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what’sup withdance in the metroplex


The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) $97,000 to support choreography and touring for the 35th Anniversary Season. DBDT will use the funds to support the restaging of Vespers by the late Ulysses Dove; to support the restaging and presentation of Pigs and Fishes by Elisa Monte; to support the restaging and presentation of Escapades by the late Alvin Ailey and Pacing by Milton Myers; and to sup- port a national tour to California, Maryland and Texas (San Antonio, Midland and Denton).


The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University has selected two Irish artists – choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan and playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh – as the recipients of the third annual Meadows Prize arts residency.


Dublin native Michael Keegan-Dolan has been widely referred to as “the most unique choreographic voice to have emerged from Ireland in the last half century.” He is co-founder and artistic director of Dublin’s Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, an award-winning company launched in 1997. He has written, directed, choreographed and co-produced critically acclaimed works with Fabulous Beast that combine the visual element of dance with the narrative power of theatre. His choreographic works have been produced at prestigious venues throughout Europe and the U.S., including the Royal Opera House in London, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and the Houston Grand Opera.Keegan-Dolan and Walsh will be in residency at SMU at the same time in fall 2012 for four weeks. They will collaborate with SMU the- atre and dance students to create a new dance/theatre piece tentatively slated for a major European festival in 2013. The piece also will receive public work- shop performances in Dallas during their residency.


Three Ballet Academy of Texas students, under the direction of Lisa Slagle, have received National Training Scholarships from American Ballet Theatre. They are Breanne Granlund, age 13, Claire Boren, age 14, and Katie Cheng, age 15. They will all attend ABT’s Summer Intensive in New York in 2012 on full scholarship, as well as receive a training stipend during the year. Ms. Boren also received the Isabelle Goldberg Scholarship, awarded by the Summer Intensive director, Melissa Bowman. All three dancers per- form with the Ballet Ensemble of Texas.


Chamberlain Performing Arts has appointed Cassi MacQueento serve as the company’s new Director of Outreach. In this role, she will be responsi- ble for implementing Chamberlain’s existing outreach and education pro- grams, as well as creating new opportunities for Chamberlain to serve the North Texas Community involving supporting schools, senior centers, and other dance education markets.


across the state Texans for the Arts offices have moved to Houston! New contact informa- tion: PO Box 663795, Houston, TX 77266 mburketfa@gmail.com.


in the nation


Congratulations to YoungArts Finalists: Skylar Boykin / Modern, Plano, TX, Plano West Senior High School; Taylor Rodman/ Choreography, Coppell, TX, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Stephanie Troyak / Choreography, Plano, TX, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Karissa Royster /Tap, San Antonio, TX, James Madison High School. Honorable Mention: Emily Bernet / Choreography, Plano, TX / Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Summer Myatt/ Ballet, Keller, TX / Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Skylar Boykin / Choreography, Plano, TX / Plano West Senior High School. YoungArts, a program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, identifies emerging artists and assists them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development, to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American Society. DANCE! NORTH TEXAS


a publication of the dance council of north texas


Appropriations Update - NEA and Arts in Education President Obama signed a consolidated bill to finalize FY12 federal fund- ing. The final budget package includes $145.979 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and $24.593 million for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education.


The following information appears courtesy of The Performing Arts Alliance:


NEA After a rollercoaster year, the FY12 NEA budget suffered a decrease of $8.745 million compared to last year’s funding allocation. The House of Representatives and the Senate proposed budgets ranging from $135 mil- lion to $155 million, ultimately compromising to reach the same amount originally requested by the President, a decrease for the agency to a level of $145.979 million. In anticipation of a decrease this year, the NEA, which is halfway through its FY12 grant cycle, has reduced the total amount of grant disbursement, and further changes for FY13 grants and beyond are expected to be announced shortly.


Arts in Education


Also experiencing a tumultuous appropriations cycle, the Arts in Education program has weathered significant challenges and is one of a few pro- grams to survive multiple proposals to eliminate subject-specific funding programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The Arts in Education pro- gram ultimately received $24.593 million in FY12 to administer and sup- port competitive grants and national initiatives at the Department of Education, a decrease from the $27.447 million administered by the Department in FY11. FY12 funding may offer the possibility of a new round of grant competitions in the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program, but details remain to be seen.


IRA Charitable Rollover In early 2012, Congress will likely move forward on a larger tax extenders package, including an extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision. The provision is currently in effect through 2011, so Congress must act to renew or make permanent the incentive soon. The IRA Rollover allows donors 70 1/2 and older to make up to $100,000 in charitable contributions directly from their individual retirement accounts (IRA), without paying federal taxes on the withdrawal. This has proven to be an important giving incentive, resulting in new and increased charitable giving to nonprofit per- forming arts organizations and the full range of nonprofits.


Charitable Deduction


The charitable deduction for contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations will continue to be at risk in 2012. Following the failure of the Congressional Super Committee to reach agreement on recommendations for dealing with the deficit, proposals to curtail federal tax incentives for charitable giv- ing will likely remain on the table as the tax committees in Congress deter- mine next steps for increasing federal revenue. Charitable giving incentives are critical to the health of nonprofit organizations, including the nonprofit arts, and support the valuable community services provided by the full range of nonprofit organizations. It is critical they are preserved.


Nonprofit Postal Rates


The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee recent- ly approved legislation to reform the U.S. Postal Service. Unlike a compan- ion bill making its way through the House of Representatives, the Senate bill preserves the nonprofit postage discount rate. The track of these bills is uncertain at this time, as neither is currently slated for floor consideration.


Arts Advocacy Day Arts Advocacy Day 2012 begins Monday, April 16 in Washington, DC. In its 25th year, this annual gathering is an opportunity for the arts community to make its voice heard on Capitol Hill. Arts advocates from across the country will meet with their Senators and Representatives to communicate the importance of federal arts funding and implementing policies that sup- port the arts.


vol. 15 • no. 1 www.thedancecouncil.org February 2012 page 25


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