NY's Lincoln Center Receives Largest Gift of $50 Million

The gift will establish a new contemporary dance program

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) has received the largest donation in its history. Donors Lynne and Richard Pasculano have gifted $50 million to support contemporary dance — and in particular to establish the new Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance.

The activities of the Collaborative will be decided by the LCPA programming team, led by Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer Shanta Thake. In addition, an Artistic Advisory Committee will be established to plan programming with the greatest possible impact.

Current Artistic Advisory Committee members include Kyle Abraham, Jody Gottfried Arnhold, Misty Copeland, Alicia Graf Mack, Lane Sugata, and Eduardo Vilaro.

The Collaborative will perform a series in both the winter and summer, as well as premiering new commissions, providing opportunities for emerging dance artists (including those at The Juilliard School), and investing in audience engagement.

The program and performance dates for 2026 will be announced in the coming months.

"At its heart, Lincoln Center is a place for artistic collaboration and discovery," said Steven R. Swartz, Chair of the Board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. "The vision and generosity of Lynne and Richard Pasculano allows us to work alongside our fellow resident organizations and peers throughout the field to deepen this collaboration and discovery for contemporary dance artists and audiences. We are thrilled to be embarking on this new initiative alongside our phenomenal resident organization colleagues."

"Lincoln Center has long been home to many of the most innovative and beloved dance creators of our time – primarily, through the incredible work led by the New York City Ballet," said Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. "But never have we had a dedicated commitment of this magnitude to ensure contemporary dance across genres will be a pillar of programming for decades to come."

"These are challenging times for the contemporary dance community, as we continue recovering from the height of the Covid pandemic. This Collaborative is intended to create new possibilities across the industry by catalyzing deep collaboration with dance makers and organizations across our campus, New York City, the nation, and the world. This generous and inspiring support from Lynne and Richard Pasculano will ensure the long-held dream of Lincoln Center as a home for contemporary dance can be more fully realized."