David R. White Announces Retirement

David R. White announced his retirement in August, following his most recent tenure as Artistic Director of The Yard, an NPN national Partner. David came to prominence as Artistic Director and Executive Producer of Dance Theater Workshop (now New York Live Arts) from 1975–2003, where he founded the National Performance Network in 1985. Throughout his work, David has helped hundreds of renowned performing artists launch and sustain their careers and has been a powerful force in our field for nearly 50 years. In his decade at The Yard, David has led its transformation from an already beloved “artists’ colony,” founded by the late choreographer Patricia N. Nanon, to a leading national hub of contemporary dance, performance, and education.

The Yard’s Board of Directors has appointed as the new Executive Director Chloe Jones, who has established herself as a strong, collegial, and holistic leader in her 5 years at The Yard and in her past work in the dance field. Chloe has served in both development and programs, helping see The Yard through a critical period of growth in recent years as well as the challenges of 2020. The Yard’s leadership team also includes Director of Island Programs & Education, Jesse Keller Jason, and Director of Artist Services & Associate Producer Holly Jones. “The transition inside The Yard leadership calls for a new generation of policy thinking and programmatic action that now places the organization and its artists face-on to some of our society’s greatest challenges,” says David, in offering his full support for The Yard’s leadership team.

NPN joins in a lively chorus celebrating David’s work, the provocative inquiry he has brought to our field, and his ceaseless dedication to groundbreaking artists.

Read the full press release here.