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Recent Press Releases
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Rena Shagan has spent much of her life in dance. She was in the first class of children at the American Ballet Theatre school, was a student at the High School of Performing Arts, and a dancer in the company of legendary Graham dancer May O’Donnell. Demonstrating a real strength in making relationships between presenters and artists, and recognizing a true need for that service in the field, she created Rena Shagan Associates, Inc., starting with three dance companies in 1982. |
Since that time, it has become a highly respected management organization that produces tours for international artists such as Pina Bausch, William Forsythe and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre; and represents U.S. companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Susan Marshall & Company, Meredith Monk, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and the Houston Ballet. Shagan has written the a definitive text on touring, that has come to be known as the “bible” in the field, “Booking and Tour Management for the Performing Arts,” along with numerous other articles and studies.
She was chosen by the board of the Association of American Dance Companies, the precursor organization to Dance/USA, to lead the effort to produce a new national service organization for dance in America. Over a two-year period, she led the Task Force for a National Dance Organization, raising the funds for a national study, lobbying for its existence, and administering its work.
Shagan has sat on numerous panels for the NEA, international and regional organizations and has been on the Board of Dance/USA, American Arts Alliance and the Western Arts Alliance.
Washington, DC – March 12, 2008 – Dance/USA’s Director of Research and Information, John Munger will participate in a National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) panel entitled, “Developing a Research Agenda for the Sector” on Thursday, June 12 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. at the Denver Convention Center. The panel will address the critical information and knowledge artists and administrators need to make informed decisions and will answer questions such as, “How can we understand our role in American society in the 21st century, and craft more effective programs and messages that help our institutions remain relevant and thrive in our diverse and complex culture?” This session, led by national researchers, will allow participants to join in brainstorming around those key areas of knowledge critical for our future.
The session will be moderated by Elizabeth Long Lingo from the Curb center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy. Mr. Munger will be joined on the panel by Bill Ivey, former head of the NEA; Sunil Iyengar, Director, Office of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts; Atul Kanagat, Vice President, Research and Development, League of American Orchestras; and Barry Schwartz, author, “The Paradox of Choice.”
"It is an honor to be asked to serve on this panel," said John Munger. "The arts in general, and dance especially, have long had a critical need for reliable research. It is vital that we seek ways to chart our course through the challenge of addressing that need."
Dance/USA is the only source of data on the professional dance field. Information collected and disseminated includes general statistics regarding dance companies, ticket sales, financial trends and personnel issues such as compensation and gender in leadership positions. In addition, Dance/USA has conducted several dance community censuses across the country in an effort to measure and reflect the impact of professional dance. The information provided by our Research Department is used by policy makers, dance company administrators, artists, the press and grant-makers and foundations among others.
To participate in the professional development session on research, as well as many others, register to attend the National Performing Arts Convention at www.performingartsconvention.org.
Click for more information about NPAC events or the Dance/USA National Roundtable.
February 22, 2008
Download Release in PDF
Washington, DC, February 22, 2008 – At the culmination of its 25 th Anniversary, Dance/USA announces the selection of dancer and ballet master Frederic Franklin to receive the Dance/USA Honor and dance writer and scholar Anna Kisselgoff to receive the Ernie, named for the late Ian “Ernie” Horvath. The awards will be presented at the Dance/USA Honors Celebration Dinner, Wednesday, June 11, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Celebration Dinner kicks off the Dance/USA Roundtable and National Performing Arts Convention.
Awarded by the Dance/USA Board of Trustees, following a nomination process open to the membership, the Dance/USA Honor and the Ernie are given to outstanding members of the national dance community whose admirable work will forever hold a place in our dance heritage. Mr. Franklin will be recognized for his notable career as a dance artist and ballet master and for his many contributions to the growth of ballet as an art form in the United States. Ms. Kisselgoff will receive the Ernie for her work as a dance scholar and writer whose words have inspired many artists and patrons to think beyond the stage.
“It is important for us to pause and give our talented colleagues their due,” said Cookie Ruiz, executive director of Ballet Austin and chair of the Dance/USA Board of Trustees. “Freddie has been such an inspiration to countless patrons, dancers and students; the world of ballet would not be the same without his exceptional talent. Through her insight and perspective, Anna has given our field food for thought for over 30 years. Her ability to question and praise, commemorate and observe are invaluable in a time when examination seems to be an afterthought.”
Dance luminary Donald Saddler will present the Dance/USA Honor to Mr. Franklin and choreographer Lar Lubovitch will present the Ernie to Ms. Kisselgoff. The Honors Celebration Dinner will gather the national dance community at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver at 7:30pm on June 11 th. Tickets to the event are included with registration to the Dance/USA Roundtable or may be purchased separately for $75. In addition to the presentation to Mr. Franklin and Ms. Kisselgoff, Dance/USA will conclude its 25 th Anniversary Celebration by recognizing the individuals who, in 1981, saw the need for the professional dance community to unite in one voice and thus created a national service organization for professional dance, eventually becoming known as Dance/USA.
“What a wonderful way to conclude our 25 th Anniversary year,” said Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA. “Freddie and Anna embody the talent, drive and intelligence that Dance/USA and the field of professional dance values. It is our privilege to recognize them for their hard work and contributions to our community.”
The Dance/USA Honor is presented to an individual in the eye of the dance-going public who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the dance field by reason of artistic excellence and/or force of vision. Mr. Franklin will join an illustrious group of past Dance/USA Honor recipients, including his long time dance partner, Alexandra Danilova who was recognized with the Dance/USA Honor in 1994. Other recipients include Antony Tudor, Martha Graham, Robert Joffrey, Merce Cunningham, Agnes de Mille, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Bella Lewitzky, Charles Reinhart, William Christensen, Donald McKayle, Bruce Marks, Judith Jamison, David White, Jeraldyne Blunden, Dr. Charles "Chuck" Davis, Arthur Mitchell and Anna Halprin.
The Ernie is given to an individual working within the infrastructure of the dance field whose achievements have significantly empowered artists and supported their creativity, individually or as a community. Ms. Kisselgoff joins Ernie recipients Ian Horvath, Richard E. LeBlond, Jr., Martha Hill Davies, Bessie Schönberg, Barbara Horgan, Ivan Sygoda, Deborah Jowitt, Norton Owen, John Killacky, Cora Cahan, Sage Cowles and Madeleine Nichols .
For more information about the Dance/USA Honor and Ernie, or for information on Dance/USA’s Roundtable or the National Performing Arts Convention, visit www.danceusa.org.
Anna Kisselgoff Biography
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Anna Kisselgoff was Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times from 1977 to 2005. Earlier, she had been a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the paper and continued as a staff writer until leaving the Times in 2006. She remains a contributor to the Times. Over the years, she has reviewed modern dance, ballet, folk dance, ethnic dance, tap dance, Michael Jackson - and at the 1988 Olympics -ice dancing and the rodeo. |
Prior to joining The Times, she wrote dance reviews and features for The New York Times International Edition and worked on the English desk of Agence France-Presse in Paris.
A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she has an M.A. Degree in European History from Columbia University and an M.S. from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Born in Paris, she grew up in New York where she began studying ballet at the age of four with Valentina Belova, later head of the dance department at Sullins College. She then studied ballet for nine years in New York with Jean Yazvinsky, a former dancer in Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She taught ballet history at Yale in 1980 and the Contemporary Choreographers course at Barnard College in 1982, 1984 and 1986. In 2006 and 2007, she lectured in the Master of Fine Arts program of Hollins University's dance department.
Ms. Kisselgoff was named a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Government. The President of Iceland personally awarded her the Order of the Falcon. Other awards for her writing include the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, the Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement from the Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an honorary doctorate from Adelphi University.
Frederic Franklin Biography
 Frederic Franklin; Photo: Ray Round |
Frederic Franklin, CBE, was born in 1914 in Liverpool, England and studied in Liverpool with Shelagh Elliot-Clarke, in London with Nicholas Legat and Lydia Kyasht, and in Paris with Lubov Egorova. He began his career in 1931 with Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris. In England he appeared with Wendy Toye and Anton Dolin in cabaret, variety, concert ballet, vaudeville and theatre, and danced with the Vic-Well (now the Royal) Ballet. In 1935, Franklin joined the Markova-Dolin Ballet. From 1938-1952, he was premier danseur with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo where he performed over 45 principal roles and was appointed Ballet master in 1944. With the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo his created roles included the Baron in Gaite Parisienne, the Baron in Night Shadow (La Sonnambula), and the Champion Roper in Rodeo. With the Slavensksa-Franklin Ballet he created the role of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire |
Together, Franklin and Alexandra Danilova created one of the legendary ballet partnerships of the twentieth century. Among the other ballerinas he has partnered have been Alicia Markova, Irina Baronova, Agnes de Mille, Ruthanna Boris, Yvette Chauvire, Moira Shearer, Rosella Hightower, Maria Tallchief, Tamara Toumanova and Alicia Alonso. He has worked with such choreographers as Michel Fokine, Leonide Massine, Bronislava Nijinska, Frederic Ashton, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Ruth Page and Valerie Bettis.
Franklin was co-founder of the Slavenska-Franklin Ballet and founding director of the National Ballet in Washington and has staged ballets for companies around the world. His choreographic credits include Etalage (1958) and Homage Au Ballet (1963) for the Washington Ballet, and Tribute (1962) for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. From 1977 to 1986 he served as Choreographer in Residence and Acting Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet where he is currently Director Emeritus. Recent productions for Cincinnati include Leonide Massine’s famous Seventh Symphony, not seen since the early 1940’s, and excerpts from Frederic Ashton’s lost ballet, Devil’s Holiday which he also staged for the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, for their Ashton centenary in 2004. A landmark achievement while Artistic Advisor for Dance Theatre of Harlem was Creole Giselle which won the Laurence Olivier Award.
For American Ballet Theatre, he has staged Balanchine’s Grand Pas Glazunov (pas de dix) (1961), revived Coppelia (1996), coached Gaite Parisienne (1998), and staged Polovtsian Dances (2005). In recent years Mr. Franklin has also worked with the George Balanchine Foundation to recreate and tape otherwise-lost Balanchine works. He has completed a 41 transcript oral history of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo with the Foundation and the Dance Division of the New York Public Library.
This year marks Mr. Franklin’s 77th year on stage. His credits span Broadway, television and film. He has appeared with American Ballet Theatre as the Charlatan in Petrouchka, Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, the Tutor in Swan Lake, Madge the Witch in La Sylphide, and a created role in Robert Hills’ Reverie. He is currently featured in the acclaimed Geller-Goldfine historical documentary “Ballets Russes”, in Melissa Godoy’s award winning Public Television documentary Do Not Go Gently, and is the subject of “Frederic Franklin, Biography of the Ballet Star”.
Franklin’s awards include the Capezio and Dance Magazine Awards and the Laurence Olivier Award for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Creole Giselle. In 2004 Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth, invested him as Commander of The British Empire for service to dance.
About Dance/USA
Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field. 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 sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators and organizations. By providing services and national leadership, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education and dissemination.
Established in 1982, Dance/USA is a membership organization serving a broad cross-section of professional dance (currently over 400 ballet, modern, ethnic, jazz and tap companies, dance service and presenting organizations, individuals, and related organizations). With an informed understanding of local dance communities and an eagle-eye view of dance nationally, we occupy a unique position in the field. By working primarily in the interests of our membership, Dance/USA strengthens the dance field as a whole and the performing arts field in general. Dance/USA’s priorities include advocating for dance, providing information & research on the field, convening & networking, and building leadership among dance professionals. Learn more about Dance/USA and our branch offices by visiting our website, www.danceusa.org.
Contact: Ann Norris, Phone: 202/833-1717
Email: anorris@danceusa.org
Dance/USA Receives $500,000 Multi-Year Grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Dance/USA announced today that it has received a four-year grant in the amount of $500,000 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) as part of its Core Support Grants for National Organizations initiative. The grant will provide support for Dance/USA’s general operations and for building its cash reserves.
This support from the DDCF Arts Program initiative will be used to strengthen Dance/USA’s infrastructure and enhance its professional development and research activities to serve a broader and more diverse section of the professional dance field as outlined in its strategic plan. Dance/USA begins the process of a technology upgrade in the spring of 2008 with the installation of a new database that will dynamically interface with an interactive website.
The DDCF grant will support the creation of a comprehensive professional development curriculum which will be delivered through an on-line system to make programs broadly accessible to and affordable for the dance field at large. In addition, Dance/USA will strive to expand its capacity to collect research on professional dance institutions and organizations and to increase the efficiency of information distribution to members, the media, funders and the dance interested public.
“The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has always been a champion of professional dance, and we are honored and excited to gain their support for Dance/USA’s work with the field,” said Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation provides core support to select national arts organizations whose work is critical for the health of the contemporary dance, jazz, presenting and/or theatre fields. Grants support up to 10% of an organization's annual operating budget, and can be used for general operating expenses and/or cash reserves. In 2007, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation awarded core support grants totaling $5 million to eight national organizations.
DDCF Arts Program Director Ben Cameron noted, “Support for contemporary dance is central to the Arts Program here at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. After a decade of proudly supporting individual dance companies and artists through the initiatives of our grantees, we are expanding our support through this grant to support national activities, such as conferences, research, publications and technical assistance that can benefit the entire national dance field. We are honored to support Dance/USA and the wonderful work they do, and look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (www.ddcf.org) is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child maltreatment, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.
Contact: Ross Moonie
917-690-5713
rmoonie@gmail.com
• Dance, Opera, Music and Theatre All Coming Together in Denver in June
• Excellence Expert, Jim Collins, Chosen as Plenary Speaker
• ‘AmericaSpeaks’ Engaged to Facilitate Closing Town Hall Meeting
November 14, 2007, (New York, NY) – Details of the nation’s first truly combined National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) were announced today in New York City. It will take place June 10-14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado, NPAC is expected to bring together nearly 5,000 actors, administrators, conductors, producers, dancers, trustees, singers, marketers, critics, composers, volunteers, musicians, businesses, instrumentalists, educators, directors, fundraisers and agents.
NPAC is being made possible by more than a dozen national performing arts service organizations coming together to develop, design, fund and facilitate the 2008 convention in close partnership with colleagues from the Denver performing arts community. The historic impact of such a teaming will be significant and communicate the importance of the performing arts to the nation’s life and identity. By working together, arts leaders will more effectively bring the value of the performing arts to a wider audience.
Traditionally, each performing arts discipline holds its own individual national conference; however, next year they will combine into one large convention. “It has become clear that the performing arts share many of the same challenges,” said Marc A. Scorca, co-chair of NPAC and President/CEO of OPERA America. “Through NPAC we aim to capitalize on the opportunities for growth as a sector rather than grappling independently with these issues as we have in the past.”
“This is far more than a one-time event. The goal is that – years from now when arts leaders in communities large and small look back at their successful multi-disciplinary collaborations and cooperative programs – they’ll remember that the initial ideas and relationships began when they participated in NPAC,” added Ann Meier Baker, co-chair of NPAC and President/CEO of Chorus America.
Content development for the 2008 historic convention is well underway and plenary speaker, Jim Collins, acclaimed author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, has been signed. “I’ve become a passionate student [of the non-profit, social sector]”, says Collins. “I’ve come to see that it is simply not good enough to focus solely on having a great business sector. If we only have great companies, we will merely have a prosperous society, not a great one. Economic growth and power are the means, not the definition, of a great nation.”
A centerpiece of the convention programming is a series of discussions that will culminate in the closing plenary session when—via a unique AmericaSpeaks process that updates the traditional town hall meeting format—all convention participants will determine the action agenda for the newly-unified performing arts community.
NPAC registration will officially open on January 7, 2008 at www.performingartsconvention.org. The site is currently being built out with information being added each week about NPAC’s agenda, schedule and objectives. Details about the plenaries, Jim Collins’s presentation and the more than 50 sessions are being posted. Examples of sessions include: Taking Art Off the Shelf: Making the Arts Relevant Again; The Art of Living, or Living for Art: A Survival Guide for Individual Artists; The Value of A Seat; Design, Evaluation and Research on Arts Education Programs; Playwriting Bootcamp; Fun with Critics; The Changing Technological Universe and its Potential for the Arts Sector; Boomers: A Blooming Audience, or Fading Flowers in the Cultural Scene?; Artists from Abroad: Everything You Need to Know about Visa and Tax Issues; Opera: From Soap to Nuts; It Ain't Easy Being Green!; and, Art and Activism: Making Art, Making a Difference. (Sessions are subject to change; a complete list will be available in December at www.performingartsconvention.org.)
While NPAC has been designed to engage attendees in shared, multi-disciplinary content where they can learn best practices and meet colleagues from other fields, time during the convention has also been reserved for each discipline to convene their own members for special events and discipline-specific programming.
The participating NPAC arts service organizations include: American Composers Forum, American Music Center, American Symphony Orchestra League, Americans for the Arts, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Chamber Music America, Chorus America, Conductors Guild, Dance/USA, Early Music America, International Association for Jazz Education, Meet the Composer, Music Critics Association of North America, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, National Association of State Arts Agencies, National Performance Network, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, OPERA America and the Theatre Communications Group.
October 2007
Click here for the full release and list of grantees
DANCE/USA AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
AWARD $250,000 TO COLLEGES FOR DANCE MASTERPIECES
New Round of National Initiative Also Announced
Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, announced the second round of awards through the American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component (AMDCC), which will enable institutions of higher learning across the country to reconstruct dances by notable choreographers. An additional round of funding is also announced, and applications will be accepted in the spring of 2008 for the projects occurring during the following two academic years.
AMDCC is one component of American Masterpieces: Dance, which is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the NEA. Through this initiative, colleges and universities nationwide will be able to unite professional dance artists with college students to restage classic American dances. A significant component of the program is the sharing of work with the larger community beyond the performance of the dance piece. Outreach activities include post-performance discussions, classes, open rehearsals and lecture demonstrations in schools. AMDCC is an outgrowth of Dance/USA’s National College Choreography Initiative. Since it was established in 2001 with the NEA, both programs have already made possible 121 residencies, bringing choreographers to college campuses in each of the 50 states plus DC, and attracted almost 175,000 audience members to 80 artists and ensembles that visited 87 different colleges. (Another 28 projects are in progress.)
The second round of AMDCC now adds to that success. A national panel of artists, historians and college faculty recommended 25 awards of $10,000 each to colleges, which will bring artists and ensembles to 25 cities in 22 states across the country to reconstruct works. Performances and residency activities are projected to reach at least 36 cities. Examples of projects by deceased master artists are: Arnie Zane’s Continuous Replay at the University of Idaho; Alwin Nikolais’s Tensile Involvement at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Anna Sokolow’s Frida at Northwest Vista College in Texas; and Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels at University of South Carolina. Works by living artists include Daniel Nagrin’s solos, Strange Hero and Spanish Dance, at Connecticut College; Twyla Tharp’s Eight Jelly Rolls at Duke University and her work The Fugue at Columbia College Chicago; Paul Taylor’s Aureole at Harvard University; Donald MacKayle’s Songs of the Disinherited at Southern Methodist University in Texas; and Susan Marshall’s The Most Dangerous Room in the House at Western Washington University. Descriptions of all 25 projects are attached, along with a list of panelists.
“This fifth round of funding continues Dance/USA’s commitment to link choreographers of the highest stature with the next generation of dancers,” states Executive Director Andrea Snyder. “Learning masterpieces provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for young artists to directly experience the incredibly rich history of dance in this country. And, this direct experience with master artists will live on with students as they embark on their own careers. With the leadership of the NEA, AMDCC allows us to again make artistry of the highest quality a part of students’ college education.”
The Arts Endowment launched American Masterpieces, (as well as its predecessor, the National College Choreography Initiative) with major Leadership Initiative funding designed to support significant projects that involve communities across the country, and the Agency’s support continues to be instrumental in the program’s success. “It is important to acquaint today's dance students with their history and artistic legacy,” stated Douglas Sonntag, Director of Dance at the NEA. “The American dance legacy is vast and rich, and these masterpieces help today's students and scholars connect to the past in a manner that informs and illuminates their education.”
Dance/USA has administered the initiative since its inception. Suzanne Callahan of Callahan Consulting for the Arts brings her considerable experience in grantsmanship and evaluation to manage the application review for Dance/USA.
A new round of funding for AMDCC is available to colleges. Applications will be accepted in the spring of 2008, for projects that take place from January, 2009 to June, 2010. Information about AMDCC can be found at www.danceusa.org and new funding guidelines will be available there by January, 2008. Questions about the application process should be directed to Callahan at 202-955-8325 or Callahan@ForTheArts.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency, was established by an Act of Congress in 1965. An investment in America’s living cultural heritage, the Endowment serves the public good by nurturing human creativity, supporting community spirit, and fostering appreciation of the excellence and diversity of our nation’s artistic accomplishments. Since 1965, the Endowment has invested over $300 million in supporting dance nationwide.
Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, was founded in 1982 to advance the art form of dance through a variety of programs, including publications, advocacy, information services, professional development programs, and regranting initiatives.
For information about other components of American Masterpieces, including funding for dance companies and touring, visit www.nefa.org or call NEFA at 617.951.0010 x 12.
For further information about American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component, details of college projects in your state, or information about the colleges or artists, contact Suzanne Callahan, at Callahan@ForTheArts.org or 202/955-8325.
Bob Yesselman, Director of Dance/NYC, Retires
Washington, D.C. – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, announces today that after 36 years in dance administration, Bob Yesselman, director of Dance/NYC, will retire from the field September 30, 2007.
Mr. Yesselman has been involved in the management of professional dance in New York City since 1971. He began as company manager for American Ballet Theatre’s Ballet Repertory Company and was executive director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company for 15 years. He has served as executive director of The Joffrey Ballet, managing director of the Dallas Theater Center, interim managing director of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and as a member of Dance/USA’s Board of Trustees in the 1980s. He was president of the 1987 “Dancing for Life” gala at the State Theater, Lincoln Center, the first dance community response to the AIDS crisis. (See below for full biography information.)
Mr. Yesselman said, “After having the privilege of supporting the work of artists for 36 years, it is time for me to start a new chapter of my life. These last 5 ½ years at Dance/NYC have been among the most rewarding years of my career. I have deeply valued creating an organization that supports not one artist, but the entire NYC dance community. I will miss my friends and colleagues across the country, many of whom I met through Dance/USA.”
Andrea Snyder, Executive Director of Dance/USA, noted, "Bob has had a long and meaningful career in service to the national dance field and Dance/USA. The strong foundation he has created in NYC, in particular, will have a lasting effect." Ms. Snyder has appointed Michelle Burkhart, Dance/NYC's development officer, to serve as Acting Director upon Mr. Yesselman's departure.
Mr. Yesselman will be headed for the western desert where he will be found wandering among the tumbleweed crying “Drink Dance, Drink Dance!”
Full Biography
Robert Yesselman, foundingdirector of Dance/NYC, has been involved in the management of professional dance in New York City since 1971. He began as company manager for American Ballet Theatre’s Ballet Repertory Company and was executive director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company for 15 years. He has served as executive director of The Joffrey Ballet, managing director of the Dallas Theater Center, and interim managing director of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Yesselman has served on panels for the Dance Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (chair), the Ohio Arts Council, the Dallas Commission for Cultural Affairs, and on the board of trustees of Dance/USA. He was president of the 1987 “Dancing for Life” gala at the State Theater, Lincoln Center, the first dance community response to the AIDS crisis. He is the author of studies for Dance/USA and FEDAPT, edited the NEA–Dance/USA study “Moving Around: Dance on Tour,” and was commissioned by the New York State Council on the Arts to prepare a preliminary needs assessment and feasibility study titled “The Need for a Mid-Sized Dance Theater in New York City,” which has had far-reaching influence.
DANCE/USA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Washington, DC – The completion of Dance/USA’s 2007 Spring Council meeting, June 13-16 in Chicago, marked the beginning of a new term of service for seven new members of Dance/USA’s Board of Trustees.
The Board approved the nominations of Jodie Gates of CaDance and faculty member at The University of California/Irvine, Laguna Beach, CA; Barbara Gold of Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet, Aspen, CO; Wayne Hazzard of Dancers’ Group, San Francisco, CA; Ruby P. Lockhart of Garth Fagan Dance, Rochester, NY; Rachel S. Moore of American Ballet Theatre, New York, NY; Harold Norris of H-Art Management, New York, NY; and Septime Webre of The Washington Ballet, Washington, DC. Cookie Ruiz of Ballet Austin assumed the position of Chair, replacing Anne Dunning of Arts Action Research.
The Trustees Committee vetted a collection of 90 individuals put forth for consideration; the Committee’s selection was based on a strategic examination of the make-up of the Board of Trustees, recognizing the completion of terms for five members. Priority was given to balancing the membership along the parameters of geographic location, size of organization, genre/role (artist, manager, presenter, agent, service organization, etc.), ethnic/cultural diversity and gender.
Regarding the new make-up of the board, Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA, remarked, “As the national service organization for professional dance, one of our goals is to reflect a cross-section of the field on our board to inform Dance/USA’s policies and directions. We are excited to welcome these new voices, and look forward to the insights they will bring as we move forward.”
In addition, changes to the Dance/USA Council leadership include; Jack Lemmon of Louisville Ballet, and Mark Roxey of Roxey Ballet who have been elected to replace Barry Hughson or The Atlanta Ballet and Tom Werder of Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company as chairs of the Managers Councils. Anna Drozdowski of Headlong Dance has also been elected to a new seat on the Managers Council.
Click here for a full listing of the Dance/USA Board of Trustees.
Dance/USA Celebrates 25 Years of Service to the National Dance Field
Washington, D.C. – Advocacy, networking, research, professional development and information distribution. For 25 years, Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, has been dedicated to supporting and advancing the art form of professional dance across the country. Through research projects like community censuses and The Nutcracker Survey; national gatherings across the country such as the Roundtables and Council Meetings; leadership initiatives and professional training; and informative publications like the Dance/USA Journal, Dance/USA has played a pivotal role in advancing dance in America.
Anne Dunning, chair of the Dance/USA Board of Trustees, looks forward to celebrating this milestone with the national community. “The trustees of Dance/USA celebrate this landmark anniversary and the numerous achievements of the organization over the past 25 years in supporting leadership, advocating with a unified voice and generating a body of dance data. We recognize the vision of the founders, who saw a need and created this organization to meet it, and we pass the torch to a future generation of leadership who will carry this important vision forward.“
Dance/USA’s 25th Anniversary celebration will begin at the 2007 Spring Council Meeting in Chicago, June 14-16 and will conclude in June 2008 at the National Performing Arts Convention to be held in Denver, Colorado. During our 25th year, we will inaugurate a "Patron's Tour" for members of the National Leadership Council (Dance/USA's new Individual Donor group) to see dance performances in selected cities across the country, and will publish two special issues of the Dance/USAJournal that explore the evolution of Dance/USA and imagines the next 25 years for the organization and the field of dance.
Dance/USA members will join in the celebration by including the 25th Anniversary Logo in programs and publications, dedicating seasons and performances to their national service organization, and including information about Dance/USA in newsletters and brochures throughout the year.
The kick off to the 25th Anniversary at the 2007 Spring Council will include a proclamation of June 14, 2007 as “Dance/USA Day” by Mayor Daley of Chicago at a reception that will include recognition of Dance/USA’s founders, supporters and current and former members of the Board of Trustees. Over 100 members of the national dance community will converge on Chicago to join in the celebration and attend Council Meeting activities that include workshops and seminars as well as performances by the local Chicago community.
“We’re excited to begin our 25th Anniversary celebration in Chicago,” said Dance/USA Executive Director Andrea Snyder. “We have so much planned for this year and couldn’t ask for a richer or more supportive dance community in which to begin the celebration of Dance/USA’s history. We have had the privilege of working with many incredible communities over the years and look forward to serving the national dance field for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Dance/USA would like to send a special thanks to Altria Group, Inc. for corporate support of the 25th Anniversary.
January 31, 2007
Washington, D.C. – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, has hired Lois Welk to run the newest branch office, Dance/Philadelphia. Ms. Welk has a strong history of serving the dance field in various capacities and comes to Dance/USA from her most recent tenure as director of the New York State DanceForce.
Looking forward to her new position with Dance/USA, Ms. Welk noted, "Philadelphia has for decades been home to a vibrant and diverse collection of dance companies, independent choreographers and educators. Recently, a powerful momentum has taken hold. Resources, talent and opportunities are aligning. Philadelphia is positioned to be nationally and internationally recognized as an important dance capital. With the addition of Dance/Philadelphia the community will have the service organization it needs and deserves to reach its fullest potential. I am thrilled to be working with and for the dance artists and organizations of Philadelphia. I can't wait to get started!"
The William Penn Foundation provided initial support of $310,000 over three years for the creation of the Philadelphia branch. The ambitions of the new office include establishing leadership within the community, advocating for dance, creating a virtual and physical information hub, and supporting capacity and audience building initiatives. One of the primary tasks for the new organization will be to help eliminate isolation by creating a more cohesive community of shared communication, experience and support. Dance/Philadelphia aims to enhance the vitality and visibility of the dance community to help ensure the future of dance in greater Philadelphia.
The decision to create a Philadelphia branch was made by a group of committed professionals in the community who formed the Dance Services Steering Committee in conjunction with representatives from Dance/USA. The eight members of the Philadelphia Steering Committee began meeting in 2003 to plan and research the possibilities for a dance service organization. Over the course of the following two years, the Committee met monthly and held a series of four "best practices" forums, to which people were invited from other dance communities, such as New York, Chicago and Washington, DC, to talk about what worked and didn't work with their service providers. After many conversations and a daylong retreat to hammer out the issues and prioritize their needs as a community, the Dance Services Steering Committee made the decision to partner with Dance/USA to create the branch, Dance/Philadelphia.
Acknowledging Ms. Welk’s new position in the Philadelphia community, Amy Smith, chair of the aforementioned Steering Committee, offered, “On behalf of the Advisory Board and as a member of the Philadelphia dance community, I am delighted that Lois will be our advocate, convener and champion. Her breadth of experience over the years - from being in the trenches as an artist to running New York State Dance Force - will serve us all well, and she is truly invested in the wonderfully diverse dance community in Philly. HOORAY!”
Acknowledging the scope of a national focus, Dance/USA looks to the establishment of branch offices to extend its reach to local levels while embracing the unique context of individual dance communities. Members of the local community will benefit from the regular information exchange and collaboration with the national organization, and Dance/USA will have a better sense of the field on a more localized scale, improving Dance/USA’s role as a national advocate for dance.
Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA, noted, “Dance/USA is very pleased to bring Lois on board to lead the Philadelphia branch. The community initiated the drive toward the creation of this branch with Dance/USA and Lois is the perfect person to help create a collaborative environment and provide guidance to move the Philadelphia dance community forward.”
BIOGRAPHY
Lois Welk, Executive Director of Dance/Philadelphia was inspired to study Modern Dance following a performance by dance legend Daniel Nagrin in her hometown of Buffalo, NY in 1970. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance at State University College at Brockport, NY where Richard Bull was her mentor. Ms. Welk was a member of The Workgroup, an improvisational company directed by Daniel Nagrin.
In 1972, she founded the American Dance Asylum Inc. (ADA), a producing and service organization for the performing arts. From 1973-1979, she co-directed the ADA (then based in Binghamton, NY) with Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane. For more than 25 years the ADA has produced Welk’s artistic projects among them The Parking Ramp Dances, The Train Station Dance, The Carousel Dance, The Hiawatha Island Dance and most recently Moving the Music. She been a member of the dance faculty at 171 Cedar Arts Center (Corning, NY), Alfred University (Alfred, NY) and has taught for various arts-in-education programs across New York State. Her work as Executive Director of 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning, NY (1988-2002) earned her a New York State Governor’s Arts Award in 1998. At 171 Cedar Arts Center, Welk developed a nationally recognized presenting program that included concert dance, artists’ residencies, a jazz series, family programming and a world folk music festival. Program growth warranted a capital campaign and expansion project that more than doubled program space adding a 170-seat black box performance space, exhibition space and two additional dance studios. From 2003-2006, Ms. Welk served as Artistic Director of The Yard Inc., a performing artists’ colony on Martha’s Vineyard. In January 2005, Ms. Welk was appointed the Director of the New York State DanceForce, a network of organizations and individuals working to increase the quality and quantity of dance in New York. As Director, Ms. Welk brought leadership to the re-structuring of the organization and expanded the reach of the programs.
ABOUT DANCE/USA
Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field. 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 sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators and organizations. By providing services and national leadership, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education and dissemination.
Established in 1982, Dance/USA is a membership organization serving a broad cross-section of professional dance (currently over 400 ballet, modern, ethnic, jazz and tap companies, dance service and presenting organizations, individuals, and related organizations). With an informed understanding of local dance communities and an eagle-eye view of dance nationally, we occupy a unique position in the field. By working primarily in the interests of our membership, Dance/USA strengthens the dance field as a whole and the performing arts field in general. Dance/USA’s priorities include advocating for dance, providing information & research on the field, convening & networking, and building leadership among dance professionals. Learn more about Dance/USA and our branch offices by visiting our website, www.danceusa.org.
September 2006
Press Contact: Suzanne Callahan
Phone: 202-955-8325
Email: Callahan@ForTheArts.org
DANCE/USA AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AWARD $280,000 TO COLLEGES FOR DANCE MASTERPIECES
Washington, DC — Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, announced the first round of awards through the American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component (AMDCC), which will enable institutions of higher learning across the country to reconstruct dances by notable choreographers. AMDCC is part of a larger program that is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the NEA.
Through this initiative, colleges and universities nationwide will be able to unite professional dance artists with college students to restage classic American dances. A significant component of the program is the sharing of work with the larger community beyond the performance of the dance piece. Outreach activities include post-performance discussions, classes, open rehearsals and lecture demonstrations in schools. The College Component of AMD is an outgrowth of Dance/USA’s National College Choreography Initiative. Since it was established in 2001 with the NEA, the program has already made possible 121 residencies, bringing choreographers to college campuses in each of the 50 states plus DC, and attracted almost 175,000 audience members to 80 artists and ensembles that visited 87 different colleges.
AMD-CC now adds to that success. A national panel of artists, historians and college faculty recommended 28 awards of $10,000 each to colleges, which will bring artists and ensembles to 28 cities in 22 states across the country to reconstruct works. Examples of projects by deceased master artists are: Antony Tudor’s “Dark Elegies,” to be restaged on students at the Boston Conservatory; Martha Graham’s “Primitive Mysteries,” at Southern Methodist University in Dallas; and Dianne McIntyre’s restaging of Helen Tamiris’ "How Long Brethren?" at University of Maryland-College Park. Works by living artists include Laura Dean’s “Sky Light” at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Mark Morris’ “New Love Song Waltzes” at Western Washington University; and Bebe Miller’s “Blessed” at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Descriptions of all 28 projects are attached, along with a list of panelists.
“This fourth round of funding continues Dance/USA’s commitment to link choreographers of the highest stature with the next generation of dancers,” states Executive Director Andrea Snyder. “The focus on masterpieces provides opportunities for young artists to learn about the incredibly rich history of dance in this
country. Because concert dance is a relatively young art form, the concept of ‘masterpiece’ is still in the making. With the leadership of the NEA, AMDCC allows us to again make artistry of the highest quality a part of students’ college education.”
The Arts Endowment launched American Masterpieces, (as well as its predecessor, the National College Choreography Initiative) with major Leadership Initiative funding designed to support significant projects that involve communities across the country, and the Agency’s support continues to be instrumental in the program’s success. “It is important to acquaint today's dance students with their history and artistic legacy,” stated Douglas Sonntag, Director of Dance at the NEA. “The American dance legacy is vast and rich, and these masterpieces help today's students and scholars connect to the past in a manner that informs and illuminates their education.”
Dance/USA has administered the initiative since its inception. Suzanne Callahan of Callahan Consulting for the Arts brings her considerable experience in grantsmanship and evaluation to manage the program for Dance/USA.
For information about other components of American Masterpieces, including funding for dance companies and touring, visit www.nefa.org or call NEFA at 617.951.0010 x 12.
For further information about American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component, details of college projects in your state, or information about the colleges or artists, contact Suzanne Callahan, at Callahan@ForTheArts.org or 202/955-8325.
The National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency, was established by an Act of Congress in 1965. An investment in America’s living cultural heritage, the Endowment serves the public good by nurturing human creativity, supporting community spirit, and fostering appreciation of the excellence and diversity of our nation’s artistic accomplishments. Since 1965, the Endowment has invested over $242 million in supporting dance nationwide.
Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field. 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 sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators and organizations. By providing services and national leadership, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education and dissemination.
Established in 1982, Dance/USA is a membership organization serving a broad cross-section of professional dance (currently over 400 ballet, modern, ethnic, jazz and tap companies, dance service and presenting organizations, individuals, and related organizations). With an informed understanding of local dance communities and an eagle-eye view of dance nationally, we occupy a unique position in the field. By working primarily in the interests of our membership, Dance/USA strengthens the dance field as a whole and the performing arts field in general. Dance/USA’s priorities include advocating for dance, providing information & research on the field, convening & networking, and building leadership among dance professionals. Learn more about Dance/USA and our branch offices by visiting our website, www.danceusa.org.
American Masterpieces: Dance-College Component
First Round Grantees
2006-07 and 2007-08 Academic Years
AZ - Arizona State University, Tempe, for Jose Limon/Nina Watt
To support the reconstruction of Jose Limon's "Missa Brevis" by reconstructor Nina Watts from September, 2006 to June, 2007. The entire season celebrates Limon's work with a workshop in June, 2007; presentation at the 2006 CORD conference; lecture demonstrations; and a public symposium.
CA - Stanford University, Stanford, for Anna Halprin
To support the reconstruction of Anna Halprin’s “Ten Myths” in fall 2006. Halprin will be on campus weekly for a 10-week community-based project called Urban Rituals. Outreach activities include lectures at senior centers.
CT - Connecticut College, New London, for Paul Taylor
To support the restaging of Paul Taylor's "Aureole" in fall 2007. Outreach will involve master classes, video screenings, and panel discussions.
FL - Florida State University, Tallahassee, for Paul Taylor
To support the reconstruction of Paul Taylor's "Esplanade" to be showcased in FSU's 2007 annual production and in the FSU Arts Festival in February, 2007. Ruth Andrian will reconstruct the work in fall 2006. Community outreach includes master classes, open rehearsals, forums, and showings of Taylor's documentary "Dancemaker."
FL - Palm Beach Atlantic College, West Palm Beach, for Jose Limon
To support the reconstruction of Jose Limon's "There is a Time," by Jennifer Scanlon to be performed November 21, 2006. Outreach activities include master classes and panel discussions.
HI - University of Hawaii at Manoa for Bebe Miller
To support the restaging of Bebe Miller's "Blessed." Miller will teach technique, improvisation, and composition at two community colleges in Oahu; an open rehearsal; a lecture; and workshops at Maui Dance Arts.
IA - University of Iowa for Donald McKayle
To support the restaging of Donald McKayle’s “Games,” to be performed in November, 2006. Outreach activities will include public lectures and a reception and showing of the film “Free to Dance.” UI students will present the material in lecture demonstrations for public schools throughout the state of Iowa.
IL - Columbia College Chicago for Merce Cunningham
To support the reconstruction of a Merce Cunningham "MinEvent." Veteran dancer Jeannie Steele will have an eight-week residency at Columbia College Chicago in fall 2007 to set the work and to teach master classes.
IL - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for Bill T. Jones
To support the reconstruction of part one of Bill T. Jones’s “D-Man in the Waters” by Catherine Cabeen for three weeks during fall 2007. Community involvement will include master classes and lecture demonstrations at area schools.
MA - Boston Conservatory for Anthony Tudor
To support the reconstruction of Antony Tudor's "Dark Elegies” by Donald Mahler and performed at the Boston Conservatory in February, 2007. Outreach activities will include panel discussions and open rehearsals for students at the Boston Arts Academy, the Walnut Hill School, and other area high schools.
MD - University of Maryland-College Park for HelenTamiris/Dianne McIntyre
To support the reconstruction of Helen Tamiris’s 1937 “How Long, Brethren?” by Dianne McIntyre during an extended residency from March, 2007 to May, 2008. There will be lectures, symposia, and informal presentations. Master classes and performances will be held on campus, at Joe’s Movement Emporium, at a local high school, and on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millennium Stage.
ME - Bates College, Lewston, for Danny Buraczeski
To support the restaging of Danny Buraczeski's "Swing Concerto” at Bates Dance Festival from July 21-August 12, 2007, and again in fall 2007 on the Bates College modern dance company. Outreach activities will include master classes, an open rehearsal, presentations for Bates College music and interdisciplinary classes, and public performances.
MI - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for Martha Graham
To support the reconstruction of Martha Graham’s “Primitive Mysteries” by Diane Gray in September, 2006, to be performed in February, 2007. Outreach activities will include technique classes, a pre-concert talk, and performance for Detroit public high school students.
MN - St. Olaf College, Northfield, for Anna Sokolow
To support the reconstruction of Anna Sokolow's "Dreams" by Lorry May, who will be in residence in fall 2006. The work will be performed in May, 2007 at St. Olaf, and possibly at Carleton College. May will give lectures and high school students will visit the campus for performances.
NM - University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, for Hanya Holm
To support the reconstruction of Hanya Holm’s “Rota” with Don Redlich as primary reconstructor in fall 2007. Around the performances, the university will organize a symposium, master classes, and open rehearsals.
NY - Hunter College (of the City Univ of NY), New York City, for Twyla Tharp
To support the reconstruction of Twyla Tharp's "Country Dances" by Stacy Caddell, to be performed in spring 2007 at Sharing the Legacy, a national conference. Outreach includes open rehearsals, a lecture, and an assembly series in NYC public high schools.
NY - Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, for Trisha Brown
To support the reconstruction of Trisha Brown's "Line Up" during the 2007-2008 academic year. Theatrical and site-specific performances will take place on the Sarah Lawrence campus. Outreach activities will include panels, performances, and workshops/lecture demonstrations.
OK - University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, for Charles Moulton
To support the restaging of Charles Moulton’s “Precision Ball Passing,” at the University of Central Oklahoma and Wichita State University in February, 2007 with performances in March and April at both schools. Each university will present master classes, open rehearsals, informal showcases, and lecture demonstrations at K-12 schools throughout Kansas and Oklahoma.
PA - Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, for Isadora Duncan/Lori Belilove
To support the reconstruction of two movements from Isadora Duncan's "Schubert's Ninth Symphony" by Lori Belilove to be performed in October and November, 2006. Belilove will develop materials for the course “Dance and Community.” Outreach will include a panel and activities in schools.
PA - University of the Arts, Philadelphia, for Merian Soto
To support the reconstruction of Merian Soto’s “Historias.” The project will begin in September, 2006 and culminate in a performance in May, 2007. Community outreach includes workshops and showings, and use of the material in UArts’s community outreach program with K-12 students in Philadelphia’s inner-city public schools.
TX - Southern Methodist University, Dallas, for Martha Graham
To support the reconstruction of Martha Graham's "Primitive Mysteries," for a major performance, documentation and preservation initiative with the support of Martha Graham Resources and the Dance Notation Bureau during a four-week residency. Yuriko Kikuchi will reconstruct the work which will be performed in November, 2007. Outreach will include lecture demonstrations, an open rehearsal, and a panel.
UT - University of Utah, Salt Lake City, for Martha Graham
To support the reconstruction of Martha Graham’s “Panorama” by Susan Kikuchi in fall 2006, to be performed October 25-27 and November 2-4. Outreach activities will include master classes and lecture demonstrations at area high school dance programs.
VA - Shenandoah Conservatory, Winchester, for Murray Louis/Alwin Nikolais
To support the restaging of Murray Louis's "Bach Suite" during a 10-day residency in fall 2006. The work will be performed in April, 2007, and possibly in SC's Bach/Handel Festival in fall 2007. Outreach includes open rehearsals, and touring the work in lecture demonstration format to schools, dance studios/companies, and other community venues.
WA - Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, for Bill Evans
To support the restaging of Bill Evan's "Mixin' It Up" to be performed in November, 2007. Outreach activities will include a symposium, a lecture demonstration, open rehearsals, and master classes.
WA - Western Washington University, Bellingham, for Mark Morris
To support the reconstruction of Mark Morris’s “New Love Song Waltzes” during a 10-day residency in fall 2006, to be performed in spring 2007. Outreach activities will include: lecture demonstrations; public rehearsals; master classes; and a Morning Series Performance for 700 school children.
WI - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for Laura Dean
To support the reconstruction of Laura Dean’s “Sky Light” by Rodger Belman and Jason Cirker to be performed June 14-17, 2007. Outreach activities will be tied to a year-long cross-disciplinary programming focus on Minimalism and Its Legacy. Belman will be on campus four times between December, 2006 and June, 2007.
WI - University of Wisconsin-Madison for MurrayLouis/Alwin Nikolais
To support the reconstruction of Alwin Nikolais’s “Tensile Involvement” by Alberto de Saz in November, 2006, to be performed in the Fall Faculty Concert.
WY - University of Wyoming, Laramie, for Loie Fuller/Jodi Sperling
To support the reconstruction of Loie Fuller’s “Ballet of Light” by Jodi Sperling, to be performed March 2-4, 2007 at the University and toured around the state of Wyoming. Residency activities include lectures and an interview with the reconstructors to be aired on Public radio and Wyoming Public Television.
American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component Panel List
Elizabeth Aldrich
Executive Director
Dance Heritage Coalition
Washington, DC
Neil Greenberg
Artistic Director
Dance By Neil Greenberg
New York, NY
Bonnie Oda Homsey
Artist/Teacher
Los Angeles, CA
William Whitener
Artistic Director
Kansas City Ballet
Kansas City, MO
Holly Williams
Associate Professor
Department of Theatre and Dance
University of Texas
Austin, TX
September 1, 2006
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Philadelphia Dance Community Gets Boost from Local Funder
Dance/USA Seeks Director for Philadelphia Branch
Washington, D.C. – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, announces the commitment of $310,000 over three years from the William Penn Foundation for the establishment of Dance/Philadelphia, a branch office of Dance/USA dedicated to the support of the dance sector in Greater Philadelphia. Dance/Philadelphia will be the third branch office of Dance/USA following Dance/NYC and Dance/MetroDC.
The decision to create a Philadelphia branch was made by a group of committed professionals in the community who formed the Dance Services Steering Committee in conjunction with representatives from Dance/USA. The eight members of the Philadelphia Steering Committee began meeting in 2003 to plan and research the possibilities for a dance service organization. Over the course of the following two years, the Committee met monthly and held a series of four "best practices" forums, to which people were invited from other dance communities, such as New York, Chicago and Washington, DC, to talk about what worked and didn't work with their service providers. It was at one of these meetings that the group encountered Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA. After many conversations and a daylong retreat to hammer out the issues and prioritize their needs as a community, the Dance Services Steering Committee made the decision to partner with Dance/USA to create the branch, Dance/Philadelphia.
The ambitions of the new branch office include establishing leadership within the community, advocating for dance, creating a virtual and physical information hub, and supporting capacity and audience building initiatives. One of the primary tasks for the new organization will be to help eliminate isolation by creating a more cohesive community of shared communication, experience and support. Dance/Philadelphia aims to enhance the vitality and visibility of the dance community to help ensure the future of dance in greater Philadelphia.
“The William Penn Foundation considers effective service organizations to be a key component for a strong cultural community, and we believe that the expertise and national focus that Dance/USA will bring to its work with Dance/Philadelphia will help our region’s dance sector build a strong leadership organization,” said Olive Mosier, director, arts and culture for the William Penn Foundation. “We are certain that our branch colleagues in New York and Washington will be important sources of help and counsel. We look forward to watching the development of Dance/Philadelphia.”
Acknowledging the limitations of having a national focus, Dance/USA looks to the establishment of branch organizations to strengthen the dance field by extending the reach of Dance/USA to local levels, while embracing the unique context of individual dance communities. Members of the local community will benefit from the regular information exchange and collaboration with the national organization, and Dance/USA will have a better sense of the field on a more localized scale, improving Dance/USA’s role as a national advocate for dance.
Speaking about the partnership with Dance/USA, Committee Chair Amy Smith, artistic director for Headlong Dance Theater said, “For the past few years, a grass roots committee in the Philadelphia dance community has been working toward imagining a new model for an organization that meets the needs of the Philly community. Our partnership with Dance/USA was just the catalyst we needed to make the dream a reality, and we're looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship far into the future.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – Dance/USA and The James Irvine Foundation announce the third year of Dance: Creation to Performance (DCP) awards, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 each to 19 California-based dance artists, to support the creation and public sharing of new work. The grantees are:
Name |
City |
Genre |
Amount |
Los Angeles |
Brazilian |
$ 15,000.00 |
|
Charya Burt |
Windsor |
Cambodian |
$ 5,000.00 |
Chitresh Das |
San Francisco |
East Indian |
$ 10,000.00 |
Della Davidson |
Sacramento |
Western Contemporary |
$ 15,000.00 |
Heidi Duckler |
Los Angeles |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Kim Epifano |
San Francisco |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Monica Favand |
Los Angeles |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Jean Isaacs |
San Diego |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Margaret Jenkins |
San Francisco |
Western Contemporary |
$ 20,000.00 |
Alex Ketley |
Tiburon |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Shinichi Koga |
San Francisco |
Butoh |
$ 15,000.00 |
Benjamin Levy |
San Francisco |
Western Contemporary |
$ 10,000.00 |
Sara Shelton Mann |
San Francisco |
Western Contemporary |
$ 5,000.00 |
Charles Moulton |
Oakland |
Western Contemporary |
$ 20,000.00 |
Amelia Rudolph |
Oakland |
Western Contemporary |
$ 15,000.00 |
Gema Sandoval |
Pasadena |
Folklorico |
$ 10,000.00 |
Sophiline Cheam Shapiro |
Long Beach |
Cambodian |
$ 15,000.00 |
Linda Sohl-Ellison |
Long Beach |
Tap |
$ 10,000.00 |
Sri Susilowati |
Pasadena |
Indonesian |
$ 10,000.00 |
DCP was created in 2004 as part of the third three-year, $1 million grant to Dance/USA from
The James Irvine Foundation, following the Irvine Fellowships in Dance and the California DanceMaker Grants. All three now function under the umbrella of The Irvine Dance in California Program, which provides funding and support to the California dancemaking community. The goal of the program is to foster artistic excellence among a diverse group of dancemakers and to support innovative ways for them to share new dance works with communities across the State. It is administered by Julie Carson in Los Angeles for Dance/USA.
Martha S. Campbell, vice president for programs at The James Irvine Foundation, said: "There is a remarkable wealth and diversity of dance creativity and performance in California. Yet, overall, dance remains one of the least recognized and under-supported of all art forms. The Irvine Foundation is therefore particularly pleased to support a range of vibrant new works in the field through its ongoing partnership with Dance/USA."
Adding this pool of grantees to the previous two cycles, Andrea Snyder, executive director of Dance/USA, noted the overall significance that Irvine Dance in California has had on the artistic landscape in the state and the country. “With the consistent support of The James Irvine Foundation over nine years, we have been able to fine tune a grant program for individual choreographers that addresses their creative goals as well as their desire and need to make connections with colleagues across the country and audiences in California. We hope Irvine Dance in California serves as a useful model of support for individual dance artists; we are pleased to be able to include grantees in our national gatherings to strengthen that possibility.”
The application review process for the Dance: Creation to Performance grants began with an open request for applicants meeting criteria outlined in the program guidelines. 91 dancemakers submitted proposals. Through a two-phase review, 19 were selected based on each one’s individual artistic talent and potential and the clearly articulated vision of their proposed new work, in relation to their overall artistic goals. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 - $20,000 and were determined by the purpose and budgetary scope of each choreographer’s project and consideration of their other resources. Projects must be fulfilled within a two year period.
A broad group of experienced national and regional advisors assisted the Irvine Foundation and Dance/USA in the review process. Advisors in 2006 included:
- John Pennington, artistic director/professor of dance, Pennington Dance Group/Pomona College, Los Angeles, CA
-
Kim Konikow, artservices & company, Consulting for the Arts, Springdale, Utah
-
Joan Gray, president, Muntu Dance Theater, Chicago, IL
-
Lily Kharrazzi, Living Cultures grants program coordinator, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, San Francisco, CA
- Susana di Palma, artistic director, Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
-
Amy Ku’uleialoha Stillman, director, Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies, Ann Arbor, MI
-
Rathna Kumar, Founder – director, ANJALI Center, Houston, TX
-
Wayland Quintero, co-founder of SLANT & writer of "Transmission Through Misrepresentation," NY, NY
-
Tom Thielen, executive director, Florida Dance Association, Miami, Florida
-
Renae Williams, director of dance presentations, The Music Center, Los Angeles, CA
-
James Sewell, artistic director, James Sewell Ballet, Minneapolis, MN
-
Ferne Caulker, founder – artistic/executive director, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Milwaukee, WI
The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation, with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Foundation was established in 1937 by James Irvine, a native Californian who devoted most of his life to business interests in San Francisco and the development of his 110,000-acre ranch in Southern California, which was among the largest privately owned land holdings in the state. With current assets of more than $1.5 billion, the Foundation expects to make grants of $69 million in 2006 for the people of California. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.irvine.org.
More about Irvine Dance in California
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