New England Foundation for the Arts Receives Major Funding to Support Contemporary Dance Performance Throughout the United States

                 Second Year of MetLife Foundation Support



    BOSTON, July 17 /EMWNews/ -- New England Foundation for

the Arts (NEFA) announced today that it has received a $250,000 award from

MetLife Foundation to support the MetLife Community Connections component

of NEFA's National Dance Project (NDP). During the 2008-09 season, MetLife

Community Connections (http://www.nefa.org/grantprog/ndp/metlife.html) will

support 43 engagements that feature six NDP projects (up from 39

engagements and five projects last year) with community engagement

activities, including workshops, master classes, and collaborations with

local schools throughout the United States.



    "We are proud to renew our partnership with NEFA to provide additional

resources to support community programs nationwide in connection with NDP

tours," said MetLife Foundation President Sibyl Jacobson. "We commend NEFA

for its commitment to connecting choreographers and dance companies to

diverse communities across the country."



    NDP artists are selected annually from a range of established and

emerging talent. To date, NDP grants have supported more than 200 new dance

works involving more than 300 presenters of dance in 3,700 performances and

6,000 community activities.



    The featured artists for the MetLife Community Connections program are

David Rousseve/REALITY (Los Angeles); Ragamala Music and Dance Theater

(Minneapolis); PHILADANCO (Philadelphia); Joe Goode Performance Group (San

Francisco); Pat Graney Company (Seattle); and Gesel Mason Performance

Projects (Washington, D.C.). View the full release at

http://www.nefa.org/about/documents/080723_NDP_MetLifeAwardPR8.pdf.

    About MetLife Foundation



    MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to carry on its

longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community

involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic and

cultural organizations and programs throughout the country. Recognizing the

vital role the arts play in building communities and educating young

people, MetLife Foundation contributes to the arts and culture by focusing

on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broader audiences

through inclusive programming and making arts more accessible for all

people. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its web

site at http://www.metlife.org.



    About New England Foundation for the Arts



    NEFA creatively supports the movement of people, ideas, and resources

in the arts within New England and beyond, makes vital connections between

artists and audiences, and builds the strength, knowledge, and leadership

of the region's creative sector. NEFA is a 501 ( c ) 3 that operates with

funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England state

arts agencies, and from corporations, foundations and individuals.



    NEFA administers ten grant-making programs that support the performing

arts, public art, and Native arts. NEFA is also actively involved in ten

projects and initiatives, ranging from the research and analysis of the

impact of the creative economy to the creation and administration of

resources and online tools, which link and advance the regional, national,

and international cultural community. For more information, please visit

http://www.nefa.org or call [617] 951-0010.



    Additional funds for NDP are provided by the Doris Duke Charitable

Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the

Australia Council for the Arts.






    Contacts:

    Ann Wicks                                     Sarah Faria

    New England Foundation for the Arts           MetLife

    [email protected]                               [email protected]

    [617] 951-0010 ext. 534                       [401] 827-3906