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Charts and numbers

March 17, 2008 at 11:47 pm · Filed under dance, resources, culture, boston, news, SUSAN, research, arts funding, fundraising, issues, america, dance culture, trends, dance companies, funding, arts, future

SUSAN KIM
Ballet Student, Supporter
Los Angeles, California USA
BIO | POSTS

That the dance community at large has been facing a number of worries is not really news to most of us. (’Tis unfortunate, but true.) For the most part, most of the concerns that dominate the dance headlines have been dollar-focused; the problem of finding consistent funds and finances to pay dancers, commission choreography, license works and underwrite productions is one that will likely (and, sadly) plague us for a while longer. (For those who have not yet heard, Boston Ballet is the most recent company to fall into the financial black hole.)

In order to get a better grasp of what the dance world is facing, it is probably a good idea to get a more distanced perspective of where and how dance stands in relation to its other cultural peers. Towards the end of last year (2007), LaPlaca Cohen published Culture Track 2007, a presentation in which they summarize the results of their fourth national survey of cultural audiences.

The good news: In the past two years, there’s been a slight (2-3%) increase in attendance at classical dance (ballet) and modern dance events. (Yay!)

The bad news: A hefty percentage (52-68%) of people indicated that the genre/period/style to which a “cultural activity” belonged affected their attendance. Might this mean that dance will continue to remain a “lesser attended art form”? (Bummer.)

The hope: A significant number (31-49%) of the surveyed respondents indicated that “supporting a friend or family member” is a “very important” factor in their decision to attend performances and ‘activities.’ We can make a difference! (Hurrah!)

And, just in case your invitations meet resistance, be prepared:

Dance Chic

May 24, 2007 at 2:02 pm · Filed under SLOAN, pointe shoes, fashion, france, ny times, serge gainsbourgh, charlotte gainsbourg, repetto, jazz shoes, trends, style

Posted by Kristin Sloan

After many years of Serge Gainsbourg making Repetto jazz shoes cool, followed by his daughter Charlotte… the New York Times has picked up on the current trend and published an article this morning…

“UNBEKNOWN to many, Serge Gainsbourg, the seminal French singer and style icon, had sensitive feet. Boots hurt him. He hated walking. His only salvation was calfskin jazz shoes made by Repetto, the French dance shoe company. Jane Birkin, then his lover, turned him on to the supple shoes in the early ’70s. “Serge was looking for gloves for his feet,” she told Les Inrockuptibles, the French music magazine. Originally designed by Rose Repetto for her daughter-in-law, the ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, the lace-up shoes served Gainsbourg well. ”

Gloves for the feet. Hmmm. Sounds like how my old ballet teachers used to describe how pointe shoes should feel. Probably not the same feeling Serge had in mind though.

They also include a little slideshow, (with a projected backdrop of images of Paris), showing all the new takes on the classic shoe available at design-y stores like Comme Des Garçons and Opening Ceremony.