Folk and Traditional Arts
ACHF Cultural Heritage
Add new dancers, especially ages 4-6, and retain existing dancers through compelling dance education, costuming, workshops, and performances. Measure the increase in number of dancers in each age group and the number of older dancers retained through their college years. 2: Develop future instructors/choreographers by offering instructor jobs, advanced workshops, motivational performances, and financial stipends. Measure the number of older dancers who agree to become instructors, parents who previously danced and now bring their kids and agree to become instructors, and participants in advanced Ukrainian dance workshops that are interested in choreography.
Projected outcome: Adding new dancers, especially ages 4-6, and retaining existing dancers through compelling dance education, costuming, workshops, and performance. Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Ensemble experienced a surge of new members for its 2013-2014 season: 17 dancers between three and eight years old. This resulted from an increased number of grant-enabled performances for the 2012-2013 season, including one at the Cowles Center for Dance, as well as enhanced visibility and marketing efforts within the Ukrainian and general American communities. The group retained a large majority of its existing dancers. Workshops led by guest choreographers exposed dancers to new styles and techniques; the troupe's artistic director choreographed new dances for each age group; and performances at new, larger performance created excitement. In addition, some dancers received new, handmade costumes representing various regions of Ukraine. 2: Cheremosh significantly enhanced efforts to motivate dancers and create new apprentice opportunities. Grant support allowed performances before larger audiences at more premiere and public venues providing member dancers with a renewed enthusiasm for Ukrainian folk dance. Grant money supported new paid internship positions for members of the oldest dance group to instruct younger dancers, thereby building their commitment to the future growth of the ensemble. This was so successful that for the upcoming 2013-2014 season, we expanded this apprentice program to include four teenaged members, each with outside ballet training, to instruct younger dancers on ballet positions, poise, and technique.
Other, local or private