August 18, 2021
We hope that you and the members of your families and communities are safe and well.
Holding high hopes that the effects of the SARS-2 virus were waning, and that national conditions would permit the safe and effective conduct of the 2021 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, on April 14, 2021, NASD announced the availability of online registration and provided detailed information regarding the 2021 Annual Meeting. Understanding the need to remain cognizant of the critical issues facing the nation, and dance administrators and their institutions, NASD throughout these months has continued to carefully monitor and consider current realities faced by its membership and constituencies, and viable options as they may pertain to the disposition of the 2021 Annual Meeting. NASD continues to remain committed to providing to members and constituents clear, cogent, and accurate information as it becomes available, and ensuring within its means the safety and well-being of its members and constituents.
After careful and thorough consideration of and attention to issues before the Association at this time, given current conditions and future projections, the NASD Board of Directors voted yesterday to cancel all on-site aspects of the 2021 Annual Meeting, including the meetings of the Commission on Accreditation and Board of Directors; all pre-meeting workshops; and all professional development sessions, which were scheduled to take place September 13–18, 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It is with deep sadness and a profound sense of loss that we offer this confirmation at this time. The NASD Annual Meeting is a welcomed and anticipated opportunity for individuals to connect, communicate, and broaden understandings and awareness of salient issues. It is also a time to come together in community—to challenge our minds, expand our hearts, and enrich our souls. Therefore, the need to entertain a decision to cancel this meeting was approached with a great depth of care.
Each Annual Meeting serves as a venue which enables the Association to conduct in person its business and provide to dance administrators information which assists them to address local and national realities. Although the 2021 Annual Meeting will not be held in person, the Association will conduct through electronic means the business meetings of the membership, Board of Directors, and Commission on Accreditation for the purpose of carrying out their respective responsibilities and duties. These meetings will be conducted in September of 2021 aligned with the time frames in which they were originally scheduled. Further information will be provided to the members of the Board and Commission, and to the membership shortly.
NASD offers appreciation to those individuals slated to participate in the 2021 program. Subsequent to this announcement, NASD will communicate personally with program personnel.
NASD reviewed the possibility of streaming the 2021 Annual Meeting. However, it quickly became evident that the costs associated with such an endeavor were well beyond NASD’s financial means.
NASD will continue its efforts to provide throughout the year professional development sessions. At this time, please mark your calendars. Robert Battle, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will offer an address to the NASD membership on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. EDT through virtual means. Mr. Battle will explore the concepts of legacy and leadership, and the important role dance administrators play in the future success of the art form. NASD will provide further information regarding this and other planned professional development initiatives.
Should you hold a reservation with the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee for the 2021 Annual Meeting, we ask please that you contact the hotel directly and without pause to confirm cancellation. Should any issues arise, please communicate directly with Lisa Ostrich (lostrich@arts-accredit.org) in the National Office. NASD will promptly refund paid 2021 Annual Meeting registration fees.
NASD extends an apology for the timing of the release of this announcement in such close proximity to the meeting as originally scheduled. It is understood that registrants will face the need to amend plans and schedules. NASD extends its deepest apologies for any inconvenience that may be faced. The onset in late July of a new variant and an uptick in COVID-19 illnesses presented to NASD a clear indication of the potential risks associated with an on-site event.
Thank you for the continuing support and patience offered to NASD as it continues its work during these challenging times. Thank you also for your unfailing and monumental efforts to advance the education and training of students enrolled in dance study.
The staff of NASD welcomes inquiries and questions and stands ready to provide assistance to individuals and institutions. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly.
Kind regards.