Advocacy - The act or process of pleading in favor of or supporting a cause or proposal.

Appropriations - Public funds set apart for or assigned to a particular purpose or use.  The government appropriates funds at the federal, state and local level usually on an annual basis through an appropriations act or a permanent law. 

Commissioning* - Providing all or part of the financing of a new dance work, but limited only to that financing support or in-kind contributions. Commissioning is distinct from producing, managing, or presenting the dance work. Commissioners are not entitled to financial return.
Committee - Subsidiary organization of a Congressional House established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings and investigations, or carrying out other assignments as instructed by the parent chamber.

Continuing Resolution - Legislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress--when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun--to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.

Council - 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, Marketing Council, etc.). More…

Dancemaker- Any structure, including one that may be legally and functionally different from a traditional, incorporated dance company, that fosters the creation and performance of dance (e.g. collective, dance company, ensemble, individual choreographer, one time only project, pick-up company, re-creator of cultural or historic work, soloist, etc.)

Form 990 - The IRS Form 990, titled “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax,” is submitted by tax-exempt and non-profit organizations to the Internal Revenue Service on an annual basis. The Form 990 is used by government agencies and charity watchdog groups to prevent organizations from abusing their tax-exempt status. The IRS also provides websites such as Guidstar.org with copies of 990s; often this is the only way such information is made available since many tax-exempt organizations do not publicly disclose their audited financials.  The Form 990 was redesigned in 2007 to increase transparency and reporting accuracy.

Investing* - Providing all or part of the financing of a new dance work. Investing provides a return on investment and a profit if any.

Lame Duck Session - An elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor.

Listserv—An electronic mailing list.  Dance/USA hosts several member-exclusive listservs that are divided by membership type or job function.  The listservs are intended to be a place of information exchange among members to ask questions, seek advice or share successes.  Contact the membership manager for more information.

Lobbying - To conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body to vote a certain way on legislation.

Performing Arts Alliance—A national network of more than 4,100 members comprising the professional, nonprofit performing arts and presenting fields. For 30 years, the Performing Arts Alliance has been the premiere advocate for America's professional nonprofit arts organizations, artists and their publics before the US Congress and key policy makers. Through legislative and grassroots action, the Performing Arts Alliance advocates for national policies that recognize, enhance and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America. Member organizations include Dance/USA, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Chorus America, League of American Orchestras, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, OPERA America, and Theatre Communications Group.

Presentation* - Facilitation of the Public Performance of the dance work by making available a venue owned or controlled by the presenter and/or by bringing together the art and the audience. Presenting credit may be shared by the producing organization and presenting organization. Compensation is provided by the presenting organization to the producing organization, or is earned through the box office in the case where the producing organization self-presents. Presenting entails the responsibility for the box office income.

Producing* - Active involvement in one or more areas of creation of a dance work, including artistic involvement, management, or other resources, and/or securing financing. Producing includes the possibility of sharing in the resulting income or losses.

Roundtable – Roundtable was the term used by Dance/USA up until 2008 for the event that occurred every other year in June. The Roundtables convened hundreds of people from the national and international professional dance community. Programming at Roundtables sought to provide intellectual stimulation and creative inspiration for trustees, executive directors, general managers, artistic directors, operations managers, and administrative staff of all sized companies, presenters, agents/artist representatives, services organizations, choreographers, and dancers.   The term used today is Annual Conference.  Beginning in 2009, Dance/USA holds annual conferences that serve the same purpose.
Service Organization - A not-for-profit organization designed to unite, facilitate and assist a particular field.  In most cases, service organizations have members and seek to represent those members on the national level.

*These definitions were developed in order to help provide a clearer understanding of the layers of responsibility and effort behind the creation of new work in the not-for-profit performing arts community. The creation of a new work can involve partnerships between artists, institutions, and investors. In the case of a work moving into the "commercial" touring market with an extended life outside of the not-for-profit performing arts community, having these definitions in place in advance could greatly benefit all parties.