Creating community awareness/loyalty --

[bart]

Below is a fascinating example of a local/regional ballet company doing some creative community-involvement and publicity -- in this case, Oregon Ballet Theater. I am starting a new thread because I'm afraid it will be lost under it's old "Nutcracker" heading.

Like XTX in Portland, I live in a place where I depend on a small local/regional company (Ballet Florida, similar in size and rep to OBT) for much of my dance exposure and joy. I've been saddened by the difficulty this and other such companies have in building --and, especially, SUSTAINING -- community awareness and loyalty. It's the same story all over -- a great season (maybe a visit to the Joyce or provincial Europe) followed by a year where ticket sales go down, publicity is almost non-existent, and momentum is reversed. Administrative personnel arrive and disappear with the speed and mystery of the post-Watergate Nixon administration, each one reinventing the wheel with mixed results. Our local press now treats "the arts" as covering everything from nostalgia tours by sexaganarian rockers to cosmetic and fashion makeovers -- and consumers pick and choose with little consistency. Dance companies have a better chance of getting publicity by encouraging a few ballerinas to pose in beach or club fashion then when they try to explain what it is they actually do -- train, rehearse, create, perform.

Maybe we need a database of what's really working out there across America. What's a local company to do? How does YOUR favorite company reach out to create and sustain community involvement and loyalty? What works -- and why?

Here's the starting point:

I think I recall a discussion about a summer performance venue outside in the city - that might be a nice reintroduction. If either of you can point me in the direction of this, do let me know.

You're talking about "OBT Exposed!" It's not a performance, but a very popular opportunity to observe a few days in the life of a professional dancer. The audience watches OBT company members go through their normal schedule of full class and day-long rehearsals. The schedule is something like 10:00 to 4:00, if I remember correctly.

You're expected to be fairly quiet--after all, it's their "office"--but it's certainly a more relaxed atmosphere than a performance would be. You're welcome to come and go, eat your lunch, and (at certain times) even ask questions.

"OBT Exposed!" is held under a large tent in Portland's South park blocks (between Eighth and Ninth, near Salmon) around the end of summer. The OBT office will have the exact dates. Their number is 503-227-0977.

[bart]

Partly in ansewr to my own inquiry, here's an interesting idea:

Ballet Austin is selling an entire performance of The Nutcracker:

Ballet Austin has put a December 2005 performance of its 43rd annual production of The Nutcracker up for auction on eBay for ten days in an effort to sell all 2,827 seats of Bass Concert Hall at The University of Texas at Austin Performing Arts Center (PAC) to a single corporation or individual.  Choreographed by Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s artistic director and with live accompaniment by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, The Nutcracker delights children, ages two to 92. Ballet Austin is working with Snap (www.snaptosell.com), the Austin on-line sales and marketing company that, among other things, successfully sold a 250-member marching band, twice, on eBay last fall.

See the auction here.

[Welsh Canary]

The last post really struck a nerve with me. At our local ballet company, we have all of the same difficulties (and many more). It has always amazed me that there is so little recognition as to the importance of maintaining administrative personnel. Often when companies face financial hardship, the first recourse a Board will take, is to cut "non-essential administrative staff." Consequently, many companies go through repeated cycles of "feast and famine." Because of the high turnover of administrative staff, operating processes that could lead to stability seldom have a chance of being implemented and absorbed into the fabric of the company. Also, among Board members there seems to be a mistaken reliance on the opinions and thoughts of the Artistic Director as to what business decisions should be made. While these people are extremely giften and understand the artistic side of the business very well, they seldom possess a significant enough grasp on the marketing side of the business to make meaningful decisions. It's kind of like asking your plumber to perform open heart surgery. No one would do anything that stupid. Yet we routinely do it in the art world. Go figure!

[Helene]

I went to see the National Ballet of Canada's Swan Lake this weekend in Vancouver; it and a performance of The Messiah by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet are listed in the Ballet British Columbia 2005/6 season brochure and in the subscription packages. This seems to me to be a great way to ensure a core audience for visiting companies, thus creating economically viable tour dates.

In addition, Ballet British Columbia has created several outreach programs for kids. BC Kids Club is sponsoring three activities at the Scotiabank Dance Centre from 10:30-11:30 am:

Swan Lake. Fun hands on activities: see video clips of the performance, learn the story, try you hand at some of the repertoire and discover how to make a tutu. (October 29, 2005)

A Choreographer's Workshop. Fun in-studio activity with stretching and improvisation to music with some of our dancers. (February 4, 2006)

Music and Movement. Music plays an important role in a ballet. Whether it is classical or contermporary, fast or slow, music affects the way we dance. At the workshop, enjoy fun dance games and activities to different types of music. (April 22, 2006).

($10 per event, or $20 for all three)

Boy's Club. Dance is the musical sport. Male dancers are strong athletes who train in the dance studio and the gym. Join Ballet BC dancer Edmond Kilpatrick for a fun dance boot camp. For boys age 10-12 years. No previous dance experience is necessary. (February 25, 2006, 2-3pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre, $10)

Pre-teen Club. Have you ever wondered how professional dancers train and stay in greatshape? Watch a private Ballet BC company class in our rehearsal studios followed by a snack and talk on nutrition and good eating habits for dancers by a Registered Dietician. For teens age 12-14 years. (January 16, 2006, 9-10am, Scotiabank Dance Centre, $10).

All ages: Nutcracker Sweet. Meet dancers from Nutcracker, enjoy delicious treates and refreshments and chat with dancers before the matinee performance begins. (Saturday, December 31 matinee, 12:30-1:30pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre)

($20, under 14 and seniors, $25 student and adult)

Each one of these is such a wonderful idea to involve kids at a young age, particularly boys. If just a handful of boys learn to respect other boys and men who dance, the entire project will be worth it.