WHO ARE WE?
McKoy Dance Project (MDP) is a dynamic 501(c)(3) contemporary dance organization rooted in equity, advocacy, and artistic excellence. As an inclusive dance company and service organization, MDP exists to break down barriers to access in dance by amplifying the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. The company champions opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to connect and grow through performances, youth and adult education, and public cultural events. Led by Founding Artistic Director & CEO Derick McKoy, Jr., MDP uses bold storytelling, community engagement, and high-impact performance as tools for healing, visibility, and systemic change.
Since its first performance in 2019—a collaboration with the Opus 87 Piano Quartet on the evening-length ballet Looking Out: A Stonewall Memorial—MDP has premiered original works, produced dance films, launched the Collective Voices Dance Festival, the Choreographer’s Institute, Black Dance Series, and several school residencies through their Community Grooves program, and performed across New York City. In just five years, the company has served over 2,000 individuals across the NYC metro area.
In 2021, MDP was honored with a special invitation to perform on Juneteenth, the newest U.S. federal holiday and the first in 38 years. With each project, the company fosters connection and critical reflection by confronting societal inequities and amplifying underrepresented histories.
MDP artists and staff are community leaders—educators, collaborators, and cultural curators—who archive and elevate queer and BIPOC dance legacies. We are not just a company; we are a movement, reclaiming space and rewriting what dance can look like—from the street to the stage.
OUR REASON WHY (OUR MISSION)
McKoy Dance Project (MDP) exists to break down barriers to access in dance by amplifying the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities through bold storytelling, community engagement, and high-impact performance. As an inclusive contemporary dance company and service organization, MDP champions opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to connect and grow through performances, youth and adult education, and public cultural events.
Our work is rooted in:
- A dynamic, hybrid movement language that fuses contemporary dance with diasporic, queer, and experimental forms.
- Culturally-responsive programming that honors and uplifts historically excluded identities.
- Deep community investment, from free education and outreach to collaborative performances.
- We believe dance should be a tool for joy, visibility, and liberation. At MDP, we don’t just reflect culture—we build the future of it.
MDP is Hope. MDP is vision.
We are a culmination of reflection, celebration, and triumph.
McKoy Dance Project 