The Long Island Dance Consortium (LIDC) membership is composed of presenters, dance professionals, dance companies, dance advocates, arts councils, universities and dance related groups. The goal of the LIDC is to keep dance alive and kicking on Long Island.
In 1998 a group of dance professionals joined forces to develop an organization that would meet the needs of the dance community and determine how to better serve the diverse dance world in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. From 1998-2001, the group held quarterly meetings in various locations in both Counties and invited dance organizations to join. Meetings were held at Stony Brook University, Huntington Arts Council, Mill Pond House, Inter Media Arts Center, and Adelphi University and at members’ offices.
The LIDC was founded by the Huntington Arts Council with funding from the New York State Dance Force and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Consultants who were instrumental in developing dance consortiums throughout other regions in New York State were invited to these meetings to help the membership define their mission and goals and offer information about the how to build a structure for the organization. The time was used to gather information, develop a needs assessment and a component that would raise the bar of dance education.
An important objective of the LIDC was to develop a forum for young, aspiring dancers and professionals to work together in a non – competitive environment. It was important to address all the needs of these varied arts organizations which came from a large diverse geographical area. With careful gathering of information we began to bring the dance community together by organizing two dance concerts entitled “Celebration of Dance”.
“Celebration of Dance” was renamed “Kaleidoscope of Dance Spring Series”. LIDC presents two evenings of dance during the Huntington Arts Councils’ Summer Arts Festival at Heckscher Park in Huntington Village.
