FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2014
Contact: Johanna Tschebull
202.833.1717
Washington, DC – Dance/USA is pleased to announce that global trends analyst Cecily Sommers will be the Opening Plenary Speaker at the 2014 Dance/USA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sommers will speak at the Goodale Theater at The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts on Thursday, June 19, 2014, 9:00am – 10:45am. Learn more about the 2014 Annual Conference speakers, schedule, breakout sessions and more here.
Sommers speaks, writes, and consults on emerging trends, markets, and technologies shaping our future. An unorthodox background in medicine and dance, combined with her experience in brand strategy and product development brings unique vision and creativity to her work. She will explore themes of reinvention and change at the 2014 Opening Plenary, including trends affecting arts organizations, new modes and models for delivering the dance experience, finding new sources of revenue, business as a creative endeavor, and much more.
Sommers began studying dance at age five, attended Interlochen Arts Academy, and following graduation danced with Omaha Ballet and then Jan Erkert & Dancers. After earning a BFA she studied anatomy and later taught dance kinesiology at Columbia College and Indiana University. She is the author of Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn’t and What’s Next and is the founder of The Push Institute, a non-profit think tank that tracks significant global trends and their implications for business, governments, and non-profit sectors over the next 5-10-25-50 years. Learn more about Sommers here.
About the Dance/USA 2014 Annual Conference
Dance/USA will host its 6th Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN from Wednesday, June 18 – Saturday, June 21, 2014. From executive directors and emerging arts leaders, to managers and presenters, agents and artists, nearly 500 individuals associated with the professional dance field will gather for creative conversation, enriching training sessions, discussion on important issues facing the field, and performances. The conference represents the largest gathering of dance professionals in the US. Special thanks to American Harlequin Corporation, Title Sponsor, DeWitt Stern, Title Sponsor; Target, Gold Sponsor, Freed of London, Silver Sponsor; HGA, Bronze Sponsor; Patron Technology, Bronze Sponsor; & Host Partners The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts and Northrop of UMN for their support of the 2014 Annual Conference.
About Dance/USA
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.
