Why support ballet in America

[bart]

To those of us who grew up in the early days of the concept of the National Endowment for the Arts -- or who have come experience of European governmental support for the arts -- often lament the decline of a sense of "public" (as opposed to rich people giving donations) responsibility for the classical arts. Specifically ballet.

What if Congress -- responding to some bizarre, spontaneous, mass hallucination -- decided to add a very large sum to next year's appropriations for "the arts." You have been asked to argue the case for giving a large parcel of it specifically to classical ballet.

What's the main argument you would make to support your case?

You can't use the body-beautiful argument because it would offend certain moral sensibilities. You can't use the Great Tradition argument because it smacks of Eurocentrism or cultural elitism. You can't even use the argument that people deserve access to the arts because someone is sue to point to the vast potential of privately funded cable TV to do the job. You have, someone, to convince them that ballet per se is worth it.

Then, how would you spend it? (Grants to companies, choreographers, dance academies? Support of new productions, reducing ticket prices, new hires?)

[dirac]

Thanks, bart. A wide-ranging set of queries to get us going!

For those who are curious, there was a recent RAND study on making the case for arts funding, which is available for downloading on the Wallace Foundation website (www.wallacefoundation.org). The description from the foundation website is below:

This RAND study seeks a broader understanding of the arts’ full range of effects, including both instrumental and intrinsic benefits. It argues for a recognition of the contribution that both types make to the public welfare, but also of the central role intrinsic benefits play in generating all benefits. And it calls for efforts to sustain the supply of the arts with a focus on building demand, particularly by strengthening early exposure.

An executive summary (nine pages):

http://www.wallacefoundation.org/NR/rdonly...eMuseExSumm.pdf

The complete report (over a hundred pages):

http://www.wallacefoundation.org/NR/rdonly...he_MuseText.pdf

[Jack Reed]

While I'm trying to come with something more like an adequate, meaning comprehensive, response to this question, I recall an anecdote I read about some time ago: A man had been hearing from Balanchine about the years of training, the weeks of preparation, and the not inconsiderable expense, of putting on a ballet performance. The man then asked what is for me the quintessential American question about it: "What's ballet for?" "It makes people happy," was Balanchine's reply.

I think that's as unassailable a motivation for ballet performance as it is, these days, a hard sell.

[fendrock]

I need to think about this more fully, but I wonder if there would be an angle having to do with subsidizing the cost of ballet in order to increase attendance, which would build an audience, therefore making it less necessary to subsidize the cost.

Do you think this is even possible, to fund a model with an intent to making ballet a viable "business," as it were?

Some of the possible uses for the seed money would include:

- Creating low-cost venues for ballet performances -- in areas with high population density. These need to be spaces where staging can be done economically.

- Ticket pricing that fills houses, creating word of mouth

- More programs in the schools to make dance a normal part of life (like sports!)

- Perhaps even some PR funds, with thought to bringing people to the ballet who would not otherwise go

[fandeballet]

There was a report about 12-15 years ago that for every dollar New York City/State contributes to the arts, 9 dollars of commerce is generated. It would be interesting to see what the ballet/dance contribution is to that ledger.

[kfw]

Great question, bart, but I'm not sure the three arguments you rule out wouldn't fly.

I don't hear ballet attacked nowadays on grounds that it's too erotic (although if more social conservatives saw leotard ballets they might use that line. :rolleyes: ) I think the Great Tradition argument would appeal to a lot of conservatives, i.e. most of the people opposed to arts funding. (And isn't it ironic that people would oppose funding to make something more accessible on grounds that it's elitist!). And I think the they-already-have-cable-TV counter-argument is flawed, because the most under-privileged members of society can't afford premium cable.

[bart]

Great responses. On second thought, I think the question should be divided into two parts. Why support the arts? is the big one. But for those of us who love ballet the question we really have to answer is: given the limited resources and time that institutions and people can (or want to) devote to the arts, what's so special about ballet that makes it worth funding (which means NOT funding something else, even another form of dance).

Some of the possible uses for the seed money would include:

- Creating low-cost venues for ballet performances -- in areas with high population density. These need to be spaces where staging can be done economically.

- Ticket pricing that fills houses, creating word of mouth

- More programs in the schools to make dance a normal part of life (like sports!)

- Perhaps even some PR funds, with thought to bringing people to the ballet who would not otherwise go

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like the beginning for a good grant proposal -- and maybe that's what's needed, rather than some large moral justification for dance.

I like the idea of finding alternate and low-cost venues, which would work especially for classiscal pas de deux, chamber ballets and small-cast contemporary ballets. I wonder why companies don't do more of this. They will send dancers to a Ballet Guild luncheon for obvious reasons. But how many send dancers into high schools or community colleges? I really think you have to see ballet young to get hooked. And "see" means more than being a passive (and often confused) observer at a single performance once in your life, or even once every year.

There was a report about 12-15 years ago that for every dollar New York City/State contributes to the arts,  9 dollars of commerce is generated.  It would be interesting to see what  the ballet/dance contribution is to that ledger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In our area, a resort destination but also the home of many north-eastern cultural types, the Palm Beach {County} Cultural Council administers funds derived from a share of the hotel tax. Ballet Florida and Miami Ballet, alone with numerous other cultural organizations, get significant funds from this -- I believe in excess of $100,000 a year for Ballet Florida. The gist of the questionnaire: how many people have you brought to the performance? how much money did you spend on the performance? how much money did you spend in Palm Beach County as part of attending this performance?

[Cliff]

I would allocate funds for outreach, such as performing short works in high schools. I remember a modern dance group that performed at my high school when I was a freshmen. Next year they cut the arts budget.

The problem with the question of "why support the arts" is that art is inherently worthy of support. Yet, this argument has failed to arrest the last two decades of declining arts funding. So I think its time for a new approach:

Art helps win the war on terrorism!

[carbro]

Well, when I remember how, in the years between the end of WWII through the 1960s and with bipartisan support, the arts were a weapon in the Cold War, I have to wonder why not.

[bart]

The problem with the question of "why support the arts" is that art is inherently worthy of support.  Yet, this argument has failed to arrest the last two decades of declining arts funding.  So I think its time for a new approach:

Art helps win the war on terrorism!

Yes!! Maybe we could prepare a grant proposal -- "Ballet, not Bombs". Building ballet studios in places like Fallujah could absorb the energies of disgruntled fundamentalist teens and even provide further employment for retired Ballanchine dancers who would come in to coach things like Prodigal Son, thus speeding the withdrawal of American troops. I can imagine the Farewell Gala.

[Amy Reusch]

If we can't get the NEA, how about the Surgeon General? ... what with the current epidemic of obesity....

[Laur]

Many people I know look down on ballet. When I tell new people that I meet that I'm a dancer, they think "big deal".."yeah, your point.." Many people just aren't informed about it, and just how many different types of dance there are, not just ballet. I think bringing dance into more art programs in schools can really spread the word and get more people interested. Thus, people may want to support more & know where the money is going. For me, we spread the word about our conservatory that it reached the govenor & we received an amazing grant. Now we have a facility of a professional dance company, & restored our neighbor theatre (The Warner Theatre).

[dirac]

Laur, it's too bad that people who don't know much about ballet will sometimes put it down. Thanks for reporting on what happened in your city -- it's great when grass roots involvement leads to good things.