Responding to Austin, dance artist Edwards calls for r/evolution

A Call for R/evolution
by Jennifer Edwards, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 10, 2015

in response to:

Is American Modern Dance a Pyramid Scheme?
by Sarah Anne Austin, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 2, 2015

What's to become of American dance? Sarah Anne Austin's analysis

A New York Observer article about Gibney Dance closes with its founder, Gina Gibney, asking a community forum, “How are we going to build a new audience?” She continued, “It’s not enough to say what artists need in a performance venue — you also have to ask what audiences need.” 

No one had an answer to her question, because no one was educated on it before. Dance in higher education is about your body, about your work, about your thoughts about the field, not figuring out how to get other people to see what you make.

--Sarah Anne Austin

Read more in:

Is American Modern Dance a Pyramid Scheme?
by Sarah Anne Austin, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 2, 2015

Petition in support of Dance/USA's Philadelphia branch

Dear William Penn Foundation Board of Directors,

We, the dance community of Philadelphia, write you in response to the sudden dissolution of Dance/UP resulting from the discontinuation of its William Penn Foundation funding. This vital service organization, thanks to seven years of your support, has become indispensably woven into the fabric of Philadelphia dance. In order to ensure the continuation of crucial programming developed by Dance/UP we are making a heartfelt request that the William Penn Foundation provide six months of transitional funding, making it possible to migrate Dance/UP’s programs to the stewardship of other organizations.  

Read more and sign the petition here.

Announcement of closing of Dance/USA's Philadelphia branch: Read here.

Dance/USA Philadelphia, losing major funder, will close

LOCAL PHILADELPHIA DANCE SERVICE ORGANIZATION TO CLOSE

Washington, DC – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, has reached the difficult but unavoidable decision to close Dance/USA Philadelphia (Dance/UP), the Philadelphia branch office of Dance/USA, due to the sudden loss in funding from the William Penn Foundation.


“This is heartbreaking news; we are saddened to lose our talented team in Philadelphia and we wish we could keep the branch office going. This decision is not a reflection on the quality of the work accomplished by Dance/UP. Dance/UP Director Lois Welk and her team are doing phenomenal work and were recognized by national funders for their projects and initiatives with the local community, including her theatre subsidy program, New Stages for Dance, that was replicated in Chicago and San Francisco; the exciting Dance in Public Places program that created space for dance in unique public venues; and her portable dance floor rental program that addressed an immediate need in the dance community. We have worked hard to diversify the revenue of Dance/UP. Regrettably no one funder could replace the operating support from the William Penn Foundation.” Amy Fitterer, Dance/USA Executive Director.


Dance/UP serves an estimated 2,000 individual professionals including choreographers, educators, artistic directors, managers, designers, writers, and curators and is an integral part of the vibrant Philadelphia dance community. Dance/UP provides a range of services for the Philadelphia dance community, including hosting oneon-one consultations with Director Lois Welk; helping to underwrite 97 home seasons by local dance companies through the New Stages for Dance initiative; showcasing 37 dance groups in the Dance in Public Places program, which was experienced by 8,000 people; producing the Philadelphia Dance Showcase, and partnering with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance on the Phillyfunguide, which helps maintain a public-access calendar of dance events in Philadelphia. Page Two Dance/USA hopes to find ways to preserve services currently provided by Dance/UP, including working with local  community organizations to adopt selected programs. It is Dance/USA’s goal to execute this difficult transition as professionally and elegantly as possible, treating staff and stakeholders with respect and leaving as much value behind in the community as possible.


About Dance/UP

Following the recommendation from the Philadelphia dance community to establish a local dance service organization and a report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation on the Philadelphia dance community’s infrastructure needs, Dance/UP was launched in 2007 with start-up funding from the William Penn Foundation. From the beginning, Dance/UP was supported by the local community, managed by local artists, and provided services to local dancemakers. Dance/UP’s mission is to advocate for dance as an art form and vital component of our culture, to increase the capabilities of dance artists and organizations, and to enhance the public’s awareness and support for dance. For more information, visit www.danceusaphiladelphia.org.


About Dance/USA

We believe that dance is essential to a healthy society, demonstrating the infinite possibilities for human expression and potential, and facilitating communication within and across cultures. Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field. Established in 1982, Dance/USA
serves a diverse national membership of dance groups working in the genres of aerial, ballet, contemporary, culturally-specific, hip-hop, ice, international, jazz, liturgical, single-choreographer, and tap, dance presenters, dance service organizations, dance agents, dance educators, independent dancers, freelance choreographers, students of arts administration and/or dance and business in service to dance, and individuals related to the field.


Learn more about Dance/USA by visiting our website, www.danceusa.org.

Dance/USA: Fall 2014 paid internships, fellowships

Dance/USA, the voice for the professional field of dance, offers internships to aspiring arts administrators based at the national office, located in Washington, DC.

Dance/USA Internships are available in the following departments for the Fall 2014 Term:

·         Communications
·         Development
·         Government Affairs

Fellowships are available in the following departments:

·         Research

To apply, interested candidates must email their resume and a cover letter outlining internship interests, career goals, and availability to Melissa Lineburg, executive administrator.

Dance/USA’s Fall 2014 Internship Application Deadline is Friday, August 1, 2014, and the Fall Term runs September 3, 2014-December 5, 2014.

Recent college graduates, current college juniors/seniors, and graduate students are eligible to apply! Those accepted will receive professional, on-the-job experience that is needed in today’s job market by working with and assisting our national office staff.

Part-time and full-time internships are available. Stipends or university credit are also available.

With questions, email Melissa or call the Dance/USA national office at 202.833.1717.

Melissa L. Lineburg
Executive Administrator
Dance/USA
1111 16th Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
202.833.1717 ext. 100
mlineburg@danceusa.org

Bill T. Jones and Susan Rethorst in conversation

Bill T. Jones and Susan Rethorst: A Conversation in Five Parts

from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

Recently, two seminal figures of the New York downtown dance world—Bill T. Jones and Susan Rethorst—sat down with Lois Welk, director of Dance/USA Philadelphia, to talk about their distinct practices and the evolution of the field. Though they share a birth year (both were 61 at the time of the interview), the dancer-choreographers represent two archetypal models or attitudes for how to live as an artist in society. During the interview, Jones refers to the French notion of l’artiste engagé, and talks about developing a thick armor to do battle with not only critics but audiences as well. Rethorst speaks of an openness to the world around her, of staying fluid and letting daily experience find a way into the work.

Newly-independent Dance/NYC steps off with a video campaign

Kudos to Dance/NYC's Lane Harwell for getting this story into the New York Times's Media and Advertising section:

Bringing New York City Dance Into the Limelight
by Stuart Elliott, The New York Times, June 3, 2013

Post-Sandy: Mertz Gilmore Foundation creates emergency fund for dance

NYC Dance Response Fund

In response to Hurricane Sandy and to early field testimony collected by Dance/NYC and its colleagues in service and grantmaking, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation has established a NYC Dance Response Fund to be administered by Dance/NYC, a branch of Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

NYC Dance Response Fund grants, from $1,000 to $5,000,will be awarded to New York City-based nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored projects of The Field, Fractured Atlas, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York Live Arts, and Pentacle focused on the creation or performance of dance. Successful applicants will have incurred identifiable costs due to Hurricane Sandy not otherwise covered by insurance or other sources, including:

    Unpaid artist fees (e.g., performance, rehearsal, or teaching fees cancelled as a result of suspended activity);
    Travel expenses (e.g., unplanned airfare, lodging);
    Lost sales (e.g., returned event tickets, class fees, uncollected rental fees); and
    Property damage (e.g., costumes, sets, equipment,space) not covered by insurance.

Applications will be accepted and processed by Dance/NYC, in partnership with the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, on a first-come first-served basis until all funds are expended. Priority will be given to those who articulate a clear need for reimbursement to rebuild. These are discrete funds and will not impact other Mertz Gilmore Foundation giving priorities.

All applications should be submitted electronically to MGFDanceResponse@dancenyc.org and include: a one-page statement of need; documentation of identifiable costs; and proof of nonprofit or fiscal sponsorship status. Questions may be addressed to Leigh Ross at lross@dancenyc.org

Is Sarah Kaufman ignoring DC's modern dance?

What should a dance critic talk about when she talks about dance?

by Amanda Abrams, From the Green Room/Dance USA, November 15, 2011

Dance in the digital age

Dancing With a Digital Presence
by Ken Tabachnick, Dance USA, June 28, 2011

Town hall on dancers' wellness

Dancers' Bodies. Promoting Wellness.

Dance/NYC and the Dance/USA Taskforce on Dancer Health invite you to join us in responding to the Taskforce's recent call to action to achieve the dancer aesthetic in a manner that promotes overall good health and protects the artist and performer. Led by Richard Gibbs, M.D., the town hall provides a forum to discuss case stories from the perspective of the health professional, cultural critic and professional dancer, including New York City Ballet Principal Dancers Jenifer Ringer and Jared Angle. What words work to promote dancer wellness? What positive practices? What can we as a field do for our dancers?

Speakers: Richard Gibbs * Jared Angle * Jen Edwards * Melissa Gerson * Jenifer Ringer (For speaker bios, click here.)

Monday, May 16, 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Abrons Arts Center
Henry Street Settlement
Playhouse Theater
466 Grand Street (corner of Pitt Street), Manhattan
(map) 

RSVP here

Dance NYC says "Go international!"

Do you create your own work or dance for someone else? Do you want to know more about international opportunities available to U.S. dance companies? 

Dance NYC's Town Hall Meeting: 

Internationale Tanzmesse

December 1, 2010

6:30-7:30pm

Joyce SoHo 

155 Mercer Street, Manhattan

The Internationale Tanzmesse NRW in Dusseldorf is a biennial marketplace and festival platform for communicating and networking in the field of contemporary dance. At Tanzmesse, dance companies and artists from all over the world present their work live on stage, and choreographers, dancers, agencies, presenters and cultural institutions worldwide network and co-operate in a lively marketplace.

Dance/USA sponsored a US delegation to attend this past August. Come hear from emerging artists and administrators who attended: 

Christy Bolingbroke (Mark Morris Dance Group) 

Brian Brooks (Brian Brooks Moving Company) 

Anna Amadei (Elsie Management) 

Christie Zummo (Jennifer Muller/The Works) 

After a brief presentation, small group discussions will further explore what these delegates learned and what similar opportunities could be available to you or your work in the future. 

Please RSVP at: http://tanzmesse.eventbrite.com/

Our bodies, our health

Health Screen for Dancers
What is being done for the small companies and independent dancers?

March 9 -- 6:30pm
FREE ADMISSION

Dance New Amsterdam (Front Lobby)
280 Broadway, 2nd Floor (entrance on Chambers Street), Manhattan

Dance/NYC and the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, on behalf of Dance/USA's Taskforce on Dancer Health, have combined forces to bring dance medicine screening and services information to independent, freelance and pick-up company dancers. This free-of-charge meeting on March 9 will serve as a platform for the freelance dance community's screening initiative by Dance/NYC and HCDI, planned to begin in Spring 2010.


Additionally, information on injury statistics in dance, important financial information in relation to injury, and healthcare options and resources for the dance community will be provided. 

HCDI and Dance/NYC's collaboration has been created to supply the local, independent dancers with a body of knowledge that will impact their health and career longevity.

Refreshments provided.

Please click here to RSVP.