DANCE DATA PROJECT® ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP, ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBER, AND TEAM PROMOTION AMIDST ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH

Northfield, IL | January 3, 2024 | Dance Data Project® (DDP) announces that former Joffrey Ballet company member, noted equity consultant and current Executive Director of Giordano Dance Chicago, Erica Lynette Edwards, will become DDP’s 2024-2026 Board President. MD/PhD student and dance equity researcher Jason Yeung will serve a two-year term as Vice President. Associate attorney and Cornell Law School graduate Terran Hill is named Treasurer, and Maine Medical Center pediatrics resident Allison Grover will continue as Secretary.

“As a former professional ballerina, I am delighted to support Dance Data Project as their new Board President,” said Edwards. “Unfortunately, the lack of gender equity in dance spaces has been normalized, but I have witnessed firsthand DDP’s game changing impact through data analysis, invaluable advocacy, and the celebration of equity. Throughout the last few years, it has been an honor to be a part of this incredible organization, and I look forward to DDP’s advancement while in this leadership role.”

Said outgoing DDP Board President Patrick Crocker: “My time as Board President has been a wonderful and humbling experience working alongside so many talented and dedicated members of the DDP team. I’ve had the joy of watching and contributing to DDP’s growth since 2019 – from a fledgling organization to the established and highly impactful non-profit it has become today. Watch for DDP’s continued contribution to moving the conversation and the dance world forward with regard to equity for women and girls in ballet and beyond. I am thrilled to welcome DDP’s new Board President, the supremely talented Erica Edwards, and look forward to the new heights to which she and the rest of the DDP team will lead us.”

Additionally, DDP announces that Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder of noted sustainable luxury brand Another Tomorrow, joins the DDP Board of Directors. Barboni Hallik’s global impact and commitment to technology, sustainability, and ethical AI make her an ideal addition to the Board of Directors.

“Dance has played a foundational role in my life. I have long admired DDP’s deeply needed contributions providing the foundational analysis necessary to support gender parity in the arts,” said Barboni Hallik. “I am honored by the privilege to bring my skill set to support this work.”

“Vanessa’s global market experience will contribute positively to our Board’s geographic as well as sector diversity” said new Board President Edwards. “I am thrilled to watch her management skills and brand-building savvy in action to promote additional leadership roles for women in the arts.”

Dance Data Project® also announces the promotion of Communications Lead Isabelle Ramey to Chief External Affairs Officer for the organization. Ramey joined DDP in May of 2021 as a Research Intern and was promoted to Communications Lead in June of that year. “I am eager to continue my work with DDP in a deeper way. It signals a remarkable streak of growth in expertise and enhanced capacity for DDP, positioning us for further expansion as we approach the five-year anniversary of our first research report,” Ramey said.

“These key announcements align with DDP’s growing footprint,” said DDP Founder & President Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Yntema. “Welcoming Erica Lynette Edwards, Jason Yeung, and Terran Hill to new roles in Board leadership, as well as Ms. Hallik to our Board, shows DDP platforming diverse experiences and backgrounds in key organizational roles. This fascinating group, each with radically different skill sets, will build on the strong foundation laid by Patrick Crocker, our first Board President and longtime advisor, who has been a key contributor to DDP’s success.”

Learn more about DDP’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, and team under the About tab on our website.