Whether a highly-established ballet company or an emerging modern troupe, one major thematic element that was echoed was "people respond to people, and not institutions." That does not mean that an large organization cannot connect to the public on a personal level. In fact, it is possibly even more imperative that these institutions create avenues for personal engagement.

In an increasingly technologically mediated society, the glossy season subscription brochure is not enough. It goes without saying that online video was the new, dominant vehicle for many reaching their audiences, through in-depth dancer interviews, glimpses into the creative process, or just informal banter. However, print was not to be discounted as a savvy billboard marketing campaign was also highlighted.

In all instances, the individual dancer's voice brought an authenticity and intimate connection to the choreography, the company, the whole. Shifting the focus to the dancer - rather than the artistic director or choreographer -  to articulate his/her personal perspective, many panelists agreed that this gave the dancers a greater professional and artistic ownership in their companies and careers.

If you missed the Town Hall, you can check out this aggregate of #dancersvoice Twitter posts with photos, observations, questions and comments taking place during the live event. Certainly fitting that the audience members were generating personal content themselves and developing their own dialogue!