The Year Ahead

NACHMO (National Choreography Month) is a nationwide initiative that encourages dance makers to create new work throughout January. Through prompts, creative challenges, and an active social media community, NACHMO provides a fun, low-pressure way for dancers and choreographers to spark new ideas, share works-in-progress, and connect with artists across the country. It’s equal parts creative jumpstart, community-building project, and celebration of the choreographic process.

The Choreographers Seed supports the creation of new dance work by providing small, flexible funding to multiple artists each cycle. By prioritizing multiple projects over a single residency, the program amplifies a wider range of voices, perspectives, and creative approaches across Vermont’s dance community. These micro-grants give artists the resources to explore new ideas, deepen their practice, and develop projects on their own terms. Applications Open in February.

The VDA Symposium will bring together dance artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines for a day of shared learning and exchange. Through workshops, demonstrations, and facilitated conversations, participants will experience a broad spectrum of movement practices and creative philosophies. The event is designed to spark dialogue, deepen understanding across styles, and foster meaningful connections within Vermont’s dance community.

VDA’s annual Auction Fundraiser invites our community to come together in support of dance through an evening of generosity, connection, and celebration. Featuring donated artwork, experiences, and locally crafted goods, the auction directly fuels our programs that uplift Vermont’s dance artists. Each bid and donated item helps sustain a vibrant, creative ecosystem, turning collective support into tangible opportunities and programs for dancers to collaborate and work together.

VDA’s beloved site-specific dance festival that animated Vermont’s landscapes, architecture, and public spaces before COVID returns! Once again, artists will create performances shaped directly by their surroundings, transforming parks, pathways, historic buildings, and unexpected corners into living stages. The festival invites audiences into immersive experiences that reimagine familiar environments through movement. With its return, Traces rekindles a cherished community tradition and reaffirms the power of dance to reshape how we see the world around us.

VDA’s Member Retreat offers dance artists a peaceful weekend in the woods to connect, recharge, and deepen relationships within the community. Away from the rhythms of daily life, participants share meals, movement, and conversation in a relaxed, supportive environment. The retreat fosters collaboration, play, and exploration, giving our members a rare opportunity to reflect, create, and strengthen the Vermont dance community.

The return of VDA’s Fall Gala is a celebratory evening that showcases the vibrancy and talent of Vermont’s dance community. The event features performances by our Choregoraphers Seed recipients, giving audiences a firsthand look at the innovative work their support has made possible. Beyond the performances, the Gala brings together artists, patrons, and friends of dance to highlight the impact of VDA’s programs and the extraordinary creativity flourishing across the state.