This weekend, for the second time in a month, I went to see
a dance concert in which the house was barely filled. “This is EXACTLY what I’m
trying to avoid,” I remarked to my friend as we took our seats. “I don’t want
to put on a fully produced show and NO ONE shows up. If that’s going to be the
case, then what’s the point?”
As artists, we work so hard to create work and then even
harder to show it in front of an audience. And for what? -- If the only people
who show up are our loved ones. Trust me, I’m so glad when my parents can make
a trip north on I-95, and my friends can take a night away from their busy
schedules, but I make dances to connect, engage and communicate with audiences
beyond people I know personally.
So as I’m jumping into a season of performances this
February, March and April, I’m thinking about what I can do to make sure I’m not
dancing to an empty house:
- Partner with people and organizations that have a built in audience
- Choose a size appropriate venue – I’d rather have standing room only, than mostly empty seats
- Promote! Promote! Promote!
That's all I've got. You?
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