Dancewave and Why Not Art Partner in Creative Collaboration

Dancewave and Why Not Art Partner in Creative Collaboration

Dancewave, a Brooklyn-based dance education nonprofit, and Why Not Art, a visual arts organization showcasing local artists, have launched a new partnership that will strengthen ties between local artists while promoting Dancewave’s signature equity-driven youth arts training program. This partnership will feature the creation of an original series of visual art pieces by Why Not Art co-founder Michael James Freedman, inspired by the work of Dancewave’s pre-professional youth company.

The series, Reflections, will be shown at the Dancewave Center in Brooklyn’s Gowanus community beginning May 7th, 2022, and three of the original pieces will be auctioned off at Dancewave’s Spring Celebration event on June 4th, 2022.

“We are delighted to activate the Dancewave Center as a true community hub, welcoming neighbors in to experience and engage with various forms of art. Dancewave’s partnership with Why Not Art is a timely and relevant celebration and amplification of the power of our community,” said Dancewave’s Executive Director, Nicole Touzien.

“We are thrilled to support Dancewave with this collaboration. It highlights the power of artists to persevere and pivot while creating art, joy and beauty in this challenging time. The Reflections show is a chance for the general public to witness the act of artistic creation up close, from the perspectives of the teenage dancers, the professional choreographers and the visual artist. We are especially excited that 100% of artwork sales will benefit youth dance scholarships at Dancewave,” said Grace R. Freedman, Managing Director of Why Not Art and former Dancewave Board Chair

Founded in 1995 by Diane Jacobowitz, Dancewave has been a locus of arts education and dance performance in Brooklyn ever since. Committed to providing access to supportive and empowering dance experiences that center social, emotional and cognitive development through movement, Dancewave’s programs include youth and adult classes, residencies in New York City schools and senior centers, and an international college fair that has generated over $13 million dollars in scholarships for students.

Why Not Art celebrates art and artists and seeks to build community support and connection for all. The organization’s mission is to highlight the joy, creativity and resilience of the arts by showcasing artwork and performances by local artists. With several events and exhibitions in its history, Why Not Art has added vibrancy to the local community in Gowanus, Brooklyn, with the goal of creating sustainable economic and social opportunity in the arts, across Brooklyn and beyond. 

Dancewave’s Spring Celebration is an annual performance event and celebration showcasing the work of the organization’s pre-professional youth dance company. 100% of Spring Celebration proceeds benefit the annual Stand with Dancewave campaign, which ensures that youth citywide are granted access to transformative and empowering dance education, regardless of financial capacity via full and partial annual tuition scholarships. On June 4th, the Dancewave Spring Celebration will return to live, in-person performance at the Brooklyn-based venue Roulette Intermedium.

For more information, visit dancewave.org