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February 18, 2009

Tina Ramirez and Sali Ann Kriegsman to Be Honored by Dance/USA

Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional, not-for-profit dance, announces its two awardees for 2009, selecting dancer, choreographer and Ballet Hispanico founder Tina Ramirez to receive the Dance/USA Honor award, and writer, advocate, presenter, preservationist and dance leader Sali Ann Kriegsman to receive the “Ernie,” named for the late Ian “Ernie” Horvath. Both awards will be presented on June 4, 2009 during the Dance/USA Honors Celebration at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, as part of the Dance/USA 2009 Annual Conference being held June 3 – 6 in Houston, Texas.

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Book of Proceedings from the Open Space day at the Winter Forum

The Book of Proceedings is the result of a one-day “Open Space” - a way to format a group meeting, retreat or conference that generates communication, collaboration, innovation, and other solutions to challenges and transitions. At the beginning of the day, the participants were invited to offer topics of conversation – all told, there were at least twenty topics discussed during five sessions throughout the day. Participants self-selected which conversation they wanted to join.

The contents of this document are the summary notes that volunteer scribes submitted following particular sessions, plus the individual spoken comments and the anonymous written comments, both expressed during the “closing circle”. They do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Dance/USA or all the members of any given session. If you would like more information or clarification about what was discussed, please contact the convener of the topic.

For more information about Open Space Technology: www.openspaceworld.org

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Results from Dance/USA’s survey on the Use of Live Music in Performance

The goal of this survey on member dance companies’ use of live music in performance was to quickly identify any trends or similarities among companies who use live music that may have developed as a result of the current economic turmoil. In the interest of brevity, an effort was made to focus the questions on changes in the current and upcoming seasons.

view the findings

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Government Affairs Update

Arts in the Economic Stimulus Plan

On Tuesday, February 17, President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus plan. The final bill includes $50 million in supplemental funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and has a modified version of the Coburn Amendment, allowing museums, theaters and arts centers to remain eligible for stimulus funds. The $50 million to the NEA is to be allocated as follows: 40% to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations through formula grants and 60% through direct grants “to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.”

The arts community across America rallied to keep the arts in the stimulus package. Between the combined efforts of the national arts advocacy organizations, hundreds of thousands of emails were sent to Congress and countless phone calls. The Performing Arts Alliance joined with Americans for the Arts, the National assemble of State Arts Agencies and Chorus America to place ads in the Hill papers and formal letters, co-signed by many national arts organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of members, were given to the ten conferees. In addition, many individuals around the country responded to negative press by submitting op-eds and posting blog entries. Your efforts made a difference!

ARTS = JOBS Ad

During the flurry of the economic stimulus debate, the Performing Arts Alliance joined with Americans for the Arts to post ads in the Hill political newspapers. Click here to view and print the Ad. Help spread the word! Arts jobs are REAL jobs!

Appropriations FY09

Now that the stimulus bill has been signed, Congress intends to take up the FY09 appropriations process again. Currently, all FY09 federal spending bills are at the FY08 amount, due to the continuing resolution passed last fall. President Obama is expected to release his budget in late May / early Spring for FY2010. Stay tuned.

Legislative Workshops, Monday March 30

Come to Washington DC for Monday March 30 and Tuesday March 31 to advocate in support of the arts. There will be special workshops on Monday afternoon in which advocates can gain in-depth knowledge on the following legislative issues: funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, visa processing and tax withholdings for foreign guest artists, charitable giving including the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, National Service and the Arts, Healthcare and the Arts, and the White Space Issue. Visit our website to learn more about Arts Advocacy Day!

Form 990 Resource Page

Dance/USA has begun to develop a resource page on the New Form 990. Please take a moment to visit the page, review the schedules, policy examples and key definitions: http://danceusa.org/newform99

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