China is exciting and chaotic and your dance company should go. Before you buy your plane tickets, however, it is important to understand the context of China’s performing arts market in order to manage your expectations and plan a strategy for touring successfully.

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On December 31, 2011, the Park Armory in New York was filled with a wet-eyed crowd of modern dance lovers bidding farewell to the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Never before had a legacy company, one that made its mark over 58 years and changed the way we understood and created dances, shut its doors in such an abrupt but planned manner. Cunningham was an iconoclast from beginning to end.

Earlier this month the Merce Cunningham Trust released a case study detailing the extensive Legacy Plan crafted by the Cunningham Dance Foundation. The 88-page report provides details on the controversial arrangement that dismantled the Cunningham Dance Company, shut down the Cunningham Dance Foundation, as well as closed and sold off of the Merce Cunningham Studio in New York City.

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What does sustainability look like in the making and presenting of professional concert dance? We turned to Dance Exchange for some sustainable practices to consider.

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How does a small business artist make it happen? Inspired by Dance/USA’s article, “Serious Selling,” about the production and profit practices of the San Francisco Ballet’s merchandising and products, which are sold in its “Ballet Shop” and on tour, I set out to give inspiration to the many of us in the arts community who strive to make it happen -- on a far smaller scale. Read on to find out how.

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Not necessarily, but an honest comprehension of and deep appreciation for dance and dancers is, for most, what compels them to commit to the mission of running a dance company. Read on to hear from directors about their experiences.  

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Three years ago, Nashville Ballet moved from a traditional non-profit leadership structure (artistic and executive directors, a board president) into one that looks more like a for-profit company. Artistic Director Paul Vasterling assumed the title of CEO while remaining artistic leader, and reports that the results have been only positive:  better communication, efficiency, and cohesion throughout the company. Dance/USA spoke with Vasterling about how it works.

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Times have changed significantly since George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein joined forces in the 1940s to create the New York City Ballet. Yet the model those two men established for the administration of the American dance company remains: an artistic director reigning over the creative wing of the organization, an executive director administering the business side of things, and a board of directors to ensure fiscal responsibility, remains. Too often an imbalance between those arms of a company develops especially when the push-pull dynamic between the innately challenging AD and ED positions becomes overwrought. But like a strong marriage or a grand pas de deux, many such partnerships do thrive. They take hard work, skillful communication, and an evolving collegial relationship.

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Not all boards have executive committees, but most organizations find them to be a central element of effective governance. Ideally, the scope of an executive committee's authority is clearly outlined in an organization's bylaws. If it is not, at the very least it should be clearly defined in a statement of the board's operating policies. Yet, quite often, organizations discover that they have no written policy regarding the executive committee’s scope of authority to make decisions. If your organization is just forming an executive committee, or has discovered that an existing committee’s authority is not adequately documented, the full board should discuss its role and come to consensus on its charge.

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As I obtain more experience and knowledge in the field of dance, I hope that someday I will be able to be a mentor to a young artist like myself. I feel organizations like Dance/USA and programs like the Institute for Leadership Training are vital for the future of dance.

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“Dance is a handed-down art form. We almost take this for granted in the studio, and don’t even think about it as it is occurring. It is how young dancers become seasoned and powerful performers; and how experienced dancers absorb the craft of creating dance work on their paths to becoming choreographers. But there is a world of opportunity to pass on knowledge and experience outside of the studio as well, and this has more to do with opening someone to the possibilities in front of them – be that artistic or intensely practical.”

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