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NEWS & OPPORTUNITIESFor employment and performance opportunties, visit our Jobs and Auditions Page. For more information on Dance/USA convenings and professional development, visit our Meetings Page Call for submissions The symposium invites screendance makers, scholars, programmers, and curators from across the globe to join in an international dialog on the issues of curating and criticality. Directed by video artist and dance filmmaker Douglas Rosenberg, the conference aims to facilitate an ongoing discussion about the shared concerns of dance and media, while striving to build, strengthen, and define the international screendance community. Deadline for proposals is Friday, April 11, 2008. To attend the four-day symposium and participate in the ADF’s 75th anniversary celebrations, applicants are encouraged to submit an early registration form and fee to the ADF by Monday, May 12, 2008. For more information please visit www.americandancefestival.org. Questions should be directed to adf@americandancefestival.org or 919.684.6402. ~~ Mid-America Arts Alliance Regional Touring Program Special incentives are provided for engaging performing artists from within the Mid-America region and additional incentives are provided to rural or economically distressed communities. If you have any questions, please contact Performing Arts Program Manager Betty Maltbia at 816-421-1388. ~~ Princess Grace Foundation ~~ Georgia-Pacific Foundation ~~ USArtists International Guidelines Available - Program Supports U.S. Artists at International Festivals USAI provides support for U.S. dance and music ensembles that have been invited to participate in international festivals in the European Union, Russia, and the Ukraine. Eligible countries include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Applicants must be designated by the I.R.S. as a 501(c)(3) organization, or have a fiscal agent that is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. Guidelines for USAI are available online at www.midatlantic arts.org or by calling the Foundation at 410.539.6656 x100. The deadline for the program is and May 5, 2008 for projects taking place between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009. USAI is committed to ensuring that the impressive range of creative expression of U.S. performing artists is presented before a broad international audience. The program works to strengthen the creative and professional development of American artists by providing support for their performances at significant international festivals. Through their participation, USAI will help develop audiences for, and appreciation of, the excellence, diversity and vitality of the U.S. performing arts. 10th Annual NATIONAL DANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION Conference: June 25-29, 2008 at Towson University – Towson, Maryland. Contact Politics: The Dance of Personal and Public Change. How are politics inherently a part of dance in the studio, the boardroom or on the stage? What is the responsibility of dance educators to impact and change community, state and national policy? Go to our website at www.ndeo.org/conferences.asp to download Call for Proposals, Guidelines and Registration Forms or call us at 301-585-2880 for more information. As a special feature this year, since we will be in Towson (just outside of the Washington DC area), we are offering a full day in-depth training (June 25th) in advocacy. Conferees will receive training in the morning to prepare them to meet with their state legislators on Capitol Hill in the afternoon. The training will include a platform for arts education with focus on dance within arts education. Ultimately, we hope that our advocacy can elevate the importance of dance in our culture and help dance grow as an art form. ~~ U.S. Studies - Performing and Visual Arts ~~ Barnes and Noble Sponsorships and Charitable Donations Program ~~ USArts International Training and Internship Program places international and United States students and post-graduates with arts and culture-related organizations to complete valuable on-the-job training and internship placements in the United States. USArts sponsors international interns and trainees for the J1 Intern and Trainee visa and monitors both American and international interns and trainees throughout their training placements. We accept applicants from a wide variety of performing and visual arts as well as business management fields. For more information, visit: http://www.usartstraining.org/ ~~ 22nd World Congress on Dance Research This is the largest gathering of dance specialists world-wide, the best opportunity to showcase one's work to a wide audience of practitioners, dance teachers, choreographers, researchers, journalists and organizers. The congress is organized by the Dora Stratou Dance Theater and the Greek Section IOFA, in collaboration with the International Dance Council CID. The program includes: While intended primarily for professionals, it is at the same time a trade fair and a participatory event, facilitating contacts with colleagues, informal discussions and individual initiative. Submitting a presentation (research report, lecture-demonstration, class, performance, exhibition, projection) is optional. For each presentation a text must be sent before 30 May 2008. To apply for a visa and/or financial assistance, registered participants receive an official certificate of registration signed by the President of CID. Please make arrangements as early as possible. Congress Secretariat: Dora Stratou Dance Theater, Scholiou 8, Plaka, GR-10558 Athens, Greece; tel. (30)210.324.6188, fax (30)210.324.6921 ~~ Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: National Projects Fund ~~ NDP Grant Guidelines Now Available ~~ The American Masterpieces: Dance-College Component, a grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by Dance/USA in collaboration with the New England Foundation for the Arts, is designed to foster appreciation for the best in American dance history and creativity. The program brings classic American dances of the past century to college students and audiences in communities across the nation. Awards of up to $10,000 will provide support for colleges and universities to bring in artists to reconstruct or restage works by master American choreographers of the 20th Century using student dancers. For all projects, public involvement within and/or beyond the academic community is critical. The application deadline is May 19, 2008. ~~ The Target Local Store Grants support nonprofit organizations in the communities throughout the country where the company's stores are located. The Target grant program focuses on three areas: Arts, Early Childhood Reading, and Family Violence Prevention. Arts grants are awarded to programs that bring the arts to schools or make the arts accessible to children and families, such as school touring programs or field trips to the theater or symphony. Early Childhood Reading grants support programs that foster a love of reading and encourage children, from birth through age 9, to read together with their families, such as weekend book clubs and after-school reading programs. Family Violence Prevention grants support programs that strengthen families and communities by keeping them safe, such as parenting classes and family counseling. Applications may be submitted online from March 1 through May 31, 2008. Visit the website listed above for application guidelines. ~~ Mid-America Arts Alliance values the opportunity to bring artists and audiences together. The Latino Culture Project seeks to help presenters find connection points to Latino populations in their communities and educate their existing audiences about Latino culture. We strongly encourage presenters to work with their Latino and Latino-American communities in order to make the programs even more meaningful for their local and regional audiences. The Mid-America Regional Touring Program artist registry is a great resource to locate eligible artists. From classically trained pianists to poets, the registry contains diverse and affordable programmatic options. Application and guidelines are available online; applications accepted beginning March 1, 2008. The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Invite Applications for the 2008 Choreographer Collaboration Awards The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announce the 2008 Choreographer Collaboration Awards Program. The foundations will provide up to six grants of $75,000 each for the commission and premiere of six major new dance compositions, created by California choreographers in collaboration with other California artists. These grants will be available to nonprofit Bay Area arts presenting organizations. The resulting dance compositions will have their world premiere public performances in the Bay Area between December 2009 and June 2011. Proposed commissions for original works in any dance style or format will be accepted. Applicant organizations must be nonprofit and based in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano or Sonoma. Applications for the 2008 Choreographer Collaboration Awards Program are currently available online at http://www.fdncenter.org/grantmaker/gerbode. Completed applications must be submitted to the Gerbode Foundation no later than 4:00 p.m., Thursday, August 14, 2008. An advisory panel of experts from around the U.S. will review all the proposals, and final selections will be made by the Gerbode Foundation. Grantees will be announced in January 2009. The Dana Foundation grants professional development programs for arts educators in rural areas of the United States. As in the Dana Three-City grants, the Foundation is interested primarily in training for in-school arts specialists and professional artists who teach the performing arts to students pre-K-12 in the public schools. To be considered for this round, you must fill out a Letter of Intent in which you must describe why the proposed service area is considered to be rural, what challenges this presents and how the proposed project addresses these challenges. The deadline for submission of Letters of Intent for the 2009 round of rural grants is June 4, 2008. Letters of Intent received after June 4, 2008 will be considered in the 2010 cycle of Rural Initiative grants. Visit the Dana Foundation for guidelines and more information. Bank of America: Neighborhood Excellence Initiative ~~ Foster's Community Grants ~~ JEROME ROBBINS BOGLIASCO FELLOWSHIP IN DANCE The Bogliasco Foundation is pleased to announce that thanks to a generous grant from the Jerome Robbins Foundation, it will offer its fourth annual Special Fellowship in Dance to an American choreographer during the 2008-2009 academic year at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities, near Genoa, Italy. The one-month residency is intended for a single choreographer working on material for a future piece or on a solo work. Applicants are expected to demonstrate significant achievement commensurate with age and experience. Under the terms of this award, the recipient's travel expenses of up to $1,000 will be paid and s/he will also receive a stipend of $1,000. Bogliasco Fellows are provided with full room and board, and given studios/offices with computers and internet access. Although the Bogliasco Foundation does not have the facilities to provide rehearsal space, it will be possible for a choreographer to have access to additional studio space in a room with playback equipment. The 2007 Jerome Robbins Bogliasco Fellowship in Dance was awarded to Tiffany Mills. Any choreographer who is interested in being considered for this special Fellowship needs to submit an application by April 15, 2008 for the winter/spring semester. Applications may be downloaded from the Foundation's website at www.bfny.org or by sending an email request to info@bfny.org. Announcements as to the recipients of all Special Fellowships are made on July 1. We encourage interested candidates to visit the Foundation's website at www.bfny.org which provides more detailed information about the Liguria Study Center for Arts and Humanities and its Fellowship program. ~~ National Endowment for the Humanities: Challenge Grants National Park Service: Save America's Treasures Grants NEWSMarch 26, 2008 Nominate New Members for the Dance/USA Board of Trustees Dance/USA is seeking nominations for new members of the Board of Trustees. If you are interested in serving or would like to nominate a colleague to serve as a Trustee, please download the nomination form and submit it by March 31st. To view a list of current Board members, visit www.danceusa.org. The Board is made up of working dance professionals (artists and administrators) and supporters of professional dance. Two New Club Quarters Locations in New York Club Quarters is building a second hotel in downtown New York - right at the World Trade Center (in addition to Club Quarters, Downtown which will be renamed Club Quarters, Wall Street). The new hotel will have a Terrace Club like the one at Club Quarters, Rockefeller Center, with an unfettered, spectacular view of the Freedom Tower, and looking down at the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza and the reflecting pools. Club Quarters, World Trade Center will have 250 rooms including both studios and one bedroom corporate apartments, and three restaurants, including the Terrace Club. Club Quarters has also signed a contract for another location in Midtown, north of Grand Central Terminal and east of Fifth Avenue - more details to come. Dance/USA Members have access to discounted club rates at any of the Club Quarters locations in the U.S. and abroad. Visit www.clubquarters.com for more information and hotel locations. Arts Advocacy Day is Next Week April 1 is national Arts Advocacy Day! Arts Advocacy Day is the largest organized national arts action summit where advocates travel to Washington, DC to lobby their federal elected officials in support of the arts. As a co-sponsor of this year’s event, Dance/USA encourages you to participate in Arts Advocacy Day by emailing your elected officials! Visit the American Arts Alliance website next week for more information on what YOU can do to help support the arts in America! What Makes Donors Give and Other Philanthropy Topics Appear in a Special Report From the March 10, 2008 Chronicle of Philanthropy Two economists explore why people donate to charity in a special report on money and philanthropy in The New York Times Sunday magazine. The authors look at how effective matching gifts and challenge grants are. Another article in the report looks at how celebrities such as the actress Natalie Portman are using their status to help nonprofit groups raise awareness and money. “I’m not particularly proud that in our country I can get a meeting with a representative more easily than the head of a nonprofit can,” says Ms. Portman. Also in the special section is an article about whether big gifts from donors and foundations have a lasting impact. Visit the Chronicle of Philanthropy for links to the reports.
March 12, 2008 Director of Research and Information to Serve on NPAC Panel Dance/USA’s Director of Research and Information, John Munger will participate in a National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) panel entitled, “Developing a Research Agenda for the Sector” on Thursday, June 12 from 4:30-5:45 p.m. at the Denver Convention Center. The panel will address the critical information and knowledge artists and administrators need to make informed decisions and will answer questions such as, “How can we understand our role in American society in the 21st century, and craft more effective programs and messages that help our institutions remain relevant and thrive in our diverse and complex culture?” This session, led by national researchers, will allow participants to join in brainstorming around those key areas of knowledge critical for our future.
Only 19 Days Left for Discounted NPAC Registration Rates! Early bird registration rates for the National Performing Arts Convention and Dance/USA Roundtable end on March 31st! Registration rates begin at $500 for members of Dance/USA but increase to $550 on April 1st. Visit www.performingartsconvention.org for information about discounted team rates and detailed registration information. If you have questions or problems registering, please contact Dance/USA for assistance at 202-833-1717 or email danceusa@danceusa.org. June 10-14 will be packed with unique opportunities to expand your network of choreographers, dancers, actors and musicians - not to mention the hundreds of administrators and exhibitors who will be in attendance. Take a look at the schedule and programming options including the art-making sessions, in-depth workshops and showcases. Gina Gibney Dance Featured in Vanity Fair Gina Gibney, Dance/USA Trustee and artistic director of Gina Gibney Dance has made it into the Hall of Fame - the Vanity Fair Hall of Fame, that is. April's issue of the magazine features Gibney in a stunning black and white photo and an article about the company's work with victims of domestic violence. The photo by Mary Ellen Mark and article written by Holly Burbach can be found on page 144 of the April issue. Burbach writes, "Gibney's most recent work, The Distance Between Us, is also one of her finest, taking as its subject the way people position themselves in relation to one another." In the same issue, The San Francisco Ballet gets brief mention in the FanFair calendar section on page 108 which mentions the conclusion of their 75th anniversary season with the New Works Festival featuring 10 world premieres by 10 renowned choreographers. Valerie Wilder to Step Down as Executive Director of Boston Ballet After five-and-a-half years as Executive Director of the Boston Ballet, Valerie Wilder has decided to step down at the conclusion of the current season. A transitional period has been carefully planned during which Mikko Nissinen, the Ballet’s Artistic Director, will take on the additional responsibilities of interim Executive Director. The Ballet’s Board of Directors, under its Chair Richard Davis, will simultaneously conduct a national search for Valerie’s successor. “I’ve enjoyed the past five years enormously and take great pride in my work with Mikko in accomplishing many of the goals that we envisioned for Boston Ballet,” said Valerie Wilder. “I am exploring a number of exciting opportunities in the nonprofit world, but in the near term will be overseeing several arts consulting projects.”
Jazz Dance Legend Gus Giordano Dies at Age 84 Gus Giordano, founder/director emeritus of the critically acclaimed Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, author, legendary choreographer and one of the fathers of American jazz dance passed away quietly in Chicago on Sunday, March 9 from pneumonia. He was 84. Laura Dean to Receive the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps/ADF Award The American Dance Festival will award distinguished choreographer and musician Laura Dean with the 2008 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival (ADF) Award for Lifetime Achievement. Established in 1981 by Samuel H. Scripps, the annual award honors choreographers who have dedicated their lives and talent to the creation of modern dance. The recently increased $50,000 award will be presented to Ms. Dean in a special ceremony as part of ADF's Alumni Weekend events. A reception will be held prior to the ceremony with a performance of Ms. Dean's Sky Light (1982) to follow. Patricia Nanon, Founder of The Yard, Dies at age 84 Patricia Nanon, of New York City and Chilmark, Massachusetts, died peacefully on February 29, in her home in New York City surrounded by her loving daughters. She was 84. Ms. Nanon, a choreographer, was a 1944 graduate of Bennington College and the Founder and long time Artistic Director of The Yard, a colony for the performing arts on Martha's Vineyard. Patricia's vision led to the creation of The Yard, in 1972, to foster modern dance choreography. Her dedication and genius allowed many of the dance world's choreographic stars to create and dance new works and gave hundreds of choreographers and dancers the opportunity to grow and advance in their chosen fields. Her gift to The Yard Inc. in 2007 of property in Chilmark, Massachusetts, including the theatre and the resident houses that so many of you know, will allow The Yard, Inc. to continue her mission. Los Angeles Times Drops Dance Critic Lewis Segal's position as the Dance Critic for the Los Angeles Times was terminated last week. Writes Segal, who has been in the post since 1996, "...my position is being eliminated in the latest round of of staff layoffs and cutbacks...I have followed my supervisors' advice and applied for the Times buyout, which means I'll be off the staff as of the end of this month. However, there is some talk about my freelancing for the paper in the future." ArtsJournal blogger, Sasha Anawalt writes about Segal's dismissal. Be sure to check out the comments at the bottom of the blog and add your own. Young Nonprofit Leaders Concerned About Pay, Work-Life Balance, Report Finds Published: March 4, 2008: Philanthropy News DigestAlthough a diverse pool of committed young people would like to be nonprofit executive directors in the future, many of them say there are significant barriers to realizing that ambition, a new report from the Meyer Foundation finds. Based on a national survey of nearly six thousand "next generation" leaders — the largest such survey to date — the report, Ready to Lead: Next Generation Leaders Speak Out , found that young nonprofit staff are concerned that challenges such as work-life balance, insufficient lifelong earning potential, a lack of mentorship, and overwhelming fundraising responsibilities may prevent them from becoming nonprofit executives. Regrouped Dance Theatre of Harlem to Focus on Education
By Susan Reiter ... Mitchell's energy and enthusiasm are clearly undiminished; there are few people in the dance world as engaged and eloquent. But he says his role has changed. "As hard and wrenching as this period has been," he said, "it has been a good time to reflect and assess. I realize that it is now important that there is somebody else who takes care of the administration, and my energies need to be focused on the artistic side. Before, I was trying to do everything. We've got wonderful and key people in all the administrative positions that we didn't have before."
February 27, 2008 Creating ArtsTown 2028 Dance/USA's National Roundtable is starting to take shape! Check out the Roundtable page on our website for highlights including the Honors Celebration Dinner where we will be recognizing Frederic Franklin with the Dance/USA Honor and Anna Kisselgoff with the Ernie. Showcase performances on Thursday and Friday evenings include choreography from across the country as well as Colorado based companies. Thursday night includes an exclusive performance by Chunky Move from Australia which is open to Dance/USA Roundtable registrants only. And don't miss the opportunity to work with colleagues from other disciplines to create the future of the arts - Arts Town 2028 - at the National Performing Arts Convention. You can check out the schedule here. At NPAC, you will have the opportunity to participate in art-making workshops, stop by the "Genius Bar" and try on different techniques for everything from teaching to bookkeeping. Be sure to register - fees increase after March 31st! ~~ Apply to Showcase at PAE 2008 The Performing Arts Exchange is looking for artistic talent of the highest quality to put on our stages. As the marketplace that supports presenting and touring in 22 states, showcasing at PAE provides you a great opportunity to be seen. And we are not afraid to change! This year, we have found new ways to polish our jury process, involve presenters and build momentum for an exciting year of performances. With the help of our partners in the field, we are working to: For details and to apply visit www.southarts.org/showcases . ~~ Nominations Open for THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America Do you know one of the Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America? Give them the recognition they deserve. Nominate them for THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America. THE BCA TEN is a national list created by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) to recognize businesses of all sizes for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education and the community. These companies set the standard of excellence and serve as role models for others to follow. How can you nominate a company? For a nomination form, click here. Who can nominate a company? Anyone can do it - an individual, an arts organization, or company employee. What companies are eligible? Companies - large and small - that support the arts in the United States are eligible. Please note that the criteria do NOT require that a company's impact be national in scope. Nominations of companies with local or regional impact and leadership in support of the arts are encouraged. What companies are not eligible? Tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations and companies named to THE BCA TEN 2005, THE BCA TEN - 2006, THE BCA TEN - 2007, and in the BCA Hall of Fame are not eligible. For more information about nominations, click here. February 13, 2008 National Performing Arts Convention and Dance/USA Roundtable Don’t miss this unprecedented gathering of arts professionals from Dance, Music, Opera and Theatre - all in the same place at the same time! Dance/USA is proud to join more than 20 national performing arts organizations to present NPAC 2008, a place for the performing arts community to come together like never before. At NPAC 2008, you’ll find: Registration fees for NPAC only: Click here to Register - NOTE: You must register separately for the Dance/USA Roundtable.
Ken Foster, executive director of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco wrote an OpEd piece that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle's "Open Forum". We thought it was worth reading; Ken is currently the Chair of the Dance/USA Presenters Council. Arts institutions, like other kinds of nonprofits, are deemed essential to the richness of our cultural life but are incapable of surviving the unadulterated effects of the market. Lucky for us, artists are artists, and generally speaking, they continue to create and produce what they want - what they must. It is this creative drive that has prevented America from sinking completely into a banality of popular culture driven solely by market forces. It's the producers, presenters and administrators - like myself - that I worry about. People like me serve as gatekeepers for you. We decide what art reaches you. We are besieged daily by hundreds of artists, many more than time and resources will allow us to present.
Bruce Marks to Be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Bruce Marks, Artistic Director of Orlando Ballet, is to be honored with lifetime achievement awards from both Dance Masters of America, Inc. and Nashville Ballet. Marks is considered by many to be the dean of American ballet directors. He has won, among others, the prestigious Capezio Award along with the Dance Magazine Award and the Dance/USA Honor. He has received five Honorary Doctorates of Fine Arts as well as the Juilliard Medal at The Juilliard School’s 100th Anniversary Commencement. Marks responded to the awards by saying: “It is an honor and quite humbling to be recognized by one’s peers. But the greatest privilege of all is the chance to share one’s knowledge of the art form with audiences and young artists alike.”
A second Dance Specialist has been added to the Dance staff at the NEA. Juliana Mascelli, former division specialist in Dance and Media, has been promoted to Dance Specialist. Juliana received her Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University, where she majored in Dance and English. She interned with Dance/USA during 2004. Juliana can be reached at mascellij@nea.gov Chris Elam and Jacki Levy of Misnomer Dance spoke on Marketing and the Use of Technology at Dance/USA's 2008 Winter Forum in Los Angeles. Deborah Jowitt captures the essence of why we thought it was a good idea to get these guys involved in the field through Dance/USA.
by Deborah Jowitt His award-winning proposal (and the funds to implement it) will certainly—in a phrase he often uses—move Misnomer forward. But it also has an altruistic side. With the very welcome prize money, Elam and his new media director, Jaki Levy, plan to develop and distribute three online tools that other dance companies can use in their own ways to broaden their fan bases. As Elam points out, even though live performances are vital to a dance company’s artistic life, ticket sales account for only a portion of its income. The necessary fundraising involves stirring up public awareness of the work and generating interest in it, and Misnomer has already been extremely creative at this. Nikolaj Hübbe Leaves New York City Ballet to Lead the Royal Danish Ballet By Gia Kourlas Mr. Hübbe, an elegant dancer known for both exuberance and purity, will retire from City Ballet in a special farewell program Sunday afternoon. In July he will follow in the footsteps of Henning Kronstam, a teacher and ballet master with whom he worked closely, to become artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. In returning to Copenhagen, where Mr. Hübbe started studying ballet at the Royal Danish Ballet School at the age of 10 before joining the company in 1986, he is also returning to his artistic roots, a world steeped in the 19th-century legacy of August Bournonville. January 2, 2008 Seven Statements of Survival: Conversations with Dance Professionals Seven Statements of Survival: Conversations with Dance Professionals - by Renata Celichowska is a 21st century response to Selma Jeanne Cohen's landmark work, The Modern Dance: Seven Statements of Belief. The book consists of seven interviews with exemplary dance professionals including dance writer Deborah Jowitt, dancers/choreographers Carolyn Carlson and Garth Fagan, dance administrator Andrea Snyder, dance anthropologist JoAnn Keali'inohomoku, dance educator Bill Evans and dance librarian Madeleine Nichols. The interviews focus on personal anecdotes and explanations of career choices made by the interviewees. This collection of their stories in the challenging field of contemporary dance, told with humor, insight and sometimes, regret aims to be both an inspirational resource for future dance professionals as well as a companion to the thousands of dedicated people of all ages who continue to serve the dance every beautiful, crazy, frustrating, wonderful day. You may purchase Seven Statements from Rosen Publishing by visiting our website. Dance/USA receives 10% of every purchase made when going through the link on our website. Get a good read and help suppor the National Service Organization for Professional Dance.
Dance/USA Members to Watch Congratulations to seven dancers with Dance/USA member companies who were featured in Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch": Sarawanee Tanatanit with American Ballet Theatre Check out all of the dancers and companies Dance Magazine nominated for the 2008 "25 to Watch"
Bush Signs Appropriations Act with $144.7 Million for NEA On December 26, 2007, President George W. Bush signed an omnibus appropriations bill for FY 2008 that includes $144.7 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This represents an increase of $20.1 million over the 2007 funding level of $124.562 million. It is the largest dollar increase in the NEA appropriation since 1979 and will allow the agency to devote more funds to direct grants to arts organizations and to extend the reach of the agency's National Initiatives that support touring and arts education in theater, music, dance, literature, and the visual arts. For the complete press release, please go to http://www.arts.gov/news/news07/Budget2008.html
IRS Gives Small Groups Grace Period for Filing New Form 990 By Peter Panepento The Internal Revenue Service delivered an unexpected holiday gift to small nonprofit organizations that have worried about how they would be able to adjust to filing the revised Form 990 — the main tax form for nonprofit groups. The tax agency said during a news conference [December 20, 2007] that it plans to phase in the new form over three years, beginning with the 2008 tax year. Groups with annual revenue of $25,000 to $1-million and those with assets of less than $2.5-million will have the option of filing the Form 990-EZ for the 2008 tax year. For the 2009 year, the threshold covers groups with revenue between $25,000 and $500,000 and with assets of less than $1.25-million. In the 2010 tax year and beyond, groups with between $50,000 and $200,000 in revenue and with assets of less than $500,000 can opt for the Form 990-EZ.
NPR Takes on Dance What makes a dancer or choreographer stand out among the rest? A handful of taste-makers in the dance world have nominated exceptional artists who they believe will emerge from the crowd in 2008. Read the full article - you can also download the podcast!
Throngs Cheer Julio Bocca's Last Dance By Bill Cormier, Associated Press Writer Argentine ballet great Julio Bocca danced into retirement Saturday [December 22, 2007] before tens of thousands of cheering fans, ending a brilliant quarter-century run on the world's most famous stages. For his last dance, the 40-year-old dancer chose to play one of the widest boulevards in the world, performing on an open-air stage in Buenos Aires as he reprised famed roles from Don Quixote and the Black Swan along with samba, jazz and tango numbers.
December 19, 2007 Chicago Human Rhythm Project Hires Gail Kalver as Interim Executive Director Newly elected Board Chair Susan Oppenheimer announced that the Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP), the world’s first year-round presenter of American tap dance and percussive rhythmic arts, has hired Gail Kalver as the organization’s interim executive director, effective December 10, 2007. Kalver, who served as executive director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) for 23 years, will work with CHRP half-time for six to nine months. She will work on board development and fundraising, oversee the staff and evaluate staffing needs, supervise the creation of a strategic plan and conduct the search for a permanent executive director. For more information, visit the website: http://www.chicagotap.org/index.htm
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Awarded $1 Million Grant The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded a two-year, $1 million grant to The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts to support the preservation of performing arts works and related oral histories through the audio and visual documentation of jazz, contemporary dance, and theater performances by artists or organizations previously funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; the creation of aural and video histories involving Foundation-supported artists and organizations; and the preservation of recently acquired, fragile, and deteriorating archival material related to the life and work of Martha Graham. The grant will enable the Library to record approximately 25 live jazz, contemporary dance, and theater performances by artists or organizations, and conduct and record approximately 45 oral histories with notable performing arts personalities responsible for or related to those performances. Additionally, the Library will preserve 70 hours of oral histories related to the life and work of dancer/choreographer Martha Graham. These tapes, which are already housed at the Library, are in extremely fragile and deteriorating condition. For more information visit: http://www.nypl.org/press/2007/LPA_duke_foundation.cfm
American Express Charitable Gift Survey American Express, in partnership with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, recently announced the release of the American Express Charitable Gift Survey. This survey is the first nationally representative study to address two frequently-asked questions in the charity world: "How do people give online?" and "How much do they give per donation?" In an increasingly online world, the survey took a close look at how people give online versus offline and the motivations behind each. To download the survey, visit http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/pc/2007/aecgs_print.asp
Business Committee for the Arts Seeks Nominations for THE BCA TEN honors businesses for their outstanding support of the arts. Selected by an independent panel of judges from the arts and business, the ten companies named to THE BCA TEN offer funding, professional expertise and innovative initiatives that advance the arts. THE BCA TEN - 2008 will be announced on Thursday, October 30, 2008. Three Cuban Ballet Dancers Defect Three dancers identified as principals in the National Ballet of Cuba defected Sunday [December 16], crossed into the United States at Buffalo, N.Y., and Monday night were headed to South Florida. The dancers -- Taras Domitro, Hayna Gutierrez and Miguel Angel Blanco -- defected after a double joint presentation of the Nutcracker Suite by The National Ballet of Cuba and the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble at Hamilton Place in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Domitro is the son of Magaly Surez, co-artistic director of the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, which was founded in January 2006 to showcase exiled principal Cuban dancers as well as those already residing in Miami.
December 5, 2007 Workshops at the Winter Forum The Dance/USA programming department has been hard at work to create unforgettable experiences at the 2008 Winter Forum happening January 17-19 in Los Angeles. Workshops will be centered around the following topics: Market Research and Segmentation; Demand-based Management; Social Networking; Next Generation Web-site Audit; Search Engine Marketing and Advertising; The Creation and Use of Videos on the Web. Check out the Dance/USA website for detailed descriptions. This will be no ordinary conference - prepare to roll up your sleeves and get to the nitty gritty of marketing in the technology age. Thanks to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the LA County Arts Commission for sponsoring our Winter Forum activities! Click here to go straight to registration.
Government Affairs Update Professional Exchange and Cultural Grant Program U.S. Cuba Cultural Exchange Effort To view the full list of signatures or for further information on the U.S.- Cuba Cultural Exchange (USCCE), the national network of artists and presenters that initiated the letter to the President, visit http://www.cubaresearch.info/cubaletter. ARTS Act Passes House Judiciary Committee An identical provision, S. 2178, was introduced in October by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). The American Arts Alliance http://www.americanartsalliance.org will be sending out more information regarding specific, strategic advocacy opportunities. Dance/USA Visits California Visa Service Center As a result of our visit, the news section of the Artists From Abroad website has been updated to reflect new tips that can help ensure that your visa petition is processed more quickly and reliably. Danspace Project Appoints Judy Hussie-Taylor Executive Director The Danspace Project Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Judy Hussie-Taylor as the organization’s new Executive Director. Ms. Hussie-Taylor will officially assume her post on January 2, 2008. In announcing the new leadership, Danspace Project Board President Erica Bunin stated, “We are both pleased and fortunate to welcome Judy Hussie-Taylor as the new Executive Director of Danspace Project. The depth and breadth of her experience, her forward thinking, and her knowledge about contemporary dance and arts made Judy the clear choice to lead Danspace Project into an exciting new era. The Board of Directors and staff have every confidence that Judy will continue to build on the organization’s strong legacy of stimulating, supporting, and presenting some of the most adventurous contemporary dance being made today. We expect great things for Danspace Project under her leadership.” For more information, visit: http://www.danspaceproject.org/home23.html National Endowment for the Arts Announces More Than $20 Million in Grants for the First Round of Fiscal Year 2008 Funding In its first major grant announcement of fiscal year 2008, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today that it will award $20.2 million to fund 908 grants. The Arts Endowment will distribute $19,189,000 in this round of FY 2008 funding to nonprofit national, regional, state, and local organizations across the country through the NEA's Access to Artistic Excellence category. Forty-two Creative Writing Fellowships awarded to individual writers total more than $1 million. For the full press release plus grant lists by discipline and by state, go to http://www.arts.gov/news/news07/Announce12-07.html
Survey Reveals Business Gave $3.16 Billion to the Arts in 2006 Business support to the arts totaled $3.16 billion in 2006 according to the triennial national survey released by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA), a national not-for-profit organization established in 1967 to bring business and the arts together. Titled, The BCA Report: National Survey of Business Support to the Arts 2007, this survey revealed a 5% decline in support in comparison to the $3.32 billion business allocated to the arts in 2003. Conducted by Shugoll Research, Bethesda, MD, and supported by a grant from Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA, this survey is the only one in the United States that tracks support from small companies (less than $1 million in annual revenue), midsize companies ($1 million to $49.9 million in annual revenue) and large companies ($50 million and more in annual revenue). For more information on the research findings, visit: http://www.bcainc.org/research.html Doing Good the Hard-nosed Way By Rebecca Knight “This is not your father’s philanthropy; this is a whole new world of charitable giving,” says Eric Kessler, principal at Arabella Advisors, a philanthropic investment advisory firm in Washington, DC. These new philanthropists are practical, hands-on, and tend to have a Hard-nosed investment mentality. In many ways, the donors act as business consultants and the return on their investments is judged by measurable performance results rather than profits. “It’s about developing an investment strategy and taking an analytic approach to your time horizon, risk tolerance, goals, and outcomes,” says Kessler. Strategic philanthropy was once strictly the purview of the business world, combining a company’s marketing and charitable goals.
Ballet Companies Protest Nutcracker Screening By Grania Litwin Alberta Ballet artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre is not happy about the National Ballet of Canada's decision to stream a live performance of The Nutcracker to movie theatres across the country on Dec. 22. "I've talked to a lot of ballet companies and we all feel the same: Nutcracker is our bread and butter, it pays for the whole season, and the Saturday before Christmas is usually a sell-out," he said. The National Ballet and Cineplex Entertainment have announced they will stream the seasonal show in a live, high-definition show to 69 theatres. The 115-year-old Yuletide favourite, which features dancing mice, waltzing snowflakes and a sugar-plum fairy, will be broadcast from Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, using seven high-definition cameras.
By Rachel Howard ...Sure, ragged jumps, circus extensions and melodramatic flailing sometimes count more than control and line. And sure, a few contestants have allowed themselves to become trick ponies, especially Bay Area local Shauna Noland, who whipped out her patented turn-with-one-leg-overhead at every opportunity. But whether it was Dominic Sandoval spinning through B-boy head spins or Anya Garnis flinging herself across the stage in yet another Mia Michaels three-hankie special, these are dancers who move with precision and professionalism, not slickly produced reality TV personalities. As to whether they might inspire crowds to check out less commercial choreography, a highly unscientific crowd poll yields uncertain results. ...
October 24, 2007 The Sun Sets on Irvine Dance in California The following is a letter from Julie Carson, Program Director for the Irvine Dance in California re-granting program that Dance/USA has administered for the past nine years. Dance/USA members will receive the IDC journal referenced below with their Member Toolkits in January. Julie has been a valued member of the Dance/USA staff and her hard work and dedication on this project is much appreciated. Dear Grantees, Colleagues, and Friends, As many of you have heard, the curtain has closed on the Irvine Dance in California (IDC) program. The third year of Dance: Creation to Performance is complete, and most of the artists who were funded during that third year are in the process of finishing their projects. The James Irvine Foundation has decided to move forward with new priorities, and we are extremely grateful for the funding and support they have provided. Little did anyone suspect back in the days of the Irvine Fellowships in Dance, that the program would blossom into a 9-year, multi-million dollar grant program. In its life, IDC provided over $2,000,000 to nearly 100 professional choreographers of all levels. Indeed, we are truly grateful. It has been my pleasure and my privilege to administer this program. I’ve witnessed profound changes in the California dance community. Many dance artists have become educated grant writers exhibiting skill and savvy in their grant applications. New skills, insights, and ideas have developed into brilliant dance work. Dance artists from every boundary of the state have been brought together to share their wisdom and learning, their challenges and successes. I am honored to have been the chief administrator of such a rich and highly acclaimed program, and to witness these amazing changes in the California dance field. Soon a commemorative journal featuring all of the Irvine Dance in California grantees (including profiles of 10 selected grantees illustrating the depth of diversity and talent of dance artists who were funded) will be distributed throughout the California dance community and to the Dance/USA membership. The journal was created to commemorate the 9 years of support for California dance, and to celebrate those dance artists who were able to generate new dance work with IDC's help. I am blessed to have developed many wonderful relationships throughout this near-decade of working with IDC. To have shepherded many of the projects to completion, to have inspired and sometimes even pressured some of the artists to continue, and to have provided support whenever needed has truly been my pleasure. Cheers! Julie Carson Dance/USA and The National Endowment for the Arts Award $250,000 to Colleges for Dance Masterpieces Dance/USA, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, announced the second round of awards through the American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component (AMDCC), which will enable institutions of higher learning across the country to reconstruct dances by notable choreographers. An additional round of funding is also announced, and applications will be accepted in the spring of 2008 for the projects occurring during the following two academic years. A national panel of artists, historians and college faculty recommended 25 awards of $10,000 each to colleges, which will bring artists and ensembles to 25 cities in 22 states across the country to reconstruct works. Performances and residency activities are projected to reach at least 36 cities. A new round of funding for AMDCC is available to colleges. Applications will be accepted in the spring of 2008, for projects that take place from January 2009 to June 2010. Information about AMDCC can be found at www.danceusa.org and new funding guidelines will be available there by January, 2008. Questions about the application process should be directed to Callahan at 202-955-8325 or Callahan@ForTheArts.org. Read the full press release and list of awardees
Government Affairs Update Update on IRS 990 Revisions The IRS has announced that it is revising some of its original proposal based on the comments received: Fall Tax Package Could Contain IRA Charitable Rollover Provision Meanwhile, financial advisors have been encouraging people to use IRA rollovers to help their favorite charities in case the rollover provision expires without being renewed. The provision allows a 70 ½ or older donor to transfer as much as $100,000 directly from a qualified retirement account to a qualified charity without having to pay income tax on that money. Such a transfer also counts towards the minimum required annual distribution. Stephen Petronio Company Announces New Managing Director Stephen Petronio Company announced the appointment of June Poster as Managing Director. June has worked in the arts in New York since 1984, most recently as Managing Director of BRIC Arts.Media.Brooklyn, a multi-disciplinary cultural organization that presents programs in the performing arts, visual arts and media. She has also served as Director of Development for Meredith Monk/The House Foundation for the Arts; Director of Finance & Domestic Booking for the Cunningham Dance Foundation and Managing Director of the David Gordon/Pick Up Performance Company. Save the Date! New Orleans, February 24–26, 2008 For the second time, Dance/USA is collaborating with Theater Communications Group and the Institute for Cultural Policy and Practice at Virginia Tech to offer Dual Leadership: Partnering from the Inside Out. Created specifically for two-person artistic/management leadership teams, this program encourages participants to build a common understanding of the unique challenges involved in developing sustainable and effective dual leadership structures. The seminar focuses on the competencies and practices required to build strong team-based leadership models that support both the artistic vision and the institutional resilience required for long term impact. Details to come! Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. Announces the BCA TEN
THE BCA TEN is a national list created by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) to recognize businesses of all sizes for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education and the community. These companies set the standard of excellence and serve as role models for others to follow. THE BCA TEN – 2007 was announced at a gala event at the New-York Historical Society, New York, NY, on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 For more information visit: www.bcainc.org Strict Visa Regulations Discourage Visiting Artists By Sarah Kaufman To perform in this country, foreign artists of all stripes -- punk rockers, ballet dancers, folk musicians, acrobats -- are funneled through a one-size-fits-all "nonimmigrant" visa process whose costs and complications have become prohibitive, according to booking agents, managers and presenters, such as the Kennedy Center, who program and market the performers. Visiting businesspeople face similar security hurdles put in place since Sept. 11, 2001. But artists' visa petitions also require substantial documentation to satisfy the "sustained international recognition" requirement for the type of visa (called a "P-1") issued to many performing artists. Arts organizations say they have become reluctant to book foreign performers because of the risk of bureaucratic snags. Advocates are lobbying Congress to pass a bill, called the ARTS Act (for "Arts Require Timely Service"), that would fast-track artists' visa petitions. Tentative Steps Into a Life After Dance By Abby Aguirre Love, death, loss, devastation: these are the terms dancers tend to apply to “transition,” dancer-speak for retirement since Career Transition for Dancers, a nonprofit service organization, was established in 1985. In that time more than 3,500 dancers (average age: 29), have gone to the organization’s cramped Midtown offices to “turn their minds toward being older,” in the words of one mentor. (A 2004 Teachers College report found the average retirement age for dancers to be just short of 34.) ...And here, in essence, was the pill that many retiring dancers find hardest to swallow, and that Career Transition is nearly alone in dispensing: the sober recognition that, at least momentarily, a dancer might need to stop expecting a new line of work to match the deep fulfillment of professional dance.
October 10, 2007 Luna Negra Names New Managing Director Luna Negra Dance Theater is pleased to announce the promotion of Brooke A.N. Manetti to Managing Director, from her position of Development Coordinator, effective immediately. With this promotion to Managing Director, Manetti, 34, continues a steady trajectory with the eight-year-old contemporary Latino dance company. Beginning in 2001, she served a four-month stint as Development and Special Events Consultant for the company’s first benefit gala, helping Luna Negra raise 58% more than budgeted. Manetti returned full-time to Luna Negra Dance Theater in April 2006, serving as the Assistant to then-Executive Director Phyllis Brzozowska. Within months, she was promoted to Development Coordinator, and now, in little more than a year, Manetti heads all business operations and management responsibilities for the rapidly growing company. For more information visit the Luna Negra Website. Altria Moves Out of New York and Takes the Money With Them Big chunk of arts budget up in smoke Or read an article from The New York Times: As a Company Leaves Town, Arts Grants Follow At first, some arts groups hesitated to take funds from a tobacco company. But most of them got over it, and now more than 200 organizations in New York, including many known for experimental work, receive a total of about $7 million every year from the company known for the last few years as the Altria Group. That money is about to go away as Altria prepares to move its headquarters out of New York because of a corporate reorganization of its tobacco business. An Important Message About Video Documentation Many in the dance community have been turning to DVDs to re-master their treasured videotapes, but beware! While it is true that DVDs have virtually supplanted VHS tapes at local video stores throughout the country and are even quickly becoming the format of choice for moving image materials housed in public libraries, the professional archival community, including members of the Dance Heritage Coalition, does not endorse the DVD format for archival purposes. DVDs provide a convenient way to easily access moving images, but they have numerous inherent problems. Until an archival-quality digital format becomes universally available, it is critical that you SAVE YOUR ORIGINAL TAPES if you are transferring materials to DVD. To download a PDF document regarding preservation of recorded material, click here or visit Dance Heritage Coalition.
You can't use the O-word By David Edgar; Monday October 8, 200; The Guardian Take care. In reading this article, you may be in receipt of stolen goods. In fact, the organising committee for a certain upcoming sporting event has decided it would be "disproportionate" to prosecute the author of a book called Olympic Mind Games for breach of copy-right. But, under no less than two acts of parliament, it could if it wanted to. When it discovered that Robert Ronson's children's science-fiction novel was to be published, the organising committee for the previously mentioned happening sent him an email asking that he should use neither the O-word nor the expressions "London 2012, or 2012 etc" in the title. The committee was able to do so under statutes passed in 1995 and 2006, which in effect turn all the elements of its title into a trademark. For the full article, visit: http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2186092,00.html
September 26, 2007 Joffrey Names New Artistic Director Following a five-month international search, The Joffrey Ballet announced that Ashley Wheater, long-time ballet master of the San Francisco Ballet and former member of both The Joffrey Ballet and The Royal Ballet companies, has been named Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, effective immediately. Wheater becomes the Company’s first Artistic Director after Gerald Arpino and the late Robert Joffrey, who co-founded The Joffrey in 1956. Mr. Arpino became Artistic Director Emeritus in July 2007. Said Mr. Arpino, “I personally invited Ashley Wheater to join the Joffrey in 1984. His work has been known to me for years and he brings a very dedicated commitment to the art of ballet. I am delighted that Ashley has been selected to carry on the traditions of The Joffrey Ballet".
Mind and Body at Yale By Claudia La Rocco As an academic discipline, dance is relatively young, and it has had difficulty being recognized as a component of a liberal arts education, despite its many historical ties to higher education. The choreographers Tere O’Connor and David Dorfman say dance is academically integrated and thriving at the institutions where they teach: Mr. O’Connor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mr. Dorfman at Connecticut College. But at many institutions — particularly those in the Ivy League, the most prestigious and sometimes the slowest to change — this is not the case. Dance scholars consistently cite challenges in being taken seriously by colleagues and administrators. Often, they said, dance is seen merely as an enjoyable break from rigorous courses, as “ornament instead of structure,” Professor Roach said. What’s more, some scholars said, many dance professionals working within academia reinforce the prejudice that there is nothing intellectual about dance, focusing too much on mechanics. TV Viewers Discover Dance, and the Debate Is Joined By Claudia La Rocco “I had a little resistance to watching some of the programs on television,” Linda Shelton, executive director of the Joyce, said this summer. She was stunned, she said, that television audiences were “going crazy” for contemporary dancers. “We’re starting to think of ways to harness it,” Ms. Shelton said. But others are less convinced that television can help concert dance, and less circumspect in voicing their disdain. This latest skirmish in the high art/low art war has played out most fiercely over Mr. Tidwell, who shocked balletomanes when he left American Ballet Theater in 2005, then added insult to injury by joining the third season of “So You Think You Can Dance.” He placed second on the show but was criticized as being arrogant. That perception hints at the gulf separating classical dance, often characterized as elitist and old-fashioned, and popular culture. While some on the show found him haughty, some ballet fans were incredulous that he would stoop so low.
September 19, 2007 Government Affairs Update IRS 990 Revisions In June, the IRS released a draft of a major revision of the Form 990. The draft proposes significant changes to the ways in which public charities and other exempt organizations will report information on finances, fundraising activities, governance, executive and board compensation, and program services. Dance/USA voiced its opinion on these proposed changes as a member of Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization which represents the charitable community. On September 14, Independent Sector submitted comments to the IRS regarding the proposed 990 revisions. To view these comments, click here. Dance/USA will keep you updated on the status of these proposed changes and their effect on your organization. AWARDS! The East Coast saw three award ceremonies in the past few weeks including The Bessies (NY), The Rocky Awards (Philadelphia) and the Metro DC Dance Awards. The West Coast held the Horton Awards (Los Angeles) and Izzie Awards (Bay Area) in May and April respectively and we close the season with the Sage Awards being held in the Twin Cities, Minnesota the first week of October. Click on any of the communities above to find out more about the award ceremonies and winners. Dance/USA congratulates all of the nominees and winners of this year's Awards. Did we miss an awards ceremony? If you have information about a community celebrating the accomplishments of dance professionals, please send us the info! Resources From Our Canadian Counterpart CHRC Presents Tools for Performing Arts Presenters The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) continues to expand its suite of tools and resources for workers in the cultural sector with the release of a Competency Chart and Profile for Presenters. These valuable tools will assist Performing Arts Presenters and those with an interest in the field to evaluate their own skills and determine whether additional training is required. This material can also be applied in developing competency development programs, negotiating and customizing training programs, developing/reviewing career planning programs, creating recruitment profiles, and writing individual position descriptions. The chart and profile can be found on the CHRC website. CHRC has also conducted an extensive Training Gaps Analysis (TGA) based on the skills identified in the chart. Recommendations from the TGA include: For further information please contact Megan Guy - 613-562-1535 x 31; mguy@culturalhrc.ca Opening of nominations for the 2008 Molson Prizes in the Arts and in the Social Sciences and Humanities The Canada Council for the Arts and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada are pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2008 Molson Prizes in the Arts and in the Social Sciences and Humanities. We invite you to submit nominations for these prestigious prizes and also solicit your kind collaboration in publicizing this call for nominations throughout your institution. The two Molson Prizes are worth $50,000 each. One is awarded annually in the arts and the other in the humanities or social sciences. The eligibility criteria and nomination procedures are posted on our website. There is no nomination form. Important change: Only one nominator is now required to put forth a nomination (in previous years, three nominators were required); nominations and support documentation must be postmarked no later than the deadline date, 1 December 2007. You may also find the information sheet and form for the John G. Diefenbaker Award on our website.
Modern look of China By Cathy Yan, Special to The Times With the government loosening its grip, practitioners of the [modern dance] art form are finding opportunities to experiment and grow. But while its star rises abroad, Chinese modern dance also finds itself confronting commercial pressures and more subtle forms of government entanglement, as well as a struggle to build a quality audience at home. Modern dance made its debut in China in 1987 as an experimental collaboration with American artists at the Guangdong Dance Academy in the southeastern city of Guangzhou (formerly Canton).
September 12, 2007 Discounted Grantstation Membership GrantStation and TechSoup are pleased to present a special offer to the nonprofit community on September 19th from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time. During this limited-time offer, specially discounted GrantStation Memberships will be available to eligible nonprofits and public libraries for only $99. Learn more about this special offer. Please click here if you'd like to take an automated tour of GrantStation. Save the Date! The 2008 National Performing Arts Convention offers an important opportunity to address issues such as education, creativity and sustainability, artist training, audience development and diversification, the impact of new technologies and leadership development in ways that harness the collective energy and expertise of the entire nonprofit performing arts sector. For more information about the event in general, please click here and for details about the schedule, please click here. Traces of Light Loïe Fuller (1862-1928) is one of the most fascinating, yet seldom discussed, figures in early modern dance. Along with Colette, Eva Palmer, and Isadora Duncan, she challenged nineteenth-century gendered hierarchies and gave birth to visions of the "new" woman. Fuller first gained prominence in America for her serpentine dance, and then created an extraordinary sensation in Paris with her manipulations of hundreds of yards of silk and the use of dramatic stage lighting. In TRACES OF LIGHT: ABSENCE AND PRESENCE IN THE WORK OF LOÏE FULLER, author Ann Cooper Albright explores a variety of important themes surrounding Fuller's work. In addition to Fuller's role in the representation of the female body in dance, the book also explores the use of technology in dance, the paradox of dance as a representation of both abstract movement and a physical body, and the role of popular entertainment in early modern dance. The book is lavishly illustrated, in full color, with more than 60 paintings, drawings, and photographs. TRACES OF LIGHT places Fuller in the context of fin-de-siècle culture, taking readers into the circle of artists with whom she lived and worked. We see how Fuller was influenced by decorative themes of Art Nouveau and how she, in turn, inspired such artists as Toulouse-Lautrec, Auguste Rodin, and Stèphane Mallarmé For more information, visit: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upne/0-8195-6842-2.htm
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from Dr. Daly’s new book, Clarity: How to Accomplish What Matters Most. We’ve all had the experience. Remember? It was a time when life, or work, seemed to flow effortlessly. You knew what you wanted, and how to make it happen. You enjoyed each step of the way, and you loved the results. No stress, no struggle, no neuro |
