DANCE USA 2006 NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE

PORTLAND, OR JUNE 21, 2006

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THANK DANCE USA FOR THIS THOUGHT PROVOKING AND HANDS ON CONFERENCE. AS I EXPLORE THE TOPIC OF THE NEW AUDIENCE REALITY, I AM INSPIRED BY ERIC'S VISION AND OBSERVATION OF TRENDS AS IT RELATES TO DANCE AND THE ARTS IN GENERAL.   AS YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF THIS CONFERENCE IS TO PROVOKE AND INVITE ALL OF US TO THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBLITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DANCE IN THE EXISTING AND EMERGING CULTURES.

WE LIVE IN AN AMAZING AND RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIETY WHICH HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR EFFORTS TO MARKET ARTS AND CULTURE AND ON HOW AUDIENCES CHOOSE TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS EXPERIENCE. 

FROM A DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE, THE MULTI-ETHNIC FAMILIES THAT NOW INCREASINGLY MAKE UP AMERICANS WILL POSE INTERESTING CREATIVITY IN PROGRAMMING AND EXPRESSION.   I THINK THE INTERSECTION OF DIFFERENT STYLES AND MUSIC IN DANCE WILL REFLECT THIS DEMOGRAPHIC AND AS ARTS ADMINISTRATORS AND ARTISTS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO THINK ABOUT.

I THINK CHANGING OUR CULTURAL LENS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE US.  NO LONGER DO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ANYTHING AS BLACK OR WHITE, OR YOUNG OR OLD BUT THAT THERE IS A CONVERGENCE OF CULTURES THAT TRANSCEND RACE AND CLASS AND ALLOWS US TO PLAY IN AN ARENA THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED BEFORE.   SPECIFICALLY, I AM REFERRING TO THE URBAN LIFESTYLE THAT WE ALL LIVE IN.  THIS IS NOT DICTATED BY GEOGRAPHY BUT BY A STATE OF MIND.   IT IS FED DAILY THROUGH TV, MTV, REALITY SHOWS, SOCIAL COMPUTING AND WEB MARKETING.  THIS HAS TO BE REFLECTED IN THE CHOREOGRAPHY, COMPOSITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A DANCE COMPANY AND HOW AUDIENCES INTERACT WITH THE ART.

I THINK ABOUT THE VARIOUS DANCE COMPANIES I REPRESENT AND THEY ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT IN STYLE, AUDIENCES AND AESTHETIC, FROM MODERN TO FLAMENCO TO AFRICAN DANCE AND EACH OF THEM ARE CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH ONE GOAL AND THAT IS HOW TO EMBRACE THE CURRENT CULTURE AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER AND TO EMBRACE THEIR LIFESTYLE AND ECONOMIC SAFETY ZONES.

THERE ARE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS IN WHICH THE FIELD OF DANCE IS AND SHOULD INCREASINGLY HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE:

• INCREASED INTEGRATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORK
• HIP HOP AND SPOKEN WORD IN ITS VARIOUS INCARNATIONS
• FAITH BASED COMMUNITY PARTNERS
• PHYSICALLY PLACE OURSELVES AMDIST THE VERY COMMUNITIES WE ARE TRYING TO REACH
• FLEXIBITY IN PROGRAMMING IN DAYS AND TIMES, EG. WED RUSH HOUR PERFORMANCES AT 6PM
• FAMILY PACKAGES THAT INCLUDE CHLD CARE

 WHAT IS THE ART THAT PEOPLE WANT TODAY?  THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER, BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST TIME FOR THAT EXPLORATION.   BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MOST COMPLRX BROAD RANGING AND USEFUL TECHNOLOGY IN OUR HISTORY AND ALSO A TREMENDOUS AWARENESS OF A PLETHORA OF MUSICAL TRADITIONS.  TODAY’S ARTISTS ARE DRAWING FROM ANY AND ALL OF THEM TO CREATE NEW WORK.

LASTLY, I HAVE OBSERVED AS I SIT ON A NUMBER OF FUNDING PANELS, THE INCREASING INTERESTS FROM FUNDERS IN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS, MULTCULTURAL PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS TO CULTIVATE YOUNG AUDIENCES.   IN FACT THE MAJORITY OF THE GRANTS I HAVE HELD A DECISION MAKING ROLE IN RECENT YEARS HAVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY HELD ONE OR MORE OF THESE CATEGORIES.

SO AS WE CONSIDER THE NEW AUDIENCE REALITY, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE OUR CURRENT SOCIETY, ENVISION WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND UTILIZE THE TOOLS TO PLAN OUR PATH.   I BELIEVE THE EMRGING CULTURE IS SMART, TECHNO SAVVY AND HAS A STRONG ECLECTIC PALATE.  THEY ARE NOT LIMITED BY GEOGRAPHY BUT ARE UNITED BY LIFESTYLE AND THE MEDIA.   

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE WE ARE DEEPENING OUR CONNECTIONS TO EACH OTHER THROUGH THE ARTS AND THAT IS WHAT EXCITES ME AND SUSTAINS ME.