the artist comes first.
a community-oriented nonprofit supporting movement-based artists — dancers, choreographers, theatre makers, and the creative thinkers working between those forms — in New York and beyond.
MOTIVE 4 ARTISTS INC. · a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
our mission
MOtiVE 4 Artists supports the artists community — emerging and established practitioners alike — by providing the resources, opportunities, and programs that help artists grow their work, exchange ideas across cultures, and engage with their communities.
we build relationships with artists first and structure our support around what each artist actually needs. by lowering the financial and practical barriers to creating, we help ensure the public has access to vibrant, diverse cultural work.
what we do
Artist in Residency
A tailored residency built around each artist's project, ending in public performances and community sharings.
International Exchange
Partnerships that connect New York artists with peer institutions abroad — travel in both directions.
Space Subsidy
Underwriting the cost of New York City rehearsal space so working artists can afford to create.
Pedagogies in Practice
Helping working artists produce and offer skill-building workshops and masterclasses for the community.
our work
Our programs have supported movement-based artists in New York and abroad since 2021. What began as an artist-led community has grown into residencies, an international exchange, and subsidized rehearsal space — now carried forward by MOtiVE 4 Artists Inc.
- 2021supporting artists since
- 100+artists supported & presented
- 6program cohorts
- 3 yrsint'l exchange with Norway
Now — 2026 Artist in Residency
Our current cohort of nine artists — Amelia Reiser, Brooke Rucker, Emma Callis, Maho Ogawa, Marianna Perlstein, Michaela Esteban, Nadia Hannan, Shelby Green, and Valentina Baché — culminating in a public sharing on June 20–21, 2026. Supported by The Harkness Foundation for Dance.
Program history
Artist-in-Residency cohorts in 2021, 2022, and 2023; a 2023 space-subsidy cohort; and the 2025 Artist Support Program — backing artists with rehearsal time, production, mentorship, and public presentation.
International Exchange
A multi-year partnership with Bergen Dansesenter (Norway) — sending New York artists abroad and hosting Norwegian artists in New York, three years running.
Supported by
The Harkness Foundation for Dance and the Brooklyn Arts Council, alongside individual donors and community partners.