In the Dancer's Studio

Because everything has to happen at the same time….

Maryland SBDC hosting a free webinar on financial tools and resources to deal with COVID-19 (at the same time as the Americans for the Arts briefing).  Americans for the arts says they will have a replay available later, so you get to make some choices.. Information here:  https://mdsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/16169

Another free online event about “new financial resources affected by COVID-19” happens March 31 at 1pm – https://mdsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/16172

Maryland SBDC has also assembled a 30+ page document of resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EAS90feseZIOXDzVbNJ1wgqkNjcNpQJzGRTAy1mUjFc/edit#heading=h.ovjboaxfcikw

And a broad collection of COVID-19 resources here: https://www.marylandsbdc.org/covid-19-assistance


Alvin Ailey has launched “Ailey All Access” – information here: https://www.alvinailey.org/ailey-all-access

Netherlands Dans Theater has launched NDTV here: https://www.ndt.nl/en/actiepaginas/ndtv.html

The San Fransisco Ballet is streaming classes – information here: https://www.sfballet.org/sf-ballet-company-class-live-stream/

Syed Sallauddin Pasha / Ability Unlimited is offering Bharatnatyam, Sufi, Yoga and Martial Arts…. on wheels classes. Announcement here: https://syedsallauddinpasha.com/online-wheelchair-dance-training-by-syed-sallauddin-pasha/


And, since we’re officially stuck at home together now, I’d like to make an appeal to the regional dance community to do some writing (for web and otherwise) and research.  Are you interested?  Do you know anyone that that would be interested? Please get in touch… lots of things to do.


BRDS: http://inthedancersstudio.com/brds2020

Please get good information.

Please stay home.

Please keep dancing.

Please reach out to people directly and personally.  They will miss seeing/dancing/working with you.  I will miss you.

Simple acts of kindness do matter.  Point out beauty when you can. Bring a little joy to someone.

If there is something I can do, please let me know.

Americans for the Arts is hosting a live briefing to share information on the COVID-19 Relief Package as it relates to arts organizations.  This is limited to 1000 participants, so register early if you intend to participate in the live event.  A replay will become available later.  Register here: https://artsu.americansforthearts.org/products/covid-19-relief-package-briefing-an-americans-for-the-arts-virtual-check-in

Vincent Thomas webcast a performance this past Friday in place of “In the Company of… Moving Dialogues II.”  Check http://vtdance.org/ for info.

Dance Educators Training Institute (DETI) 2020 (brought to you ClancyWorks/UMBC/Baltimore County Schools) is still scheduled for August 10-14.  Schedule is here: http://www.clancyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020-0325-DETI-Schedule.png

Synetic Theater (one of my personal favorites in the greater region) is streaming past productions on a pay-what-you-can basis.  Check that out here: https://synetictheater.org/synetic-streaming/  Richard 3.0 is available through April 12.  Highly recommended.

Maryland Dance Education Association has assembled a directory of online resources: https://www.mddanceed.org/online-learning-resources

Cara Ober’s (publisher of BmoreArt) personal experience with COVID-19: https://bmoreart.com/2020/03/fever-dream-symptoms-but-no-covid-19-tests-and-no-results.html


If you have a 3D printer, the National Institutes of Health has approved 3D-printed face masks ( https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3DPX-013238 ).  If you can help, sign up here:  https://www.wethebuilders.com/projects/11  (and a nod to OpenWorks for being great on this).

A gentle reminder that the Baltimore Regional Dance Survey (#BRDS2020) needs more participation… Please make sure you’ve completed it yourself, and share with anyone else in your dance world: http://inthedancersstudio.com/brds2020

Please get good information.

Please stay home.

Please keep dancing.

Please reach out to people directly and personally.  They will miss seeing/dancing/working with you.  I will miss you.

Simple acts of kindness do matter.  Point out beauty when you can. Bring a little joy to someone.

If there is something I can do, please let me know.

This is an evolving thing, and I can’t begin to get comprehensive, but here are some places to start, and you should start now…

       On a different subject (the pandemic medical response), if any
       of you have connections to the catering business, I have some
       quick questions I’d like answered about catering appliances. 
       Please get in touch, or have the people you know in the business
       get in touch with me, NOW.


Now some things that might help you, and places you can help others… (crisis funding works both ways…):

General information for Maryland Businesses, includes information for SBA assistance: https://govstatus.egov.com/md-coronavirus-business

Dance/USA on the recent relief bill: https://www.danceusa.org/support-dance-latest-relief-package

Dance/USA impact survey: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5506589/Coronavirus-Survey-March-2020

The National Dance Education Organization ( https://www.ndeo.org/ ) has several forum posts sharing experience and strategy. They’re also hosting seminars on teaching online through their Online Professional Development Institute (OPDI).

Frederick Artists Relief Fund (at GoFundMe): https://www.gofundme.com/f/give-to-the-frederick-artist-relief-fund

Arts Administrators of Color Network (at GoFundMe): https://www.gofundme.com/f/artsleadersfund

Patreon:  https://go.patreon.com/what-the-fund

Vimeo tips on virtual events: https://vimeo.com/enterprise/live-production-broadcast



Larger organizations (with more resources than I) are compiling bigger directories…. check these too.  A number of these include surveys to measure impact…

https://mdarts.org/news/covid-19-artist-emergency-resources/

https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/

https://www.danceusa.org/resources-preparing-potential-impact-coronavirus

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9337908/coronavirus-resource-guide-music-professionals-help

https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/emergency-resources-artists-covid-19

https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-topic/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus-covid-19-resource-and-response-center

https://www.ncaper.org/

https://www.womenarts.org/funding-resources/emergencyfunds/

https://www.kickstarter.com/articles/covid-19-coronavirus-artist-resources

https://www.msac.org/news/msac-covid-19-state-emergency-statement-resources

https://npnweb.org/covid-19-resources/

https://www.artistcommunities.org/emergency-relief-programs

https://creative-capital.org/2020/03/13/list-of-arts-resources-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/feature/are-you-a-freelance-worker-or-a-small-company-in-the-arts-here-s-a-global-list-of-financial-aid-available-to-you-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2020/3/22/how-can-funders-most-effectively-support-an-arts-sector-decimated-by-covid-19


And if you need some arts exposure…

https://www.dancemagazine.com/dance-performances-online-2645501079.html

https://www.stayathomefest.com/

Governor Hogan will be addressing the state at 11am on Monday, March 23rd.  I debated holding these thoughts until after the press conference, but I think it’s safe to assume that Maryland will expand the shutdown measures, probably to include anything non-essential (full “stay-at-home” orders), and school closures will extend several weeks, if not through the end of the year. Anything else that’s announced, well… we’ll deal with that later.  Seems like we’re stuck apart a bit longer (and that’s a good and important thing).

I said last time, that this pandemic will force dramatic and rapid economic, social, and personal changes on everyone, and those changes are unpredictable.  But, in the words of Alan Kay, “the best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  Now is the time to start thinking about how you want the world to look on the other side of this thing, and begin to but those visions and hopes into actionable form.  I’m very much looking forward to thinking those things with you… we have a whole new world to build…

Many of you are going to be stuck at home for an indefinite period, uncertain of the health of people you care about, your personal income, the stability of your business, and so much more… this sucks.  This sucks a lot.  It’s OK to not be OK.  If you need help, please ask – I’ll do what I can, and there are other resources to draw upon.  Here are some places to look:

The great people at Impact Hub have created a document aggregating resources here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nN_1iWwqjt6swhDBGeG4BUxOUXuS-oLYhZaqnKPfLxI/edit

Baltimore is organizing neighborhood response teams here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G5JcyxmywcTdNeaSGxUNycl9mtCdGkF4MYPVxEBH4SY/mobilebasic

Baltimore Development Corporation is collecting information on businesses and non-profits impacted by the pandemic.  You can participate here:  https://colintarbert.typeform.com/to/YRr3Bu

And if you’re still feeling good about surveys after all that, a gentle reminder that the Baltimore Regional Dance Survey (#BRDS2020) needs more participation… Please make sure you’ve completed it yourself, and share with anyone else in your dance world.  http://inthedancersstudio.com/brds2020

A few people have connected already, but I’ll re-iterate the invitation… If you want to talk about any of this stuff (even if it’s not about dance, but especially if it is…), I’m happy to do so.

If you have any personal protective equipment (especially gloves and masks) that you don’t need, please consider donating it to a local hospital.

Please get good information.

Please stay home.

Please keep dancing. (has anyone started working on the “social distance ballet”?)

Please reach out to people directly and personally.  They will miss seeing/dancing/working with you.  I will miss you.

Simple acts of kindness do matter.  Point out beauty when you can. Bring a little joy to someone.

If there is something I can do, please let me know.


———- just fun down here ———-

And, to brighten up a few artist’s lives today…. with an extra helping of cheesy for now….

From Vietnam’s Health Ministry almost a month ago (22 million views, but, don’t miss out) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtulL3oArQw

My Corona by Laurel B. and the Knack – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xumSryclYgg

Stay Inside! by Urian Hackey (with love from Nirvana) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60NuAvPiPlE

Shuffle Dance by Andre Serox – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUYH4UiwUaM

And in the hospitals, dance matters…

From Wuhan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZcpYSkcYPM

From Iran – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wamoQYVI0ww

You’ve probably seen a torrent of notices about things that aren’t happening anymore (I have…), so I want to change that tone a little bit – I hope most of this message resonates about things that WILL happen.  COVID-19 is a global pandemic and things you do now do matter.  Get good information.

It seems apparent that the spring dance recital season is essentially over well before it began.  As someone whose income depends on groups of people gathering together, I know this is a very real, very scary proposition across the dance community. This pandemic will force dramatic and rapid economic, social, and personal changes on everyone, and those changes are unpredictable.  Times of crisis do make great art, but that won’t make 2020 less challenging as it unfolds in real-time for you.  If you want to talk about this stuff, I’m happy to do so.

I WILL continue to work on dance, but I probably won’t be inviting you to meet me for lunch or dinner anytime soon, and I probably won’t see you at a spring concert this year.  That makes engaging with what you’re doing (or not doing…) more difficult, but more important than ever.  The Baltimore Regional Dance Survey continues (please continue to participate and share…).  Work on the Lord Baltimore Theater continues (please reach out with your thoughts and skills…).  Work on documenting dance in the region continues (please tell me those stories…).  Please do get in [electronic or telephonic] touch.

Some other potential things-to-do:

• The Maryland State Arts Council is holding three (for now) “Listening sessions” – March 19 and 20 (so far no weekends scheduled).  More information here: https://www.msac.org/news/msac-listening-session-how-can-we-help
• If you are not insured, or know someone who is not insured, I urge you to do some shopping.  The Maryland health insurance exchange has opened a special enrollment period through April 15:  https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/coronavirus-sep/ This is probably a really good year to have health insurance…
• If you run a business (for example, a dance studio…), the Maryland Department of Commerce has assembled potentially useful information here: https://businessexpress.maryland.gov/coronavirus  Information includes employment/unemployment and things like low-interest loans, taxes, and permits.
• The Maryland State Arts Council has a new grant program – “Special Request Grants.” Information here: https://www.msac.org/programs/special-request-grant  This is a relatively restricted program (designed to fill gaps in existing grant programs), and for this first round, the funding period is a bit more than one year (this cycle ends June 30, 2021). Funding is available now, but may be depleted before the end of the cycle (not clear on that…).  Apply early.
• The Maryland State Arts Council has a new grant program –
• “Professional Development Opportunity Grants.” Information here: 
• https://www.msac.org/programs/professional-development Funding available up to $2000.  This funding period is much shorter, ending June 30, 2020, but application is required 90 days prior to the funded activity, which means apply now for activities in June.

Please stay home.

Please keep dancing.

Please reach out to people directly and personally.  They will miss seeing/dancing/working with you.  I will miss you.

Simple acts of kindness do matter.  Point out beauty when you can.  Bring a little joy to someone.

If there is something I can do, please let me know.