11/27/2024
Dear DMP Community,
We want to take a moment to acknowledge and honor the many voices that have been shared recently—voices expressing concern, offering constructive feedback, sharing deeply personal experiences, and calling for change. We are grateful for your courage, vulnerability, and care for this community. Your investment in DMP reflects your passion for what we are building together, and we don’t take that lightly.
As Organizers, we have been listening closely…We hear the requests for greater diversity, inclusivity, safety, and transparency and leadership within DMP, and we recognize the need to grow and adapt as this community continues to evolve. What began as a small, passion-driven project among friends who wanted to dance together has blossomed into a massive community expanding across many states. As we grow, we recognize it’s time to evolve into a more structured operation to better serve the vibrant community that has emerged.
So let us begin by owning that we are human—imperfect and learning. This work comes from our hearts, and while we strive to hold this space with love and integrity, we know we have fallen short at times. We are committed to taking accountability for the ways in which we can do better while also asking for your grace and patience as we navigate this process.
This space has always been a reflection of the people within it, and we firmly believe that its strength lies in its co-creative nature. The challenge before us is finding a way to hold both truths: to provide clearer, fuller leadership while continuing to invite and empower all of you to co-create this community with us.
Our Commitments Moving Forward
We hear your concerns about 4 core areas: diversity/inclusivity, safety, transparency & leadership. Here is where we stand and the next steps we are committed to taking:
1. Diversity & Inclusivity
We recognize the need for a diverse community that reflects the diversity of Philadelphia and our broader community. This includes greater representation of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people of varying body types, ages, and abilities. We want to foster a community with this bedrock and we would like to create resources to make that happen at all of our events.
2. Safety
Safety is fundamental to the trust and well-being of this community. We are always open to feedback and are continually working to make this space feel safe and inclusive for all. The needs and challenges some of you are expressing are real, and we hold them with care. Although we are not equipped to serve as a therapeutic organization, we are committed to working together to help provide systems and protocols for you to feel safe and comfortable at all of our events.
We aim to create an environment where people feel safe and each individual is free to share their truths and experiences. At the same time, we want to ensure that freedom of expression is handled with respect, and we are all mindful of the impact our words and actions have on others.
3. Transparency
Our intention as organizers has always been to serve this vision in the background, letting the community be the center. However, we hear the desire for greater clarity around how decisions are made, who is in leadership, and how roles are defined. We recognize that a lack of transparency can create confusion and mistrust. We are committed to bringing ourselves in, allowing ourselves to be seen, and being more open about our processes in decision making moving forward in order to support transparency and maintain the integrity of the space we share.
4. Leadership
We want to find a balance of guiding the community and empowering it. Too much top-down control risks stifling the magic and natural evolution that makes this community so unique, while too much decentralization can create confusion, inconsistency, or a lack of focus.
We are committed to stepping up and being held accountable, while also holding onto the foundational value that this community belongs to all of us. With that in mind, we want to find the balance between,
Leadership and Empowerment: We want to provide guidance and support, and we also believe in empowering each of you to step into your roles as co-creators and caretakers of this space. This is a collective space, and your voices, ideas, and efforts are essential to its future.
In order to honor these recent conversations, strengthen the foundation of this organization, and ensure that the DMP community continues to thrive in alignment with our shared values- Here are a few next steps that we as organizers are committed to…
NEXT STEPS
* To address this we are currently working on building a Committee which will be led by representatives of the BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ communities. The committee will seek to find solutions for the topics that have surfaced in our community message group in the last week and the topics listed above.
* We will seek input and collaboration from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented voices to ensure that future leadership and decision-making processes reflect a broader community of diversity
* We’re hoping this committee will provide a space for those who are feeling unseen, unheard, and/or marginalized to have a platform where they can feel comfortable to express themselves and come up with solutions for them to thrive in our community.
* The committee will also give attention to concerns around safety. In addition, we as organizers will find ways to connect our community to outside resources for additional support. Many incredible resources can be found right here within our community and we ask for a collaboration toward building a support guide book. This is partially the intention of the DMP Facebook group page however we can expand and organize a specific space for supportive offerings.
* We will create a page on our website which details Dance Medicine Philly as a non profit organization. Share about our story, and our operations.
* We will publish a clear outline of Board members, organizers and include our Bio’s on our website so you can see who we are and learn about our backgrounds.
* An important note: these commitments are just the first steps in the greater unfolding of what our community is capable of. Amazing things will continue to expand as we find new ways to deepen our connections and communications with friends and family.
We recognize that, as a community, we're being asked to look at the very real social, cultural issues that society and humans have struggled to face for hundreds of years. This is not a cop out, or a spiritual bypass- just a simple recognition that the problems that are bubbling up are very nuanced & complex. These issues are much bigger than any single organization or community and they will take time…AND wow, what a wonderful opportunity and privilege our community has to point out the problems, sort out the solutions, and emerge more unified than ever before!
What We Ask of You
As we reflect on these concerns, we’re reminded of an essential truth: this community is co-created by all of us. DMP exists because of each person who shows up with an open heart and a desire to contribute. If there’s something you feel DMP is not offering, we warmly encourage you to step up and be part of the solution. Whether that means offering your unique skills, facilitating a new initiative, or simply sharing your ideas, we believe that meaningful change happens when each of us feels empowered to play an active role. This space belongs to all of us, and it will only grow stronger if we work together.
Gratitude and Grace
We are deeply humbled by the passion and care you all bring to this space. We know we won’t get everything right, and that these things will take time- we appreciate your patience as we do the work to grow and adapt as a unifying force. The great intention of these ecstatic dances are to hold a space where people feel free to connect, express, and heal. Thank you for trusting us to create this space, for offering us grace as we learn, and for continuing to show up with open hearts.
With love,
-Dance Medicine Philly Organizers
Jacob Ellis, LaVina D’Anjolell, David Siller, Ora Quinn, Richie Parrella, Frank Perri, and Harry Friedman
