Lessons Learned: The World Trade Center Performing Arts Center Project and the Joyce Theater
On the 12th anniversary of 9/11, Dance/USA speaks
with Linda Shelton, executive director of The Joyce Theater Foundation,
about the plans for the World Trade Center performing arts center.
Originally, a two-organization complex with a purpose-built dance
theater, during over nearly a decade of planning, including budget cuts
to the project, the complex has been downsized and reshaped from the
original vision. Should the dance field be concerned about what happened
to this model project? What, if anything, can and should the dance
community be doing now as the project proceeds?
Building Bridges for Ballet’s Future
What does it take to create a great community outreach dance program at a ballet organization? Some key ingredients include: community need, planning and preparation, good timing, strong program leadership, local funding, a committed community partner, organizational buy-in, engaging curriculum, dedicated instructors, and interested program participants. Read on for former Ailey dancer April Berry’s report on how model ballet programs are built and sustained.
Symbiosis and Support
“Outside of change, the only constant in art is community,” writes choreographer, dancer, and educator Helanius Wilkins. Read more about his thoughts on creating conducive artistic communities by working collaboratively and symbiotically with fellow members of the creative class.
Authenticity: The Best ‘Best Practice’
The art world is too small to have competition among administrative teams, write Jennifer Edwards and Sydney Skybetter, either from different organizations or within organizations. Read more about our need for
need multiple thriving arts organizations in each community to grow a healthy arts market overall.
Navigating the Thicket, Then and Today
Ivan Sygoda has been a fixture in the dance world since he joined
Pentacle as tour manager in 1976 after a first career teaching French
language and literature at various colleges in the Northeast. This month
(July 2013), he transitions from director to founding director. Dance
writer Mindy Aloff spoke with Sygoda about the changes the dance field
has undergone and what he thinks about current trends exclusively for From the Green Room.
Social-Media Whore Versus Savvy Self-Brander
The first time I joined in the social-media craze was back in 2004,
right after I had joined Pacific Northwest Ballet. I had friends that
had been using Myspace for a couple of years, but I felt that there was
no real reason for me to join in the fun. Little did I know that social-media would
eventually take over my entire idea of communication, nor did I envision
that it would become one of the greatest tools to market businesses to
mass audiences.
Conference 2013 Report: From Racial Equity to the Future of Dance
From crucial networking sessions for artistic and executive directors to
share programming hits and budgetary misses to paperwork how-to’s for
grants and insurance, to sustaining partnerships and forging bonds in
the community, Dance/USA’s 2013 Annual Conference held June 12-15 in
Philadelphia reflected the wide spectrum of interests and issues
confronting the organization’s members. Read on here for Karyn D. Collins’ report.
Come Dance With Me, part 2
Dance teachers have long known the positive effects of dance training: from improved concentration and grades to better physical health and better behavior. In recent years science has begun to back up what many in the dance field have known instinctively for decades. Read Part 2 of Veronica Hackethal’s article on educational dance programs that tap into the science while transmitting the artistic discipline of dance.
Come Dance With Me
Only recently has science tried to analyze how dance benefits the brain
and brings such joy. One theory holds that, like most exercise, dance
releases a cascade of feel-good chemicals in the brain. Dancing induces
the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers that increase
pain tolerance and boost mood. Endorphins are responsible for the
euphoria experienced during a “runner’s high” and have a similar effect
on the body during dancing. Read on to see how dance educators are using dance to stimulate these brain-boosting effects in children and teens.
What’s On the Legislative Docket This Fall That Dance Organizations Should Know
This fall, Congress faces looming decisions around the budget and the
debt ceiling, while also working on such big issues as tax and
immigration reform and the reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind.
Additionally, sequestration was not a once-and-done deal, but part of a
10-year plan to reduce the deficit and this will very much impact
appropriations.
As one of the core services offered to members,
Dance/USA actively advocates for and lobbies on behalf of the issues
that create an impact on the field of dance. Read on for more.