Antuan Byers (he/him) is a dancer, organizer, and creative strategist using movement to build power and possibility for Black communities. He is the Founding Director of Black Dance Change Makers, a national organization redefining the role of Black dancers in the fight for justice. Through political education, leadership development, and collective care, BDCM equips Black dancers to move beyond applause and into action. BDCM has grown into a vibrant community of cultural organizers, hosting national campaigns, creating resources, and curating transformative programs like the HOMIES Fellowship and the Summer Untensive. The work of BDCM has resonated across the field, offering dancers not just a place to land, but a place to rise together. Antuan also serves as Vice President of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), where he helped establish the AGMA Black Caucus and leads efforts for equity in the performing arts. He is a Thought Partner with the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron, and currently sits on the Artistic Advisory Committee for The Metropolitan Opera. He’s also the Operations Director at Darkness RISING Project, a Black mental health and performing arts nonprofit. A proud graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Antuan has danced around the world with companies like Ailey II, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Washington National Opera, and Mark Morris Dance Group. But it’s his organizing work that continues to open new doors. In 2023, he was invited to speak on Equity in the Arts alongside U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and in 2022, was named to Urban Arts Magazine’s 40 Under 40. From studios to strategy tables, Antuan is building the kind of future Black dancers deserve: rooted in liberation, led with love, and shaped by collective power.
