Dancing Forward: TU Dance Thrives with PROMISE Act Support

TU Dance is a dance group and school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was started in 2004 by Toni Pierce-Sands, who is still the artistic director. TU Dance offers dance classes, shows, and events to help connect with the local community.

In 2024, TU Dance celebrated its 20th anniversary. But, like many other arts groups, they were still having a hard time because of the pandemic. That’s when Executive Director Abdo Sayegh Rodriguez heard about the MN PROMISE Act Grant.

Abdo appreciated the simple application process.

“The application process was very simple. I appreciated the fact that the website was very easy to read, all the requirements to identify that we qualified based on our location, and I got always a quick response to my inquiries.”

TU Dance had planned to use its savings to pay for some of its costs. But when the grant was approved, it made a big difference. Because of the grant, TU Dance didn’t have to use its savings. They were able to keep offering dance classes, performances, and community events. The grant helped TU Dance keep moving forward and serving the community through the art of dance.

Abdo also shared how thankful the organization is to receive the grant:

“TU Dance as a nonprofit organization is very thankful for this grant award as it is helping us to keeping our door open, to serve our community, to fulfil our mission and the affect of that amount of money this season is very valuable.”