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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sara Roer, Interim Executive Director of Dance NYC
4:48:31
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142 sec
Sara Roer, Interim Executive Director of Dance NYC, testified about the importance of dance workers in building stronger communities and the need for increased funding to support their vital work. She emphasized the financial challenges faced by dance workers and organizations, and called for a $75 million baseline increase for the Department of Cultural Affairs.
- Highlighted the role of dance workers in addressing social issues, such as facilitating belonging for immigrant youth and amplifying diverse stories
- Presented survey data showing the positive impact of city support on cultural organizations, but noted ongoing financial instability
- Advocated for additional funding for city council initiatives, particularly the Coalition of Theaters of Color
Sara Roer
4:48:31
Thank you chair Rivera and the committee for the opportunity to testify today.
4:48:36
I'm Sarah Rohr.
4:48:37
I'm the interim executive director at Dance NYC, an art service organization that advocates for the estimated 6,000 dance workers and 1,700 dance entities in this city.
4:48:47
Dance workers, like you, are powerful agents of change.
4:48:52
They use the arts to build stronger communities in an increasingly hostile environment.
4:48:56
While immigrant communities are under attack, dance workers are teaching newly arrived youth in our schools using movement to facilitate belonging beyond language.
4:49:05
While freedom of expression and diversity under attack, dance workers are amplifying all stories that make up this city, doing programming in parks, small businesses, theaters, and community centers, but this vital work is not sustainable under the current conditions.
4:49:20
When the average dance worker is earning doing these amazing things but still earning 15% below the living wage, we need the city to be our partner.
4:49:29
Recently, Dance NYC and Arts New York conducted a survey of a 77 CDF grantees, and our data shows what's possible when the city supports culture.
4:49:38
It meant that only 25% of organizations experienced cuts in f y twenty five versus 69% in f y twenty four.
4:49:46
Despite that good news, broader instability that's happening right now means that 29% of organizations still reported feeling unconfident or very unconfident in their contributed revenue goals despite that poll coming near the end of the fiscal year when those are typically those projections are typically more solid.
4:50:04
And that's why we are joining the chorus of voices to reiterate our full ask of a $75,000,000 baseline increase for DCLA.
4:50:12
The 45,000,000 is a major success and would be a wonderful win and the additional 30,000,000 is critical.
4:50:20
We also need increases for city council initiatives especially shouting out the coalition of theaters of color which hasn't had an increase in over five years despite a 40% increase in the organizations served.
4:50:33
Just right now our communities are hurting and attacking the arts is part of a larger effort that's rolling back our rights and this is an opportunity to be bold, to say that our cultures are important, that all cultures are important, and to invest in those cultures as a way of deeply investing in our city, and we hope that you'll continue to do that.
4:50:52
Thank you.