About the Dance Bridge
ABOUT THE DANCE BRIDGE:
In May 2003, the Boulder Arts Commission established the Dance Bridge, a new arts resource center for Boulder’s diverse dance community. Spear-headed by the Boulder Arts Commission (BAC) and the Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), members of the dance community participated in forums and discussions moving towards a consensus on common needs, ideas, and direction. Boulder Arts Commission monies that had served the dance community for years now fund the Dance Bridge, a multi-faceted project aimed to broaden public participation in dance through support, promotion and the centralization of services and resources.
In May 2003, the Boulder Arts Commission established the Dance Bridge, a new arts resource center for Boulder’s diverse dance community. Spear-headed by the Boulder Arts Commission (BAC) and the Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), members of the dance community participated in forums and discussions moving towards a consensus on common needs, ideas, and direction. Boulder Arts Commission monies that had served the dance community for years now fund the Dance Bridge, a multi-faceted project aimed to broaden public participation in dance through support, promotion and the centralization of services and resources.
The Dance Bridge acts as a clearing-house for dancers and dance-related activities in the area. Citizens of Boulder are encouraged to utilize the Dance Bridge when seeking information on individual dance artists, performances, classes, studios, teachers, workshops and events. Ongoing tasks involve publicity on projects and communication with the dance community, as well as collecting and distributing information to connect already established arts resources, service organizations, and web sites. While providing equal access to all forms of dance, the Dance Bridge encourages quality program development, promoting communication and collaboration to increase publicity, coordinate activities and share services.
The Dance Bridge shares office space and phone lines with the Boulder Arts Resource, and is located with the Boulder Arts Commission at the main branch of the Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302. The public is invited to stop by the office during normal library hours. Dance Bridge hours are flexible, with a message board available at other times. Contact Coordinator, Mary Wohl Haan at 303-441-4391, dancebridge@boulderlibrary.org for more information.
Dance Bridge goals include:
- Encourage local dance artists, teachers and studios to register with the Boulder Arts Resource, a free web-based registry with access to other links, information, calendars and resources. Explore the use of information technology to build a centralized web based dance bulletin board linking existing web sites and data bases. Clarify and communicate the purpose and role of already established local, regional and national resource organizations including the Boulder Arts Commission, Boulder County Arts Alliance, Colorado Dance Alliance, Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Dance/USA, among others.
- Address the quality of the local dance community offerings by encouraging choreographers' showcases and peer review, mentoring, workshops and collaboration. Support collaborative relationships between studios, companies, presenters, independent instructors, dancers and educational institutions to promote mutually beneficial programming opportunities in Boulder. Develop and support projects that encourage the involvement of the dance community as a whole and recognize the diversity of dance in our area.
- Advocate for better coverage, reviews and funding for local dance artists and activities. Collaborate and support efforts to develop a marketing tool kit for dancers, companies and studios that addresses advertising, a press packet, audience development strategies, and branding techniques to help artists define who they are and what they do.
- Organize community dance forums to present ideas and address on-going concerns of the community at large. When appropriate, poll the community on questions and issues. Appoint a rotating informal dance advisory subcommittee.
- Assemble a guide to assist individuals and organizations in their search for funding resources. Look at new economic models, including the feasibility of an artists' co-op model for dance.
- Provide customer service by answering questions and requests from patrons and artists regarding dance in the area. Advocate for a culturally inspiring, mutually supportive and economically sustainable ecosystem for dance and all its constituents, so that the citizens of Boulder value the art of dance as a creative discipline, as a performing art, as education, as social communication, recreation and personal transformation.
Join the Boulder Arts Commission, Boulder Arts Resource and the Dance Bridge in their efforts to enrich the quality of life, encourage excellence, and involve the community in celebrating all the arts.
Dance Bridge - a bridge for you, your art and your audience!
For more information, contact DB coordinator Mary Wohl Haan at 303-441-4391 or dancebridge@boulderlibrary.org.
