New Technology, New Audiences

Alan Brown addressed Dance/USA with an overview of current trends in audience development. Overall there has been a diversification of cultural tastes and audiences now demand more customized, intense and shorter experiences. There is also an aspect of late decision-making to consider. Finally, audiences want interpretive assistance. He recommends the strategy of creating social experiences and leveraging technology to offer curatorial participation.

During the general session, "Radical Ideas From Beyond Our Borders" Germaine Acohny of L'Ecole de Sabres in Africa and Jose Antonio, creator of the Simone Bolivar Youth Orchestra in Venezuela shared their missions. Germaine Acohny, dressed in earthy tones with a coral red bandana, necklace and shoes, works to learn from other cultures by focusing on similarities that cross styles of dance. She uses rituals and traditions as tools and sees the body as a multicultural instrument. Acohny refers to her school as a sacred forest - a place for learning and writing to become a more complete adult and be an artist as citizen. She hopes her legacy is pride in Africa and is against the globalization of the arts as heritage maintains the "spice." To her, the role of art is to change people.

Jose Antonio is "totally convinced that poverty can be overcome by spiritual richness." He sits on stage, an old man in a boxy jacket glowing with enthusiasm. He asserts that music education has a role in the transformation and dignification of the individual. By making arts essential in schools there is a system for social inclusion, Jose says that once a child is in possession of their capability and knowledge, they can insert themselves into society. And even after all the orchestra's successes Jose is dreaming big. He hopes his model will be incorporated first throughout South America and then permeate the world spreading music and decency.

The Dance/USA Council meetings were then held at the Sheraton - a time for professionals with similar roles within dance organizations dish and share best practices. I attended the PR/Marketing Council which shared the meeting with Company Managers. In the room were representatives from San Francisco Ballet, Parsons, Compexions, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, the Trey McIntyre Project, Donald Byrd, NCDT, Richmond Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Graham, Boston Ballet, PBT, Ailey, Nashville Ballet and Ballet Idaho. Hot topics were music royalties, online marketing (Twitter stole the show), Visas and satellite schools.

And wait is that free time on the schedule? I enjoyed some pool and sauna time - the first unscheduled 2 hours in 3 days. Later, a 35 and under event was held at Orange Cat with a live band (names Some Random Band) and a mulched backyard that made it more house party than bar. Dark Denver beer and dancing was welcome after a day at the convention center.