VADA (Virtual American Dance Academy) began as a collaboration between the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia and a consortium of Skopje-based cultural organizations, led by Ivana Balabanova of the Beatrix Cultural Center.  The program has been supported by the U.S. State Department’s Arts Envoy program, based in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and managed by American Dance Abroad’s Co-Directors, Carolelinda Dickey and Andrea Snyder, and by American Voices’ Alan Alyas.

The project’s goals and objectives are to support youth and encourage opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship of N. Macedonia’s dance community, using street dance styles as its main artistic focus.  The American street dance community is a diverse and entrepreneurial network of dancers found across the country and, fortunately, with a well-established online presence.  Originally envisioned for onsite exchange, Covid-19 required VADA to go virtual. 

Divided into five monthly teaching components combining three weekly technique classes focused on different sub-genres of street dance with cultural and contextual history of street dance styles, the program started in February with Marie Poppins teaching the elements of popping, followed in March by SlimBoogie teaching musicality, control, and improvisation techniques. In April, a sudden Covid quaratine in N. Macedonia paused the dance instruction; the program quickly transitioned to a three-week symposium focusing on the business and entrepreneurship of dance.  Artist Envoys Ephrat Asherie and Raphael Xavier spoke to the local participants about individual professional development and project development.  Choreographer and school director Staycee Pearl spoke on the mechanics of building a school or business.  Ken Foster, director of Arts Leadership at the University of Southern California, and Thomas Cavanagh, executive director of the Oakland, CA-based aerial dance company BANDALOOP, lectured on institutional management.

Once the Covid situation improved and the use of dance studios became possible again, direct virtual engagement resumed in May with U.S. Artist Envoys Jesse Sykes and Nubian Néné teaching about House and Waving.  VADA is finishing the technique component in June with Wendell Bullen teaching Dance Hall.

The Virtual American Dance Academy will wrap up on June 29 with a virtual panel discussion of dance experts who will discuss their personal success stories creating new artistic and business ventures along with examples of community engagement.  These inspirational leaders (all founders of their organizations) are Arthur Aviles from B.A.A.D in the Bronx, NY, Christy Bolingbroke from the National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron, OH, and Sophie Myrtil-McCourty from Lotus Arts Management in New York City.  These organizations represent a broad spectrum of the dance community: a community-based dance center, a university-based choreographic center, and a management agency.