BRONX, NY — The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) is thrilled to announce the 2024 grantees of the Bronx Dance Fund (BDF). Funded by the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, with supplemental support from Amazon, BDF seeks to nurture the development of artists and organizations that comprise the field of dance in The Bronx. Now in its third year, BDF seeks to achieve this goal by supporting Bronx-based dancers, choreographers, and dance companies with grants of up to $7,500 for general operating or project-based support, including capacity building, training, professional development, and/or production. BDF prioritizes talented early-career dance artists and BIPOC-led organizations.

BCA is excited to continue to support the dance community in The Bronx with this immensely talented cohort. A panel of seasoned dance professionals in New York City carefully reviewed each application and thoughtfully selected the BDF recipients.

The overwhelming number of talented applicants made the final selection of grantees a difficult one, reflecting the breadth of talent in our borough.

The 2024 Bronx Dance Fund grantees are:

Joan Bradford – Choreographer, dancer, teaching artist, and arts administrator proudly born, raised, and still residing in The Bronx. Joan received project-specific support for workshopping and developing “Marbles,” which explores the intricacies, misunderstandings, sufferings, and resiliencies of living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Davalois Fearon – Choreographer, dancer, and educator whose work aims to confront complex social problems and compel audiences towards profound contemplation. Davalois has completed commissioned works for The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Harlem Stage, Stephen Petronio Company, and Carnegie Hall. Davalois received project-specific support for creative development of “Stories Found,” featuring her Afro-Jamaican-informed post-modern/contemporary dance aesthetic.

Alethea Pace – Bronx-based multidisciplinary choreographer and performer, 2023-2025 Artist-in-Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Civic Practice Partnership, and 2021 recipient of Dance Magazine’s Harkness Promise award. Alethea received project-specific support for the development of a site-specific multimedia performance walk rooted in reclaiming the history of an Enslaved African Burial Ground in Hunts Point.

Glenn Potter-Takata – Bronx-based Japanese American dance maker and artist whose work juxtaposes the materiality of consumer detritus with his interest in Buddhist concepts of emptiness and Western notions of nothingness. Glenn received general operating support to help fund an evening-length performance work titled “Bodhisattva Beer Run,” scheduled to premiere at PAGEANT in East Williamsburg in June 2024.

Nélida Tirado – Nélida celebrates the intersection of Flamenco and her identity as a Puerto Rican raised in the multicultural Bronx. Nélida’s artistic vision aims to honor the roots of Flamenco and Latin dance as voices for marginalized communities where rebellious disobedience has been necessary to affirm their existence. Nélida received capacity-building support for training and professional development related to enhancing her pedagogy.

Bombazo Dance Co Inc. – Bombazo Dance Co Inc. is a Bronx-based nonprofit dance organization lead by master Bomba dancer and Puerto Rican native Milteri Tucker Concepción. Milteri received general operating support to continue celebrating and keeping alive the culture of Bomba in The Bronx.

The House of Louboutin – Over the last 13 years, the House of Louboutin has been a center of youth expressions. It is a collective comprised of young artists between the ages of 16 and 25 that uses vogue, friendly competition, and ballroom community to promote the health, safety, and wellness of Black and Latinx LGBTQ youth in The Bronx. The House of Louboutin received general operating support for upcoming 2024 and 2025 programming.

Pepatián: Bronx Arts ColLABorative – Pepatián is a South Bronx-based organization dedicated to creating, producing, and supporting contemporary multi-disciplinary art by Latinx/a/o and Bronx-based artists. Pepatián received production support for their 2024 Bronx Arts Spotlight, including their 3^rd annual “Bronx Grows Dance” and “Hip-Hop Academy” youth programs, 7^th annual “Bronx Indigenous Futurisms” residency, and 6^th annual “Hip-Hop Homelands” curated residency.