Category: Call To Action

Archiving ClancyWorks Dance Company at 25

As ClancyWorks approaches its 25th year, they announce a partnership with ChromaDiverse to digitize and preserve their “records, programs, and choreography.” They’ve secured funding from the Maryland State Arts Council, but need another $5000 to complete the work.

ChromaDiverse is a relatively new organization (founded in 2019 by Dance Theatre of Harlem alum Judy Tyrus). While I have no personal experience with the organization, as someone that spends a lot of time poking around in dance history looking for lessons, I can only say that preserving this sort of thing is immensely important.

If you can spare a few dollars (ClancyWorks suggests $25…), please consider donating.

While I have a moment of your attention, particularly if you teach dance, check out ClancyWorks’ DETI – the Dance Educators Training Institute, coming up August 1st through 3rd, 2023, and all the other programs they offer… Here’s the DETI schedule [pdf].

…and longer-term, if you know of a hidden cache of dance material, please try to preserve it.

Baltimore Black Dance Collective / Black Choreographer’s Festival October 15 & 16, 2021 [fundraiser]

Just a quick note to direct a small bit of your attention (no one asked me to do this).

The parent organization is Baltimore Black Dance Collective – leadership of Camille Weanquoi, Kutia Jawara, and Ronderrick Mitchell. There’s been no fundraising activity for three moths, and the event is just three weeks away. As of now, just $240 of their $2600 goal raised. $2600 is a modest goal, and this is a sincere effort to do something meaningful in challenging times.

I know it’s still pandemic crazy time, but if you’ve got reach to attract some attention (and, hopefully, a few dollars) to the effort, please do.

Fundraiser is here.

And if you can attend (safely!), I know you know the value of an attentive audience….

[ UPDATE 2021.09.22]

Apparently there is some technical trouble with GoFundMe (of course, because I asked people to go there… of course. Of course.).

Anyway, the “donate” button at GoFundMe doesn’t work right now, but you can make a contribution directly to the Baltimore Black Dance Collective via PayPal or credit/debit card here.

I do suggest you follow-up any Black Choreographer’s Festival donations with an email and make sure they know your intention.

Thanks again, and sorry for the confusion.

Also, I forgot to do this in the original request…. and now I’m officially too late (east coast time), but… Do you remember? Demi Adejuyigbe does his thing and if you need that original dazzling late 70’s video, that’s here.

BREAD: Building Racial Equity in the Arts through Dance

Please join ClancyWorks on Wednesday, February 24th from 4pm-6pm EST AND/OR Saturday, February 27th from 12pm-2pm EST for BREAD: Building Racial Equity in the Arts through Dance facilitated by Devon Wallace. Presented by ClancyWorks, these workshops will remain free of charge to participants. Please email deti.programs@clancyworks.org with any questions.⁠

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/X4eCqLRb6cFV9dST7

Love the Movement, Honor the People: The commercialization and exploitation of modern African American dance and culture for a world audience.

This workshop will directly address cultural and commercial treatment of African American dance encompassing the past 50 years. Many of the practices, traditions, and expectations of these dance styles have been compromised, disregarded, and in some cases sacrificed for outside forces to gain comfort or to thrive without full understanding of the art forms.

We will examine the many ways this presents itself, utilizing lecture, presenter-led movement, group dialogue, and music analysis. This will allow us to shine light on issues that stifle the beauty and brilliance of African-American artistic creations and the communities that facilitated their developments.
⁠
Register for either session, or both sessions, whichever your schedule allows. Although we have the same seminar planned for both sessions, we know that conversations and the ways we participate will make each session slightly different. Our hopes are that weekday and weekend options will accommodate a larger audience and foster participation from more members of the artistic community; feel free to share this event with coworkers, peers, etc. all are welcome.

A Call For Opinions on Performance Spaces

On the front page of this site, you’ll find a sidebar that lists many of the performance spaces available to dancers and dance companies in the metropolitan Baltimore region.

These are sorted by size, but each of them has a page here on the site, and I’d like to provide some more meaningful information to dancers about these spaces from other dancers that are familiar with (have performed in…) these spaces.

So, as a general call to the Baltimore dance community, if you’d like to share a comment, or tip, or suggestion, or experience with any of the performance spaces, or if you know of one I’ve missed and should be included, please get in touch.

I’m happy to keep your comments anonymous if you prefer, or if you’d like a link to your or your company’s website included, I’m happy to do that as well.

I look forward to hearing from you soon…

Baltimore Regional Dance Survey is Live

This has been a long time coming, and much more challenging than I originally imagined… but, it’s live now and YOU can participate!

The primary research is being done by a small group at Towson University, this is the introduction to the survey…

This study is being conducted on behalf of a group of Marketing students from Towson University. Its purpose is to take an analytical look at dancers working conditions in the Baltimore area and the general environment in which they make work, as well as to determine the space needs of dancers and support efforts to build new dance-specific spaces in the Baltimore area.

The survey, which can be found at the link below, is the primary tool for this study. It will be circulated to approximately 1700 dancers, students, suppliers, and instructors in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. We have identified these artists from numerous sources ranging from performance spaces, producers, funding agencies and service organizations.

We hope that the generous investment of your valuable time will benefit you and your fellow artists in the years to come. We are very grateful for your time and efforts.

Baltimore Regional Dance Survey

I encourage everyone that performs, teaches, or studies dance, AND (this is important) all those that provide services and support for the dancers to participate – and invite friends!

As far as I can tell, dance in Baltimore has never been studied at this depth – and every bit counts.

Please help.

Baltimore City Safe Art Space Task Force

In response to the closure of Bell Foundry (and other issues in the city), Mayor Pugh has established a Safe Art Space Task Force. This organization is holding public meetings on upcoming Tuesdays at 4pm. I encourage dancers of all flavors to get involved in these meetings as often as possible. Information on the task force is here.

Upcoming meetings include:

Tuesday, March 7th – location TBD
Tuesday, March 21st – location TBD
Tuesday, April 4th – location TBD
Tuesday, April 18th – location TBD
Tuesday, May 2nd – location TBD
Tuesday, May 16th – location TBD (Final Meeting)

Baltimore City Board and Commission Appointments

With the new administration in Baltimore City, there is a rare and important opportunity for dancers to engage on a strategic level with the city.

Mayor Pugh is accepting applications to serve on numerous boards and commissions. Information and application is here. The deadline is March 1, 2017, 4:30pm.

If you dance or are interested in the future of dance in Baltimore, I encourage you to consider applying… there are several boards and commissions that could influence the future of dance in Baltimore, but probably most interesting is the Recreation and Parks Advisory Council.

As discussed previously, city recreation facilities are due for an upgrade. The new administration is currently looking for a new Director of Recreation and Parks, and that person will review (and probably change) the previous plans. It is important for dancers to have their voices heard in this process.

If that doesn’t suit you, you could also have a meaningful influence for your art with these boards and commissions:

Baltimore Collegetown Network
Baltimore Development Corporation
Commission on Aging and Retirement Education
Community Relations Commission
Downtown Partnership
East Baltimore Development
Park Heights Renaissance Board
Visit Baltimore
Youth Commission

I hope you’ll take the time to review the site, the reference guide and if you can, get engaged and get the voice of dancers on these boards…