Dance Data Project® “Zooms Out” To Interview Top Arts/Dance Journalists, Academics, and  DEI Experts On Creating A More Sustainable And Equitable Art Form “The Conversations We Need to Be Having”

Northfield, IL – Dance Data Project® (DDP) announces the release of Global Conversations: The View From 30,000 Feet, the third round in a series of virtual interviews. Round 3 examines the state of ballet not only as an art form but also as a multi-million-dollar industry in the United States and a field of endeavor that must quickly adapt to the challenges of a pandemic or cease to exist in the post-COVID world. 

“DDP has assembled an all-star group of the most interesting voices currently studying and working in the arts sector and dance in particular,” said DDP Research Director Isabelle Vail. “From producer/reporters and arts journalists, advocates for social justice and systemic cultural change, to researchers in dance and the arts, this diverse collection of forward-thinking individuals are the true thought leaders of the industry.” 

Round 3 will feature the series’ first multi-participant interview, with Jennifer Stahl and Margaret Fuhrer of Dance Media in a round-table discussion with DDP Founder and President Liza Yntema and Ms. Vail. Interviews will also touch on the critical role arts journalism plays in the development of a more inclusive and relevant industry with a focus on repairing the gender inequities that the pandemic has deepened on a global scale. For the final interview of Round 3, DDP welcomes the dynamic Executive Director of Dance/NYC, Alejandra Duque Cifuentes. This conversation from The View From 30,000 Feet will engage viewers interested in a deep-dive on important issues like inclusion and service in the arts.

“The original estimated aggregate effect of COVID-19 on the nonprofit arts and culture sector was -$6.8 billion, which is equivalent to a deficit of 26 percent of expenses for the average organization in a year. However, that research assumed venues would re-open in October 2020, so given the most recent round of season cancellations through next Spring, the impact is likely going to be a tsunami on an already struggling arts sector.” Yntema continued, citing recent research by Round 3 guest Zannie Voss, Ph.D.

“Countless studies demonstrate that women make up a majority in the most severely impacted sectors by COVID-19. This pandemic has delivered a series of hammer blows to women who not only occupy the least secure rungs of the economy in general and arts in particular, they are now faced with child and elder care burdens,” Yntema added. “No wonder NPR has reported that women are leaving the workforce at 4 times the rate of their male counterparts and that these multiple burdens and insecurities may set women’s progress back a generation.” 

DDP will release a new episode of Global Conversations: The View From 30,000 Feet every weekday at 12 p.m. EST, beginning on Monday, October 19 with the final interview to be released October 30. The series will be available for streaming on Instagram TV, YouTube, and the DDP website. Release dates for each episode as well as the full list of participants and their respective organizations are listed below:

Week 1 
1. Monday, October 19 | Jennifer Stahl and Margaret Fuhrer, Editors-In Chief, Dance Magazine and The Dance Edit 
2. Tuesday, October 20 | Theresa Ruth Howard, Founder and Curator, Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet; Diversity Strategist and Consultant 
3. Wednesday, October 21 |Sharon Basco, Contributor, WBUR Boston’s The ARTery, Here & Now 
4. Thursday, October 22 | Zannie Voss, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Southern Methodist University DataArts; Director, National Center for Arts Research 
5. Friday, October 23 | Charles Whitaker, Dean and Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Week 2 
1. Monday, October 26 | Makeda Easter, Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times 
2. Tuesday, October 27 | Melanie Doerner, Director of Development, North Carolina Theater; Dance Researcher 
3. Wednesday, October 28 | Chloe Angyal, Contributing Editor, Marie Claire; Author, Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself 
4. Thursday, October 29 | Erica L. Edwards, Diversity Consultant and Founder, Cultivating Better Tomorrows 
5. Friday, October 30 | Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Executive Director, Dance/NYC

DDP recently released the 2020-2021 Season Status Updates resource, an online tool that provides a listing of programming changes for both U.S. and international ballet companies. The resource, refreshed regularly as announcements are made available, also features a Nutcracker 2020 section with updates on companies’ plans for the holiday favorite. The annual First Look Report, a breakdown of company season announcements, has been postponed until a large enough sample of U.S. ballet companies proceed with COVID-era announcements. The DDP team continues to refine its data for the upcoming Boards of Directors and Trustees Analysis.

Founded in 2015 as a simple database and launched officially in 2019 as 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Dance Data Project® ‘s mission is to inform equity in classical ballet through data analysis, advocacy, and programming. Learn more at www.dancedataproject.com.