mission & history

Our Mission

The Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles is a service organization for dance. Our mission is to support community-based professional dance activity by providing its members access to information, resources, and services; and to promote the visibility of Greater Los Angeles dance on local, state, and national levels.

DRC History

For more than 20 years, the has been the source for all things dance in Southern California. Led by outstanding members of the dance community on a largely volunteer basis, the DRC is constantly evolving in keeping with its mission to provide member-initiated and member-responsive services.

The DRC was founded in 1987 in response to the need for a centralized dance information network in Los Angeles. The organization has responded to changes within the field of dance with relevant services and programs, including master classes for dancers and choreographers, a dance on film festival, and workshops for the creation of dance videos.

The DRC has also provided expert advice on public relations, grant writing, and concert promotion through Technical Assistance Workshops. In addition, the DRC is well known for its annual presentation of the prestigious Lester Horton Dance Awards and publication of the Dancezine, a bi-monthly magazine.

The Los Angeles dance community is larger and more diverse than we often realize. Alongside Western dance forms such as ballet, modern, and jazz, our region maintains a rich heritage of dance reflecting the traditions of our Southern neighbors. We are also the gateway to the Pacific Rim, and embrace dance forms from the many cultures that line its shores. We continue to benefit from expressive African/African-American traditions, and a growing awareness of the East Indian classical arts.

There are more than 100 nonprofit dance companies in Los Angeles County, plus numerous unincorporated dance companies and groups. There are also presenters, commercial studios, university dance departments, teachers, and thousands of students, working dancers (concert and commercial), and dance audience members - people who have a background in and/or passion for dance.

Our community, the constituency for the DRC, is truly vast and varied. The DRC provides the connection, assistance, and information to know, build, and strengthen this community.