Emerson Valentina

I created the first ever nonprofit in the performing theatrical arts industry that is the first ever free systemic clinical safety net. We dismantle the toxic, starving artist myth that has plagued our industry for so long, especially the Broadway performing community, and we reject the long-held industry standard that suffering and exploitation are the required prices of admission for a successful creative career. What we do is we provide specialized mental health care, crisis intervention, and holistic wellness programming to the theatrical community that is entirely free of charge, regardless of union status. We believe in the democratization of accessible mental health care, and so that means we want to provide it free of cost for everyone in the nation, virtually or in person. We serve the entire community, not only the 20% who are union actors, but we are filling the gap of the other 80% of artists, crew members, stage managers, students at conservatories who have previously never had access to free mental health resources. I'm still a very successful working artist, a professional dancer and actress living in New York City, and I currently teach at several dance studios. I am a traveling masterclass teacher and teaching artist within musical theater dance, and I travel the country working as a dance competition judge. I've had a career in professional theater for over 21 years, starting as a professional child dancer and actress, so I have been in the business for over 20 years now. My childhood experiences as a minor in the performing arts really influenced the struggles and challenges with mental health that I've had in my career, and definitely inspired my creation of my nonprofit in so many ways.