MISNOMER DANCE THEATER: GROUP COMMISSION A CHOREOGRAPHY

Hi, my name is Chris Elam, and I have been the Artistic Director and Choreographer for Misnomer Dance Theater since founding it nine years ago. My most recent choreography was named by the New York Times as one of the Top Ten Dance Performances for 2006, and each of Misnomer's productions have met significant acclaim for our innovation and artistry.

We are currently working on a new choreography that will explore the delicate and complicated nature of human communication, and will premiere it in NYC this April. (For examples of our past work, visit misnomer.org).

WHAT YOU ARE FUNDING

This Fundable project helps commission the creation of this new choreography by pooling small contributions from a large group of individuals interested in our work (that includes you!). This process is part of a larger initiative our company is undertaking to develop new web-based models for generating audiences and revenue for the performing arts.

NEW WEB-BASED MODELS IN THE ARTS

As performing companies struggle to attain funding from both public and private sources, fill seats, and grow their audiences, many rely solely on traditional techniques of letters, emails, and posters as their means of outreach. I believe that new audiences who are interested in the performing arts (even if they may not realize it yet) can discover our work through the internet. In particular, networking sites like MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook, provide individuals access to artistic work without any pre-conceived notions as to whether what they are viewing falls in the category of the performing arts. In the past few months we have received hundreds of messages from users of these networking sites who discover us online and take the time to write to us about our work. We hope that you will take the step to translate this interest into action, and help us continue to make new and better art to share with you.

In addition to our stage-work, we are increasingly developing videos of dance made specifically for the internet, as well as behind-the-scenes documentaries about the creative process, to give new audiences - who may or may not have the opportunity to see us live - an insider’s perspective on creating dances. We are looking for ways to give you more both off and on-line.

In the long run, we want our company to serve as a case-study for creating a method of distribution techniques that build wider, more engaged audiences and new models for performing arts companies to generate support. With Fundable, I want to see if fundraising can also be part of this effort, by harnessing the contributing powers of people who discover us online. Your gift will go directly toward commissioning a new work of art: paying the dancers fees, designing costumes, and renting rehearsal spaces.

WHY NOW AND HOW WE WILL THANK YOU

We are gearing up for our annual Spring Soiree on March 8th. At this event we will perform and also announce progress in our new model for the performing arts. In addition, the event will be a party with food, drink, live music, and a surprise celebrity host. At the event, we will announce the status of this fundraising effort as part of our discussion of our new web-based initiatives. My hope is that by announcing this at our Spring Soiree to an audience of dancers, students, professionals, and art-goers, my company can serve as a model for other companies to begin recognizing the benefits that online fundraising can offer to the performing arts community.

To thank you for your contribution I will announce the Fundable contributors as a group at the Spring Soiree, and will add your name to our donor list posted on our website and printed in our spring playbill. At your request, if you include your contact information, I will also send you a special Misnomer video by email to thank you.
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Thank you so much for your consideration!

Best,
Chris Elam / Misnomer Dance Theater
http://www.misnomer.org
http://misnomer.org/soiree.html