May 31, 2006

48 Million Internet Users Now Creating Content

One of the premises behind many of my posts is that one of the best ways to capture the attention of dance enthusiasts is to engage them directly in the process of creation. The latest research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project supports my premise with hard numbers.

Among the findings In a May 28th Pew research report, "Home Broadband Adoption 2006," (PDF) is that 48 million Internet users have posted content to the Internet. This number represents 35% of all Internet users. The most popular forms of user-generated content include having a blog, having a webpage, working on a blog or webpage at work, and sharing one's own story, artwork or video.

John Horrigan, associate director of research at Pew Internet & American Life Project, is quoted in a news story yesterday in ClickZ:

[The Web is] shifting now to user-generated content; it shows people engaging with the Internet in a number of different ways in their lives. It shows that people are pretty interested in using the technology to put something of themselves on the Internet, not just pull down information from the Internet.

I think this Pew report is fascinating and I hope it encourages dancers and other artists to think about their Internet initiatives not so much as opportunities to disseminate information but as a forum where they can inspire their audiences to become active participants in the creative process.

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May 30, 2006

The Shakira "Hips Don't Lie" Mashup

Jackie Huba in her Church of the Customer Blog has a post about how Shakira's fans were encouraged to create their own video dance mixes of her "Hips Don't Lie" video. You can watch this video on YouTube that shows clips from many of the fan contributions:

The beauty of video mashups is that they are an excellent way to build an audience of energized fans. Jackie Huba points out that there is no way to really know whether this mashup contest is really an important factor in sending "Hips Don't Lie" to the top of the charts, but it certainly can't hurt.

I think encouraging fans of any type of dance to participate in a video mashup is a good idea. It's not difficult to implement this type of program and it gets a lot of people excited about your dance performances and classes.

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May 25, 2006

Dancing to Combat Global Warming

With the upcoming US debut of Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," that highlights the catastrophic effects of global warming, I thought I'd revisit the topic of dance performances that address environmental issues.

You can visit the official website for this film:

You can also watch the trailer on Google:

In April I wrote about and did an audio interview with Emily Johnson of Catalyst Dance about her "Heat and Life" production that addresses global warming through movement, video and sound:

And this morning I came across an excellent interview (Part I and Part II) with Brenda Way the artistic and executive director of ODC/Dance. Last year, Way choreographed "On a Train Heading South," a work that "focuses on social denial and complacency in the face of environmental degradation." In this interview in Grist Magazine, Way talks about this dance work, the role of artists and the challenges that dancers face.

When describing the role of artists she says:

A key part of our purpose is to promote perception and awareness, to incite reflection and reactions. I see us as strong allies with environmental groups in the struggle for enlightened social consciousness in our shared desire for a greater humanity.

I'd like to know if other dance companies have created works that have addressed environmental issues or plan to do so in the future? I'd also like to know if any of these environmentally-focused dance pieces will be ported to the web so that Internet users can watch video of these performances online.

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May 24, 2006

Revamping Press Releases for the Arts

I've received thousands of press releases over the years and I've read very few of them. They tend to be filled with lots of hype that don't shed much light on anything. There are usually a few meaningless executive quotes along with effusive customer praise.

But everybody continues to send out press releases in the traditional manner because that's the way it's always been done.

This approach to press releases is especially counterproductive for artists and arts organizations. Dance and the other arts are obviously about the visuals - pictures, videos, the spoken word and other multimedia elements. So if the standard press release is all text and the visuals are an afterthought, its tougher for artists to deliver their message in a compelling manner to writers.

Well, PR firm Shift Communications, with offices in Boston and San Francisco, has taken a shot at revamping the traditional press release into what I think is a much better approach.

Todd Defren of Shift Communications wrote a post in his PR Squared blog yesterday announcing the debuts of what he calls a "Social Media Press Release." (Click here to view PDF version of this new approach to press releases). Defren says that he was inspired to create this new format after reading a rant about the inanity of press releases by Tom Foremski in Silicon Valley Watcher.

If you examine the PDF template for the Social Media Press Release, you'll notice a number of new elements:

- New types of contact info. have been added - Skype #/IM address/blogs

- Bullet list of facts goes up front so that writers/journalists know what the press release is about. Writers just need facts and, as Foremski says, can add their own spin to the story.

- Link to purpose-built del.icio.us page and its corresponding RSS feed. (This is a mouthful. This means that the company that creates a press release also creates a list of relevant links on a dedicated webpage on the del.icio.us bookmarking site. So when reading a press release, a writer can click on the del.icio.us link and be taken to a single page of links that pertain to the focus of the press release.)

- Direct links toward the top of the press release to all multimedia content. So, for example, there are thumbnail images that link to pictures, audio files, graphics and videos.

The direct links to pictures and video I think are one of the most helpful elements of this new press release format. If a writer or journalist opens a press release with colorful pictures that link to multimedia content, it will be much easier to grab their attention. This is better than the standard text-only format that has a message at the bottom of the release that says "pictures available upon request." Even if a writer makes it to the bottom of your press release, it is too much of a hassle to contact you to get pictures when you can just as easily post them to the web for immediate download.

You can see an actual example of a Social Media Press Release by accessing the press release for this new type of press release.

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May 23, 2006

Katherine Dunham Video Tribute

[For a February 2007 comprehensive multimedia guide to Katherine Dunham, please click here.]

Dance great Katherine Dunham passed away last Sunday at 96.

Credit: Dance Division, New York Public
Library for the Performing Arts

You can read about the life and contributions of Dunham:

- "How Katherine Dunham Revealed Black Dance to the World" in the New York Times

- "Dancer Katherine Dunham; Formed Black Ballet Troupe" in Washington Post

And here are video clips that I found this morning about Katherine Dunham:

- Katherine Dunham on need for Dunham Technique

- Katherine Dunham: A Simple Act of Faith (1 hour, 29 minutes)

- Katherine Dunham - Afro-Caribbean influence on her dance

- The Belafontes visit Katherine Dunham

- Free to Dance - Dance Timeline (1934-1945) -- Scroll to 1940 video clip of Dunham dancing in "Tropics and Le Jazz Hot"

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May 22, 2006

Funding Your Next Dance Performance

How would you like to guarantee that your dance company receives at least a minimum dollar amount for your next performance? Or, alternatively, how would you like to raise money to renovate a dance studio?

The Internet offers intriguing new ways for nonprofits to go about raising money.

Visit Fundable to learn about their online fundraising application. You can create your own fundraising campaign, say, for a dance performance. You might indicate that you are seeking to raise a minimum of $1,000 to perform next month at a specified location. You are seeking minimum contributions of $25 per person (essentially the desired ticket price). If you reach your goal of $1,000, the performance will take place; if not, there will be no performance. Those who commit to contribute to your campaign are only charged if you reach your goal. Otherwise, nobody pays a thing.

I did a search for "dance" on Fundable to see if any dance-related organizations have used this service. I came up with two matches:

- Olive Dance Theatre surpassed its $500 goal so that it could file an application with the IRS for obtaining a 501(c)3 nonprofit, tax-exempt status. The campaign ended on 12/06/05 and funds were distributed to the "group leader." But no follow-up details are provided. It would be nice to get a progress report.

- The South Carolina Multicultural Arts Center (SC McAC, Inc.) sought to raise $1,000 to renovate a dance studio. It successfully raised $500 to date and received these funds when the campaign ended on 12/12/2005. You can learn more about this fundraising effort on the SC McAC site. On their site, however, they seek to raise funds directly and don't mention their use of Fundable. I guess they don't want to pay the fees. But this is sort of counterproductive because the public cannot track their overall success in raising money for their studio renovation.

I came across Fundable as well as a related service Chipin, while reading a post on Mashable.

Technorati Tags: dance, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit

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May 19, 2006

Create Your Own Dance Remix Contest

Warner Brothers and RES Media Group are building buzz for the upcoming "A Scanner Darkly" through a remix contest.

There are two ways to participate in this video mashup contest. You can either use the online video editing application Jumpcut to create your own remix. Or you can download all of the needed files (video, music and dialogue) and use your favorite video editing software program.

I'd like to see this approach offered by dancers and dance companies. The difference would be that participants could add their own dance clips to the mix if they wished to have their own performances included in their mashups.

For example, you could create a video with a dance sequence that tells a story along with music that you've licensed or have permission to freely distribute. Then participants would be encouraged to create a remix of your dance sequence, story line and music track. Participants could also create a video of their own dance moves and add it to their final remix.

[via Random Culture]

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May 18, 2006

Sharing the Creative Process

Neill Archer Roan has a post, "Don't Be Cool" that links to the "Incomplete Manifesto."

I like point number three in the Manifesto:

Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there.

One of the positive contributions of all the reality TV shows is that they have provided direct access to the process of creation. If you think about dance, fashion and other reality shows, they are not just focused on the end-result - winning the competition - but highlight what happens during the run-up to the final performance and the selection of winners. Even Miss America had to convert its format to more of a reality-based program.

In the dance world, I'd like to see more of the creative process shared through websites, blogs and other online channels. Audiences are not currently offered a way to see how dance pieces are created and only get to watch the actual performance.

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May 16, 2006

Arts Marketing Conference Wrap-Up

Last month I wrote about the National Arts Marketing Project Conference.

Last week I came across two favorable posts about this program. Maryann Devine in SmArts & Culture shares her impressions. And Neill Archer Roan in Building Brands and Bottom Lines writes:

Imagine being among 500 marketing executives from museums, dance companies, arts councils, orchestras, theatre companies, presenting organizations, recording companies, galleries, et al - who are all focused on building audiences and participation for the arts. That's what the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts has created for the cultural sector here in Los Angeles for the last three days.

Neill especially enjoyed the P2P marketing sessions moderated by Alan Brown that covered buzz marketing strategies. I wrote about Alan last month as well when I discussed an interesting paper of his about how to more actively engage audiences in the arts.

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May 11, 2006

Slow Blogging Week

It's been a hectic week - which explains my very few posts. I'll be back to blogging every day (or just about every day) starting next Tuesday.

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May 10, 2006

The Wonders of Physical Therapy

I just finished-up 6-weeks of physical therapy for my adductor muscles and tendons in each leg. I figure I'll be back to normal in about 2 months or so.

I hurt myself in February when I was working out on an elliptical machine. I was at a different gym than usual and the calibration on the machine I was using must have been different than what I was used to. So I must have set the resistance level much too high. In any case, I thought I had a good workout and I wasn't in any pain after I finished.

Then the next day I woke-up and both my legs were killing me. But since I've managed to have more sports injuries than I can count, I ignored the pain and went to a Sunday jazz dance class. That wasn't my smartest decision. I was even in more pain the next day.

Even though I could barely walk, I didn't rush to see a doctor because I'm so used to most ailments simply improving on their own. But in retrospect that was a dumb idea on my part since I could barely walk.

A friend finally convinced me to see an orthopedic doctor. The doctor took an X-ray examined me for five minutes and referred me to a physical therapist. I still don't understand how the doctor knew what was wrong with me since he appeared to conduct such a cursory exam - but he obviously did.

Then, I started physical therapy. I went to a place in DC called Physical Therapy and Sports Assessment Center.

Essentially I was given ultra-sound heat to each leg, deep massages and heating pads. Well, at first my physical therapist Rachael couldn't give deep messages because the muscles in my legs were in too much pain. Also, she gave me exercises for all my adductor muscles, hips and related muscle groups. Plus, she showed me the correct way to do each exercise and how long to hold them. All of these exercises have been incredibly helpful.

Now, I'm walking about 2 miles every other day - almost at a regular walking pace. And this week I started using a treadmill again. I'm very cautious with treadmills at this point and I have them on the absolute slowest setting. Walking on my own is still much safer than a machine because I can control how fast I move.

I figured out once I started physical therapy that I've had a chronic problem that I didn't even know I had. So I probably would have ended-up hurting my tendons in each of my legs at some point.

If I hadn't gone to a physical therapist, I simply would not have gotten better - or if I did it would have taken a very long time. So, much thanks to my physical therapist!

I'm not really sure when I'll take another dance class. My guess is that it will be about two months.

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May 8, 2006

Building a Take a Friend to a Dance Performance Program

Drew McManus in his Adaptistration blog shares his thoughts about my interest in replicating his Take a Friend to the Orchestra (TAFTO) program in the dance world.

On April 25th, I wrote about the TAFTO program and recommended a Take a Friend to a Dance Performance based on Drew's original concept.

In my post I said that there may be more challenges promoting this type of program for dance performances than for concert music.

But Drew in his Friday post is more upbeat and points out that all grassroots efforts are worthwhile whether they reach just a handful of people or much larger audiences:

Grass roots initiatives are grass roots initiatives regardless of whether or not there is one or 1,000 people involved. The fact that a passionate supporter would be willing to do something which increases awareness and exposes an art to individuals that may not otherwise have an opportunity is a good thing.

Plus Drew points out you never know when a grassroots initiative will lead to something much bigger:

A TAFTO effort in one city may be a one shot wonder, never to happen again. However, a TAFTO event in another city may lead to the formation of familiar social groups which center on attending classical music events. Those groups may form a tight core of persons who develop enough concern that they decide to form an orchestra society to raise funds orchestra projects they care about.

Technorati Tags: dance, marketing, music, performance, word of mouth

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May 4, 2006

Save the Internet - Support Net Neutrality

There is an important battle taking place right now over the future of the Internet.

Large telecommunication and cable companies who provide many Americans with high-speed access to the Internet may soon start charging website owners fees for preferred access to their customers. Imagine the creation of an Internet toll-road. Those content providers who pay to be on the fast toll-road get to have their data delivered more quickly to customers while everybody else is in the slow-moving lanes.

Just to make up an example, imagine that AT&T cuts a deal with Yahoo whereby Yahoo pays AT&T for preferred access to its Internet broadband subscribers. What would happen is that AT&T customers would be able to connect to the Yahoo search engine at lighting-fast speeds while it would take forever to gain access to Google. The end result is that AT&T customers would eventually stop visiting Google.

The emergence of this two-tiered Internet would be a flat-out disaster. Today, all data that moves along the Internet is treated as equal - this is at the heart of what is called Net Neutrality. Whether somebody watches a video on my site or watches a video on Google, neither set of data packets has priority. All data is equal and is transmitted in the identical manner.

This equality of data is what has led to the incredible levels of innovation and creativity that take place every day on the Internet. One company can spend millions of dollars on a website while an individual can create a website for free. But despite the difference in investment amounts, both websites are connected to the same Internet and have an equal chance of reaching large numbers of customers. Without the existence of this level playing field, the Internet would never have become as popular as it is today.

If a two-tiered system is allowed to emerge, innovation and experimentation will come to a grinding halt. Entrepreneurs without deep pockets simply will not have the financial resources to compete against the established players.

A two-tiered system would be especially terrible for the arts and nonprofits. Arts organizations would never be able to compete for market access like their commercial counterparts. And the end result is that we would end up with a pay-for-access model similar to what we have today on cable TV. While there are hundreds of channels on cable TV, it is actually quite expensive to launch your own channel. And on the Internet, there essentially are millions upon millions of channels -- and anybody can create a new one at any time.

What can you do to ensure the future of Net Neutrality?

Join the Save the Internet coalition and add your voice to pressuring Congress to protect the Internet.

Technorati Tags: internet, net, net neutrality

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May 3, 2006

Email Marketing Tips

I'm in the mood for tech tips this week. So following-up on yesterday's post about improving your online ticketing system, here are 17 suggestions for enhancing your email marketing campaigns:

1) Build your email list: Always collect email addresses from people who are likely to be interested in your dance performances and related offerings. Encourage audience members to sign-up for your free email blasts. Add line in your email signature file that promotes your email newsletter. And promote email newsletter in all online and offline promotional materials.

2) Create email form: Ensure that visitors to your website can easily register for your email newsletter or periodic email blasts. The fewer questions you ask, the more subscribers you will get, the more questions you ask, the better you'll understand your audience.

3) Sample newsletter: It's a good idea to include a link on your email sign-up page for a sample of your email newsletter so that prospective subscribers will know what they will receive.

4) HTML or text: If you can afford the extra work and your email system supports it, it is best to offer subscribers a choice of either a graphic HTML or a text version of your email newsletters. While you may be able to send multi-part MIME emails (email messages that combine HTML and text versions in a single file and the appropriate one opens in user's email client), this combined approach has its downsides. Plus, many more people open email with their handheld device or mobile phone and they want small, text-only files.

5) Single opt-in or double opt-in: Should you require new subscribers to confirm by email that they really want to receive your email broadcasts? While this double opt-in approach ensures that all of your subscribers intended to subscribe, you'll lose customers because some people won't complete the subscription process by responding to your confirmation request. My general recommendation is to stick with the single opt-in approach.

6) Audience segmentation: In some cases, you'll want to send different email content to different groups of subscribers. If this is the case, you'll want to segment your email lists into different sub-groupings. For instance, you might segment customers based on season/series ticket holders, frequent audience members, rarely attend and new customers/never attended. You could also segment by sponsors/donors/advertisers/audience members. You'd then send different emails/campaigns to each segment.

7) Avoid the spam folder: On the email confirmation page that users see after they enter their email address, provide specific details about your email broadcasts so that your emails are actually read by subscribers. The most important detail is that you list the "from" address for your emails. This way if subscribers are motivated they can include your email address as one of the email senders whose message they do want to receive.

8) Privacy information: Describe your privacy policy. As a general rule, you should not use or distribute email addresses for any purpose other then sending the requested email broadcasts.

9) Choosing the day of week: I haven't read many studies lately about the best time to send email broadcasts. Going back a few years, the best results usually occurred on mid-mornings on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I think the logic still holds. On Monday people are overwhelmed. By mid-morning on Tuesday or Wednesday, recipients have already had their morning coffee. And by Thursday, most people are just thinking about the weekend.

10) Subject lines: There are many theories about what to put in the email subject line. For starters, don't include any words such as "money," "win" or words likely to be picked-up by spam filters. Some email broadcasters just put the name of their organizations or events in the subject. But most include a benefit or description of what is included in the email. My approach, which I'd probably change in specific situations, is to go with an upbeat description of what's included in your email newsletter. If you go only with the straight benefit, it can easily sound like excessive hype and nobody will open your newsletter.

11) Format: Whether you deliver a graphic html or text email message, the usual approach is to write short descriptions of each story or offering with a link to a page (usually on your website) where readers can get additional information. This approach makes sense because most people don't read more than a couple of sentences deep about a specific story. Make sure the title for each story/offering is clear and compelling.

12) Content: The odds are you'll be using your newsletter to promote performances, classes and related events. What will grab the attention of subscribers will usually be compelling content associated with your performance or class. Personally, I like multimedia content. If you give me a link to an audio or video file of the choreographer discussing your upcoming performance, I'll definitely watch it. But work with what you have. Or, alternatively, offer special deals if recipients act by a specific deal. For instance, "Our email subscribers can purchase tickets before they are available to the general public. Buy tickets by May 10th and receive 10% discount."

13) HTML newsletters: If you include pictures and graphics in the HTML version of your newsletter, keep the files small so they load quickly. Also, make sure that the links to all of your graphics are permanent and not relative URLs. Send your HTML newsletter to two separate email addresses to test formatting and to ensure that images appear properly.

14) Test your newsletters: In addition to recommendation 13, always do test runs of your email newsletters - HTML and text. Check all of the links to make sure that they actually work and that you are taken to the proper page. It is a hassle to test all of the links. But if you don't do it, your subscribers will inevitably encounter problems.

15) Track "opens" and "click-throughs": If your email application supports it, track the number of delivered emails, the number of emails that are opened (viewed) by subscribers and the number of times that each link is clicked on. If you also collect demographic data about your subscribers such as location, age and type of patron, you can also create cross-tab reports that show you click through rates based upon this demographic data.

16) Modify mailings: Based-upon the reports you generated from section 15, you will want to modify the content of your email newsletters. You will learn what subject lines work the best, what types of stories are of greatest interest and which performance promotional campaigns are the most successful. Whatever works the best, you'll want to do again in future emails.

17) No-hassle unsubscribe: Absolutely make it easy for subscribers to unsubscribe from your email newsletter. On every email that you send out, there should be an unsubscribe link that, with a single click, removes the person from your list.

Technorati Tags: dance, email, how-to, marketing, performance, promotion

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May 2, 2006

Peer Recommendations - Not Expert Critics - Rule

Following up on my post yesterday, "The Dwindling Market for Professional Critics," I came across a Boston Globe article that tells the same story.

In "Everyone's always been a critic -- but the Net makes their voices count, " columnist Scott Kirsner writes:

Amazon.com may have been one of the first sites, in the mid-1990s, to allow its users to share their thoughts about a book, just below the venerable Publishers Weekly or Booklist write-up. Now, such sites as Blogcritics.org collect reviews written by bloggers, and Apple's iTunes Music Store allows users to share their iMixes -- lists of favorite songs on a particular theme, like ''NJ Best," a selection from Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and other musicians with roots in the Garden State.

''The cultural influencers are changing," says Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer of Lycos, the Waltham Internet portal. ''Expert opinion in the media used to drive culture. Now, it's peer recommendations."

[Boston Globe article via Arts Journal.]

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Perform a Checkup of Your Online Ticketing System

Can your customers purchase tickets online for your upcoming dance performances?

If yes, it's a good idea to test your online ticketing system to ensure that everything works properly. Whether people can buy tickets directly on your website or link to a third-party ticketing site, the entire process has to work smoothly and effectively or you will end-up losing customers.

Conducting an Audit of Your Online Ticketing System

1) Website links: When you list the details about your upcoming performances on your website, you probably include a link that users click on to purchase tickets. Make sure that this link takes users to the correct page. For example, if users are taken to a third-party ticketing website, the link should take users directly to the page which includes your performance details - do not link users to the home page of the 3rd-party ticketing site.

2) Email blasts: When you promote performances in email broadcasts, you'll want to include a link for purchasing tickets. Always send a test email to yourself before sending out the message to all of your recipients. Verify that all links - including the links for purchasing tickets - work properly in both the text and graphic versions of your newsletter.

3) Logistics: Are all of the required details included along with the description of your performance? For example, is the date, time, address, transportation details, maps, accessibility and all other information available to your website visitors? When listing the date, always include the year. When listing the address, always include the Zip Code. Verify that when users open a map, they are actually viewing the correct location for your venue.

4) Printing and email: Make sure that users can print all of the logistics details and that the printed page is legible and properly formatted. Also make it easy for users to email this logistics page to themselves and others.

5) Seating chart: Include a seating chart so that users can clearly see the locations of all sections at your venue. Label each section so that users can figure out which tickets they want to purchase.

6) Buy two tickets: Use a dummy credit card number to purchase two tickets -- better yet, get somebody who is not familiar with your website to buy tickets for your performance.

7) Clear instructions: During each step of the purchasing process are all instructions clear? Is anything confusing? Are required fields clearly indicated? If you enter the wrong information or don't complete a required field, does the error message make sense?

8) Ticket availability: If tickets are not available for a performance, is there a message that states that tickets for this performance have been sold out?

9) Selecting tickets: Is the process of selecting your desired tickets easy? If one type of ticket is listed as "Balcony section," does this make sense and correspond to the graphic seating chart?

10) Billing details: Can you enter one address for the billing address of the credit card holder and another one for your mailing address?

11) Will call: If you are purchasing the tickets within a few days of the performance, is there a clear indication that you can pick-up your tickets at the performance venue and that the tickets will not be mailed to you?

12) Confirmation page: Is a review page displayed before you click the actual "purchase" button? Can you edit any of the details if you need to make changes?

13) Credit card transaction: Once you click the "purchase" button, what happens? Does everything work properly? Do you get a confirmation page? Does the confirmation page give you a transaction number? Are you told how you will get your tickets? Does this confirmation page include all of the performance details along with the location and is it easy to print?

14) Email receipt: Do you receive an email receipt with all of the transaction and performance details (minus credit card number)? Can you print this email and take all of the performance details with you?

15) Telephone number: On the confirmation page or in the email message, are you given a phone number to call if you have questions about your tickets or the performance?

Technorati Tags: dance, ecommerce, performance

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May 1, 2006

The Dwindling Market for Professional Critics

Media critic Jeff Jarvis has a good post, "Who killed the critics," in his Buzz Machine blog. He writes about the diminished importance of pop culture critics and how the rise of rating websites and consumer generated content are supplanting the need for authoritative voices.

Today, in essence, everybody is a critic.

What I find odd about the dance world is that dancers and dance companies still haven't expanded beyond or completely bypassed dance critics. Dance companies and performing arts centers are still wedded to the notion that dance critics play a pivotal role in spreading the word about dance performances. This notion is increasingly outdated. I'm not saying that a good review does not help -- it obviously does. What I am saying is that if too much focus is put on getting press coverage, which is increasingly difficult, less time will be spent pursuing other very worthwhile channels for generating large-scale exposure.

Dance companies have it within their power to expand beyond dance critics and reach a much larger online audience. But, as of today, a very large percentage of dance companies have simply not taken advantage of opportunities to distribute video promotions that could potentially reach tens of thousands of fans.

The irony is that while dance companies value dance critics, newspapers and magazines certainly don't. Take a look at the conference agenda for the upcoming New York meeting of the Dance Critics Association. The first session is devoted to training dance critics on how to write feature stories since papers are running fewer reviews.

So if I were a dance company, I would create compelling dance performance video previews and distribute them as widely as possible. I'd actively encourage audiences of social media sites and bloggers to review, rank and dissect these video previews. This is the best approach to building buzz and getting people to talk about your upcoming performances.

And if I were a dance critic, I'd be pondering a number of topics:

- Why is it that newspapers and magazines keep cutting back on reviews of dance performances? Is it possible that the way critics write about dance is simply not that appealing so fewer people read the reviews? Should critics consider new approaches to writing about dance?

- How come dance critics have not created audio podcasts so that dance fans can listen to dance reviews? What would be the best approach to creating compelling audio commentary?

- As more dance videos are distributed online, how does the job of a dance critic change? Before the Internet and digital video, dance critics had to write word paintings to help readers visualize movement. But if audiences can see video clips, what exactly should a dance critic describe?

- And, overall, are dance critics open to changing how they view the role of criticism? Just about all dance critics are in product review mode. That is they believe they are supposed to review a work as it is presented on stage without taking into consideration the creative process or the intent of the choreographer and performers. (Read my March 24th post, "Dance Critics Don't Get It"). If choreographers and dancers, through blogs and other online platforms, start sharing their creative insights and challenges as they are developing dance pieces, the nature of dancer-audience interaction will change considerably. How will critics deal with this new type of interaction and sharing? Will they ignore it or will they begin to incorporate this exchange of ideas in their reviews?

From my perspective, the Dance Critics Association's conference agenda admits defeat (smaller market for dance criticism), but there seems to be no counterbalancing effort to address the fundamental issues that led to this downsizing and there is no effort to experiment with new approaches.

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