A Dance/USA Council is a peer group generally denoted by a membership category (e.g., Service Organizations Council, Presenters Council, etc.) or job function (e.g., Managers Council, Agents Council, etc.).

The Councils, also referred to as “Standing Councils” because they have representation and voting rights on Dance/USA's Board of Trustees, meet in-person at Dance/USA Annual Conferences and connect throughout the member year via member-exclusive Google Groups, quarterly Council Calls hosted by Dance/USA, and informal meetings in various locations across the country. These meetings and forums give members of Dance/USA an opportunity to discuss current issues and trends in the field and how these affect their business.

The Councils and their sessions are not used as a marketplace, but instead as a gathering of industry professionals engaged in peer-to-peer networking, career development, and building a collaborative environment. Meeting and Council Call agendas are designed by Council Chairs, in consultation with Council members, and are facilitated by the Council Chair.

Please note that individual members and non-members of Dance/USA can participate in in-person Council Sessions at the Council Chair's discretion. 

A Forum is a group of individuals whose professional affiliations and job descriptions fall into a category outside of Standing Councils (described above).  During Annual Conferences, Dance/USA will provide space and time for various Forums to meet (either together or separately, depending on interest and participant numbers) to discuss topics of current relevance to them. Currently Forum Leaders are not elected or appointed, and therefore any structure or content of a Forum is the prerogative of participants. If individual Forum participants wish to forego meeting as a group during any part of the designated Council Session time, their participation in a Standing Council is at the discretion of the Council's Chair.

Standing Councils:

• Agents/Artists Representatives
• Artistic Directors
  • Artistic Directors of member companies with budgets $3 million and greater
  • Artistic Directors of member companies with budgets below $3 million
• Managers
  • Managers of member companies with budgets of $15 million and greater
  • Managers of member companies with budgets between $3 million-$14.9 million
  • Managers of member companies with budgets between $750,000-$2.9 million
  • Managers of member companies with budgets of $749,000 and less
• Presenters
• Service Organizations

Forums:

• Dancers
• Development
• Educators
• Independent Artists/Choreographers
• Marketing
• Students
• Task Force on Dancer’s Health

Upcoming Council and Forum Meetings
The Standing Councils and Forums met during the 2012 Annual Conference. For information on upcoming Council meetings, contact your Council Chair.

Council Election Procedures
Each Standing Council elects a Council Chair to serve as their representative on the Dance/USA Board of Trustees and to coordinate Council Meetings. A Council Chair’s term lasts for one year, from July 1 to June 30, and Council Chairs may serve up to three consecutive terms. If a Council Chair has not reached their three term limit and wishes to remain as Council Chair for a second or third term, their intentions should be made clear prior to the election or nomination period.  A Council may also choose to elect a Chair-Elect or Co-Chair for their Council. The Chair-Elect does not serve in an official capacity (i.e., on the Board) and is not subject to term restrictions, but does assist with Council activities and is often designated to take over as Council Chair when the current Chair finishes his or her term.

In early April, current Council Chairs will contact their Council members to prepare for an electronic election process. Council Chairs should be selected no later than May 15. This electronic election allows council members who cannot attend the Council Meeting to vote for a Council Chair. If you have any questions about the election process for Council Chairs, please contact your Council Chair or the Director of Member Services.