Conference

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Mark your calendars for the Dance/USA 2025 National Conference, June 17-20 in Chicago, Illinois! Connect with your colleagues during timely sessions, member meetings, celebrations of leaders in the field, performances, and more.

At the 2025 National Conference, you will:

  • Hear from leaders from across the dance ecosystem.
  • Participate in engaging and illuminating panels and workshops that will help prepare you for a vibrant future.
  • Grow your skillset.
  • Address shared problems and leave with practical tips and innovative ideas that will help advance your work.
  • Expand your professional network.
  • Connect with your peers and build new professional relationships that last beyond the Conference.


The Dance/USA Conference attracts a broad range of creative workers and dance professionals including independent artists, dance presenters, agents and artist representatives, education and service providers, executive directors, artistic directors, company managers, fundraisers, development and marketing staff, and more.

2025 National Conference Host Committee Co-Chairs

Thank you to the award winning and distinguished Chicago dance leaders who will lead the 2025 Host Committee, a vital component of the Dance/USA National Conference. The 2025 National Conference Co-Chairs are:

  • Joanna Furnans, Dance Artist and Executive Director, Chicago Dancemakers Forum
  • Jorge Pérez, Executive and Associate Artistic Director, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and Board President, See Chicago Dance
  • Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Founding Artistic Director and CEO, Red Clay Dance Company


2025 National Conference Programming Impact Group

The Conference Programming Impact Group (CPIG), a non-hierarchical coalition of Dance/USA members and stakeholders from the dance ecosystem, was created during the planning for the 2023 National Conference to increase and broaden the number of voices and perspectives involved in Conference programming. Dance/USA’s organizational values of connectivity, creativity, equity, and integrity guide the CPIG as Dance/USA integrates equity and inclusion into this new approach to Conference programming curation.

The Conference Programming Impact Group includes:

  • Michele Kumi Baer, Dance/USA 2025 National Conference Guest Curator; Founder and Principal, Kumi Cultural
  • Maria Isabelle Blanco, Founder, LOUD BODIES Dance
  • Jenai Cutcher, Independent Dancer, Educator, Journalist, Archivist, and Producer
  • Juan José Escalante, Executive Director, Miami City Ballet
  • Kealoha Ferreira, Artistic Associate, Ananya Dance Theatre; Co-Leader, Shawngrām Institute for Performance & Social Justice
  • Petra Kuppers, Disability Culture Activist and Community Performance Artist
  • Sarah Lewitus, Program Director, Performing Arts and Accessibility Coordinator, Mid Atlantic Arts
  • dani tirrell, Artistic Director of Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas; Founder and Artistic Director, dani tirrell and The Congregation
  • Tamara Williams, Founding Artistic Director, Moving Spirits Inc.; Co-Founder, Bloco Afro Ayedun