In DC a leader’s first 100 days typically sets the tone for their tenure. This barometer can be daunting for anyone and after coming out of a decade as a dance educator in academia, I thought intensely about what it means to now run a dance service organization.

As I researched nightly in Illinois before my relocation to the District one word kept popping up; community. While thinking about this word and how it relates to my new position, I came to a terrifying realization; I don’t know them, and they don’t know me.

While my husband and I are both Virginia natives, the dance community has shifted tremendously in the past decade. I could sit on my laptop all day reading about the extraordinary things happening in the capital dance scene, or I could meet the people doing it. I’m actually terrible at sitting still so you know which I chose!

People love data in DC so here are my stats from mid-March till now:

Site Visits: 47
Performances: 12
Grants Awarded: 3
Times Almost Dying Merging on the GW Parkway: 3
Networking Events: 3
Facilitations/Guest Lectures: 2
Number of Times I Brought My Purse Knife in a Government Building and Set Off the Metal Detectors: 2
Awards: 1
Conferences: 1
Offices Moved: 1
Amounts of Mumbo Sauce Eaten: TOO MANY TO COUNT (#ihopeitsvegan)

I also found much more than a dance community. I found a dance family. From words of wisdom, to encouraging high fives, to tours of spaces, to genuine kinships, I am honored to serve and advocate for this incredible dance ecosystem.

And now, like every great leader after their first 100 days, I’m going to play golf.