A pandemic took place between the last blog and this one. Lots happened, including our creation and development of Curbside Theater. This entry is a geeky look at the US modern dance world, and how its most important institution has become university dance programs.
After the pandemic, SB Dance went all in on an outdoor mobile program called Curbside Theater. It’s comparable to the quality of art we made for theaters, but with a very different, much larger audience that seems to realize “curbside” is just a nice way of saying gutter.
Curbside allows just about any person or entity into an impresario for the night. Notably, it cuts out the -ors– curators, administrators, directors– who are generally in charge of what goes onstage. Because technical stages and long hamstringed humanoids aren’t cheap, the -ors wield a lot of influence in the field. They are the gatekeepers between audiences and artists.
About 30 years ago, universities (profess-ors) emerged as a new genre of gatekeeper. As funding decreased and national dance touring programs tanked, accomplished choreographers closed their companies, got fast track credentials, and filled tenured positions. Major choreographic premiers are now presented in partnership with universities like Berkeley and SUNY. Often, college students get some stage time, doing one piece on a mixed bill or playing minor roles in big casts. Though criticized as a pyramid-scheme for student dancers, academia is probably the most powerful player in US modern dance world. Nowadays, universities either pay or have paid or will pay the salaries of most -ors.
The era of university dominance in dance is concurrent with a period of declining attendance in the US, a trend not evident in Western Europe, Canada, or Mexico, places where academe doesn’t wield as much power. This is something I’ve been wondering about as I go about selling Curbside. Attending the virtual APAP conference in January 2022, I was flabbergasted that the main topic of conversation was how soon things would go back to normal or better-than-normal in response to pent-up demand. Folks are optimistic because everyone’s balance sheet looks good after being salvaged by Rescue Act monies. But what about those years of declining attendance? What about decentralization trends like remote or hybrid work? Better-than-ever? REALLY?
My sense is that if you’re getting paid a university salary, you don’t think about it too much. Academics aren’t obligated to worry about attendance the way I do. The purpose of the ivory tower is to shelter them from the storm. But what happens when academe is sheltered from a storm that it sets in motion.
To be continued…
