Velocity Dance Center

Velocity Dance Center is Seattle’s incubator for experimental dance and contemporary performance.

Founded in 1996, Velocity is an artist-led nonprofit in Seattle, WA that is dedicated to providing Seattle dance-makers with the resources, advocacy, and collaborative support they need to blossom their ideas into impactful art and community actions. This is central to our mission to advance contemporary dance and movement-based art by fostering the creative explorations of artists and audiences. We do this through flexible and responsive platforms that support dance research and creation, movement education, and opportunities to share and experience contemporary dance performance.

MISSION

To advance contemporary dance and movement-based art by fostering the creative explorations of artists and audiences.

VISION

A future in which dancemakers have the resources, community, and power to build a more open, connected, and embodied world through our work.

VALUES

artist leadership, equity and inclusivity, leading with relationship, curiosity and rigor, and liberation for all.

WHAT WE DO

Velocity's programming is divided into three branches: residencies, performances, and education. In 2023, these programs involved over 200 artists, resulting in more than 56 new dance works and nearly 100 classes. These programs reached 5,000 audience members and class attendees, with 20% participating or attending for free through various financial accessibility initiatives.

The first branch, residencies, supported artists through four different programs: Made in Seattle, the Bridge Project, Curating Artist in Residence, and Next Fest NW. These programs provided funding, space, mentorship, and other resources to artists at different stages in their careers to help them during the critical and often under-resourced time of process and development.

The second branch, performances, includes the output of residency programs as well as the amplification of local artists' work through co-presenting or inviting artists from other communities. In 2023, Velocity presented hosted 56 performances and events.

The third branch, education, includes workshops, classes, and the Seattle Festival of Dance + Improvisation. In 2023, Velocity employed a total of 32 teaching artists and offered education programs to over 1200 participants. SFD+I, the yearly educational festival, represented the bulk of these classes with 82 classes and intensive offerings. Velocity also provided $15,500 in partial and full tuition scholarships for participants during the festival.

WHO WE SERVE

Velocity centers the needs of the network of independent artists and companies who are making experimental contemporary dance in Seattle. 

Within our community, we are working to specifically serve people who identify as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC and Low Income. In 2023, 62% of our programming featured LGBTQ+ artists, while 59% of our programming was led by or featured BIPOC artists. In total, 82% of our programming was created by artists who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or both. To increase access to training and professional development for Transgender and BIPOC individuals, Velocity offers more than $10,000 annually in fee waivers for self-identifying TBIPOC individuals to attend all of our classes and training programs at no cost. Additionally, nearly 60% of community members qualify as low-income in Seattle. We continue to offer sliding scale and artists/low income ticket and class pricing, work/study discount programs, and other strategies for making our programs as financially accessible as possible.

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