irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $820The "DREAM A DREAM PROJECT: dance workshop for incarcerated men and women" is a program which reaches to members of the incarcerated population weekly at correctional facilities in New York. The Dance classes have between 8 and 100 participants enrolled and incorporate physical warm ups, relaxation exercises and Butoh dance training. Using simple movements and basic dance training for beginners, this class provides a healthy physical and emotional outlet to participants. No prior dance experience is required. Every few months, the inmates perform in front of a mixed audience of inmates and civilians. A Q&A ensues. The performances are an essential part of the program, and provide the participants with a unique chance to offer something deeply personal in front of strangers. In 2016, this program took place at Edgecombe Correctional Facility, supported, in part, by the New York Department of Cultural Affairs and New York Council on the Arts. Overall, participants reported a new openness towards others, a new ability to bond with each other, an increase in strength and flexibility, and a new positive outlook on life. The class helps them face their imminent release from prison with hope, courage and dignity. This program was recently featured on CNN's Great Big Story with millions of viewers and 165,000 online viewers. Susan Hamaker, a writer for Japanculture-nyc.com who witnessed the 2013 performance wrote: "A Triumph" "In eight short weeks Vangeline Theater's Dream a Dream Project transformed those three men who performed. In thirty short minutes the fruits of her labor transformed an entire audience."
- #2 $18KButoh performances offered to the public. In 2025, the Vangeline Theater offered 15 butoh performances to the public. Performances featured professional Butoh dancers. A total of 4000 viewers watched our online and in-person performances.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Butoh Performances for the Public
Annual series of public Butoh performances featuring professional dancers, offered both in-person and online to promote public education and engagement with Butoh as an art form.
Dream a Dream Project
Weekly Butoh dance workshops for incarcerated men and women in New York correctional facilities, incorporating physical warm-ups, relaxation exercises, and beginner-level Butoh training, culminating in performances for mixed inmate and civilian audiences.
The Slowest Wave
Butoh performance integrated with neuroscience research, demonstrating infra-slow brainwave activity during dance, co-produced with scientists at Houston University to explore the intersection of dance, mobility, and consciousness.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Theater and Performing Arts in Corrections 1 activity
- Butoh dance workshops for incarcerated individualsProvides weekly Butoh dance workshops to incarcerated men and women in New York State correctional facilities, including at Edgecombe Correctional Facility, with classes enrolling between 8 and 100 participants. The program, known as "The Dream a Dream Project," has operated for 17 years and includes final performances for mixed audiences of inmates and civilians, followed by Q&A sessions.
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Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
- Butoh workshops for physical and emotional healingConducts Butoh workshops that support internal transformation, reported improvements in mobility and balance for participants with progressive disabilities, and psychological healing through reconnecting with dance and expressing wounded aspects of the self.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Public Butoh performances and festivalsPresents annual public Butoh performances and festivals, including the New York Butoh Institute Festival and Queer Butoh Festival, which elevate visibility for women and LGBTQ+ artists. The organization presented 15 performances annually between 2021 and 2025, reaching thousands of viewers through in-person and online attendance, and premiered original works such as "Hijikata Mon Amour."
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publication and dissemination of Butoh knowledgeAuthored and published the book "Butoh: Cradling Empty Space," launched a multilingual publishing platform exploring Butoh through dance, embodiment, history, pedagogy, and neuroscience, and disseminates research and cultural analysis through public platforms.
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Uncategorized 6 activities
- Academic and institutional Butoh instructionProvides Butoh instruction at universities including Princeton, Cornell, NYU, Brooklyn College, CUNY, Sarah Lawrence College, and Duke University, contributing to the academic integration of Butoh as a dance form.
- Historical costume research and recreationRecreated Tatsumi Hijikata's 1968 costume from "Revolt of the Body" through archival research supported by the Janet Arnold Award and the Tatsumi Hijikata Archives, integrating historical costume practices into performance and conservation.
- On-demand and in-studio Butoh instructionOffers on-demand Butoh classes globally through digital platforms, including multi-session workshops totaling up to 10 hours, as well as in-studio classes capped at 10–20 students. Classes are trauma-informed, accessible to beginners and people with disabilities, and based on the book "Butoh: Cradling Empty Space."
- Private Butoh coaching and artist developmentProvides private Butoh coaching to individual artists to deepen movement vocabulary, character development, and mental focus, supporting the creation of multidisciplinary solo performances through year-long instruction in Butoh and bodywork.
- Professional Butoh training for dance companiesLeads Butoh workshops for professional dance companies to help dancers access and express emotional dimensions in movement, enhancing performance depth and embodiment.
- Research on Butoh and neuroscienceConducts neuroscientific research on Butoh dance, including "The Slowest Wave" project, which measured infra-slow brain wave activity in dancers and explored the effects of Butoh on the brain, supported by a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Dance Award.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$136K
Contributions & grants$38K28%
Program service revenue$98K72%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$140K
Program expenses49%
Admin / overhead51%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$66K
Grants paid out$5K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5K
Cash$5K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$5K
Liquid reserves0.4 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -17.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vangeline Helene Gand | Artistic Director, Board Member, Teacher | 50 | $49K |
relationships · 34
Who they work with
- Bayview Correctional Facility Partner — Former site for Butoh dance program with incarcerated women.
- Bedford Hill Correctional Facility Partner — Site for weekly Butoh dance classes for incarcerated women.
- Brooklyn College Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Butoh San Francisco Partner — Organizational partnership through shared directorship with Shoshana Green.
- City University of New York Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Constantina Theofanopoulou Partner — Scientific collaborator on the neuroscience of butoh and social communication
- Cornell University Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Duke University Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Edgecombe Correctional Facility Partner — Site for weekly Butoh dance classes conducted by Vangeline Theater.
- Guidestar.org Network — Member organization with platinum-level transparency recognition.
- Indie Space Partner — Organizational partnership through shared directorship with Raquel Almazan.
- Ithaca Butoh Partner — Organizational partnership through shared directorship with Mee Ae Caughey.
- Jose 'Pepe' Contreras-Vidal Partner — Neuroscientist collaborator on the study of brainwave activity during butoh performances
- La Lucha Arts Partner — Organizational partnership through shared directorship with Raquel Almazan.
- New York Council on the Arts Government — Provided partial support for the Dream a Dream Project at Edgecombe Correctional Facility in 2016.
- New York Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Partial funder supporting the continuation of the Dream a Dream Project in 2019.
- New York Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provided partial support for the Dream a Dream Project at Edgecombe Correctional Facility in 2016.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Partial funder supporting the continuation of the Dream a Dream Project in 2019.
- New York University Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Nu Dance Theater Partner — Provides Butoh workshops for the dance company to support emotional expression and artistic development.
- Princeton University Partner — Provided Butoh instruction through the Princeton Atelier program.
- Queensboro Correctional Facility Partner — Host site for Butoh dance performances and program implementation.
- Sadye Paez Partner — Research collaborator on the neurobiology and genetic basis of dance
- Sarah Lawrence College Partner — Provided Butoh instruction.
- Society of Antiquaries of London Funder — Provided a 2019 Janet Arnold Award to support the research and recreation of Tatsumi Hijikata's 1968 costume.
- Society of Antiquaries of London Partner — Collaborated to reproduce an iconic butoh costume worn by Tatsumi Hijikata.
- Tatsumi Hijikata Archives Partner — Collaborated to reproduce an iconic butoh costume worn by Tatsumi Hijikata.
- Tatsumi Hijikata Archives Partner — Provided a loan of historical materials for the recreation of Tatsumi Hijikata's 1968 costume.
- Theater for the New City Partner — Hosted the premiere of "Hijikata Mon Amour" as part of the New York Butoh Institute Festival.
- Triskelion Arts Partner — Provided in-kind support for the costume recreation and performance project.
+ 4 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art-Activism Integration to Advance Social Justicemethodology: butoh-as-activismBy using butoh performances as activism, we address gender inequality and social injustice because embodied art creates space for underrepresented voices and challenges oppressive norms through public engagement.
- Butoh as Embodied Transformation for Personal and Collective Healingmethodology: embodied_transformationBy using butoh as a form of deep embodied expression, we enable personal and collective transformation because it surfaces repressed aspects of the self and marginalized societal elements, fostering healing through awareness and integration.
- Interdisciplinary Art-Science Collaboration to Expand Butoh’s Impactmethodology: art-science collaborationBy integrating scientific research with butoh practice, we advance understanding of its neurological and psychological effects because this collaboration validates and expands the art form’s relevance in contemporary contexts.
- Living Tradition Model: Evolving Butoh Through Cultural Preservation and Innovationmethodology: cultural_preservation_and_innovationBy preserving Japanese Butoh legacy while adapting it to contemporary contexts, we ensure its cultural relevance and continuity because this dual focus allows the art form to serve both historical integrity and present-day artistic and social needs.
- Trauma-Informed Butoh for Psychological Safety and Inclusionmethodology: trauma-informed-accessibilityBy applying trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and accessible practices in butoh education, we foster emotional and physical safety because it enables participation and healing for individuals with PTSD, mental health conditions, and diverse physical abilities.