The reality is that great pioneers can’t do it alone. George Balanchine had Lincoln Kirstein working in the background. All of these great pioneers, all of these great visionaries, always had someone behind them building the organization while they were out challenging the conventional wisdom.

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It’s important to remember that arts advocates are not only lobbying for increased appropriations for the National Endowment for the Arts. We’re also working on policies for tax, technology, education, and international exchange.

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Someone should choreograph a dance about the sweeping importance of social media and the ups and downs of trying to manage a social media presence. No sooner does an arts organization begin to use “the next best thing” when something new, shinier, and sexier takes its place.     

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On Jan. 25, 2012, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation announced that its executive director, Sharon Gersten Luckman, would be stepping down in 2013 after 16 years as executive director and 20 years with the Ailey organization. Dance/USA's From the Green Room asked Luckman to reflect on her accomplishments as well as challenges facing the Ailey company and the dance world.

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Can you be still? I mean really still. For just 5 minutes. No scratching or fidgeting. Quiet the mind. Focus on the breath.

You might be saying that’s impossible, your day is already full with early morning planning and development meetings; answering emails and responding to social media; fundraising appointments; marketing strategy sessions; budget reviews; artistic decisions; production issues; and that grant application, it’s due by 5:00 p.m.

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A sample letter to aid in requesting music rights from publishers and/or composers.

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One of the rights the owner of copyright possesses is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce his or her work in copies. However, this right is subject to certain limitations found in sections of federal copyright law. This article serves as a primer for dance artists and the area of fair use.

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The creator of a dance work does not always own the copyright. This often comes as a surprise to the dance artist who has created the dance work or piece. In some cases other persons or entities own the copyright. In dance this can come back to bite a choreographer

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A mentor can also help you be less reactive and more strategic in planning how you need to move forward and not be coerced continuously by what seems best, but may not be best for you and your company’s mission.

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Finally, I wish someone had explained to me that it is always, especially initially, more difficult for artists to stay true to their individual creative visions than to adopt a herd mentality and be a member of an artistic clique.

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