Giving feedback

[pss]

I'm in a bit of a quandry.

I've recently attended a local professional ballet production, and a flyer was inserted in the program requesting audience feedback. I have some, but it's not all positive.

The ballets, Nutcracker excepted, are not well attended. I'm torn about whether I should offer my opinion, and if I do, determine the best way to do it.

I'm inclined to write a letter to the AD, but the other options are to anonymously complete the survey, and to complete the survey including my contact information.

Do any of you have suggestions on whether I should proceed, and how? If I do write the letter, is more specific information better than a vague description of what I found lacking?

I hope I've posted this in the correct place, since it seems to be the catch-all forum.

Thanks for your help.

[SandyMcKean]

What's important is telling them what you honestly think in as much detail as you actually can without speculating. How you do it is minor compared to actually doing it (most don't or won't).

[bart]

An interesting quandary, and one we've all probably faced in one way or another.

However, they are asking for feedback. Which means they may realize that something's "off," but don't know how to narrow it down.

I'd be inclined to go for (a) specific details, as Sandy says. And also (b) specific (but realistic) recommendations for changes, insofar as you have them. If you can tie this in with the possibility of increasing ticket sales, it would be even more helpful.

There are advantages both to anonymity and to giving one's contact information. It depends on the individual case. Generally, I think, giving one's name increases the chance that someone will actually think about what you have written.

Does anyone else have any experience with this sort of thing -- either from the perspective of the company, or of a member of the audience?

[4mrdncr]

Two instances:

1) After travelling 4+ hours to LA to catch a Joffrey performance specifically of "Parade", they switched the program and substituted something else. It was also a night, they had a 'feedback form' inserted into the program. So I expressed both what I loved about the Joffrey, and how they had majorly disappointed me that night--I realized that an injury might have necessitated the change, but I questioned the depth of dancers etc. that could have prevented it. AND...the end result was I received a personal letter from the AD some weeks later acknowledging my points and trying to ameliorate my complaints. I was most surprised.

2) I dutifully filled one out with MUCH detail and suggestions, (but forgot to sign it), and then I dutifully inserted it into the collection box. Only after that did I discover, if you provided your contact info, you were also registered in a contest to receive two free tickets to the company's next performance.

But however they receive the info, I do believe certain staff or even ADs of companies also peruse these threads for feedback on performances, dancers, and future repertoires. The most recent example I can think of is ABT's "Sleeping Beauty" where somehow the audience, critics, and online forums such as this, must have impacted enough for ABT to revise the choreography between the NYC-Met and LA-OCPAC performances I saw.