CDP data was the focus of two news articles this week, following the release of Dance/NYC’s State of NYC Dance report. The report used data from the New York State Cultural Data Project to establish key benchmarks for nonprofit dancemakers in New York City, and the report’s findings raised interesting questions in articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Entitled “New Report Cites Strong Start-Up Culture of Dance in the City,” a November 15, 2011 New York Times article makes the case that “dance organizations in New York City are entrepreneurial and innovative, despite having to scramble for money and rely on part-time, contract and volunteer labor.” Noting that “19 percent of all premieres and 22 percent of all commissions came from companies with budgets [of $25,000 to $99,000],” the article highlights the entrepreneurial nature of the city’s small dance organizations, as well as their reliance on private contributions.

On November 16, 2011, the Wall Street Journal addressed another aspect of Dance/NYC’s report in its article, “Corporate Support for Dance Wanes.” The article highlights the fact that “for dance companies at five budget levels—from the smallest ($25,000 to $99,000) to the largest (greater than $5 million)—corporate giving represents between 2% and 8% of their contributed income.” The Wall Street Journal also notes that the largest companies are most reliant on ticket sales but “account for only 2% of new works,” going on to raise the question of whether “audiences turn out to see well-known classics […] rather than new choreography.”

To read the New York Times article, “New Report Cites Strong Start-Up Culture of Dance in the City”, click here.

To read the Wall Street Journal article, “Corporate Support for Dance Wanes,” click here.

For more on State of NYC Dance, visit the CDP’s Research page, or click here to view the report directly.