Dance Exchange is a Takoma Park, MD-based non-profit arts organization committed to dance making and creative practices that engage individuals and communities of all ages to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and their world, and to open up the questions at the heart of their lives. Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman and under the artistic direction of Cassie Meador since 2011, Dance Exchange creates dances by asking four questions: Who gets to dance? Where is the dance happening? What is it about? Why does it matter?
Mission Statement
The mission of Dance Exchange is to ignite inquiry, inspire change, and connect people of all ages more deeply to the questions at the heart of our lives through dancemaking and creative practices. Dance Exchange collaborates across generations, disciplines, and communities to channel the power of performance as a means for dialogue, a source of critical reflection, and a creative engine for thought and action.
Activities and Programs
Dance Exchange provides weekly low-cost movement classes for all ages and levels, including families, adult and teen beginners, and experienced movers in contemporary forms. We also ofter afterschool programs for ages 8-18 that give opportunities to cultivate young movers and makers’ artistic voice, dance training, community building skills, leadership skills, and more. Dance Exchange also collaborates with scientists, naturalists, and organizations to teach science and environmental stewardship through Cassie Meador’s MOVING FIELD GUIDES, a interactive guide to the outdoors lead by artists and naturalists using movement to help understand the world. Dance Exchange also creates performance work alongside community members, giving people of all ages the opportunity to contribute to the material. Dance Exchange also has an Organizing Artists for Change initiative, extending and strengthening a network of socially-engaged artists.
Population
Dance Exchange serves all ages and people who are interested in moving their bodies and connecting with their community through storytelling and connecting. Dance Exchange also cultivates a network of socially-engaged artists through institutes, resources, publications, and other education opportunities and share tools and practices that have developed over 40 years to help those artists engage the communities they want to reach.