Step Afrika! Competitors

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is the oldest continuously operating performing arts center in the US, founded in 1859 and located in the Fort Greene neighborhood since 1908. Known for pushing the boundaries of what performance and film can be, BAM has long been the home for creative trailblazers, renowned visionaries, and curious audiences. BAM presents live music, dance, theater, and everything in between, in addition to a year-round film program showcasing new releases and curated series. Want to help connect over half a million curious New Yorkers annually to groundbreaking film and performance? Discover your next opportunity at bam.org/about/careers.

Since 1984, Broadway Dance Center has earned a reputation in the global dance community as a beacon of excellence in dance education. BDC is renowned for its unparalleled Faculty and for offering a diverse array of dance disciplines under one roof. With over 25 years of experience, our state-of-the-art studios, and our location in the heart of the Broadway theater district in New York City, BDC is the ultimate destination for dancers around the world.

Ballet Hispánico is the nation’s renowned Latinx/e/Hispanic dance organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latine/x cultures through innovative dance performances, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences. Founded in 1970 by National Medal of Arts recipient, Tina Ramírez, the organization emerged during the post-civil rights movement on New York’s Upper West Side, providing a safe haven for primarily Black and Brown Latinx youth seeking artistic sanctuary during New York City’s plight in the 1970s. The need for place, both culturally and artistically, led families to find Ballet Hispánico. The focus on dance as a means to develop working artists, combined with the training, authenticity of voice, and power of representation, fueled the organization’s roots and trajectory. With its strong emphasis on dance, achievement, and public presence, the organization has flourished in its three main programs: its Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships. The organization serves as a platform for historically omitted and overlooked artists providing them with increased capacity, voice, and affirmation. Over the past five decades, by leading with Latinx culture at the forefront of performance, education, and advocacy, Ballet Hispánico’s mission is a catalyst of change and possibility for communities throughout our nation.