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Center for Traditional Music and Dance Inc
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 237379877 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A200 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · ctmd.org
revenue
$1.1M
expenses
$1.0M
net assets
$1.1M
employees
3
volunteers
30
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

The Center for Traditional Music and Dance works in partnership with New York City immigrant communities to sustain diverse performing arts traditions and share them with the general public.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Center for Traditional Music and Dance works with immigrant communities in New York City to sustain and share diverse traditional performing arts. Through documentation, education, and public programming, the organization supports artists in preserving cultural heritage and increasing visibility. Its initiatives focus on intergenerational transmission and countering negative stereotypes through the arts.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $42K
    Implemented a Peruvian arts education program
  2. #2 $41K
    Implemented Colombian cultural programs.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Beat of the Boroughs
Documentation and public presentation of traditional music and dance performances by immigrant artists across New York City boroughs
Soorya NYC Festival
Annual celebration of Sri Lankan culture through dance, music, and intergenerational dialogue led by the Sri Lankan Dance Academy of NY
Venezuelan Sustaining Cultures Initiative
Collaborative programming with Venezuelan artists focusing on Afro-Venezuelan tambor and joropo traditions to strengthen community identity and challenge stereotypes
Yiddish Cultural Program
Education, performances, and public events centered on Yiddish music and folklore, including partnerships with institutions like the Smithsonian
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 3 activities
    • Advocates for inclusion of traditional arts in national cultural programming
      Helped develop models for ethnic programming at major national festivals including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Newport Folk Festival, contributing to broader recognition of immigrant and traditional arts in U.S. cultural institutions.
    • Implements cultural education and arts programs for immigrant youth
      Provides ongoing classes, workshops, and educational programming in traditional music and dance for youth in immigrant communities, including Mountain Jewish, Bukharan Jewish, Indo-Caribbean, Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian, Chinese, Ukrainian, and Himalayan communities in New York City.
    • Produces and presents performances of immigrant and traditional music and dance
      Organizes and presents annual performances, festivals, and concerts featuring traditional artists from New York City's immigrant communities, including events such as Heritage Sunday Festival at Lincoln Center Out of Doors and New York World Festival at Central Park SummerStage, as well as one-time concerts and touring programs across the U.S.
  • Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
    • Builds capacity in traditional arts through training and institutional development
      Offers internships and professional development opportunities in folklore and ethnomusicology, provides fiscal sponsorship for cultural initiatives, and has founded seven 501(c)(3) cultural organizations and youth academies to strengthen infrastructure for traditional arts in immigrant communities.
  • Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
    • Co-presents and produces cultural festivals and public programs
      Co-designs and presents public cultural programs, including the Ayalga Cultural Festival, Soorya NYC Festival, Commemoration of Bwa Kayiman, and collaborations with Venezuelan, Buryat, and Tibetan communities to strengthen cultural networks and public understanding of diasporic traditions.
  • Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
    • Documents and archives traditional performing arts
      Maintains the largest archive documenting New York City’s immigrant performing arts traditions, including five decades of archival footage, fieldwork with master artists, and production of documentary films, recordings, and multimedia exhibitions that preserve endangered cultural practices.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.06M
Contributions & grants$940K89%
Program service revenue$122K11%
Investment income$680%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.03M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$297K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$1.22M
Cash$1.02M
Investments$0
Liabilities$89K
Net assets$1.13M
Liquid reserves11.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -23.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Peter Rushefsky Executive Director 40 $95K
relationships · 69

Who they work with

  • Aid for Life Partner — Hosts the children’s program that participates in the Casa Sonora Workshop Series, providing access to youth in need.
  • Atran Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Ayalga Cultural Collective Partner — Collaborated on cultural preservation efforts, particularly through the Ayalga Cultural Festival and related programming.
  • Booth Ferris Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Buryaad Mongol United Association Partner — Collaborated on Buryat cultural projects including the Ayalga Cultural Festival and a video program on Sagaalgan, the Buryat Lunar New Year celebration.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Engages CTMD Touring Artists for performances and residencies.
  • Central Park SummerStage Partner — Presents the New York World Festival annually at Central Park SummerStage.
  • Centrum Partner — Collaborates with Centrum, as evidenced by CTMD Executive Director's participation in the Fiddle Tunes Camp in Port Townsend, WA.
  • Con Edison Funder — Supports the Sharing Traditions program
  • Con Edison Partner — Corporate sponsor of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Curtis W. McGraw Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Darina Sanzhieva Partner — Served as director of the Buryaad Mongol United Association and key partner on all Buryat-related projects, including the Ayalga Cultural Festival.
  • Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Endangered Language Alliance Partner — Collaborated on groundwork for Himalayan cultural and language projects, including the Voices of the Himalayas initiative.
  • Escuela de Tambor Afrovenezolano y Percusión Afrolatina Partner — Co-implements the Casa Sonora Workshop Series, providing tambor percussion instruction to children in New York.
  • Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Gilder Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Gilder Foundation Funder — Supports the Sharing Traditions program
  • Grupo Rebolu Partner — Partnered on multiple recordings including folkloric Afro-Colombian concerts, lectures on Colombian rhythms, and family jam performances.
  • Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees Partner — Long-time collaborative partner in organizing the annual Bwa Kayiman commemoration.
  • Harkness Foundation for Dance Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Hearst Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Himalayan Elders Project Partner — Partnered on initiatives supporting Himalayan elders and cultural transmission within the community.
  • Himalayan Language and Culture Program Partner — Partnered on initiatives supporting Himalayan and Tibetan communities in Queens, leading to the development of the independent Himalayan Sustaining Cultures Initiative.
  • Howard Gilman Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum Partner — Collaborated on a recorded tour of the synagogue and museum highlighting Greek Romaniote heritage.
  • Keller-Shatanoff Fund Funder — Foundation supporter of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
  • Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Partner — Engages CTMD Touring Artists for performances and residencies.
  • Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Funder — Supports the Sharing Traditions program
  • Lincoln Center Partner — Engages CTMD Touring Artists for performances and residencies, including through Lincoln Center Out of Doors.
+ 39 more
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.

  • Community-Led Cultural Preservation
    methodology: community_led_cultural_preservation
    By partnering with immigrant communities and master artists to identify, present, and sustain traditional arts, the organization ensures authentic, self-determined cultural transmission; this collaborative model strengthens community ownership and increases the sustainability of endangered traditions.
  • Culture as a Vehicle for Community Resilience and Empowerment
    methodology: culture_as_organizing
    By using traditional music and dance as tools for community organizing and youth empowerment, the organization fosters collective identity and agency; cultural expression becomes a means to build resilience, challenge stereotypes, and advance justice within marginalized communities.
  • Integrated Research, Education, and Advocacy for Cultural Survival
    methodology: cultural_preservation_through_scholarship_and_advocacy
    By combining fieldwork, documentation, public programming, and policy advocacy, the organization creates a holistic ecosystem for safeguarding intangible heritage; this multi-pronged approach amplifies marginalized voices and ensures traditions are preserved both on stage and in community memory.
  • Intergenerational Transmission Through Integrated Language and Art
    methodology: language_and_art_transmission_integration
    By integrating endangered language instruction with traditional music and dance education, the organization enables full cultural inheritance; this dual approach ensures that artistic forms are transmitted with their linguistic and contextual meaning, strengthening intergenerational communication and cultural continuity.