We will listen and take cues from artists, activists, and organizations already hard at work within our community fighting for diversity, equity, inclusion, access and justice. We recognize that this means first investigating the legacies of white supremacy and racism inherent to the histories of our disciplines and practices so that we may all work to disrupt and actively dismantle institutional oppression and inequity.

We understand that dance in Columbus can only continue to grow to the extent that we celebrate and show up for one another. As such, CDA aspires to promote resources and opportunities for dance artists and organizations through innovative and strategic initiatives that serve the needs of our community and promote communication first.

We recognize that visibility is power. As such, we seek to uplift dance artists and organizations by demonstrating what support and collaboration looks like, and encouraging the rest of our community to follow our lead. As part of this process, we must acknowledge our missteps with humility and lean into our responsibility to foster conversations for greater cooperation.

We aim to create environments that fosters critical reflection around the affective and kinetic intelligence of dance, broadly conceived. In so doing, we will hold one another in full dignity and respect, while maintaining a collective goal to foreground the diverse experiences represented throughout our community.