The Groundwork Grant program is open to eligible nonprofit dance organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based in the Greater Houston area with budgets under $1,000,000. Through the sixth round of the funding program, DSH distributed a total of $78,000 through general operating support awards to 19 grantees. Awards provide general operational support to grantees for the 2025 calendar year grant term.
2025 Groundwork Grantees
6 Degrees
Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre
Frame Dance Productions
Group Acorde
Houston Contemporary Dance Company
Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, Inc
Indian Performing Arts Samskriti
ISHIDA Dance Company
Karen Stokes Dance
Mezclada Dance Company
Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective
NobleMotion Dance
Open Dance Project
Rivkah French Choreography
Silambam Houston
Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater
The Pilot Dance Project
Vitacca Ballet
Wild She Dances
Dance Source Houston accepted applications from September 30, 2024, through November 1, 2024, for the 2025 Groundwork Grant cycle. The 2026 grant application will be available in August 2025.
The program was launched in 2019 to address the need for increased funding opportunities for local dance makers. Nonprofit dance companies and fiscally sponsored projects located in the Greater Houston region dedicated to the creation and presentation of any dance genres are encouraged to apply. The priorities for the funding are in alignment with Dance Source Houston’s mission to empower the diverse individuals and organizations working in the field of dance throughout the Greater Houston region by means of advocacy, inclusive community engagement, and support services.
Have questions?
Read our Frequently Asked Questions. Additional questions should be directed by email to danceinfo@dancesourcehouston.org. Do not direct questions to individual staff members’ email addresses. Please put “Groundwork Grant Question” in the subject line to ensure your email is prioritized. As appropriate, responses to questions received will be added to the FAQ page.
The Groundwork Grant program is a response to the findings and culminating report of Dance Source Houston’s needs assessment study of the Houston dance sector, titled The State of Houston Dance and published in 2019. Data revealed that, of the responding dance organizations, over half had operating budgets under $100,000 and all reported a small number of sources for support. The Houston dance landscape is rife with activity but lacks sufficient funding to allow individuals and organizations within the community to thrive. Through the distribution of funds to small and mid-sized organizations, DSH aims to foster increased stability for the city’s dance field and advance the sector as a whole.
Past Grantees
Art Uniti
Ashley Horn
Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre
Bayou City Ballet Youth Company
Frame Dance Productions
Group Acorde
Houston Contemporary Dance Company
Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, Inc.
Indian Performing Arts Samskriti
ISHIDA Dance
Mezclada Dance Company
Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective
NobleMotion Dance
Open Dance Project
Rivkah French Choreography
Silambam Houston
The Pilot Dance Project
Wild She Dances