At the initiative of its Dance Panel, the National Endowment for the Arts engaged Theatre Development Fund to study the feasibility of establishing a permanent center for American dance at the NEA-owned ANTA theatre in New York City. TDF engaged Richard Kirschner, managing director of the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia and Janet Gracey, former director of research at Associated Councils of the Arts, to investigate the need for such a center and the appropriateness of the ANTA Theatre as a site.

They concluded that if American dance is to achieve both fiscal and artistic stability, it is necessary to provide the public and the artist with a home, a center, a national identity, and that this is possible within the ANTA Theatre space.... TDF's report to the Endowment, in a condensed form, on the needs, functions and operation of the center follow. [Background].

At the initiative of its Dance Panel, the National Endowment for the Arts engaged Theatre Development Fund to study the feasibility of establishing a permanent center for American dance at the NEA-owned ANTA theatre in New York City. TDF engaged Richard Kirschner, managing director of the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia and Janet Gracey, former director of research at Associated Councils of the Arts, to investigate the need for such a center and the appropriateness of the ANTA Theatre as a site.