BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance

The Ultimate LGBTQ+ Guide to New York City

"This scrappy, energized non-profit is single-minded in its mission to support and spotlight the work of queer performance artists of color, whatever their medium. Two decades ago, co-founder Arthur Avilés began this project after earning plaudits as a choreographer and performer for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance company. All performing arts are represented, though dance is a strong point. BAAD specializes in spotlighting talent that might be marginalized at many other venues, whether at its annual BAAD!ASS WOMEN festival, or the Transvisionaries series it has hosted, a monthly slot for performers who identify as trans or non-binary. The budgets may be tight, and the names not yet household, but the talent and energy is first-class, especially in the dance programming—look for shows from Arthur Aviles Typical Theater (AATT), which are staged by the co-founder." - Mark Ellwood