I’m not a fan of click-through journalism, but in this case, the title I’ve given this post is EXACTLY what it means. Here are two links that dancers and choreographers should take a few minutes to look at today – both projects are trying to capture a snapshot of the dance community (and that’s not limited to NYC!), and they need your help! Whether you’re an active dancer, a professional choreographer, or just a frequent audience member, your input is valuable and greatly appreciated!

1) Researching the “myth of the audition”
My dear friend, classmate, and dance partner Hana Goldstone is currently working on a project through the Department of Sociology at Columbia University to track dancers’ and choreographers’ career paths and hiring practices in New York City. To conduct her research, she’s created a survey that asks dancers and dance makers to report on their experiences of getting (or not getting) dance jobs. By completing this dancer survey if you’re primarily a dancer or this choreographer survey if you’re primarily a choreographer, you’ll not only be helping Hana debunk the myth that getting a dance job comes down to a single make-it-or-break-it audition, but you’ll also be given the option to enter a drawing for a $200 prize. That’s definitely worth the 15 minutes! Hana is especially hoping to receive more responses from dancers (although choreographers are also more than welcome to respond). For Hana’s research, dancers and choreographers are determined by self-identification, so if you consider yourself a member of the professional dance community in NYC in any way, shape, or form, please feel free to add your response. People who are currently searching for their first dance job are also encouraged to participate.

Hana describes her research as follows:

Hi, my name is Hana Goldstone. I am a student of dance and sociology at Columbia University writing a thesis about the New York City dance community. I am studying the career paths of New York City-based dancers, and I am conducting this research through surveys and interviews with dancers and choreographers. Very little research exists on this topic, and I plan to make my work available to the dance community, which I believe could benefit from a better understanding of these topics.

I want the story of your career to be accounted for in this research. Please fill out the survey below, which will ask you questions about your professional life. This survey will take approximately ten to fifteen minutes to complete, and all responses will be kept strictly confidential. Results will only be published anonymously and/or in the aggregate. 

At the end, you will have the opportunity to request a report on my findings, as well as the opportunity to enter a drawing for $200.

For Dancers: http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1565318/Dancer-Survey-2

For Choreographers: http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1530352/Choreographer-Survey

If you have any questions or concerns about participating in this research, or if you are interested in being interviewed for this research, I can by contacted by email at hmg2132@columbia.edu.

Sincerely,
Hana Goldstone

2) Dance Magazine’s List of Active Female Choreographers
Dance Magazine is compiling a list of active female choreographers, and they’re looking for submissions from the general public to make sure they’ve accounted for as many choreographers as possible. Look through the list to see to make sure your favorite choreographers (which might you!) are on it. If you see a name missing, you can email your suggestion to femalechoreos@dancemedia.com and include a link to the artist’s website, or a video or review of their recent work.