Join Your Colleagues in the Field at the Dance Forum during the APAP Conference

Friday, January 8, 2010
9:00 AM–noon
Hilton Hotel (6th Ave between 53-54 Streets)

Preceding the Arts Presenters conference, we hope you’ll take the morning to gather as dance colleagues for some much needed discussion about our field. This year’s Dance Forum will explore bold new ideas and strategies that address current issues and opportunities for the next decade of dance. The session will begin with a brief "tour" of projects and initiatives focused on artist residencies, dance presentation and touring, audience engagement, presenter mentoring, and technology developments.

At the current moment, you’ll hear from:
Jane Forde, representing NEFA’s National Dance Project
Suzanne Callahan, representing Dance/USA’s Engaging Dance Audiences Project
Rosemary Johnson and Ivan Sygoda, representing Southern Arts Federation’s Dance Touring Initiative
Pam Young and Randy Swartz, representing the Building a Network of New Dance Presenters Initiative
Chris Elam, representing the Audience Engagement Platform Innovation Project
David Sheingold, representing Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography’s Artist Residency Program

Additional presenters may be added. Hope to see you there!

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Early Bird Registration - Dance/NYC Mid-Season Symposium in NYC

Dance/NYC Mid-Season Symposium early bird registration available through December 31!
One-day registration $100; Early Bird Special $80
Individual session registration will also be available after December 31.

Date: February 5 (welcome reception) and February 6 (symposium) 8:30am-6:00pm
Reception: TBA
Symposium: 3LD Art and Technology Center

General Session
Opening Plenary - The Changing Face of Dance Audiences, Donna Walker Kuhne, President Walker International Communications
Session 2 - IP and IT - Latest Technologies Impacting the Dance Field, Sydney Skybetter, Skybetter and Associates and Marc Kirschner, Tendu TV
Session 3 - Leadership, Start with the Why, Simon Sinek, Author
Session 4 – Concert vs. Commercial Dance, can't we just get along?, Sharon Gersten Luckman, Executive Director, Alvin Ailey, more panelists TBA
Closing Plenary - Telling the Story of Dance: Defining the Value of our Art Form, Russell Willis Taylor, President and CEO of National Arts Strategies and Dorothy Gunther Pugh, Executive Director Ballet Memphis

Breakout Session
Session 1: Insurance, Fractured Atlas
Session 2: Health and Wellness, Actor’s Fund
Ongoing throughout the day - SmartBar w/ experts from the field

Click here to register now!

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Government Affairs Update
Dance/USA Board Members Walk the Halls of Congress
On Friday, November 20, Dance/USA board members took to the hill to advocate in support of the arts. Constituent meetings were held in the offices of Senator Schumer (D-NY), Senator Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Boxer (D-CA), Senator Nelson (D-FL), Senator Specter (R-PA), Senator Casey (D-PA), Congresswoman Slaughter (D-NY), Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Congressman Boyd (D-FL). The board members discussed their dance organizations, education and community programming, the economic impact of the arts, and the financial future of the arts for 2010. In addition, arts policy issues were addressed including arts education, funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and cultural exchange and diplomacy.

All Dance/USA members are invited to conduct legislative visits. Next time you are in Washington DC, let us know! Dance/USA will schedule your meetings, prepare issues briefs and talking points, and our Government Affairs Director will accompany you on your visits. If interested, email Amy Fitterer at afitterer@danceusa.org. Your voice makes a difference!

IRA Charitable Rollover Update
The House is expected to address the Tax Extenders Act of 2009 as early as the week of November 30. The approximately $30 billion one-year extenders bill would include $1.2 billion in incentives to encourage charitable giving, including the IRA Charitable Rollover. IRA Charitable Rollover allows individuals age 70½ and older to make charitable gifts from their IRAs tax-free, up to a total of $100,000 per year. The IRA Charitable Rollover is set to expire this December, unless Congress can pass the Tax Extenders Act of 2009. Source: Independent Sector

National Service and Dance
The nonprofit dance community has always been eligible for grants and volunteers from the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal government agency. With the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve-America Act, the placement of skilled artists in the community finally received mention in the passed legislation. This means that many of the community dance education programs organized by nonprofit dance companies are eligible for financial and volunteer support.

Explore the CNCS website to learn how you can develop or expand your organization’s community education and performance activities here: http://www.nationalservice.org

Explore this Resource Guide to see examples of how arts organizations have benefited from national service programs: http://artsusa.org/pdf/get_involved/advocacy/CNS08Guide.pdf

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