Into summer with some challenges

Summer is here and many of the dancers and Board are away on vacations, teaching courses or visiting family. I myself am teaching a great deal (35 young people in 1 room...) and trying to find a way to support my Board's fund-raising efforts more comprehensively.
As there is no degree in "Artistic Directoring" I, like many am learning on the job. The first season was "is this even possible?, let's see if I'll enjoy it"
The second season was: "let's get as much out on stage as we can, solidify the dancers and the company, and prove to the audience and Board that we have a great product"
The third season just past: "marketing, PR decisions and beginning to get the Brand out there in the community"
This next season/year will be about the funding and hopefully convincing past supporters, new supporters,and some larger organizations that we are viable and attractive to support.

Of course while in some areas Oregon had record amounts given to non-profits, it was mostly to well established organizations. Getting recognized is a slow process, as it should be, but with the responsibility I have taken on for the dancers, staff and Board, this slow process can be very frustrating.
I've put a great deal of thought into the "product", making sure we don't cross over other dance organizations specialties, acting as an advocate for dance in general instead of simply BDC, trying to organize our performances around the more established companies performances...good business decisions, but also, in my belief, responsible ones.
Nobody benefits by putting themselves in direct competition for audiences or support.

Like any newish organizations we could use a great deal of help in development, management and fund-raising, but the youth of the company and the difficulty of running a non-profit Arts organization tend to keep people away.
However it is rare to be present in a time and a place, with a clearly excellent product, all at the same time and in this I believe we are fabulously lucky. If anyone wants to be able to say: I was there in the beginning"...support us now and help us build.

BDC does not aspire to be a large company, or a major consumer of Arts funding, but instead, a small, dynamic and tightly-run organization that tours, presents others, commissions new works and with new artists, provides a place for our dancers to perform and in all ways make Portland and our supporters proud to be a part. We strive to be the dance company that works, in a business sense as well as an artistic and organizational one. No decisions based on individual ego's, supposedly superior artistic credibility or because of some combination of whim and power and most especially, no "artistic" decisions that sink the organization into unmanageable debt! By putting the companies health and viability first, giving back to our supporters, dancers, staff and the dance community, we hope to share in the "rising tide that floats all boats"

Now you know...