Dancer Fees for Choreographic Residency in Syr. NY

HI I'm Maya :) I'm a choreographer and dance-theatre creator born and raised in Syracuse, NY, and I'm trying to figure out how generative creators in art forms like dance and physical theatre--which require time in the studio with other people--create work and equitably compensate the performers they collaborate with. so!!! for the first time, I am creating a fundraiser to support artistic fees to pay six dancers for a week-long creative residency period in my beloved beloved home of Syracuse, NY this May. :D

Last summer, I received an amazing opportunity through the New York State Dance Force - my first chance to host a paid creative development period with professional dancers. It was a life changing process for me, and the support from the Dance Force was remarkable - in fact, the Dance Force mandated a minimum wage of $50/hour for any dancers hired for my residency.

brief intermission to share some stills from residency footage by DaiAwen Cynfamau <3

featuring Jason Ngo, Manatsu Tanaka, Joey Schuman, and Grace Montas.

I was thrilled - to me, a performer in Upstate New York, this rate was unheard of - but the New York State Dance Force's unprecedented commitment to taking care of its artists and dancers comforted and inspired me, and encouraged me to continue strategizing about ensuring that the opportunities I create for other artists provide a wage that makes participation a financially feasible choice, as opposed to a financial sacrifice.

......but how??

I write grants every day seeking support for artist fees for projects I'm working on, and sometimes (like with the New York State Dance Force!) the stars align. But it's a tough moment for arts funding - even the consistent funding sources that are available seem to meet fewer and fewer dollars of the total grant requests. And I am in the same situation as the performers I work with -- we're all trying to figure out how to make ends meet while setting aside time to create and be with each other.

I've never attempted a private fundraiser before, and I'm not sure how this is going to work. I'm aware that it's not realistic for me to achieve NYS Dance Force Choreographer's Initiative rates just yet, but I figured I would could start relatively small: Five days. Six dancers at $20/hr for about 30 hours.

During my the residency last year, I created seedlings for three new pieces; Waltz , Requiem, and Skeleton Cages. I have an exciting opportunity this May to present my work, and my goal is to bring six dancers together in Syracuse, NY for five days of creation to finalize one of the three pieces I began creating last summer, culminating in a workshop performance.

Here is my current budget for the project to give you an idea of how the funds will be used:

COST BREAKDOWN - WEEK LONG RESIDENCY

$4200 - $600 stipend for 6 dancers + me

$200 travel fund to support dancers driving from out of town

$200 video and photo documentation

Total Expenses: $4600

Even $5 is a step towards creating paid positions for the artists on this project. If you aren't able to support financially, but are interested in supporting this project, I am also looking to source home stays for a couple of out of town artists, studio space donation, and video or photo documentation services. :D

Thank you so so so so so much for reading this <3

Maya