Year: 2025-2026
DanceForce Member: Kim Engel
Artist: Ellen Sinopoli
Community Partner: Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company
Audience: 1,750
Counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady
Putting Out the Welcome Mat was devised for two main reasons: 1) to combat the current dearth of dance performances in the Capital Region and 2) to assist a local artistic resource in celebrating a commemorative anniversary.
Recently, the Capital Region has seen the number of dance performances plummet because of loss and change of venue leadership. This coming season, that will become more severe when two local dance venues will undergo shutdowns for renovations. The anticipated number of presented dance performances by venues is expected to be in the low single digits, a devastating blow to dedicated dance audiences.
A staple of the Capital Region dance scene, the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (ESDC) is the resident company of The Egg, once the major presenter of dance in the area. ESDC will celebrate its 35th season in 2025-26, a significant accomplishment for the company and the region. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to developing new audiences for dance.
Putting Out the Welcome Mat will engage ESDC in 35 performances in locations mostly beyond traditional performance venues such as libraries, community centers, campuses, office buildings, parks, playgrounds, galleries, museums, etc. The performances will span the season and will be offered free to audiences. They will be low-tech, simple events celebrating dance in its most elemental form. They will take place in locations where area residents are already gathered and will offer audiences an up-close and personal experience with dance. It is anticipated that there will be an average of 50 viewers per event.
The series’ name comes from the piece of equipment that will allow these performances to happen in non-traditional locations. ESDC will use interlocking rubber mat squares to easily create a danceable surface in each location. The mat flooring will not only protect the dancers’ bodies but will create a central focal point for audience members to gather around and view the action. Its significance also comes from the ability to reach out and welcome audiences to see dance without encountering a major time commitment, the restriction of cost and the barrier of going to a theatre.
The project serves to increase dance activity in the region, celebrate a local resource, expose dance to a widespread population and potentially develop new audiences for dance.