Session 1: Fundraising for Dancers with Fractured Atlas

November 7th, 5-7pm

Gibney Dance Center, 280 Broadway Location

RSVP here.

Facebook event.

 

Session 2: How to Survive as a Dancer in NYC with The Field

November 20th, 5:30-7:30pm

Gibney Dance Center, 280 Broadway Location

 

The Dancer’s Empowerment Project was born out of a deeply held belief that dancers should be properly compensated for the work they do, and a fear, growing as I complete my last year as an undergraduate, that my peers and I are not properly prepared for what lies ahead in the real world of dance. My hope is that this project will help to quell my fear and to shed light on my belief that the economic climate that has led to the devaluing of dance work is an immense, systematic issue. But I am hopeful. I believe that by providing dance artists with as much information about navigating this climate as possible, I can help them to begin to support themselves through the work they were trained to do.

 

Our programming is targeted towards young dancers and choreographers (ages 21-30) in the NYC area, and seeks to empower talented and smart dancers with the financial, cultural, and entrepreneurial knowledge that will best help them navigate the difficult times the dance world currently faces. We believe that dancers have a market value that should be able to support their lifestyle without the burden of multiple moonlighting jobs, and our goal is to help dancers achieve this value starting at the beginning of their careers rather than later on.

 

It is important to me that those who identify as “dancers” or “choreographers” are able to devote the majority of their time to their craft. This is not the reality - dancers tend to make only 55% of their earnings from dance work, according to a 2012 Dance/NYC study. How can teaching dance artists specific entrepreneurial and financial skill sets help solve this problem? Knowing the best fundraising strategies can help choreographers pay their dancers. Small companies can save money by knowing how to sustainably self-produce. Solid marketing brings more people and more money to shows. I use the word “empowerment” to describe the intention of this project for specific reasons. By learning how to finance, produce, and market their work, dancers and choreographers take charge of their value.

Please help us help dance artists by liking and promoting us on Facebook and encouraging your friends to attend our first workshop!