What the Heck is Going On in the Dance Industry?

I came across this article entitled, “Dance industry needs greater scrutiny: former teacher”.  This article is about a dance teacher at RG Dance Studio in Sydney, Australia by the name of Grant Davies.  Mr. Davies has been arrested and charged with “grooming children for unlawful sexual activity, and producing and disseminating child abuse material…Additional charges include four counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of child indecent assault, both with a victim under 16 years of age” (ABC News 24, 2013).  Basically, this boils down to Davies abusing his power as a dance instructor.  As a dance teacher, you do need to have a small level of physical contact with your students, but never in an inappropriate way or to the level that Davies was taking it to.  He was apparently having some of the students pose nude in provocative positions and that was the material he was using to produce his child pornography.  This guy was brought up on so many charges it’s ridiculous.  I, for one, am thoroughly disgusted at his behavior.  Thankfully, I haven’t experienced this type of behavior with any of my dance instructors, but it is clearly a real problem.  People like Grant Davies are making it really difficult for parents to trust their children’s dance instructors and that is a real shame because dancing is such a great, empowering experience for children.

            So I found another disturbing piece of news entitled, “Bolshoi ballet dancer to stand trial overacid attack”.  This article is about a ballet dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow by the name of Pavel Dmitrichenko.  Pavel has been accused of throwing acid in the face of Sergei Filin, the theatre’s artistic director.  He reportedly had two accomplices with him that helped him follow through with the attack.  Apparently there was a rivalry between the two men and it stemmed from Sergei being in “the position to make or break careers” (Gabriela Baczynska, 2013) and also because Pavel believed that Sergei had been “playing favorites in the distribution of financial grants” (Gabriela Baczynska, 2013).  Regardless of the reason that the two men had a rivalry or of the way that Pavel is trying to justify his attack, it was still wrong.  Sergei has been recovering in Germany for months and has undergone over 20 operations, with more still to come.  There is a great possibility that he won’t be able to continue his full duties as artistic director as a result of the damages from the attack.  Now I know the dance industry is competitive and that everyone wants to be the best, but letting a stupid feud or rivalry get to the point that you are physically attacking someone, with acid at that, is completely absurd.  Also, Pavel is a grown man and should be able to use his words if he has a problem with someone and not shrink down to attacking to them and not to the point of almost destroying their lives.

What’s New in the World of Dance?

As I was browsing through one of my favorite websites, dancespirit.com, an online dance magazine, I found a couple of interesting pieces on a few dancers in the industry.  One was a dancer by the name of IvanKoumaev.  Ivan is a choreographer, but also a gamer.  He enjoys playing video games and he is excited for the release of one of his favorite games, Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2.  Inspired by the game and his love for it, he created a video centered on a Mortal Kombat theme.  He had a group of dancers dress up like the ninjas in the game and perform a choreographed dance that goes along with the Mortal Kombat theme song.  The dancers aren’t just dancing, but they are also doing a few off-the-wall stunts and using props to make the video more authentic.  I just wanted to commend Mr. Koumaev for incorporating two of his passions into one and making an incredible video out of it.  His choreography was amazing and his visual effects were just as amazing.  I am thoroughly impressed with his video.

            Another rising star in the dance world is James Whiteside.  James is a dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, but he also writes music and choreographs music videos.  Back in 2011, he created a hilarious music video entitled “I Hate My Job”.  In the video, it is him and two other male dancers dressed in white collared shirts with black ties, tiny, black shorts, and red heels.  They are performing a cute little dance number along to a simple song about why “he hates his job”.  The theme of the video mimics and resembles Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies”, only with three men instead of three women.  The video goes along with the theme of Beyonce’s video, but James definitely made it his own.  I can definitely appreciate his talent and his creativity.  He is not only a good choreographer, but I can see where his talents span out to as well.

Business Plan Development

Both Andrea Cockerton and Dr. Steven Gedeon have some good points on how to write a successful business plan.    Andrea feels that it is important to have a good executive summary and a fantastic pitch, while Steven is more focused on refining your business concept and your management team.  Some other important aspects discussed between the two of them were: having a point of pain, ensuring that your idea is groundbreaking, and continuously refining and changing your plan.

A few ways that I intend to incorporate what I have learned from my research on these experts into my own plan are: to start, I am going to ensure that my executive summary clearly details and outlines exactly what my company is about in a way that I get both my concept explained and get my audience excited about it at the same time.  Another way I intend to incorporate what I’ve learned is by constantly refining my pitch until I can easily and expediently convey my concept to an investor.

Based on the information provided by the experts, I have already made a couple changes to my business plan.  One change I have made is I have gone back through my financials and done additional research on the costs to ensure I had the best numbers in my financials section.  Steven mentioned that you need to continuously refine and change your plan, so I already started doing that.  Another change I made was looking at my point of pain and making sure that there was really a market for it.  I had to do extensive research to be able to prove that my business has a point of pain, but I did and it has helped me tremendously.

           I noticed that both Andrea and Steven agreed that the investors are mainly focused on your financials and that is the section that really interests them.  So, based off of their advice and my own knowledge of business plan development, I would have to say that investors are most interested in financials, but your concept and your pitch are also very important to them as well.  

Experts in Business Plan Development

Andrea Cockerton is the first expert I examined.  Andrea is a “pitch for funding” expert and the founder of Mudhut Consulting, which is a venture market consultancy.  In regards to what investors are looking for, Andrea gives a few tips on the matter.  She talks about how you need an excellent executive summary, well thought out financials, and a fantastic pitch.  Also, with regards to the pitch, she said that it should be delivered in the form of an elevator pitch or in a full presentation detailing the business opportunity being presented.  Also, the pitch should include: the targeting of a growing market with a “point of pain”, a team that is capable of carrying out the business plan, and that your idea is “groundbreaking”.  She goes on to discuss the sources of financing that are available for entrepreneurs, but the main point that she wants the audience to walk away with is that the investors are            mainly concerned with how the business is going to make money, so focus on that.

Dr. Steven Gedeon is the next expert I examined.  Steven has both a PhD and a MBA from Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.  He is an expert in both entrepreneurship and venture capitalism.  He gives a few tips on writing a successful business plan.  He discusses the importance of figuring out what your idea is, who you are targeting, and who your competition is.  He also mentions the importance of continuous refining and changing of your plan.  With regards to what investors and venture capitalists are looking for, they are looking for three main elements.  They are looking at your business concept, your management team, and most importantly, your financials.  Steven leaves us with a quote to remember: “Writing the business plan itself is not nearly as important as the process by which you think through what is a successful business.”

Now, courtesy of Expert Enough, I would like to leave you with 14 quick tips for a great business plan:

1.     Cover the important stuff and get moving

2.     Include all essential parts

3.     Do your research and digest it

4.     Learn from experience

5.     Laser focus

6.     Learn your industry

7.     Know who else is serving your customers

8.     Be specific in your action plan

9.     Highlight your progress

10. Update the plan as you go

11. Polish it

12. Breathe some life into it

13. List your assumptions

14. Make smart projections

Thanks for reading and I hope you learned a lot about business plans!

Issues in the Dance World

One major issue that I would like to discuss is the scrutiny of a dancer’s body.  After reading an article entitled, When Words Hurt, I wanted to share my thoughts on the article.  First of all, the article is talking about how Alastair Macaulay, a New York Times critic, gave an extremely harsh and unfair review of the New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker.  It wasn’t so much that he was criticizing the performance itself, but one of the dancers in particular.  His exact words were, “the Sugar Plum Fairy looked as if she’d eaten one sugar plum too many”.  This is a disgusting statement to make, especially after you see Jenifer Ringer, the dancer who played the sugar plum fairy.  I believe that Alastair should have kept his comments regarding her body to himself.  He should have just critiqued the performance itself.  Dancers have a difficult enough time as it is trying to have the perfect look and trying to be the best dancer and have the best technique without people scrutinizing them.  For Alastair to make such a gross comment about her body and nothing about her actual performance makes me sick and I believe his focus should have been elsewhere.  This is a harsh reality that dancers have to face everyday.  You have to look the part to play the part, even if it means harming your body, which reminds me of an article I read about a dancer who collapsed and died on a family trip to Disneyland.  This ballet dancer, Heidi Noelle Guenther, was only 93 lbs. and after doing the autopsy, which was inconclusive, they discovered that her heart walls were unusually thin.  Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.  The girl was obviously so concerned about her career as a dancer that she did whatever it took to maintain that image.  She was only 22 when she died and that is way before her time.  My thought on this is that dancing should only be about dancing and nothing more.  Dancing is not like modeling where you’re expected to be judged solely on your looks, it is about so much more.  It’s about the performance, the passion, and the movements that emanate from your soul.  To me, looks never matter, and the rest of the world needs to jump on that bandwagon.

Here is a picture of Jenifer Ringer:

Image taken from: 

https://www.google.com/search?q=jenifer+ringer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=H98HUo_JHOXt2QWE14CwBw&biw=1440&bih=675&sei=It8HUsKxG-yl2AX_04CQDQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=2Ykr0Jam31m6pM%3A%3B-SFl0MyerEj9JM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Foberon481.typepad.com%252F.a%252F6a00d8341c4e3853ef01053622031b970c-800wi%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Foberon481.typepad.com%252Foberons_grove%252F2008%252F11%252F%3B350%3B469

    

Dance Trance Fitness

Today, I am going to talk to you about one of my favorite dance websites, dancetrancefitness.com.  Dance Trance Fitness, or DT, is a dance fitness program that incorporates my two favorite passions, dancing and fitness.  The classes are centered around incorporating the latest dance moves into a fun, aerobic workout.  What drew me to the website was when I was searching for a local dance studio here in Orlando.  I discovered dancetrancefitness.com and fell in love.  The site itself has so much information on their company and what it is they actually do.  The site also has a blog, an online store, a list of events, workshop information, and their various locations.  Their blog contains information on past and future tours and events coming up, class videos, and updates on schedule changes.  Their online store has an extensive array of the hottest dance apparel.  Their events page allows you to stay abreast of all of the past and future events that DT has held, such as the Dance Trance Howl O Scream Event and Groove Tour 2013.  DT throws numerous events each year and has really reached out to dancers and fitness enthusiasts across the globe.  They also hold workshops that teach the instructors the latest dance moves so they can teach their students the most high quality moves.  What most impressed me about this website and with Dance Trance Fitness as a whole was how many locations they have reached out to.  Their headquarters is here in Jacksonville, Florida, but they have licensed their program to many states throughout the U.S. and have even reached out to Croatia, England, and Saudi Arabia.  Their company is a force to be reckoned with.  Starting out with just one studio and then climbing up all the way to having your program on another continent is very impressive.  I definitely respect what DT has built for themselves, and I hope to one day have a dance company or studio that is just as successful if not more.

Dance Spirit Magazine

So I recently found an amazing site for dancers.  The site is called Dance Spirit Magazine and it literally has everything you can think of that has to do with dance.  This is the perfect site for me because I am so passionate about dance and if I could make a career out of it I would.  The closest I will probably get to making a career out of dance will probably be opening up my own studio, but that will work for me.  This site can definitely guide dancers to becoming more successful in their careers because it gives tons of information on dancing, anything from the current trends to proper nutrition.  DS has a multitude of pages about dance and they all serve a purpose.  They have a page called “Win It!” where you can actually win prizes from the “So You Think You Can Dance” sweepstakes.  The have a news page that keeps you abreast of dancers in the industry, dance shows, and other dancing events.  They have a “How To” page that walks you through some of the difficulties of various dances, anything from ballet to hip hop.  They have a few sections on fashion, beauty, fitness, health, nutrition, etc., and most of those sections are critical in the success of a dancer.  They also have a page entitled “Who’s Hot” and it includes information on famous dancers and how their careers are going, but it also has some advice on how to get a dancing job and how to branch out in your career.  This site is absolutely amazing because it a very good tool to utilize if you are a professional dancer or are trying to become one.  Dance Spirit Magazine serves as an excellent resource for dancers, professional or aspiring, to get good information on what’s happening in their industry, how to build and maintain their careers, and how to become successful dancers.