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Velocity Dance Center 

Description

Velocity Dance Center is Seattle's premier art center dedicated to contemporary dance and performance.  Located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Velocity is a national leader as an artist-driven, community-centered dance incubator where Velocity's partnerships of education, artist support, advocacy and performance foster dance literary and the artistic vitality of our community. Our artistic programs bring together regional talent and world-class innovators, and introduce audiences to a wide spectrum of contemporary dance practices and aesthetics. Our outreach and humanities programs seek to engage minds and inspire participation.              
Velocity’s primary constituents are professional and emerging dance artists in the greater Seattle area, aged 16-60, with minimal income. Additionally, as a presenter, Velocity serves and fosters the core of Seattle’s growing contemporary dance audience. Finally, because Seattle is a destination for dance, Velocity acts as a portal for gifted dancers interested in moving to our city to join the renowned Seattle Dance Scene. We frequently attract students and artists from all over the United States and beyond. Velocity annually enjoys 15,000 site visits; serves 5,000+ individuals; offers 1,500+ dance classes; provides subsidized space to over 100 choreographers; maintains an audience of 2,700+ members, and introduces more than 15 new works into the local and national dance ecology. 

Mission Statement
Velocity advances contemporary dance and movement-based art by fostering the creative explorations of artists and audiences through an invested commitment to education, creation, performance, inquiry, community participation, and inter/national exchange.
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Velocity Dance Center
1621 12th Ave, Suite 100 
Seattle 
WA
98122 
(206) 325-8773 

Ms. Tonya Lockyer 
Executive Director 

Programs

Velocity Dance Center Programs

Creation and Presentation of New Dance Works
Velocity gives local choreographers the resources they need to create and perform original compositions. We present these new works in our 100-seat Founders Theater, Seattle's only performance venue dedicated solely to contemporary dance.  Annually, Velocity commissions and presents at least 15 new dance works through its programs, for example Next Fest NW and The Bridge Project. Next Fest NW presents new works by upcoming and established choreographers and dance filmmakers. The Bridge Project is a challenge program that pairs up to 4 choreographers with dancers in a 3-week residency to create a brand-new piece. Since 1996 Velocity commissioned over 135 new dance works by established and emerging choreographers and more than 20 artists who presented their work at Velocity first were subsequently presented at major venues in New York City, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Education
As the most accessible dance organization serving Puget Sound, Velocity is proud to provide entry points to dance for adult beginners as well as career-furthering opportunities to professional performers and choreographers. Every week, we offer more than 38 quality movement education classes to adult dancers at every level - from beginners through the professional level, teens through the Golden Age generation -  in a broad range of movement styles. Velocity is the only dance center in the region offering all interested dancers chances to participate in professionally produced public performances. For example through the nationally renowned 3-week Strictly Seattle Summer Dance Intensive (with training programs for adult beginners through professional dancers), international Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation, and special workshops and master classes with nationally and internationally recognized guest artists.

Low Cost Space
Velocity manages some of the most affordable rehearsal and performance space for dance in the city of Seattle. This is an essential resource for more than 100 local choreographers and performance groups that rent Velocity's studios and theater for rehearsals and independently produced performances. Annually, Velocity donates more than 1,000 hours of free rehearsal space to local artists, for example through Velocity’s Artist in Residence program.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

Velocity is entering a dynamic new era, after completing its third and final year of a 750,000 capital campaign, which was launched after the organization’s 13-year space in the Odd Fellows building was sold to a developer. In 2011, revitalized under the visionary leadership of new Executive Director Tonya Lockyer, Velocity commissioned 13 and presented 83 new dance works, hosted guest artists from New York City, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and launched its new humanities program, The Speakeasy Series. Since Ms. Lockyer’s tenure all 10 Velocity produced performances have sold out.

The Speakeasy Series, an artist-curated series of panel discussions, show + tells, performance lectures, and/or other formats that focus an provocative issues of interest to the dance and performance community. Since its launch for a sold-out house as part of the 2011 CityArts Fest, this new program has brought vital information about health care for artists to the Seattle community, initiated cross-disciplinary dialogue, and promoted meaningful links between artists and the community.          

Velocity also acquired the annual Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation (SFDI) from partner organization Dance Art Group. Over the past 18 years, SFDI has become one of the world’s leading festivals of dance improvisation. It brings to Seattle many of the world’s leading dance innovators and plays an essential part in gaining and maintaining Seattle’s reputation as a hotbed for the study and appreciation of dance.             

Velocity's facility and Founders Theater are heavily used. To continue serving as the only theater dedicated to contemporary dance in Seattle and stay current with technology, Velocity needs to invest in external and internal signage, improved theater seating, as well as new technical and lighting equipment.

Evaluation


Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Velocity Dance Center (Velocity) is the only organization in the region that addresses the needs of contemporary dance artists at all stages in their careers—from offering beginning dance classes to presenting a choreographer’s first national tour. Since moving to their new space in early 2010, Velocity has regained its former capacity with three dedicated studios, as well as storefront office space to raise awareness of the organization.

Use of Best Practices
Velocity is an incubator, a place for dancers and choreographers’ to hone their craft through instruction, develop and rehearse new works, and to watch and work with touring artists. One example of this approach is Velocity’s Choreographer-in-Residence Program, which helps support and retain veteran artists by providing a year’s worth of free rehearsal space and the opportunity to premiere new works.

Collaboration
Velocity collaborates with other arts organizations both programmatically and by making its space available for the dance community’s use at very low cost. Touring artists visiting Seattle use Velocity’s classrooms for master classes and workshops, while partnerships with the Northwest Film Forum and On the Boards have showcased local choreographers’ work in dance cinema. The space also provides a forum for dance artists to collaborate with each other.
Additionally, Velocity co-produces SCUBA: National Touring Network with three similar organizations in other cities across the country. This program aims to tour regionally established, nationally emerging artists to and from the participating cities.

Accessibility
Velocity is the only theater in the community dedicated solely to dance and available to be rented by individuals or groups for self-productions. All of Velocity’s programs include an open audition process and opportunities for skill sharing and mentorship. They offer space at a subsidized rate for artists so that they might have access to this basic resource for dancers. Velocity works to address needs at all stages of a dancer’s career, from beginning dance classes to national tours.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
9/10/2011 $15,000.00support general operating support.
12/10/2009 $25,000.00support general operating expenses.
10/18/2007 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/23/2005 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/27/2003 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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