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Episode 40: Elizabeth Yntema

Episode 40: Elizabeth Yntema

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Dance Data Project President and Founder Elizabeth Yntema is in the studio! Liza founded Dance Data Project in 2015 to shine a light on gender disparities in leadership, compensation, and programming in the dance industry, and since then, DDP has become a global force for accountability and change. Liza and her team are breaking down barriers in the dance field, revealing the data behind funding, leadership, and gender disparities, and showing how anyone — from dance fans to leaders of companies and boards of nonprofits — can use this information to create real change.


At 60 years old, Liza faced rejection that almost meant DDP didn’t happen, but her relentless drive turned an idea into a powerful movement for equity and transparency in dance. In this episode, she shares the story of starting DDP from scratch and how its research exposes the gender gaps and systemic bias shaping the industry. She also shares a first look at a new project DDP is working on that will continue its work of empowering women, emerging artists, and companies to challenge the status quo and create new paths.


We talk in this episode about strategies that dancers, donors, and arts advocates can use to support women-led initiatives and advocate for fair funding and inclusive leadership. We also talk about why data-driven advocacy is essential and how small actions, like thanking donors or getting to know the community, can ripple into meaningful industry-wide change. Check it out!


  • Learn more about Dance Data Project: dancedataproject.com
  • Follow Dance Data Project on Instagram: instagram.com/dancedataproject
  • Donate to Dance Data Project: https://dancedataproject.com/donation-page/
  • Check out the latest episode of DDP’s Raising the Barre: https://dancedataproject.com/raising-the-barre/
  • Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio


Music in this episode:

Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

@eblosfield | theadultballetstudio@gmail.com

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