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. 

Legal Liabilities in Entertainment Business

In the first podcast I reviewed entitled IP Law Concentration, Professor Andrew Beckerman-Rodau discussed various aspects of intellectual property.  He discussed topics such as: patent law, trade secrets, copyright law, etc.  The part of intellectual property that applied directly to my business was the part about copyright law.  Since I am opening up my own dance studio, there will be many artistic works that I need to protect.  Andrew touched on many benefits of getting your work copyrighted.  He explained how once you create your work, it automatically has a right to protection, but it just needs to be registered in case someone attempts to steal the work.  He also mentioned that there are very minimal costs when registering your work and that it is not difficult to do at all.  From this podcast, I took away a lot of information on intellectual property.  I know that once I start up my company, that I will need to have protection on all of my original works and I will need to ensure that anything in my business that I want protected will need to be registered properly.

In the second podcast I reviewed entitled A Seminar in Copyright Law with Entertainment Lawyer Greg Eveline, Greg discusses all of the aspects of copyright law and how it applies to artists.  He discusses the performance rights agencies and what they do, the benefits of a copyright, etc.  In the podcast, he compares copyrights to property rights.  He says that owning the copyright to your work is like owning your home; property is property and it should be equally protected.  He stresses and emphasizes the importance of protecting your works.  He also goes on to talk about First Right of First Use.  When he is discussing this topic, he is referring to musicians, but I can apply this to my dancers.  When they record their performances at my studio, no one else should have the right to use their performances in any way.  This podcast ties back into the fact that I need to protect my works.  Learning about copyright law now will help me protect any and all works I do in the future concerning my studio.

In the third and final podcast I reviewed entitled Whitney Broussard: Entertainment Lawyer withSelverne, Manelbaum, and Mintz, Whitney discusses many aspects of the music industry and the legal issues and struggles that the artists have to face.  One issue that caught my attention was when he was discussing the longevity of an artist’s career and their copyrights.  He talks about how if an artist really wants to pursue a long-term career that they should keep all of their copyrights because they will last longer than the artist.  This applies to my business because at some point, I would like for my studio to partner with a talent agency so the dancers have an opportunity to be managed once they have completed their training.  This information will help me aid my dancers in their careers, especially when they become big stars.

Legal Controversies in the Entertainment Industry

The first legal controversy I’m going to discuss is one about Prince.  Apparently Prince hired the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Taylor to handle all of his financial responsibilities for him, but then he turned around and didn’t even pay them for the services that they had provided to him.  He owes his lawyers over $700,000, but failure to pay that debt resulted in the firm filing a lawsuit against him in order to obtain that money from him.  In my personal opinion, Prince obviously has more than enough money to pay the law firm, so I believe he should just pay it.  They did a service for him and made his life easier, so he should respond in-kind and at least pay them what they are owed for their services.

The next legal controversy is regarding the group P.O.D.  The record label that P.O.D. is signed to, INO Records, had agreed to pay the group an advance in the amount of $400,000 prior to their next album.  INO failed to pay the group their advance because they felt as if P.O.D. hadn’t met their obligations to the label.  Since this was a direct breach of contract, P.O.D. is suing INO for at least the $400,000, and they will go from there.  I believe that INO should pay what they owe P.O.D.   When there is a contract/agreement involved in any matter, both parties should hold up to their end of the deal.  The article didn’t mention the details of the obligations that the group failed to live up to, so I’m a little on the fence about the issue, but at the same time, their contract did include an advance and it wasn’t paid.  I’m a firm believer of doing things by the book and in this case, INO needs to pay up.

The last controversy that I am going to discuss involves Nicki Minaj and her show, My Time Now.  When filming, they asked one of the street drummers that appeared in their shots if they could air the footage that they had taken of him and he refused.  MTV decided to air the footage despite the street drummer’s lack of consent and now he is suing both MTV and Viacom for the damages to his reputation and appearance.  Besides being a street drummer, he also teaches kids how to drum and his reputation is one for teaching children the good kind of music and not what is portrayed on T.V.  Nicki Minaj doesn’t represent what he is trying to teach his students, therefore, he didn’t want to be apart of the show.  When it was all said and done, he simply wanted to be compensated for the footage they took of him because they damaged his reputation and his business simultaneously.  If I were the street drummer, I would have done the exact same thing.  My morals and values come before any fame or spotlight and if I was trying to do something positive that involved young, impressionable children, then I wouldn’t want to tarnish their view of me either.

Ms. Gibson in the Flesh

Upon looking at one of my favorite websites, Boomkack.com, I learned a lot about my favorite dancer in the industry, Laurieann Gibson.  She is not only an inspiration to me, but to many, many struggling artists, dancers, and performers.  She has come a long way in her dancing career, and now she has moved into the choreographer/creative director title.  She has choreographed many famous dances and she has worked with many famous artists from all over.  Making it to the title of choreographer was a feat in itself, but now she’s directing, and that’s definitely not a small feat.  She has directed videos for big name artists such as, Keri Hilson, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry.  She has done some acting, such as when she played a part in “Honey” with Jessica Alba, and she’s even done some work with Spike Lee.  Ms. Gibson has really been all over the map.  She has taken her talents and really pushed them into another league.  Now, after reviewing the website, I have gotten a much better insight into the life of Laurieann Gibson.  The site goes into great detail about her life in her biography and it also includes all of the work that she has done over the years.  It includes the television shows that she has worked on, such as Born to Dance, the Dance Scene, and her up and coming show, Dream Warriors.  The site gives me an even better glimpse into her life by having videos up of the music videos she has worked on and clips from the shows she has worked on as well.  Before really diving into this website, I didn’t know all that much about Ms. Gibson, besides the fact that she is a world renowned dancer and choreographer, but now I know just how extensive her career is and how famous she really is.

Negotiating in Business

The title of the first podcast I watched was “Entrepreneurship – Part 7: Negotiation”.  The speaker was Jake with The Voluntary Life.  The first concept he covered was the importance of writing everything down in a negotiation.  He believes that negotiations will be more fluid the more you write down so you have an account of everything that happened in the meeting.  He also discussed how important it is to state how you conduct business up front, so there is no miscommunication later.  Laying everything out on the table in the beginning of the negotiation is imperative.  This particular podcast discusses the BATNA as well.  Jake believes that your BATNA is effective in the event that the negotiation fails.  He referred to Getting to Yes when he said, “What determines the fundamental dynamics of a negotiation is your BATNA”. (Jake, The Voluntary Life) He goes on to discuss other topics such as, objective standards and win-win agreements.  What I took away from the podcast was that having a BATNA is critical in a negotiation. I will apply this in my future negotiations in my career by always having a backup plan just in case things to go as planned in my business.

            In the second podcast, entitled “Hardball Negotiating Tactics: Why They Work &How They Can Fail So Badly”, speaker Max Factor III, Esq., Factor Meditation & Arbitration, discusses topics relevant to the ones we’ve discussed in class.  He brings up persuasion tactics, psychological tactics, etc.  One thing that stood out to me was when Mr. Factor said, “One of the top recommended tactics to get a confession was to exploit a relationship of trust by being a good guy when you find out an emotional weakness of an individual, while the other person is on the other side of the issue…you can get them to say exactly what you want.” (Max Factor III, Esq., Factor Meditation & Arbitration) This is one of the interrogation tactics that police use when negotiating with criminals; the good guy bad guy routine.  This is one of the dirty tricks that can be used in a negotiation and Mr. Factor really lays it all out.  I learned that hardball tactics can be effective if that is how you like to negotiate, but if not, then use the best tactics that work for you without compromising your morals and values.  I will apply this style of negotiating in my future business only as a last resort.  I like to be fairer in negotiations rather than use psychological tactics, lies, or pressure to get what I want.

            The last podcast I watched was called “How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins,Especially You” and it relates to mutual benefit.  The speaker, Ronald M. Shapiro, discussed topics such as, getting what you want out of a negotiation, but still keeping good relationships, being concerned about the clients’ needs by listening, and the 3 P’s: Prepare, Probe, & Propose.  He also wrote a book entitled, The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins – Especially You!  During the video, Ronald asks this really great question, “Are there ways, when we’re dealing with conflict and we’re dealing with differences between people that we can come up with something that is not of great value, but it is important to someone and allows us to resolve something?” (Ronald M. Shapiro) I thoroughly enjoyed that question because he looks beyond facts and figures in a negotiation and really looks at the underlying interests of both parties and goes after those.  I learned a lot from this podcast, like how important it is to ensure that both parties, no matter what, benefit from the negotiation and that someone’s underlying interests can be more important, at times, than just the numbers and the money.  I will definitely take advice from Ronald in my future business affairs by ensuring that I’m being fair in all of my dealings with people in my business and that mutual gain is always achieved in any and all negotiations.

Financing the Dance: Part II

In order for me to truly pursue opening up and running a successful dance studio, I need a solid financial plan.  I need to break down all of the financial aspects of running a studio and put the numbers down on paper.  I would start with an income statement and then move on to a balance sheet.  An income statement “is like a motion picture: It shows what has happened during the accounting period with regard to the revenues (income) and expenditures (expenses) of the business.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 65)  This will help me budget my company’s money in a responsible manner that will ensure longevity of my business.  On a typical income statement, you have things such as: gross sales, cost of goods sold, and operating expenses.  Your gross sales are basically just the money you make off of the sales of your product or service.  Your cost of goods sold is the money you spend on acquiring the goods that you plan on selling.  Lastly, your operating expenses are all of the costs you have to pay for in order to run your business efficiently.  Some of these expenses may include: salaries, rent, and utilities.  The importance of having my income statement filled out and ready to go is so I can know exactly how much money my studio is bringing in and how much money is going out.  Keeping a record of all of my business expenses and revenue is critical to the vitality of my company.

            Now, a balance sheet is also very critical.  A balance sheet, also known as “the statement of financial position, lists all assets and liabilities.  It is like a snapshot taken at an instant in time.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 71) This gives me a record of all of the aspects of my company that are of value and all that are risks.  In the case of building my studio, being knowledgeable of everything that holds value and everything that poses a potential risk is extremely critical to the longevity and success of my business.

Source:

Adelman, P. J., & Marks, A. M. (1997). Financial Management and Planning. Entrepreneurial finance: finance for small business (5th ed., pp. 65, 66, 71). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Financing the Dance: Part I

To finance the dance studio that I want to open post graduation, I will need to start with a critical management function, strategic planning.  To start, “planning is a systematic process that takes us from some current state to some future desired state.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 30)  My current state is at level 1, brainstorming and doing the groundwork and paperwork to start up my company.  It is going to take a lot of planning over a lot of time to grow my business and get it to my future desired state.  Now, I need to get into the specific form of planning that I am going to implement and that is strategic planning.  “Strategic planning involves establishing an overall plan for the business.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 30)  I will need to take my two and a half years of entertainment business education and draw up a very detailed, in-depth business plan to get me to owning a very successful dance studio. 

            My next step is to decide which type of ownership I would like to possess.  I need to decide between a sole proprietorship, a partnership (general or limited), a corporation (C or S), or a limited liability company (LLC).  Upon researching all of the different types of ownership, I have decided to start up a LLC.  A LLC “is a hybrid business entity having features of both partnerships and corporations.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 41)  It is “taxed as a partnership, has limited liability for its owners, and has flow through income and losses to individual owner’s tax returns.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 41)  Also, “the business income is accounted for on each ‘member’s’ individual income tax filing.” (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 41)  Past the definition of a LLC, it also has some major advantages.  These advantages include: “limited liability, eliminating double taxation, no restriction on number or type of owners, and it is easier to raise additional capital”. (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 42)  Now, out of all of the forms of ownership, a LLC has the fewest number of disadvantages.  The two main disadvantages of a LLC are: “limited life and transfer of ownership difficulties”. (Entrepreneurial Finance, pg. 42) 

On top of my research, my father is also an entrepreneur and he recently switched from a corporation to a LLC, so that somewhat influenced my decision as well.  He is a very intelligent man with a great business sense and a very lucrative, successful business.  He has inspired me to become an entrepreneur and he is the motivation I have to pursue my dreams!

Source:

Adelman, P. J., & Marks, A. M. (1997). Financial Management and Planning. Entrepreneurial finance: finance for small business (5th ed., pp. 30, 33-42). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

National Dance Association

The National Dance Association promotes dance education and focuses on health and reaches out to people of all ages.  Their vision/mission statement is: “The National Dance Association envisions a society where dance and dance education are an integral part of education and community life.  The National Dance Association (NDA/AAHPERD) leads in promoting and supporting creative, artistic, and healthy lifestyles through quality services and programs in dance and dance education.” (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreating and Dance, 2013) NDA has various educational programs and services.  They have the National Dance Honor Society, The National Dance Educator of the Year Workshops, Author Workshops, Let’s Move in School-Let’s Dance! Workshops, Page-to-Stage Workshops, Pedagogy Conferences, Dance Technology Conferences, Steps to the Future Workshop, PIPEline: Teaching Dance in Physical Education, Arts Advocacy Day, Continuing Education Units, The Choreography Evaluation Project, and Dance Education in America Exhibit.  They have also won numerous awards, such as: the Heritage Award, the NDA Scholar/Artist, Dance Educators of the Year, Student Awards, and the Student Literary Award.  This association is important to my industry because they educate people on how great dance really is.  They also inform people on how healthy and fun dance can be, which is very important, especially to children.  They promote and get the word out about dance education and they really narrow in on how important it is to have dance in the curriculum and to stay healthy.  They help my industry by creating healthier, more educated dancers.

Gary Vaynerchuk

In class, I watched Gary Vaynerchuk give his Ted Talk.  He discussed the issues with not following your dreams.  He started off giving us a bunch of information on the story of his life and then connected it to his main point.  He told us about how he worked for a wine company and how he had made millions of dollars in profit and revenue from his job.  He talked a lot about the things he did enjoy about his job, but then he shared with us the 1% that he didn’t enjoy.  A few things that he didn’t enjoy as much were things such as: answering all of the customers’ emails daily, and there had to be at least 700 emails coming in each day, memorizing what cheese or what fish goes good with a particular wine, and things of that nature.  The point of him telling us about his company was that you have to follow what your passion is in life.  He loved selling wine and he was good at it. He committed to his job, he was very good at it, and he constantly overachieved to be the best in his career choice.  He was trying to let the audience know that “he does what he loves and loves what he does”.  One of the most inspirational quotes that I took from Mr. Vaynerchuk was “follow your passion; you will find a way to monetize it”.  When he said that string of words, I instantly was inspired to pursue my dance career.

            Now, I grew up in a family of overachievers and highly successful people.  Everyone went to college, received a degree in some field, then went on and pursued a career.  So, for me, it was almost an unspoken rule that I had to achieve the highest level of success that I could possibly attain and be the best that I could be.  Well, becoming a dancer obviously didn’t’ fit into that perfect mold of success that my family expected from me.  So, for the longest time, I never knew what I wanted to be, I just knew that whatever I decided on had to make a whole lot of money.  My family always wanted and still want me to be self-sufficient, independent, and financially stable.  They want only the best for me, and to me, that felt like being a dancer wouldn’t be good enough for them.  I put my dreams aside and went with something a little more realistic, a veterinarian.  A doctor sounds good to the members of my family, so that is what I had decided that I would be for the longest time.  When I came to Full Sail is when I finally opened up my eyes to a passion of mine, dance.  Still holding that mindset that dancers couldn’t make a lot of money, I went with becoming a talent agent instead.  I’m still on the path of becoming one, but now my path has veered back on to dance. 

In a nutshell, Gary Vaynerchuk has completely inspired me to “follow my passion and find a way to monetize it”.  I am going to follow my heart and find a way to not only make a lot of money off of it, but to also be wildly successful at it as well!

The Legendary Dance Moves of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is a one-of-a-kind, one-in-a-million performer, dancer, singer, and entertainer.  His trademark dances moves have gone down in history as the best of the best and he has been known to defy the laws of gravity.  Michael Jackson has made his impact on the world by his amazing stunts, dance moves, and overall performances.  When he hits the stage, everyone in the audience is glued to every movement he makes, every breath he takes, and each sweat bead that glistens off of his body.  According to BuzzSugar, “no one knew then the dance genius living within, but once Jackson mixed his iconic choreography with his infectious melodies, well, the world of music was never the same”.  Michael has been an entertainer all of his life.  From growing up in the singing group, the Jackson 5, to becoming a solo artist and taking his career to new heights, he has always captivated his audience and owned any stage he performed on.

Some of the many, many dance moves that Michael created include: The Robot, The Moonwalk, The Toe Stand, The Tough Guy With Flair, The Synchronized Group Dance, The Crotch Grab, The Anti-Gravity Lean, The International Influences, and the Egyptian Flare.  He is so talented in his creativity and his ability to come up with and choreograph all of these amazing and very entertaining dance moves.  According to Yahoo Music, “Jackson has influenced a generation of performers, including Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Britney Spears, who'd probably just be standing behind a mic belting out a tune, were it not for the Gloved One.”  Michael Jackson is a very influential man.  He has influenced some of the greats and he has definitely made history!  He will be truly missed, but never forgotten!   We love you Michael Jackson!

Dance

Dancing is more than just something I’m passionate about; it consumes me!

Dance: “to move one’s feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music; to leap, skip, etc., as from excitement or emotion; move nimbly or quickly; to bob up and down” (dictionary.com).  This is exactly what I do each and every day of my life.  My love and passion for dance has always been at an all-time high.  Every morning I wake up, I want to dance.  Every evening I come home, I want to dance.  Even when I’m tired, sick, or sick and tired, I still want to dance. Ever since I was a little girl, my passion has always been for dance dance, dance!  I can’t help but think about it every waking moment, sometimes in my dreams too!  If at this very moment in life I could become a world-renowned choreographer, I would drop everything and do it!

Laurieann Gibson, a dancer that got her start from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, is now a famous choreographer who choreographs many dances for all the celebrities.  According to the New York City Broadway Dance Center, Ms. Gibson has been the “Director of Choreography for Motown and Bad Boy Records…and has choreographed tours for both Miley Cyrus and Jesse McCartney…She has also worked with celebrities such as: Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Dixie Chicks, Clay Aiken, Brandy, Beyonce, Mario, and even Spike Lee” (Broadway Dance Center).  Laurieann has been in the game for a long time and her fame is not even close to dying down.  She is known for her amazing dancing skills and just her natural talent for choreography.  Being able to teach is an invaluable skill and she has definitely mastered it!  Laurieann Gibson has inspired me to dance for a very long time now, and if I ever had the chance to meet and work with her, I would just melt!  Maybe one day I will get the honor of dancing side by side with Ms. Gibson, but until then, I will keep chugging along with pursing my more realistic goals of working as a talent agent.