Finally, I wish someone had explained to me that it is always, especially initially, more difficult for artists to stay true to their individual creative visions than to adopt a herd mentality and be a member of an artistic clique.

In the face of artistic repression, budget cuts, a general disregard for the arts in the United States, and for this art form in particular, with the growing lack of space to create and perform work, the decline of touring opportunities, the loss of high quality and the frequency of dance criticism, international competition, declining audiences – need I say more? – you have remained a fearless community, dancing toward the problems and finding innovative solutions and alternatives that keep us moving forward.

Rather than employing a new, permanent artistic director to shape the company’s artistic footprint in the dance world, Morphoses is planning to reemerge this fall without a permanent artistic director.

Many of us working in larger cities take exposure to high-caliber arts for granted. We are presented with a myriad of professional performance options on a daily basis. This is not the case, however, across the country particularly in dance where touring is getting more expensive, presenting is getting riskier, and selling tickets is more and more challenging. 

Collaboration may generate energy; ignite relationships that build trust, further knowledge and group effort that continue to infuse the creative process.

People have so many ways of entertaining themselves, the fact of which dance artists cannot be reminded often enough.

More than ever in the arts, we dancers and dance administrators need some good spiritual food for sustenance – especially as the world pushes us to move ever faster in its service and sometimes, it seems, far away from the art we love. It is imperative to thrive despite many draining challenges that face us. It is important to find balance in our lives.

I wanted to thank you very truly, from the heart, for making a space for me in your community, and bringing me into your company, in so many senses.

Welcome to Dance -- Chicago Style
Scene: Opening Reception -- On Stage at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance

Don’t let her small stature and soft-spoken, polite nature fool you. She is highly intelligent and a fiercely passionate advocate for dance. Julie Nakagawa, co-founder and artistic director of DanceWorks Chicago (DWC) and an officer on the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA, is an artist, teacher, mentor and director that focuses on nurturing not only the individual artist, but the global dance community as a whole. There is no ego here.