In the face of artistic repression, budget cuts, a general disregard for the arts in the United States, and for this art form in particular, with the growing lack of space to create and perform work, the decline of touring opportunities, the loss of high quality and the frequency of dance criticism, international competition, declining audiences – need I say more? – you have remained a fearless community, dancing toward the problems and finding innovative solutions and alternatives that keep us moving forward.

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Dance has always been there and humanity and the tiny musical strands of which it is made have been vibrating in one way or another since the beginning of known history.

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People have so many ways of entertaining themselves, the fact of which dance artists cannot be reminded often enough.

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More than ever in the arts, we dancers and dance administrators need some good spiritual food for sustenance – especially as the world pushes us to move ever faster in its service and sometimes, it seems, far away from the art we love. It is imperative to thrive despite many draining challenges that face us. It is important to find balance in our lives.

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I wanted to thank you very truly, from the heart, for making a space for me in your community, and bringing me into your company, in so many senses.

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Don’t let her small stature and soft-spoken, polite nature fool you. She is highly intelligent and a fiercely passionate advocate for dance. Julie Nakagawa, co-founder and artistic director of DanceWorks Chicago (DWC) and an officer on the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA, is an artist, teacher, mentor and director that focuses on nurturing not only the individual artist, but the global dance community as a whole. There is no ego here.

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This has been an exciting week for three dance organizations -- and there is a common and unlikely thread that ties their accomplishments together: geography.

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Welcome to Dance -- Chicago Style
Scene: Opening Reception -- On Stage at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance

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Pico Iyer, travel writer and philosopher, spoke this morning at the Dance/USA Chicago conference. From the Green Room, Dance/USA's eJournal, is re-releasing Iyer's inspiring Q&A from earlier this summer.

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In case you haven’t heard, Dance/USA (the national service organization for professional dance) is holding its annual conference in Chicago July 13th through 16th.  This 2011 convening is anticipated to be the orgs biggest gathering yet of artistic directors, presenters, executive directors, company managers, artists, choreographers, marketing gurus, development divas and (thanks to a one-day scholarship – thank you!) even a little blogger like me.  The jam-packed schedule — here — includes receptions, roundtable discussions, plenary speakers, multiple break out sessions (management, artistry, audience engagement and technology), city tours and a number of performances at some of the city’s best dance venues.

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