BOSTON, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) announced today that it has received a $275,000 award from MetLife Foundation. The funding will support the MetLife Community Connections, a component of NEFA's National Dance Project (NDP). This is the third year that NEFA has received support from MetLife Foundation, which increased its support by $25,000 this year.

"We are proud to strengthen our partnership with NEFA to provide additional resources to support community programs nationwide in connection with NDP tours," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We commend NEFA for its commitment to connecting choreographers and dance companies to diverse communities across the country."

Deemed the "fairy godmother of dance" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the NDP provides a support system for the evolving discipline of dance in the United States. During the 2009-10 season, the MetLife Community Connections Fund (www.nefa.org/grantprog/ndp/metlife.html) will support 57 engagements that feature six NDP projects (up from 43 engagements last year) with community engagement activities, including workshops, master classes, performances, lecture/demonstrations, and collaborations with local schools.

Said NEFA Executive Director Rebecca Blunk, "MetLife Foundation's support is opening up even more opportunities for meaningful engagement with these gifted dance artists. We are truly grateful for the continuing partnership."

NDP artists are selected annually from a range of established and emerging talent. NDP's grantmaking supports the creation and touring of regionally and nationally significant dance work whether in modern, ballet, and jazz, or culturally-specific and ethnic dance forms, and they often even combine genres or are interdisciplinary in nature. Many of the projects funded by NDP give voice and visibility to under-represented communities.

The featured artists and projects for the MetLife Community Connections program are listed below. For more details on each tour, including outreach components, view the entire release at http://www.nefa.org/about/documents/NDPMetLifeAwardPR_2009web.pdf.

• BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY, New York, N.Y.
  Project Title: Fondly Do We Hope"¦ Fervently Do We Pray

• CYNTHIA OLIVER/COCO. DANCE THEATRE, Urbana, Ill. Project Title: Rigidigidim De Bamba De: Ruptured Calypso

• LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE, Los Angeles, Calif. Project Title: 30th Anniversary Tour: Ode to the Sixties, Songs of the Disinherited, and We Wore the Mask

• TREY MCINTYRE PROJECT, Boise, Idaho Project Title: serious

• SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS, New York, N.Y. Project Title: RE- Triptych Part III: The New Silk Road

• AKRAM KHAN DANCE COMPANY, London, UK Project Title: bahok

About the MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to carry on its longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic and cultural organizations and programs throughout the country. Recognizing the vital role the arts play in building communities and educating young people, MetLife Foundation contributes to the arts and culture by focusing on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broader audiences through inclusive programming and making arts more accessible for all people. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its web site at www.metlife.org.

About New England Foundation for the Arts
NEFA creatively supports the movement of people, ideas, and resources in the arts within New England and beyond, makes vital connections between artists and communities, and builds the strength, knowledge, and leadership of the region's creative sector. NEFA is a 501 (c) 3 that operates with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England state arts agencies, and from corporations, foundations and individuals.

NEFA administers nine grantmaking programs that support the performing arts, public art, and Native American artists. NEFA also leads projects and initiatives that range from the analysis of the impact of the creative economy to the creation of online tools which link and advance the regional, national, and international cultural community. For more information, please visit www.nefa.org or call [617] 951-0010.

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. MetLife and MetLife Foundation have invested more than $15 million for Alzheimer's research and public information programs, including $10 million through the Awards for Medical Research program. Working with the Alzheimer's Association, the Foundation has supported caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and the Safe Return identification program, which addresses the problem of senior wandering. The Foundation has expanded its focus on aging issues, including helping people remain physically and mentally fit and remaining engaged in the community. It also supports programs addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities and volunteer opportunities. Grants support health, education, and civic and cultural programs. More information about MetLife Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.

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