WHAT IS THE PROJECT DANCE FOUNDATION?

About

The Project Dance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and education organization dedicated to nurturing dancers and promoting cultural impact through artistic integrity. Established in 2003 and rooted in a mission to inspire through training, education, and performance, Project Dance serves dancers worldwide who seek to use their craft to bring hope and healing.

Led by founder and Executive Director Cheryl Cutlip—former Radio City Rockette and advocate for arts education—the Foundation oversees three dynamic program areas:

The Carolina Snowbelles: A full-scholarship precision dance troupe for girls ages 9 and up, offering rigorous weekly training and community-based performances. The program includes an audition-based summer intensive, Kick It Up, that prepares new members for company participation.
Camp of the Arts: A 7-week multidisciplinary summer camp for K–12 students in Boone, NC, offering professional instruction in dance, theatre, music, and visual arts. The camp emphasizes accessibility through scholarships and partnerships with local arts educators.
Project Dance Events: A global initiative that hosts three-day performance weekends in cities worldwide, combining master classes, open-air concerts, and community engagement. The program began in New York City in response to 9/11 and has since reached over 35 cities across six continents.

With a permanent headquarters in Boone, NC, the Project Dance Foundation continues to expand its impact while maintaining a commitment to excellence, access, and the transformative power of the arts.

Guiding Principles

The Project Dance Foundation is guided by the principle that dance is valid in three areas: work, worship and witness. We support dancers in every arena as they seek their unique calling in the dance world.

FOUNDATION FUNCTIONS

To impact culture through artistic integrity
To nurture the emotional and practical needs of dancers
To build community among dancers
To train and educate the next generation of dancers

Cheryl Cutlip

Founder & Executive Director

The founder of The Project Dance Foundation is Cheryl Cutlip, former Radio City Rockette and Westminster Theological Seminary student. Project Dance began in 2002 shortly after the events of 911 as a way of bringing hope and healing to the broken city streets of New York. Participating dancers along with the public were moved by the event and desired to repeat the event the following year. Today Project Dance is in more than 10 cities and there are a total of 20 cities slated to host Project Dance events in the future. The New York event, now in its 16th year has a governor’s proclamation and has been named as one of the top ten dance events in New York City. The Project Dance Foundation (EIN 41-2098775) is exempt from U.S. federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

More About Cheryl

How We Do It

The Project Dance Foundation and its three program areas: Project Dance World Tour 3-Day Events, The Carolina Snowbelles, and Camp of the Arts are all made possible by more than 500 volunteers who serve within the organization. More than 1500 dancers are encouraged and supported through Project Dance each year.

World tour
3 day events

The Carolina Snowbelles