Shana Simmons Dance (SSD) in collaboration with Chrisala Brown, XRconnectED (Karen Alexander) and Bianca Johnson & Dancers (BJ&D), is proud to announce a $100,000 award from the Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund for The Virtual Dance Exchange Project (VDEP), a collective designed to explore race and age diversity in dance, the impact of COVID-19 on the dance world, and differences between dance community structures in New York City and Pittsburgh. 

VDEP will develop original choreography filmed in 360-degree video format putting the viewer at the center of the performance, giving them agency to look around at the environment at will, creating a completely immersive dance experience. This virtual performance will premiere online in the Fall of 2021 along with a series of educational online group discussions addressing systemic racism and how it continues to sustain inequities in the arts community.