Our ideal intern is laid-back but able to stay on task, adaptive and flexible but motivated, and understand the goals and philosophies of the Fort Wayne Dance Collective (which we will explain in the interview process). It’s a lot of fun — not only do they get to meet fun creative artists, they can work in an environment that fosters creativity. Our intern will get to bump elbows with internationally renowned dancers, learn how nonprofit arts organizations do their good works, and generally make a difference in the lives of over 30,000 people FWDC serves every year.

Our requirements:

• Has an interest in dance, movement, and/or rhythmic music, as well as nonprofit administration.
• Able to create and maintain simple databases, and other related administrative duties to target our marketing for the Indiana Dance Festival and the accompanying guest artist residency by Hubbard Street 2 from Chicago, guest residency in April 2010.
• Must attend meetings and contribute efforts to the 2011 Indiana Dance Festival steering committee led by the Outreach Director.
• Make cold calls to identify potential attendees.
• Conduct mailings to inform patrons of the event.
• Assist with a smaller event, Dark Dance, Deadly Tongue, in late October, to build skills in customer service, as well as event promotion and coordination.

This position pays $10 per hour, for an average of 10 hours per week. Although hours are flexible, there are a few meetings and set office times that are a must.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, navigate over to the Indiana INTERNnet. Create a profile, and find our listing under the Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Industry. If you’re who we’re looking for, we’ll call you for an interview. Please have your application in by 5:00 pm,September 15, 2010.

Good luck!

Photo by Kelly Lynch.

Earlier this month, Outreach Director Erin Stewart left the Fort Wayne Dance Collective to pursue new ventures in Washington, DC. We wish her well, and realized that she left big shoes to fill. After a long search process with many great candidates, the FWDC board decided to hire Alison Eby Gerardot, pictured above.

Alison has been involved in the Fort Wayne dance scene her entire life.  She has studied and taught dance at numerous studios around the city and region and has choreographed for shows at IPFW as well as for the Fort Wayne Dance Collective.  Along with her knowledge of dance, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English with minors in Dance and Communications as well as her teaching license.  Alison not only has a passion for dance but an appreciation for all arts and has close ties with local musicians and artists as well.  She looks forward to sharing her love of dance and the arts with the community through her work at FWDC. She first became involved professionally with the Fort Wayne Dance Collective when she conceived of and co-created Eaten Alive: Seven Deadly Sins, featuring the work of seven local choreographers, each creating a dance focusing on a mortal sin. All three shows were sold out, and FWDC now produces a spooky Halloween show each October. Alison will be coordinating outreach bookings and developing the program with FWDC, as well as leading the Indiana Dance Festival steering committee for April 2011.

Next time you’re in FWDC studios, stop by the office and welcome Alison, or drop her an email (alison [at] fwdc [dot] org). We are excited to have her aboard, and want her to meet as many of our friends as possible (although chances are, if you are a dancer, you already know her!).

The Fort Wayne Dance Collective is looking for a talented professional to manage and advance our large and diverse outreach program. We need someone who isn’t afraid to network professionally, write detailed grants, follow up with outreach inquiries, manage, nurture and evaluate artists, and even just make coffee now and then.

The applicant chosen for this position will have completed a four-year degree (or commensurate experience), have strong writing and communication skills, possess superior time management and prioritizing abilities, and harbor an interest and appreciation for dance, movement, wellness, and the arts. Previous experience with nonprofit organizations, creative or grant-writing skills, and an understanding of Macintosh computer systems are a plus. The candidate must be flexible, approachable, and easily co-exist with his or her fellow directors.

If selected, you will work in a fun, laid-back, artsy and respectful environment, learn something new every day (anything from hanging stage lights to scrapbooking), hob-knob with internationally-renowned artists from time to time, and have all the dance and wellness classes, and free popcorn you want (there’s an independent movie theatre in the same building).

This position is budgeted for 30 hours-per-week, with a salary of approximately $24,000 a year. Health benefits are included and are employer-paid. Salary is non-negotiable.

Please submit cover letter, resume and at least two professional references to Andy Welfle, Managing Director via email at andy [at] fwdc [dot] org with “Outreach Director Application” in the subject line, no later than Monday, July 26 at 5:00 pm.

Job responsibilities include:

• Seek out new outreach education and performance opportunities including off-site teaching, as well as opportunities for Fort Wayne Taiko and touring company performances.
• Coordinate and produce contracts for outreach services and evaluate the outcomes.
• Assist in the development of outreach marketing activities and strategies.
• Coordinate special projects in conjunction with management staff.
• Manage and negotiate contracts for outreach teachers and outreach sites.
• Assist with long-range planning and annual budget.
• Collaborate with the management staff and outside professionals in securing outreach funds through grant writing, proofing and managing, as well as fundraising.
• Act as staff liaison with the Personnel committee and Education committee.
• Serve on the Artist Panel Committee and the Fund Development Committee.
• Lead the annual Guest Artist Steering Committee.
• Manage the Guest Artist intern.
• Manage on-site volunteers.
• Secure allies in the arts, multi-cultural and disabled communities.
• Submit monthly reports to Board of Directors and participate in board meetings.
• Attend conferences and workshops that relate to the position as determined by management staff.
• Nurture the growth of outreach instructors.
• Assist with hospitality needs for on-site workshops.

A picture of the sky from Friday Night's Storm, via Indiana's NewsCenter.

Wow. What a weekend.

It’s ironic that last year’s June concert was called Mother Nature’s Nightmare, because this year, it really lived up to that title. In case you didn’t know, our Friday King’s Curse family concert was ended prematurely by high wind/tornado sirens going off. Our 140 cast members spent about 45 minutes in the basement, while our 450 audience members were asked to remain in the auditorium. The temperature dropped 15 degrees, it started hailing, and the sky looked like something out of the beginning of the Wizard of Oz.

Despite no tornadoes actually touching down, I think it was the right thing to do. Between the sirens, the sheets of rain, and the extremely high winds, it could have easily turned into a tornado situation, and when you have a cast consisting mostly of 3-12 year-olds, it’s better safe than sorry. And luckily, the Arts United Center is maybe literally the safest building in Fort Wayne. Between its box-within-a-box architecture, and the foot-thick concrete walls, it’s going to take a lot more than a tornado to penetrate that building. Having a few upset parents is better than even the small chance of severe weather injuring one of our students.

We’d like to apologize to our wonderful cast, to their dedicated parents, and the audience members who attended the performance. Although we got through the story portion of the concert, we were unable to finish the final dance number, the curtain call, and the awards ceremony. We’d also like to thank all of the above, as well as the Arts United Center staff for their quick actions to keep us safe.

Incidentally, I attended the Northeast Indiana Public Radio wine tasting dinner the next night at the Arts United Center (which was a fabulous event as well), and the fire alarm went off because of a contained kitchen fire. I think I need to steer clear of that place — it looks like I’m bringing the King’s Curse with me!

Please stay tuned for an upcoming post highlighting those who have been honored as a award recipient. Also: did you attend the event? Any thoughts, testimonials, or comments on the performance? Let us know in the comments below.

The first of a series of "King's Curse" rehearsals Saturday Morning, June 5.

The office is always buzzing this time of the year. We’re less than two weeks away from our June family Concert, “The King’s Curse”. We have a record 141 cast members this year!

Let me repeat that. One hundred and forty-one cast members. The majority of them are children.

Any big production involves some amount of chaos, and this is going to be no different. We have the Teardrops and the Knitters, both classes of 3-5 year-olds, We have Jesters, Witches, Drama Queens, Horses, Crabs, Bats, and more. Much more. Our narrow hallway has been clogged with dancers, parents, and crew members, and it’s been a challenge communicating details about the big performance to the masses.

Challenging, but fun.

It’s always amazing to me, even after working through 3 of these shows previously, how Liz and a score of other teachers and production people take a story, break it down into individual class dances, and then piece it together again. Although I participate in the crafting of the story along with the other FWDC staffers, Liz and our teachers make it happen. With rehearsal and time, the chaos melts into an hour-long story dance that is utterly charming.

If you’d like to come see the magic that is created by 141 dancers, let me know. Tickets are on sale for $12 (and $10 if you have a child 12 or younger)

The collective part of FWDC refers to a couple different parts. First, our management structure is in a collective style. Rather than a traditional nonprofit where there is an Executive Director and sub directors under her, all three of our directors reports directly to the board. And if there is a decision that would otherwise be made by an executive director, our three directors make it collectively, by consensus. There is only one other collective-style management nonprofit in town: the Center for Nonviolence. Our two organizations were founded around the same time, and have close ties, as many of the same people were involved in our inceptions.

There is also another element to the “collective” in our organization, and it’s in the way we teach and create art. The DC Dance Collective says it best at their FAQ page:

A Collective, like a traditional dance school, offers a full range of classes for dancers of all ages and all levels. The difference between a collective and a traditional dance school is that a collective provides support for the artists and their individual talents, rather than stringently setting rules and defining curriculums. A collective allows the instructors the freedom to relay their expertise to students in whatever way they see fit. Furthermore, a collective strives to include as many different dance styles from as many different cultures as possible. Students benefit by being able to choose from a wide range of classes taught by experienced instructors with differing styles and philosophies, which allows them to compare and contrast those styles and philosophies, and thereby form their own opinions, and grow as artists and individuals.

There you have it. We at the FWDC pride ourselves on the individual cultivation of a dancer, not as a cog in the choreography machine, but as a whole and innate creative individual. We have a focus on creative expression, democratic collaboration, and improvisation.

We hope you can come and be part of the collective! Our summer class schedule is up, and it’ll be starting at the end of June!

I know that a lot of people we serve at FWDC are nonprofit professionals, or just parties interested in nonprofit service. I figured although this doesn’t specifically relate to dance, the FWDC blog might be a good opportunity to share this with you.

I’m excited about the discussion NeXtGen Digest is having this month —We’re meeting with Monica Freeman, the Vision Coordinator for the Northeast Indiana Fund, a foundation supporting the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its mission. She will be talking to us about the massive project they are undertaking — creating a community vision plan for Fort Wayne and the region. As a nonprofit professional, I feel that I need to be part of this, as my organization has a responsibility to serve those in the community. As a young person, in my late-20s, I feel a responsibility personally because I will likely one day inherit this community, and want to be part of shaping it.

Check out the NeXtGen blog for more information about the event, and email me if you want to be part of the discussion. I hope you can make it!

Dancer Hope Goldman worked in collaboration with visual artist Andrew Moffat to create this piece. What’s amazing to me is that this was created with a $40 webcam, some cheap software, and a projector.

Take a look, I hope you like it as much as I did!

Click here to view the embedded video.

From Liz Monnier, our Artistic Director:

Wow, what a weekend! It’s amazing the energy that our guest performers bring. My favorite moment was watching Maz perform their final number at the Cherry Blossom Festival.  I wanted to internalize the sensation of what he was doing…so intense, his whole body flowing with the rhythms and the look on his face, totally immersed in the moment.  I also think it’ s funny how many people I’ve seen air drumming!

From Mary Marino-Strong, a FWDC volunteer and patron:

Saturday’s TAIKOPROJECT performance was unforgettable! It was so fabulous. I had no idea that a few people playing some drums would be as great – nor did I understand that the drummers bodies are as much a part of the music as the drums themselves. It’s a joy to watch a performer who has reached a level of real mastery in his art, and their leader seems to have done that big time! I also enjoyed seeing them at the Cherry Blossom Festival. So enthused were we that we participated with FW Taiko at the Festival as well. Its leader, Allison Ballard, did a great job of creating a format that allowed even musically-impaired audience members like moi to play along. Great fun!

From Rob Mican, a taiko drummer from Chicago who came to see the performance:

My family & I drove down from Chicago specifically for this TAIKOPROJECT  performance. I’ve had my eye on TAIKOPROJECT for the last year or two, hoping they would eventually come to the Chicago area. This is the first chance I’ve had to see them live. “Awesome” does not come close to describing how awesome they were. My son & I have been playing taiko for five or six years now, and TAIKOPROJECT’s energy and passion for taiko are amazingly infectious. They love what they do, they have loads of fun on stage, and it shows. The way TAIKOPROJECT puts a modern spin on a traditional musical art is downright enlightening — I’ve never seen any other taiko group do what they do with their impeccable musical skills. Our new taiko semester has just started, and my son & I can’t wait to start pounding on the drums again.

From Allison Ballard, FWDC teacher and Director of Fort Wayne Taiko:

TAIKOPROJECT’s performance(s) this weekend was yet another life-changing event sponsored by FWDC! Thank you, thank you, thank you! This community is so fortunate to be blessed by FWDC’s progressive programs. A common quote in the taiko community is that taiko is not meant to awe, but to inspire….I am inspired and humbled and excited to grow as a taiko drummer. Towards that aim, FW Taiko has two drummers attending the Memorial Day Weekend Intensive with San Jose Taiko in San Jose, California and I will be attending the Portland Taiko’s week-long intensive this August in Portland, Oregon. As always, we look forward to bringing new skills back to the FW Community. I must say that playing at the Cherry Blossom Festival with Taiko Project in the audience was one of the more challenging and humbling things I have done in a while….good grief. But I am so grateful to have the chance to grow as a taiko drummer right here in Fort Wayne. FW Taiko welcomes people interested in exploring the art form to join taiko classes held at FWDC every Friday, 3:30 to 5:30. Come check it out! And remember taiko is a drumming and movement form–the movement is as important as the rhythm being played. Come prepared for a full body aerobic workout! And a load of exhilarating fun!

We also got a lot of media attention for the residency as well. Some links to see our press coverage:

• Dumming Japanese tradition by Steve Penhollow at the Journal Gazette
• Dance, drumming mix in ancient art form from the News-Sentinel
• A video at the News-Sentinel’s website at the Cherry Blossom Festival
• Drumming Up a Storm by Michael Summers in the Fort Wayne Reader

Liz Monnier

I started doing Dances of Universal Peace about a year ago, April 2009. I jumped right in with a weekend retreat with the famed Nyrayan from Bozeman MT who was leading the dances at Paula Saffire’s lovely home studio in Indianapolis.

I was the only newbie in the group and so there were some awkward moments for me at first, like not knowing the proper way to hold hands in the circle ( left palm up right palm down).  I got a hint from someone that it is “both thumbs to the left.”

Ah. Thank you.

I loved returning to the land of singing which I left long ago in high school.  Some of the songs are in Hebrew and seemed hard to learn but if you said it wrong it was OK. Now a year later, the Hebrew is much easier to learn and seeing it in writing helps, too.

The first thing I noticed at this retreat was the openness of the other dancers; looking you straight in the eye (a stranger, no less) smiling and seeing people transform into cosmic beings. I did this first retreat as an experiment of sorts, but it didn’t take long before I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to do it again, but I wasn’t sure why.

We started weekly circles in Fort Wayne last summer and I looked forward to the each one. Sometimes it seemed like waiting forever for the next circle.

What was it about these circles? I’ve started formulating my own theories. It’s the community of people I look forward to seeing. It’s the singing and the dancing at the same time. It’s the unconditional acceptance I feel from others and enjoy giving to others as well. Last week our leader Jessica said, “vibration, feel the vibration.” I then realized that yes, I feel the vibration, the energy in the room was electric, and warm and inviting and peaceful. It was an energy I want to feel always. So, I try to take this energy into my daily life and wait until the next circle to get the renewal again.

Now in the circles I too can look at other people, strangers, straight in the eye and feel amazed at the energy that comes back to me, fills me. When we do a song/dance that  I’ve done before it’s exciting because I can focus on the energy and not on the steps and the words.

This is why I see myself doing Dances of Universal Peace for the rest of my life.

— Liz Monnier
Artistic Director

Visit our DUP page if you want any additional information about Dances of Universal Peace. We have a monthly circle gathering on the second Saturdays of the month, except in June, where we are holding a special weekend event with special guest Eric Narayan Waldeman.