NWPDP } Mission

The Northwest Professional Dance Project celebrates excellence in dance. It is our mission to close the chasm between the best emerging dancers and the field's leading dance creators and mentors by drawing them together to work in an open, collaborative and creative environment. Our focus is on the art of dance as a whole, providing young artists at the threshold of their careers the chance to hone their craft, as well as fostering an environment for our artists to take risks, experiment, develop and explore their art without demands or commercial concerns. We perform, educate, create, cultivate and champion diversity while engaging and deepening public appreciation and support of dance.

NWPDP's guiding principles are:

To provide a training center of outstanding and exemplary quality and bring together local, national and international artists.
To support and develop dance creation by providing a laboratory for established and emerging choreographers to work, research and experiment while providing an opportunity for directors of dance companies to work with, mentor and observe new talent.
To provide a showcase for dancers, choreographers and directors to present new, emerging and established dance works, and advance Portland's reputation for producing new and inspired art.
To create a collaborative and inclusive educational environment that actively promotes respect for diversity in all areas of the organization and to further establish Portland as a rich kettle of arts and culture by bringing together a diverse group of citizens and entities to achieve a shared goal.
To acknowledge the presence and strength of Portland's major dance artists and companies and their contributions to the education and development of young artists.
To serve the community by providing a unique and meaningful arts program, thereby making Portland a destination for dance students, artists and dance audiences.
To build, inspire, entertain and nurture audiences for dance while engaging and deepening public appreciation and support of dance.
NWPDP, its employees and Board of Trustees, conducts business in an ethical manner and provides a positive and respectful environment for both internal and external constituents.