A student dance organization is hosting virtual dance classes to raise funds for The International Association of Blacks in Dance.

GW Balance, the largest dancing organization on campus, is inviting students to participate in online dance classes from June 15 to June 23 to raise money for IABD, an organization that seeks to support Black artists in the dance industry. Interested students need to donate $5 via Venmo for their first class and are encouraged to donate $5 per subsequent classes, according to a flyer for the fundraiser.

Junior Nicole Wolber, the organization’s president and an international affairs major, said the organization hopes the fundraiser sparks conversations among members about racism and inequalities present in the dance community in addition to raising funds for IABD.

She said the organization wanted to use its members’ skillsets to fundraise for an organization dedicated to equality in dance to assert its solidarity with the Black community. She said the fundraiser is a “small part” of Balance’s larger effort to highlight the injustices and racism present in the dance community, which she said is often white-washed.

“The dance community as a whole has had a long and unfortunate history of racism and discrimination, despite the fact that many styles of dance wouldn’t exist today without Black artists,” Wolber said in an email. “As a predominantly white dance organization, this history isn’t lost on us, and we want to do everything in our power to challenge this deep-rooted narrative.”