Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center

TANNERY WORLD DANCE & CULTURAL CENTER (TWDCC) FACILITATES A WORKING HOME FOR PROFESSIONAL WORLD & CONTEMPORARY DANCE ARTISTS, WHILE PROVIDING DANCE EDUCATION THAT IS COMMITTED TO ACCESS, EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE.

TWDCC PROVIDES A DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER THAT OPERATES THROUGH THREE LEAD PROGRAMS: YOUTH PROGRAM, ADULT PROGRAM, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION. THROUGH EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS WE PROVIDE A WORKING HOME FOR PROFESSIONAL WORLD AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE ARTISTS AND AFFORDABLE AND EQUITABLE DANCE EDUCATION AND CULTURAL SPACE FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY RESIDENTS. OUR YOUTH PROGRAM OFFERS EXCEPTIONAL DANCE TRAINING TO OVER 200 LOCAL YOUTHS AGED 3-18, INCLUDING WEEKLY DANCE CLASSES DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, FOUR WEEK-LONG SUMMER CAMPS, AND MULTIPLE WEEKS OF SUMMER INTENSIVES HIGHLIGHTING MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE AS WELL AS DANCE FILM MAKING. TWDCC ALSO HAS FIVE YOUTH PRE-PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING DANCE COMPANIES THAT ARE BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF TRAINING, LEADERSHIP AND DISCIPLINE. THE TWDCC YOUTH PROGRAM PROVIDES A DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER THAT HAS BECOME A SECOND HOME TO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS. WE CURRENTLY OFFER FULL AND PARTIAL NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS TO ABOUT 20% OF OUR YOUTH STUDENTS, INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO EVERY CHILD WHO LIVES AT THE TANNERY ARTS CENTER WHERE WE ARE LOCATED. THIS YEAR WE PROVIDED ABOUT 40 DANCE SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNDESERVED STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WORTH APPROXIMATELY $48,025. IN 2022 TWDCC CONTINUED TO SUPPORT OUR DIASPORA PERFORMANCE PROJECT (DPP) RESIDENT ARTISTS. SINCE 2018, WE HAVE SUPPORTED SELECTED PROFESSIONAL DANCERS WHO HAVE IMMIGRATED TO SANTA CRUZ FROM THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. THIS YEAR, THE FIVE RESIDENT ARTISTS REPRESENTING THE AFRICAN DIASPORA FROM THE COUNTRIES OF CONGO, CUBA, HAITI, SENEGAL AND BURKINA FASO. TWDCC SUPPORTED TWO AFRICAN DANCE CONFERENCES BY PROVIDING FREE STUDIO USE, ADVERTISING/PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, AND 20 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR BLACK ADULT DANCERS. WE CO-PRODUCED NDOGI, A PERFORMANCE AT THE LONDON NELSON CENTER BY DPP ARTIST VIVIEN BASSOUAMINA. WE INAUGURATED THE DEEP ROOTS DANCE FEST, A RE IMAGINING OF DANCE FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA WHICH FEATURED MANY OF OUR DPP DANCERS. AS WELL, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE AMAZING ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH GRANT WRITING SUPPORT, FREE STUDIO SPACE TO HOLD WEEKLY PUBLIC CLASSES, FREE STUDIO SPACE TO HOLD REHEARSALS FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN 2022, TWDCC CONTINUED TO PRODUCE PUBLIC DANCE PERFORMANCES AND FESTIVALS FOR THE SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY, RETURNING WITH THE WINTER DANCE FESTIVAL AND THE WORLD ARTS FESTIVAL AND INAUGURATING THE DEEP ROOTS DANCE FESTIVAL IN THE FALL. WE ALSO HOST ARTISTIC AND DANCE EVENTS IN OUR SPACE YEAR-ROUND. THROUGH THESE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, AUDIENCES AND PARTICIPANTS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO WATCH, ENGAGE, AND LEARN FROM PERFORMANCES, CURATED FESTIVALS, ARTIST TALKS AND COMMUNITY DANCE CLASSES. WE ESTIMATE REACHING ABOUT 6500 AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THESE EVENTS.THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BLACK HEALTH MATTERS INITIATIVE WAS ESTABLISHED BY TWDCC IN 2020. AS OF 1/1/2022, THE INITIATIVE BECAME A SEPARATE ORGANIZATION, INDEPENDENT FROM TWDCC.