October 24, 2007

My Notes for Panel Discussion Tonight at Dance/NYC

Here's draft of my notes for panel discuss tonight tonight at Dance/NYC.

I figured I'd share, but my notes might be too abbreviated in some places to make sense.

Feel free to share your wisdom before session.

How is technology impacting the dance world? Is it good? Is it bad? How can we use it to grow our audiences? How does live dance compete? These are all questions that will be discussed at our first town hall of the year. Please join us!

Initial Thoughts

For most part, presenters & dance co's >> Internet as traditional marketing >> inform audiences and sell tickets.

Limitation >> Internet and tech developments transforming expectations of audiences.

+ Internet audience mil. x larger than theater audience.

Key Technology Trends

- Home entertainment systems - wide-screen/videos/games

- Faster, more versatile Internet - large resources/new forms participation

- Wireless and mobile devices - match Internet/real-time sharing/friends

- Growth in social networking tools and applications/myspace, facebook, blogs...first person comm. Networking w/ people similar interests.

How do users act - What do users want result of trends:

- Multi-tasking and short attention spans

- Easy access abundance content and info.

- Instant access to advice - soc. Networks

- Spur of moment planning - always connected

- People expect to b more engaged/involved in pursuits

- Users don't want to feel marketed to

Will these traits & tendencies build audiences? Challenging!

They are opposite of sit quietly 90 min, be engaged and absorbed

So what approaches can/should be pursued:

- Dance delivered multiple platforms: live, Internet, hi-def and mobile

- Dance shared different points creative process w/ feedback

- More content/resources/videos about specific performances

- Audience given direct access to choreographers and dancers

- Dance integrated into larger cultural, social and political context

What do dance-makers do to realize these approaches:

- New approaches: marketing, communication and community-building functions

- Dance videos need to be compelling and innovative

- Intellectual property and contractual issues need to be addressed

- Choreographers/dancers spend more time communicating with audiences online

- New biz model to sport these initiatives - w/o, it is impossible to implement (but challenging).

o Advertising
o Corporate sponsorship
o Individual and corporate donors, and
o Monetizing video content in different ways

Specific ideas and possibilities

I've been blogging

- Integration /w environ. Blog Action Day - 15 bloggers/millions readers

- Replicate depth coverage/resources classical music - Alex Ross

- Tap into amateur dancers - people who do are ready to watch - soc. Net.

- New models for Internet-based works-in-process - Inquisitive Owl blog

Conclusion

We're in chicken and egg quandary:

- Internet, rich opportunities, larger, more involved audiences, unlimited video distribution, more bookings, new $$ streams.

- But time, energy and financial resources needed to kick things off

- And dancers have hectic schedules the way things are and funding far from ideal.

- So few courageous souls needed to jump start process

Posted by Doug Fox on October 24, 2007 2:23 PM

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