named programs · 9 · from sources
What they call their work
MDP + YOU | Black Dance Series
Free public dance classes during Black History Month that celebrate and educate on Black dance traditions, increasing access and honoring cultural lineage.
MDP + YOU | Community Grooves
Arts education initiative offering school residencies, affordable workshops, and corporate wellness programs in diverse movement styles, including the lecture-demonstration Echoes of Freedom.
MDP | Gives Back
Philanthropic campaign donating 10–15% of funds raised to nonprofits serving marginalized populations, nominated by MDP dancers and staff.
MDP | On Demand
Digital platform offering access to MDP performances, repertory, and training content for global audiences and professionals.
MDP | Presents: Choreographer’s Institute
Annual week-long residency offering BIPOC and queer choreographers studio space, mentorship, MDP dancers, and a live audience showing to experiment and develop new work.
MDP | Presents: Collective Voices
Dance festival providing a platform for 5+ choreographers annually, including community-voted "People’s Choice" selections, to showcase new works alongside MDP in New York City.
MDP | Presents: New Visions
Annual concert series commissioning emerging choreographers to create world premieres, with a focus on amplifying diverse and authentic voices in contemporary dance.
MDP | Tea Talks
Annual series of panel discussions and podcasts on topics including race, gender, sexuality, mental health, and the arts, shared publicly in video and audio formats.
MDP | UPLIFT
Capacity-building initiative offering fiscal sponsorship and an entrepreneur fellowship to help artists and cultural workers launch sustainable creative projects and organizations.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Original Dance Performance Production 2 activities
- Operating an annual dance festival and commissioning original worksProduces the Collective Voices Dance Festival and other annual concert series that provide performance platforms for diverse choreographers, including world premieres by emerging artists. The organization commissions original dance works through a rolling review process and supports up to two emerging choreographers annually to develop and present world premiere works in concert settings.
- Producing contemporary dance performancesCreates and presents original choreographic works, dance films, and evening-length ballets that amplify underrepresented voices, particularly from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, through live performances and virtual festivals. The company employs 11 professional dancers and has premiered works such as "Reborn," "Hush," "Looking Out: A Stonewall Memorial," and "Love, Nina" at venues including Harlem Stage, Battery Dance Festival, and Rockefeller Park.
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Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Advocating for social change through danceUses dance as a medium to confront social issues affecting historically marginalized groups, including racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and health equity, through performances and public engagement initiatives.
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Archiving and presenting queer and BIPOC dance historiesPreserves and showcases dance histories from queer and BIPOC communities through performances, public programming, and cultural events that celebrate underrepresented voices and legacies in dance.
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Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Funding nonprofit organizations serving marginalized communitiesAllocates 10–15% of funds raised during Anniversary, Calendar Year-End, and Fiscal Year-End campaigns to nonprofit organizations selected by MDP community members, focusing on groups that serve marginalized and underserved populations.
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Hosting public community talks and panel discussionsOrganizes an annual series of community talks and panels on topics including mentorship, race, gender/sexuality, health, and the arts, with content shared publicly in video and audio podcast formats to broaden access and engagement.
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Ballet and Dance Education Programs 1 activity
- Providing youth and adult arts education programsOffers arts education residencies in schools (1–18 weeks), affordable monthly workshops, corporate wellness sessions, and public lecture-demonstrations such as "Echoes of Freedom" that teach Black history through dance, rhythm, and storytelling. Also provides free public dance classes during Black History Month in styles rooted in Black traditions, including Jazz, Tap, Sabar West African, and House.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Supporting underrepresented artists through development programsRuns the Choreographer’s Institute and an annual one-week residency program for BIPOC and queer choreographers, offering mentorship, studio time, company dancers, artistic feedback, and live audience showings. These programs aim to sustain opportunities for emerging artists to create and share new work.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$67K
Contributions & grants$63K93%
Program service revenue$5K7%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$68K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$20K
Grants paid out$18K
balance sheet
Total assets$100
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$100
4 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue +70.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derick McKoy Jr | Founding Artistic Director and CEO | 35 | $1K |
board members · 6
- Jessica Sofia Lopez Harris — Board Member
- Maureen Steinhorn — Board Member
- Priscilla Hopkins-Smith — Board Member
- Ralph Greene Jr — Board Member
- Selena Robinson — Board Member
- Ygor Lobo — Board Mamber
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Ailey/Fordham BFA Program Network — Educational program from which staff member Tyler Choquette graduated, indicating institutional affiliation.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Partner — Featured Samantha Figgins, a dancer with Alvin Ailey, in a discussion on self-love and personal practice.
- Art Transforms, Inc Partner — Co-presented "Watch Me Rise: I Am Woman", an evening of jazz and dance.
- Battery Dance Festival Partner — Presented performances at the festival.
- Carolyn Dorfman Dance Partner — Company with which staff member Tyler Choquette is currently performing, indicating ongoing artistic collaboration.
- Circle of Leaders Network — Community of committed donors supporting MDP’s year-round operations.
- Derick McKoy, Jr. Partner — Founding Artistic Director & CEO of McKoy Dance Project
- Hands and Voices Partner — Received support from MDP | Gives Back program in 2025.
- Harlem Stage Government — Presented the premiere of "The Echo Carried: Resonance" during the E-Moves Festival.
- Harlem Stage Partner — Presented performances as part of the E-Moves Festival.
- Malala Fund Partner — Selected for MDP | Gives Back program by MDP company dancer Rachel Yoo; received donation from MDP campaign funds in June 2027.
- Mark Morris Dance Center Partner — Hosted the showing of works-in-process from the Choreographer’s Institute.
- Mark Morris Dance Center Partner — Hosts MDP's Choreographer’s Institute and Collective Voices Dance Festival as performance and rehearsal venue.
- NYIC – New York Immigration Coalition Partner — Selected for MDP | Gives Back program by MDP company dancer Autumn Rodrigue; received donation from MDP campaign funds in October 2026.
- Nimbus Dance Works Partner — Company with which staff member Tyler Choquette has performed, indicating artistic affiliation.
- Nir Arieli Partner — Photographer who produced headshots for the dancers.
- Opus 87 Piano Quartet Partner — Collaborated on the creation of "Looking Out: A Stonewall Memorial."
- Opus 87 Piano Quartet Partner — Collaborated on the debut performance of "Looking Out: A Stonewall Memorial".
- Shades Dance Theater Partner — Hosted a conversation between Derick McKoy Jr. and Cameron Terry, founder and artistic director of Shades Dance Theater.
- Smashworks Dance Partner — Company with which staff member Tyler Choquette is affiliated, indicating artistic partnership.
- The Filipino-American Historical Society Partner — Received support from MDP | Gives Back program in 2025.
- The Mama Glow Foundation Partner — Received support from MDP | Gives Back program in 2026.
- Trans formative Schools Partner — Selected for MDP | Gives Back program by MDP company dancer Tyler Choquette; received donation from MDP campaign funds in December 2026.
- alma Collective Partner — Co-founded by Kat Bark and Bianca Dam, and with which staff member Tyler Choquette is affiliated, indicating collaborative artistic network.
- nonprofit organizations serving marginalized and underserved populations Partner — Receives financial support from MDP | Gives Back; organizations are nominated by MDP dancers, staff, or collaborators.
strategies · 4
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 as a Catalyst for Social Impact and Collective Transformationmethodology: art-for-social-impactBy using contemporary dance and bold storytelling, the organization produces empathy, understanding, and collective transformation because artistic expression creates visceral, shared human experiences that break down social barriers and foster joy and connection.
- Community Access Through Free, Culturally Rooted Dance Educationmethodology: community-access-through-free-educationBy offering free public dance classes rooted in Black history, the organization increases access and educates communities about cultural legacy because removing financial and cultural barriers enables participation, fosters pride, and preserves underrepresented traditions.
- Cultural Reclamation Through Dance Archiving and Public Presentationmethodology: cultural_reclamationBy centering queer and BIPOC dance histories through archiving and public performance, the organization corrects historical underrepresentation and fosters belonging because visibility of marginalized narratives validates identity and transforms cultural memory.
- Equity-Centered Artist Development and Commissioningmethodology: equity-focused_artist_developmentBy reserving artist development programs and choreographic commissions for emerging BIPOC and queer artists, the organization advances representation and innovation in dance because systemic equity in opportunity produces authentic, barrier-breaking artistic work.