Will we see you there?
For the past few months, our team has been supporting communications efforts for Dance/USA, especially those leading up to their 2025 National Conference.
And this week, we’re thrilled to come together as a team to attend the Conference in Chicago!
We look forward to hearing from thought leaders in the dance field, connecting with peers in arts administration, and joining conversations shaping the future of work in the arts.
On the first day, Amy will introduce Grounding Keynote speaker Ra Joy, former Chief of Staff at the National Endowment for the Arts under the Biden-Harris administration. He’ll be exploring the sector’s current reality, identifying the critical role the arts (specifically dance) will play in rebuilding our country, and invoking a collective call to action to movement-build together.
We’re also excited to hear from Grounding Keynote speaker Candace Thompson-Zachery, a friend and colleague in the NYC dance scene. Candace’s always inspiring and deeply thoughtful good-natured but no-nonsense guidance is always a welcome kick in the pants to do better.
And it’s a happy coincidence that our very own Xenia will be showing work in DanceWorks Chicago and Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances 2025 while we’re in town!
At the Conference, we’ll be hosting a SmART Bar session, offering one-on-one consultations as part of a dynamic lineup of industry leaders (aka “SmART Bar Bartenders”) who share their expertise in service of fellow dance makers and cultural workers.
We’ll also have an Exhibitor Booth, where folks can come chat with us about our consulting work (and pick up some free gifts).
At both of these touchpoints, we’ll focus on what it means to market dance right now. We know that in challenging times, we must commit to direct, unapologetic marketing that cuts through the noise and preserves artistic integrity.
In that spirit, we’ve created something special for Conference attendees: “The Resistance Marketing Toolkit: 5 Strategies Dancers Can Use to Persist Despite Current Challenges.” It includes five thoughtful and practical ways to build and maintain attention and support, even in a crisis.
It’s such a gift to gather with our peers in the dance community, to remember that amidst all of the chaos and turmoil, art still matters. In fact, it matters a lot. Art continues to tell us who we are, and to help us imagine who we could be. Art provides hope and healing. It is an essential part of being human and staying humane.
Will we see you at the Conference? Let us know you’ll be there!! We want to say hello!!