goal of observing, examining, and ultimately improving upon the traditional organizational models used by contemporary dance companies.
2023 Goals:
- enlarging our network of artistic collaborators
- expanding the demographic reach of our programming
- building annual production budgets for camera-based dance works
- developing longer duration training programs
Needs
1) funding new staff positions
2) increasing volunteer engagement
3)organizing an annual fundraising event
4)building organizational capacity for touring opportunities
CEO Statement
We are creating something that has never existed in Nashville; something I wish had been here, when I was a young person. I studied dance at the Nashville Ballet, where I received excellent ballet training. But I had dreams of becoming a professional contemporary dancer, and there was no school in Nashville that could give me the education I needed for the career I wanted. So I left home. I was 17 years old, when I was awarded a scholarship to The Juilliard School. After receiving my degree, I spent eight years traveling the world performing with internationally acclaimed contemporary dance companies-an extraordinary experience. Today, I am thrilled to be home again, sharing what I learned abroad and the incredible artists I know with Nashville-based dancers and audiences. In order to pursue my studies and career in contemporary dance at the highest level, I had to leave Nashville. I want to change that for future generations of dance artists in our area by using my international experience and connections to create a place for dancers and audiences to discover a world of new dance in Nashville. Supported by of a diversely skilled Board of Directors and numerous stakeholders, I am building an organization where local dancers are able to study the most up-to-date contemporary dance techniques, internationally renowned choreographers and master teachers share their expertise, and Nashville audiences experience inspiring 21st Century dance performances. New Dialect is now meeting the need for new dance in Nashville. And as we grow, our efforts will continue to empower more and more people to see contemporary dance as an artform that is both accessible and inspiring.
Board Chair Statement
This is a new day in Nashville. It is time for new, exciting, world-class work to be born here. We should be known as a cutting edge city of new ideas and a force in the global art discussion. Having had a long contemporary dance career in New York and Nashville, it is deeply satisfying to me to now be involved with New Dialect, a Nashville-based group with an international outlook and connections. From the name, which connotes a revised way of communicating through movement, to the artistic director, who is a homegrown force of nature with world class talent and credentials, to the beautifully trained and authentic dancers, New Dialect can place Nashville at the centre of the current dance explosion, while educating, entertaining and enhancing those of us fortunate enough to call this city home.
- Andrew Krichels, New Dialect Board President and former Artistic Director of Tennessee Dance Theatre
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Dance |
| Secondary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Citizen Participation |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
Our classes, workshops, and professional development intensives are held in Davidson County (zip codes 37201, 37203, 37205, 37206, 37209, 37215). Our program offerings are attended by participants from Davidson County, from middle Tennessee, from cities across the county, and from overseas (Europe). Audiences for our performances are attended by representatives from the same demographics.
| National |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Williamson |
