In lieu of a Terpsichorean Heroes post, I wanted to share how you can be a terpsichorean hero today. All it takes is your signature.

In the wake of the inauguration of President Donald Trump, major changes have taken effect including executive orders that defunded Planned Parenthood, increased deportations, and suspended entry for Syrian refugees, among other radical decisions. Also rumored to be under attack is the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA provides valuable funding for the fine arts (dance, visual arts, music, etc.) as well as literature. This endowment, which has found itself on the chopping block many times in the last three-and-a-half decades, has helped organizations including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, LINES, Chicago Children’s Theatre and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Currently, according to The Hill, the new administration is planning budget cuts that would eliminate the NEA and  The National Endowment for the Humanities. The new administration plans to also privatize The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

You can help preserve this important benefactor to the arts by signing this petition to the White House. The petition needs to reach 100,000 signatures to get a response from the White House, hopefully it will be a good one!

For more information about how the NEA has pushed the dance world forward, click here. To learn how the arts help the world around you, click here.