Year: 2015-2016
DanceForce Member: Toni Smith
Community Partner: Dance Alliance, Ballston Spa; Kim Engel; Proctor’s Theatre, Schenectady; The Egg, Albany
Audience: 2,500
Counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Washington
The Capital Region Dance Season Calendar is a collaborative effort on the part of 10 capital region dance presenters. A uniquely designed, four color calendar that lists the dance performances, residencies and festivals in five counties is produced as a self mailing piece that can be tabled throughout the region, reaching 2,500 potential dance audience members. The project requires that all dance sponsors provide their roster along with marketing photos and contact information up to a year in advance. The calendar is sent first class to regional members of the Dance Alliance, a membership organization of dance educators, artists, audience members. The calendar is tabled in a dozen public libraries, multiple theaters, cafes and arts centers. It is the only listing that includes the entire dance season on one document. Dance presenters often work independently to build audiences, so the public rarely has a full picture of all the dance activity. The calendar serves many purposes including the need for dance presenters to work together toward a single goal – collaborative marketing of the NYS capital regional dance season.