Dance connects people across borders and communities, is practiced by every culture in our diverse world, includes every race, gender, age, socioeconomic level and person.
Dance has the capacity to enrich us, free and enliven us, open up our creativity, and push our athleticism.
Dance ignites our innate desire to connect with one another and speaks a universal language.
We believe dance is to be shared by everyone.
“We all dance and finding the value in dance performance is an engaging way to teach us connections between people. Human movement is timeless and can and should be used for us to see others as we see ourselves.”
– John Gray, Director Emeritus, Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
The International Museum of Dance models a new, forward-thinking vision for 21st century museums. Advances in technology and digitation are creating both opportunities and challenges for dance artists. Challenges involve greater urgency around issues of access, copyright and legacy. Opportunities include innovative ways for dancers and choreographers to connect with each other, audiences and students. IMOD serves as a cultural anchor in this evolving artistic and digital landscape.
We help preserve the integrity of artistic works and, backed by groundbreaking technology, connect, showcase and share all that unifies diverse artists and their works. Our exhibitions and archival materials are curated by members of the global dance community, among them artists representing cultures that have been overlooked for generations. As a result, our Museum honors our collective dance histories, celebrates practices in the dance world of today, and supports and shapes the future of dance.
