So I always think of dance as an art but as one tries to make a living out of it, at some level it does become a business. But it is still dance. Its about being in the moment, experiencing something special and SHARING that experience.
As I am gradually learning, grant writing, marketing and knowing how to talk and write about one's work is essential. Joe Landini, who runs The Garage in San Francisco, once said to me that "the more you are successful at doing what you do, the more time you need to spend away from it." That is so so TRUE. I had my first home season last year and I spent less time in the studio than I did on my computer. But even as we strive to get more students, audiences, funds, what drives the process is passion and commitment.
I think an environment where one is competing but in the process, enabling and supporting one another exists, such has been my experience in the SF Bay Area community. There are some stunning dancers who dance with me, who also choreograph their own work, dance for other artists and sometimes we are showcasing our choreography in the same festivals. I think that is freaking AMAZING! And its so much fun to feed off each others' energies and ideas.
On the flip side, I have had some really BIZARRE experiences as well. People claiming credit for stuff they haven't done, joining one company and then soliciting their students and teachers to join their own, and other UNETHICAL stuff that I cannot even begin to describe. But when I look at them I don't see artists, and they are definitely not driven by their love for dance.
I think that as artists we have to learn to market ourselves, but not at the cost of our art. Else, what is the point? We may as well quit and take up a career that actually pays!
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