2026 World Arts West Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund Grantees

(Abhinaya Dance Company of San José Photo courtesy of Organization)

World Arts West has awarded $493,500 in grants to 20 cultural dance organizations across California, marking a historic milestone for the California-based arts organization and a major investment in the preservation and advancement of cultural dance traditions statewide. 

Through the inaugural Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund, each organization will receive $24,675 to strengthen programming, support cultural bearers, expand community engagement, and ensure the continuation of traditions that have been passed down through generations.

• Abhinaya Dance Company of San José
• Afro Urban Society
• AfroRooted
• Axé Oakland
• Bahareque LLC
• Ballet Folklórico Nube de Oro
• BCA Dance Company
• Calpulli Ocelocihuatl
• CarOlé Flamenco’s Flamenco Spanish Dance Theatre of América
• Cheza Nami Foundation, Inc
• Danza Azteca Citlaltonac
• Fogo Na Roupa
• Fua Dia Kongo
• GER Youth Center
• Herencia Guantanamera
• MPWRD Artists Collective
• Parangal
• Rara Tou Limen
• Shruti Abhishek Dance
• Thai Cultural Council

World Arts West received 100+ applications for this first round of funding from organizations across the 9 counties of the Bay Area and throughout Central and Southern California. These grantees represent traditional and contemporary dance forms from India, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, Republic of Congo, Mongolia, Cuba, the Philippines, Haiti, Thailand, and the United States. 

A New Chapter for Cultural Dance in California
This announcement comes as World Arts West prepares for the next evolution of its signature dance festival, which will expand its focus in 2026 to center liberation, cultural visibility, accessibility, and community connection. For decades, the organization has championed cultural dance traditions through performance, education, and advocacy, and the Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund represents a significant expansion of that mission.