Dear transcenDANCE supporters,
Thank you for joining us for this year’s performance, Peace of Courage, themed around Conflict Resolution and the peacemaking process. In early 2012, the National Conflict Resolution Center awarded transcenDANCE with the local Peacemakers Award. We had just selected this as our performance theme a few months prior. It was as though the theme selected us as 2012 has come to represent a lot of conflict, and a lot of resolution, for our organization.
After celebrating our 5-year anniversary last year, we have stepped into our growing pains. It is exciting that our grassroots, neighborhood effort has led to our young and strong status as a reputable and high-achieving youth arts non-profit….AND, this last year has been one of change as we grew from an often one-woman led project to a team effort and experienced all of the leadership transition that goes along with it. Growing can often be a painful process. Our staff and students confronted the change, sometimes with uncertainty and always with honesty, and found resolution and growth on the other side.
I would like to thank some key people who were and are instrumental in helping us move into chapter two with grace. My deepest gratitude goes to Terry Parish, Behin Behrozi, Teresa Trout, Tonnie Sammartano, Seiha Vor, Deborah Briggs, and our Board of Directors. The journey is only rewarding because our graduates and students are there to work side by side with us…allow for change, forgive mistakes, be accountable as young leaders, and be open to go along with the process.
I would like to thank our newest partner organization, ARTS (A Reason to Survive), for being an exciting part of our growth into this next chapter. In January 2012, ARTS entered into a fiscal sponsor role for us taking on most of our administrative back-end services, giving us another layer of professionalism and infrastructure. This partnership has become critical for our expansion and evolution. We are thrilled to announce that ARTS and transcenDANCE are taking our relationship to the next level. In fall 2012, we will be relocating our headquarters to their National City site and be operating out of our own Performance Annex. We will become part of San Diego’s premier multi-disciplinary youth arts resource with a campus that offers music, visual art, multi-media, and now dance theatre, to underserved youth county wide. We will remain serving City Heights youth both at neighborhood sites and at our new studio space. We will expand to serve National City youth, along with students county-wide. This is an exciting step for us that truly brings us to another level of serving San Diego youth. Please stay tuned for more details about our move and an official invitation to our Open House in early 2013.
With new team members, new energy, expanded partnerships, and a beautiful new space, we are FULL of possibility for transcenDANCE. This spirit of optimism is leading us into our next chapter. We invite all of you to join us for the adventure!
Warmly, Catherine Corral