• Winter Forum-Hotel Deadlines Fast Approaching!
• Dance Forum: New Realities in the World of Dance
• Dance in the New Administration with a Barack Button!  
• The Research Department wants to hear from you!
• Government Affairs Update

Winter Forum-Hotel Deadlines Fast Approaching!

Best rates at the Radisson Lexington Hotel New York will be gone after January 8, 2009.

See who’s registered for the Winter Forum. Scroll down below the daily schedule to view participants.

And don't forget the special 60% discount on registration. Register for the Winter Forum today!

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Dance Forum: New Realities in the World of Dance
Friday, January 9, 2009
9am - 12pm
Hilton Hotel, Concourse A
New York, New York 10019
Free to attend, no rsvp required.

How are dance artists/companies and presenters facing the economic realities that are confronting them? This year, the Dance Forum will focus on readjusting (or adjusting) to the current economic climate. Networks are changing, and presenting dance in the 21st Century does not resemble how it was presented in the last century. Join with leaders from the field for an open conversation about what this means for dance presentation and touring, management, and audiences.
We have gathered a group of dance artists and presenters who are looking at different models of touring and presenting dance work, and also asked them to talk about the economic challenges we all face, particularly how they are looking at models for presenting dance, sustaining a company and building audiences.

Panel members
Jamie Merwin - olive Dance - PA
John Michael Shert - Trey McIntyre, ID
Stephen Petronio - Stephen Petronio Dance Company, NY
Tere O'Connor - Tere O'Connor Dance, NY
Jill Sigman – jill sigman/thinkdance, NY
Walter Jaffe - White Bird, OR
Baracka Sele – New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Moderator
Anne Dunning

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Dance in the New Year and the New Administration with a Barack Button

The glossy buttons are high quality, 2 inches by 2 inches, with a clear image of Barack DANCING, as he appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show. Along with the caption: “Dance - Yes We Can”.

Prices:
$8 for one button($6 + $2 handling)
$13 for two buttons($10 +3 handling)
$50 for 10 buttons ($45 + 5 handling)

Interested in ordering in bulk? Please contact Dance/MetroDC Director Peter DiMuro for more information.

Proceeds from Dance/USA national membership sales will be placed into a fund to enable attendance by regional artists at Dance/USA convenings.

So wear your dancing Barack across the nation proudly. Washington, DC was flooded with these pins on inauguration day, great reminders to our friends in this new administration that dance is part of the dialogue.

To order your buttons, Contact Office Manager Kellee Edusei at 202.833.1717 or danceusa@danceusa.org with your order and credit card information. (Members local to the DC metropolitan area can purchase through the Dance/MetroDC office at info@dancemetrodc.org)

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The Research Department wants to hear from you!

We have built a 10-minute survey to get to the heart of the issues your organization is facing in these challenging economic times, and we need your input.

This Rough Waters Survey, powered by SurveyMonkey, asks for an overview of changes in performance seasons, contributed revenue, and future planning at your organization. The questions are general and likely to be answered easily. Please click on the link below to access the survey or copy and paste the website address into your web browser to take the survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JpjHaxeOd8iv2iQCJ0gUTg_3d_3d

Although the hard times are not likely to go away soon, the dance field is adept at managing limited resources and thinking creatively when faced with a challenge. Help us prove it by visiting the link above and taking the survey.

Dance Service Organizations, please contact the Research Department directly, vsmith@danceusa.org, if you would like your constituents to participate in the survey or to share your observations on how your community is being affected by an uncertain economic future.

The deadline for completing this survey is January 12. The Dance/USA Research staff thanks you for your time and participation. 

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Government Affairs Update

Have you met with your policymakers recently?

If your dance organization is feeling the impact from the recession, speak with your policymakers! There may be funding opportunities available that you are not aware of, they may have suggestions for partnerships, or they may be able to use your story when speaking with other legislators. 

Economic Stimulus Package

This week, Congressional leaders Harry Reed (D-NV) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD) both announced that the passage of an Economic Stimulus Package will probably not happen until mid-February. This past Monday, President-elect Barack Obama commented that the January 20 deadline is still hopeful though may not be realistic. Stay tuned for how the arts community can be a part of Economic Stimulus plans. 

Numbers that Matter

The arts generate $166.2 billion in economic activity every year.

The nonprofit arts and culture industries create 5.7 million full-time jobs.

The nonprofit arts and culture industries create $7.9 billion in local government revenue, $9.1 billion in state government revenue, and $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenue.

Click here for more information on the Arts and Economic Prosperity Study III conducted by Americans for the Arts.

In Remembrance of Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI)

On January 1, 2009 one of the greatest champions for the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts, Claiborne Pell, passed away.

"As our cultural life is enhanced and strengthened, so does it project itself into the world beyond our shores." -Senator Claiborne Pell

Click here for the Statement from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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