Leslie Parker Dance Project

I hope you and your loved ones are well. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that this has been a challenging and tumultuous year in so many ways. I’m grateful that Leslie Parker Dance Project (LPDP) has been able to persist and create moments of joy and solidarity in the midst of it all. 

As we near the end of 2025, I’m reaching out to LPDP’s incredible network of supporters to raise funds to help us enter 2026 in a strong position to keep creating, collaborating, and convening. 

Here are a few highlights from the past year and a preview of what we have coming up:

March 2025: LPDP produced the second Black Dance Improvisation (BDI) Festival, featuring solos by emerging artists working in and exploring the terrain of improvisation. Planning is now in the works for the BDI Initiative to continue in 2026.

June 2025: Leslie completed a month-long residency in Cassis France before returning to Minnesota to perform an experiment pt II at The Cedar Cultural Center as part of Twin Cities Jazz Festival (also featuring musician Melvin Gibbs).

July 2025: LPDP had our first of multiple week-long residencies at Northrop to develop our new work, LoverRoot. 2026 will be a time of concentrated new work development to prepare for its premiere in 2027.

I am also honored that LPDP received several grants this year in recognition of our work, including from the McKnight Foundation, the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation, New Music USA, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the City of Minneapolis’ Bridge Fund for Dance. But in order to keep fulfilling our mission to move Black culture(s) into the future through dance in 2026, we need more supporters to join in. 

Would you consider an end-of-year gift to help us develop new work, provide platforms for artists, and amplify the power of Black improvisation in 2026?

Thank you for your generous support of LPDP.

For more details goto: www.leslieparkerdance.com