Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce Owen/Cox Dance Group as the recipient of the firm’s 2026-2028 charitable grant program in Kansas City. The announcement was made during the group’s “And Wonder” show on Sunday, April 12 at City Stage Theatre Union Station.
As part of its charitable grant program, Spencer Fane will donate $50,000, paid in installments over the next three years, to Owen/Cox Dance Group to support its mission of fostering original collaborations with music and dance and reaching a broad audience through accessible programming, education initiatives, and community outreach.
Founded in 2007, the group remains dedicated to presenting dynamic, collaborative performances featuring live music. Through learning programs, Owen/Cox Dance Group works with the Paseo Academy of the Fine and Performing Arts, providing in-school performances and master classes for students. Additionally, Take the Stage, an in-school dance residency program facilitated by Owen/Cox Dance Group, offers students a free, hands-on experience that builds confidence, creativity, and life skills. With this program, children explore the arts while learning tools that help them succeed academically and personally.
“Collaboration is at the heart of our mission. We bring together dancers, musicians, composers, choreographers, designers, and visual artists from diverse backgrounds to create and perform original works. The result is a bold, immersive artistic experience – vibrant, innovative, and truly one of a kind,” said Jennifer Owen, co-founder and executive/artistic director at Owen/Cox Dance Group. “We are deeply grateful to be selected as a recipient of the Spencer Fane Charitable Grant Program. This support is both an affirmation of our mission and a meaningful investment in the work we are doing within the community. It reinforces that our commitment to innovative artistic collaboration and arts education is making an impact.”
The Owen/Cox Dance Group plans to use the funding to grow its reach both in programming and audience interaction with high-quality performances and well-rounded partnerships. The group aims to broaden educational efforts by expanding in-school programs, workshops, and year-round initiatives designed to nurture creativity and build lasting appreciation for the arts.
“We are proud to support this organization and its drive for artistic ingenuity, educational outreach, and community connection,” said Nate Orr, lead attorney for the Kansas City Charitable Giving Program. “We look forward to partnering with Owen/Cox Dance Group as they continue to create enriching opportunities for people of all ages to engage with the arts.”
The Spencer Fane Charitable Giving Program in Kansas City provides significant support to select local nonprofit arts organizations through a $50,000 donation over three years. The program is designed as a rotation so that one new recipient enters the program each year, with another exiting upon completion of its three-year cycle. Current and past recipients include Band of Angels, Midwest Music Foundation, Charlotte Street Foundation, Crossroads Preparatory Academy, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, ArtsKC-Regional Arts Council, and Kansas City Art Institute.
The program’s primary goal is to encourage long-standing relationships with nonprofit organizations and provide Spencer Fane employees with additional opportunities to become involved with the firm’s charitable causes.