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Marin’s 21st Century Dance Collaboration originally existed as The Marin County Festival of Dance in 1995 and again in 1997 as an all-day dance festival taking place in an outdoor amphitheater and featuring live dance performance, dance vendors and food booths. In 1999 the project was renamed Marin’s 21st Century Dance Collaboration, becoming an annual live performance featuring both original dance and music, at one of the finest traditional theater venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Marin Civic Center Showcase Theater. Marin’s 21st Century Dance Collaboration ran from 1999-2002, and was a celebration of artistic adventure, collaboration, experimentation and excellence. Each year, it was a performance showcase of 10-12 original dances by San Francisco Bay Area choreographers and one national guest artist, working in collaboration with a composer. All works include original dance and music composition, approximately half of the musical compositions were performed live, and about 80% of the works were premieres. The performances showcased a wide range of dance styles, as permitted by the entry applications received. Tickets were traditionally priced reasonably to encourage people of all incomes to attend: $10.00 pre-sold/students/seniors, $13.00 at the door. If you are a choreographer, stay tuned for more information on how to enter for 2002 or contact us to be sure you receive a call for entries. If you are interested in seeing the show, please stay tuned or join our mailing list to be sure to receive a poster/mailer.
The artists usually range from young and up-and-coming, to locally established, to masters in their fields. They have dedicated themselves to their crafts and have graduated from renowned arts programs, such as for instance, the Ali Akbar College of Music, California Institute of the Arts, Mills College, SUNY Purchase, and New York Tisch School of the Arts. Some are fresh out of a B.F.A. or M.F.A. program, some are teachers, some have already given a large body of work to the community. Artists are chosen from a call for entries that is sent throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and publicized, by a minimum jury of five. The choreographer/composer teams are evaluated based on the strength and creativity of their proposal; the quality of their experience and body of work as shown through work samples and resumes; whether the performance venue would properly showcase the proposed work; how the works fit together to form a cohesive performance as a whole; and, the commitment of the team towards the show. Producers are not eligible to apply. Artists are responsible for creating their works and pre-selling approximately 30 tickets per team, if possible. All artists receive an honorarium based on profits from ticket sales.
Since ticket sales, grants and contributions determine whether the show is produced at all, and how much money is available for artist honorariums, the producers write grants, fundraise, and work very hard for approximately 10 months to make sure that the show is well-attended, by encouraging pre-sold tickets and selling large numbers of tickets themselves. They send out a mailer/poster to approximately 4,000 destinations, develop a web site, advertise in newspapers and in dance newsletters, develop a professional PR packet containing photographs from each participating group, contact reporters, newspapers, and internet magazines, and continually develop relationships with contributors, volunteers, media contacts and friends. The producers are also responsible for scheduling; securing and supervising the theater and equipment; raising and accounting for all funds; hiring and supervising staff and services as per the budget; coordinating the artist selection process and the selected artists; securing insurance for the venue and artists; developing, creating and bulk mailing all PR and printed materials; supervising and working at the dress/tech and performance; and following up with post-show duties. The producers have never received payment for any of these duties and each year receive recognition in the program for contributing money to the event in the highest donor category.
Artists depend on performance showcases to show their work, to receive feedback, and in order to apply for grants and other funding. Creating ONE dance in the San Francisco Bay Area costs approximately $500-$2,000 or beyond, depending on how much rehearsal space costs, how much an artists pays his or her dancers and collaborating artists (composer/musicians and/or visual artists), how much technical needs and/or costume/props cost, how much video documentation costs, etc. If an artist is not teaching at a studio, he or she is paying top dollar for all of these costs. This doesn’t even begin to enumerate the costs of producing that piece or an entire evening of work, even at a small studio venue. While M21CDC pays for the production with a working budget of approximately $30,000, 2/3rds of which come from grants and contributions from local businesses and individuals, the artists involved bear the brunt of costs associated with creating their work and that is why an honorarium is important because it helps alleviate a small portion of those costs. If there is not enough money to pay production costs, the only negotiable item on the budget is unfortunately the artists honorariums and therefore, the honorariums are reduced or deleted from the budget.
Artistic and cultural events are positive productive educational activities which promote health and creativity, and set an example for young people and adults alike. Many of the young performers in M21CDC as well as many of the showcased artists provide arts education for youths and adults; it is well-known that arts education reduces drug abuse, criminal activity and teen pregnancy among youths, that it encourages some to stay in school (jobless and homeless rates go down), and that creative activities build confidence, self-esteem, and communication skills. Cultural performances of this caliber encourage young artists to begin or continue studying with dance teachers, choreographers and composers/musicians in the community and to evaluate dance and music as a career choice. As well, this show educates and entertains the general public and in some cases introduces uninitiated audience to live dance and music performance. This program is thoroughly and completely original and runs without commercials. If you are interested in receiving information about this program, please join our mailing list.