This article will explore the relationship of gender to funding for dance in the United States. Historically a female field in this country, since the 1960s, dance in America has turned to men for its leadership. At about the same time, in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts was foundedthe first government agency organized to "encourage and support American art and artists." Until that year, the arts in the United States had relied almost exclusively on priviate patronage for support. Over the years, the Endowment has taken an authoritative role in arts giving, seeking to influence funding from corporations and individual sources and, in effect, giving artists an imprimatur when they are selected for NEA awards. Research will focus on the U.S. government funding process, describing the hierarchy of federal, state, and local agencies, and giving special attention to NEA policies because of their impact on all other sources of funding. For purposes of clarity, the article will concentrate on grants given to individual artists; the make-up of selection panels will be examined along with the success rate of both men and women applicants. In addition, current gender ratios within various areas of American dance will be described in order to assess the relationship of gender to artistic, economic, and administrative leadership within the profession. Article: Dance occupies a strange, not always comfortable position in American culture, marginal and yet compelling. It is a field largely populated by women, which, at least in part, accounts for its marginalization. As a form, it intrigues people but the art itself is not widely followed or understood. In spite of thator perhaps because of ityoung women from a broad socioeconomic spectrum are drawn to train and dream of one day "making it." Most begin the training as children, brought to classes by their parents. Dance classes for little girls are considered part of growing up in many American families. This article is primarily concerned with exploring the effects of gender within the American dance world, using the distribution of funding, employment, and awards to gauge opportunity and satisfaction. Special attention will be paid to funding policies and procedures because it is the grants process that fuels the engine of the field these days. Access to funding determines who will be visible, whose work will be seen, whose dancers will be paid, and who will attract more funding. Funding in America is the key to status and prestige in the professional world. Even for dance artists in higher education, there is pressure from within the university to build one's reputation and establish proof of excellence by finding outside support. Before beginning the