Tarah Ortiz Durnbaugh

Executive Director, Hyde Park School of Dance

Chicago, Illinois

Tarah Ortiz Durnbaugh is the executive director of Hyde Park School of Dance, a nonprofit where she is dedicated to advancing arts accessibility, community representation, and equity in cultural education across the city of Chicago. She leads efforts to expand financial aid, diversify leadership, and engage community voices to ensure all students can access the performing arts. Tarah has developed strategic partnerships to provide free dance classes to children from recently resettled families, using movement as a tool for connection, expression, and belonging. Her previous work includes leading Teen Arts Pass, which provided more than 10,000 teens with $5 tickets to over 25 arts venues across Chicago. She envisions a city where the transformative power of the arts is accessible to all and works every day to make that future a reality.