Spark: Setting the Stage for the Future

For the past nine years, Spark has been building a community of dancers, collaborators, and audience members, bringing them all together for accessible dance experiences. As we set the stage for the future, we need your help to achieve our $10,000 fundraising goal. Your gift will go directly to supporting our two season productions: Alice in Wonderland and the Ten, A Celebration of Spark’s 10 Year Anniversary.

Spark’s modern interpretation of Alice takes some of our youngest audiences down the rabbit hole to meet the White Rabbit, Tweedles Dee and Dum, the Mad Hatter, and the evil Queen of Hearts. Adding a unique twist to the classic Lewis Carroll tale, this Wonderland adventure takes place in New York City. Exploring themes of friendship and adventure, audiences become part of the story by assisting with some of the choreography and even joining in the tea party. Performances will take place for audiences of all ages on March 2 at The Town School.


Our second production celebrates everyone who has been part of the Spark community for the past ten years with Ten. Featuring audience and dancer favorites from our repertoire, this performance is not to be missed by Spark fans. Spark dancers will also have the opportunity to create new works on the company for this special performance. Despite how much the company has grown, our core commitment to nurture dancers, audiences, choreographers, and collaborators through new works remains the same.


How You Can Help!
For the past nine years, Spark has achieved its mission of providing accessible dance experiences due in large part to the generosity of family, friends, and patrons. A tax-deductible donation of any amount will put us closer to our goal!


How the funds will be used:
Phase 1: Performance Costs
Goal: $5,000
Spark must raise $5,000 to cover operational costs associated with the productions, which includes rental fees and rehearsal space.  


Phase 2: Artist Stipends
Goal: $5,000
The second phase of our campaign provides stipends for the artists. Spark’s dancers are incredibly talented and creative performers who are so dedicated to their craft and the company that they donate their time to Spark. Our dancers spend months in rehearsal studios developing and refining choreography, including 50+ hours preparing for each show. This goal also includes composers, costume, lighting, and projection designers, as well as other crucial personnel.

FAQ
Q: If you are selling tickets to the performance why do you need to raise money outside of the Box Office?
A: Ticket sales typically cover a very small percentage of production costs for most performing arts organizations. At Spark, part of our mission is to create accessible dance experiences and one way we do that is by keeping ticket costs low.  Because of support from our generous donors, we’re able to stay true to our mission and continue to offer affordable tickets to our performances.


Q: How long does it take to create a performance like this?
A: Spark rehearses 3-6 hours a week for 5 months when developing a new work. Artistic Director Chelsea Koenig and Assistant Artistic Director Matt Dittes also work independently with composers and graphic designers to integrate additional art mediums into the show.