Progress Report BriefS e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 2

2009 - 2012 Participants

Gene Conroy, Ballet Spartanburg

Michael Crane, East Carolina University

Brad Downall, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts

Eric Fliss, South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center

Angela Gallo, Coker College

Shannon Hooker / Shane Fernando, UNC Wilmington Presents

Charles “Buster” Irvin, Cumberland County Playhouse

Moira Logan, University of Memphis

Bart Lovins, Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center

Sharon Moore, North Carolina State University Center Stage

Dennis Sankovich, Mississippi State University Riley Center

Consultant Team

Rosemary W. Johnson, Alabama Dance Council

Ivan Sygoda, Pentacle

Stephen Wynne, TALK Dance Company

Companies

David Dorfman Dance

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

Doug Varone and Dancers

Evidence, A Dance Company

Kyle Abraham | Abraham.In.Motion

Lula Washington Dance Theatre

Mentors

Elizabeth Auer, University of Florida Performing Arts

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko Germantown Performing Arts Center

Bill Doolin, Florida Dance Association

Rebecca Jane EdwardsCultural Development Foundation of Memphis

Leslie GordonGeorgia State University Rialto Center for the Arts

Jenny Hamilton, New Orleans Ballet Association

Bridgette M. KohnhorstVanderbilt University Great Performances

Mary Luft, Tigertail Productions

Gail Robinson-ButlerWest Kentucky Community and Technical College

Debra Smith, Newberry Opera House

George ThompsonGeorgia Institute of Technology Ferst Center for the Arts

Project Director

Nikki Estes, South Arts

South Arts is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of our partner states—Ala-bama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Additional support is provided by foundations, corporations and individuals who sup-port and promote the arts in the South.

Contact us at 404-874-7244 foralternate formats of this document.

INITIATIVETOURINGDANCE

South Arts’ Dance Touring Initiative provides dance presenters a galvanizing, transformative process that creates a dynamic impact on artists, audiences, and communities. This process empowers presenters to develop a sustainable ap-proach to the art of presenting modern dance and contemporary ballet by incor-porating the following dynamics:

• Creating a Learning Community of Dance Presenters• Building Community with Dance Artists• Developing a New Approach to Dance Touring

OVERVIEWModern dance and contemporary ballet can provide powerful, engaging and visceral experi-ences for audiences. Presenters, though, often find this work challenging to understand and present. Our conversations with a variety of people in the presenting and dance world in-formed us that presenters have strong interest in presenting dance but they may lack confi-dence, expertise, or an appreciative and com-mitted audience.

So, in June 2009, with a cohort of 11 present-ers, South Arts launched the Dance Touring Initiative, an intensive three-year program to tackle the problem. This program demanded a significant investment of time and effort from this first dedicated group of presenters.

As part of the program, each participant com-mitted to attend selected conferences and dance festivals, monthly conference calls, and work as a group to plan two seasons of block-booked tours with a dance company including residencies and audience engagement activi-ties. South Arts provided touring grants, techni-cal assistance, and professional development throughout to complement each tour and build presenter organizational capacity. In addition, residency planning visits with the Artistic Direc-tors of each dance company were integrated into the process.

Our overall goals were to help presenters to:

• Be more effective in their work through a greater understanding of the artform and audience development practices

• Include dance as a regular part of their programming

• Build a strong network of dance presenters that provides ongoing learning and mutual support.

Takeaways for Presenters

“I’m not about presenting shows, I’m about creating events that have a long lasting influ-ence for the artist and for our community.” - Presenter participant

The main barrier to modern dance is that people do not recognize that they have the capacity to “get it” regardless of their knowledge of dance. Presenters want to know more about how to make audience members feel comfort-able exploring and talking about dance. Present-ers need to be educated about dance before they can effectively engage audiences. There is a strong desire to create quality outreach that educates and connects schools and communi-ties. Advance site-visits with Artistic Directors are invaluable for the planning process.

Ideally, programming decisions would begin with the artform, but presenters find it difficult to disregard real-world pressures such as bud-gets, schedules and internal or technical restric-tions. Common goals and individual limitations should be addressed early in the process. Work-ing as a group to develop a block-booked tour was challenging at first, but most found that together they were able to design a routing and fee mutually beneficial to themselves and agents.

Takeaways for Artists

The artist and the work are the twin focal points of the initiative, which aims to humanize the artist and demystify the work in the belief that this is the best way to create a sustainable audience appetite for dance. Articulate dance-makers unafraid to be vulnerable have proved our strongest partners in this endeavor.

“Advance site-visits allow for the community to be introduced to the artist and his/her vi-sion, typically allowing for a more meaningful conversation to take place throughout theplanning process.” - Presenter participant

Takeaways for Agents/Managers

“I’m encouraged by the breakdown of walls of communication between presenter, agent, and artist – working together as a team todesign a residency that fulfills the artist’s mis-sion as well.” - Presenter participant

The agent/manager is the essential link between the artist and the work on one hand and the presenter and host community on the other. The quality of that conversation is the key to building residencies that are successful for both artist and audience and that leave all sides wanting more.

For more details about the Dance Touring Initiative, see the full report atwww.southarts.org/dance or email Nikki Estes at nestes@southarts.org.

South Arts’ Dance Touring Initiative provides dance presenters a galvanizing, transformative process that creates a dynamic impact on artists, audiences, and communities. This process empowers presenters to develop a sustainable ap-proach to the art of presenting modern dance and contemporary ballet by incor-porating the following dynamics:

• Creating a Learning Community of Dance Presenters• Building Community with Dance Artists• Developing a New Approach to Dance Touring

OVERVIEWModern dance and contemporary ballet can provide powerful, engaging and visceral experi-ences for audiences. Presenters, though, often find this work challenging to understand and present. Our conversations with a variety of people in the presenting and dance world in-formed us that presenters have strong interest in presenting dance but they may lack confi-dence, expertise, or an appreciative and com-mitted audience.

So, in June 2009, with a cohort of 11 present-ers, South Arts launched the Dance Touring Initiative, an intensive three-year program to tackle the problem. This program demanded a significant investment of time and effort from this first dedicated group of presenters.

As part of the program, each participant com-mitted to attend selected conferences and dance festivals, monthly conference calls, and work as a group to plan two seasons of block-booked tours with a dance company including residencies and audience engagement activi-ties. South Arts provided touring grants, techni-cal assistance, and professional development throughout to complement each tour and build presenter organizational capacity. In addition, residency planning visits with the Artistic Direc-tors of each dance company were integrated into the process.

Our overall goals were to help presenters to:

• Be more effective in their work through a greater understanding of the artform and audience development practices

• Include dance as a regular part of their programming

• Build a strong network of dance presenters that provides ongoing learning and mutual support.

Takeaways for Presenters

“I’m not about presenting shows, I’m about creating events that have a long lasting influ-ence for the artist and for our community.” - Presenter participant

The main barrier to modern dance is that people do not recognize that they have the capacity to “get it” regardless of their knowledge of dance. Presenters want to know more about how to make audience members feel comfort-able exploring and talking about dance. Present-ers need to be educated about dance before they can effectively engage audiences. There is a strong desire to create quality outreach that educates and connects schools and communi-ties. Advance site-visits with Artistic Directors are invaluable for the planning process.

Ideally, programming decisions would begin with the artform, but presenters find it difficult to disregard real-world pressures such as bud-gets, schedules and internal or technical restric-tions. Common goals and individual limitations should be addressed early in the process. Work-ing as a group to develop a block-booked tour was challenging at first, but most found that together they were able to design a routing and fee mutually beneficial to themselves and agents.

Takeaways for Artists

The artist and the work are the twin focal points of the initiative, which aims to humanize the artist and demystify the work in the belief that this is the best way to create a sustainable audience appetite for dance. Articulate dance-makers unafraid to be vulnerable have proved our strongest partners in this endeavor.

“Advance site-visits allow for the community to be introduced to the artist and his/her vi-sion, typically allowing for a more meaningful conversation to take place throughout theplanning process.” - Presenter participant

Takeaways for Agents/Managers

“I’m encouraged by the breakdown of walls of communication between presenter, agent, and artist – working together as a team todesign a residency that fulfills the artist’s mis-sion as well.” - Presenter participant

The agent/manager is the essential link between the artist and the work on one hand and the presenter and host community on the other. The quality of that conversation is the key to building residencies that are successful for both artist and audience and that leave all sides wanting more.

For more details about the Dance Touring Initiative, see the full report atwww.southarts.org/dance or email Nikki Estes at nestes@southarts.org.

Progress Report BriefS e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 2

2009 - 2012 Participants

Gene Conroy, Ballet Spartanburg

Michael Crane, East Carolina University

Brad Downall, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts

Eric Fliss, South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center

Angela Gallo, Coker College

Shannon Hooker / Shane Fernando, UNC Wilmington Presents

Charles “Buster” Irvin, Cumberland County Playhouse

Moira Logan, University of Memphis

Bart Lovins, Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center

Sharon Moore, North Carolina State University Center Stage

Dennis Sankovich, Mississippi State University Riley Center

Consultant Team

Rosemary W. Johnson, Alabama Dance Council

Ivan Sygoda, Pentacle

Stephen Wynne, TALK Dance Company

Companies

David Dorfman Dance

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

Doug Varone and Dancers

Evidence, A Dance Company

Kyle Abraham | Abraham.In.Motion

Lula Washington Dance Theatre

Mentors

Elizabeth Auer, University of Florida Performing Arts

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko Germantown Performing Arts Center

Bill Doolin, Florida Dance Association

Rebecca Jane EdwardsCultural Development Foundation of Memphis

Leslie GordonGeorgia State University Rialto Center for the Arts

Jenny Hamilton, New Orleans Ballet Association

Bridgette M. KohnhorstVanderbilt University Great Performances

Mary Luft, Tigertail Productions

Gail Robinson-ButlerWest Kentucky Community and Technical College

Debra Smith, Newberry Opera House

George ThompsonGeorgia Institute of Technology Ferst Center for the Arts

Project Director

Nikki Estes, South Arts

South Arts is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the state arts agencies of our partner states—Ala-bama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Additional support is provided by foundations, corporations and individuals who sup-port and promote the arts in the South.

Contact us at 404-874-7244 foralternate formats of this document.

INITIATIVETOURINGDANCE