Pre-Meeting Workshops

As members of the institutional community, dance administrators must work to establish and cultivate relationships between the dance unit and various communities which exist both within and beyond the institution. This session will focus on 1) developing relationships with other administrators and leaders in various communities, 2) designing and revising effective strategies and approaches for promoting dance as an indispensable academic discipline within the institution and community, and 3) accurately and positively representing the work of the dance unit to all communities.

Together, the group will consider the following questions: What are some examples of effective leadership styles for dance administrators? How does one develop one’s own leadership style? How does one develop a leadership style that will be effective given the multitude of issues that exist in any given dance unit? Do different issues require different styles? How can a leader improve existing leadership skills?

Several short examples describing leadership successes and failures will be provided and are intended to assist attendees to explore ways of finding their own leadership styles. These vignettes will serve as springboards, providing opportunities for attendees to discuss the myriad responsibilities of dance administrators, such as people management, oral and written communication, resource allocation, and planning.

This session will focus on the value of and suggested procedures for establishing achievable goals and objectives that serve as the basis for effective long-range planning and enable realistic considerations that govern the productive use of time.

The work of the dance administrator requires an awareness of the necessity for careful and balanced cultivation among multiple constituencies. Therefore, goal setting becomes a necessary and effective way to establish personal, institutional, and community priorities. When successful, this effort lays the groundwork for and focuses planning initiatives. Successful administrators are able to set goals, plan, manage time, and understand the relationship between and among these three important aspects. Establishing a firm foundation based on carefully articulated goals enhances the administrator’s ability to develop multiple skills and acquire detailed subject matter knowledge that will assist to address efficiently and effectively the ever-increasing number of questions, challenges, and issues that arise.

Suggestions with regard to setting goals, developing approaches to planning, and successful ways to think about time and its effective use will be presented.

Dance programs are complex. Such complexities create expenses on many levels and in many dimensions, some of which require fundraising efforts. Technology compounds this issue by generating additional budget pressures in terms of equipment and the need to maintain its currency. Successful financial management, therefore, requires not only detailed knowledge of costs, but also the savvy required to advocate budget needs, the ability to allocate and manage funds effectively, and the wherewithal to advocate for the dance unit in ways that will generate funding or revenue. This session will begin with an introduction of existing realities and the pressures they bring to bear on institutions and, specifically, dance units. Predominant focus will be placed on financial planning, both short- and long-range; ideas and approaches with regard to fundraising efforts; developing and maintaining sound fiscal policies and procedures; and ways to approach fiscal stability in order to ensure the ongoing financial viability of the institution or unit.

Many successful dance administrators maintain extensive contacts in their local and regional communities. These contacts can prove valuable when interests arise in developing institution/community collaborations, whether through outreach events, public performances, masterclasses offered to local training programs, or partnerships with local arts organizations. This session will consider the nature of strong relationships which can be established between a dance unit and its current and potential future external partners. Attendees will consider how presentations of dance, relationships with dance programs in public and private schools, and the development of community support groups can enhance opportunities for students, faculty, and administrators. Methodologies for connecting educational goals and objectives with community development goals will be explored.

 Please note: Participants should plan to attend the Box Lunch for New and Seasoned Dance Administrators Workshop Attendees from 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m., Open Conversation for All Pre-Meeting Attendees from 4:15 p.m.–5:30 p.m., and the Reception for Pre-Meeting Attendees from 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Facilitators will recap and provide a summary of the day’s discussions. In addition, an opportunity for open conversation will be provided for all pre-meeting workshop attendees, presenters, and facilitators, enabling both new and seasoned administrators to meet and discuss topics of interest, including shared issues that permeate all levels of administrative experience. Attendees of the Pre-Meeting Workshop for New Dance Administrators and the Pre-Meeting Workshops for Seasoned Dance Administrators from Degree-Granting Institutions and Professional Studio Schools are invited and asked to attend.

(Cash bar)

All pre-meeting workshop attendees, presenters, and facilitators are invited to this informal reception, which will provide an opportunity to meet, greet, and cultivate valuable professional relationships with other dance administrators. Attendees are encouraged to continue the conversations begun during the day’s workshops and Open Conversation session. All registrants are welcome to attend.

(Attendees of both workshops will enjoy lunch together, offering an opportunity to all to connect and develop potential mentoring relationships.)

The responsibilities of the dance administrator are complex and multifaceted. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities. Over time, the roles and responsibilities of an administrator often expand, change, and evolve. These pre-meeting workshops—one designed especially for seasoned administrators from degree-granting institutions and one for seasoned administrators from professional studio schools––will offer opportunities for administrators to discuss various issues. Suggestions for topics will be solicited in advance from attendees and may include but not be limited to: the changing role of the dance administrator; working with faculty, students, and staff; evaluating the level of student work; communicating with upper administrators/board members; working with members of the community; financial management of the dance program; marketing the dance program to prospective students and the public; strategies for dealing with difficult situations; and succession planning. Attendees from all types of institutions and from all levels of administration may participate. However, individuals new to dance administration may wish to attend the Pre-Meeting Workshop for New Dance Administrators offered on Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Please note: Participants should plan to attend the Box Lunch for New and Seasoned Dance Administrators Workshop Attendees from 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m., Open Conversation for All Pre-Meeting Attendees from 4:15 p.m.–5:30 p.m., and the Reception for Pre-Meeting Attendees from 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Facilitators will recap and provide a summary of the day’s discussions. In addition, an opportunity for open conversation will be provided for all pre-meeting workshop attendees, presenters, and facilitators, enabling both new and seasoned administrators to meet and discuss topics of interest, including shared issues that permeate all levels of administrative experience. Attendees of the Pre-Meeting Workshop for New Dance Administrators and the Pre-Meeting Workshops for Seasoned Dance Administrators from Degree-Granting Institutions and Professional Studio Schools are invited and asked to attend.

(Cash bar)

All pre-meeting workshop attendees, presenters, and facilitators are invited to this informal reception, which will provide an opportunity to meet, greet, and cultivate valuable professional relationships with other dance administrators. Attendees are encouraged to continue the conversations begun during the day’s workshops and Open Conversation session. All registrants are welcome to attend.