The Extended Life Dance Development Residency program extends the lives of ephemeral, essential works of dance, and advances the creative lives of the artists themselves while convening in research and learning around contemporary concerns in the life cycle of dance making. 

 Since 2013, the  Extended Life Residency has offered multi-year residencies at the Art Center on  Governors Island, commissions with the River To River Festival and career support through financial stipends and professional development. The residency enables mid-career choreographers to expand and experiment with their existing works, present in both traditional and site-based venues, and develop strong, collaborative partnerships with local partners and national presenters. 

The Extended Life Dance Development residency program is designed to sustain mid-career choreographers with essential financial, administrative and presentation support. The goal is twofold: extends the lives of ephemeral, essential works of dance, and advance the creative lives of the artists themselves through a new framework where institutional collaborations are key. 

Thanks to a generous $600,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, resident artists will receive multi-year funding, studio space and career development support throughout the course of their residencies. Building on the successes of the past five years of LMCC’s previous Extended Life program, the Mellon award enables LMCC to deepen its impact on the lives of choreographers and the dance field by supporting artists through one of two program tracks over two years. The Lifeline track offers career support in the form of an annual $15,000 financial stipend and residency development space, while the project-based track includes commissions, studio space, and production funds.

Inaugural recipients of LMCC's Extended Life dance development artist residencies include nora chipaumire, Beth Gill,  Maria Hassabi, Heather Kravas, Sarah Michelson, Jennifer Monson, Ernesto Pujol, Okwui Okpokwasili, Pam Tanowitz, and David Thomson.