“TOWN HALL”

The question of how to support an ever growing and changing dance ecology has been asked, and answered in various ways, for decades in this community. In my lifetime, there have been several efforts made to understand and respond to the conditions and needs of dance in our region. Post-pandemic, in times of profound socio-cultural shift, the dance landscape of San Diego looks different than it did just five years ago. My almost daily conversations with local practitioners, and my own experiences in the work of supporting local dance from various vantage points, made clear to me that another such effort was needed.

Developed for the City of San Diego’s Far South/Border North program, "Town Hall" is a project with the goal to engage the San Diego dance and movement arts community to artfully:

• illuminate and archive stories of individual local movement artists, dancers, choreographers, administrators, and community members

• name the triumphs and challenges of the current local dance ecology

• design a path forward that activates and interconnects the community

• support individual and collective action and accountability

story GATHERING, people GATHERING, resource GATHERING

my "Town Hall" 3-part process:

1) collecting and processing stories

I collected stories from individuals in the community through an online form for contributions that illuminate experiences from members of the San Diego dance community, as well as one-on-one dialogue and movement exchange.

2) "Town Hall" gathering

This 2-day event took place on April 13 & 14, 2024 at the Sherman Heights Community Center. This gathering included components of sharing, reflecting, dialoguing, movement, as well as action plan development. The event was supported with live music by Jonny Tarr.

3) action and accountability

The outcomes of this gathering, as well as the story collection are the foundation from which ongoing work can develop. What follows is a summary of the work from the surveys and initial Town Hall gathering, as well as possible next steps, and my recommendations for supporting the work of a healthier dance ecology in San Diego.

The Story Collection Form responses shared here have been compiled, edited, and curated. They include written and transcribed audio recorded responses from community members who gave consent for their responses to be shared in this way. I have attempted to take the utmost care with keeping them true to their original intent while being mindful of the varying consent parameters requested by the participants.

reflections & recommendations

1) Space to practice together (listening and seeing one another in both movement and language), and to name the challenges and triumphs we are facing is essential for building a compassionate and supportive dance ecology. The day to day work in this field is hard. Our relationships (both positive and negative) are built in our work environments, which are also our creative environments. We do (or don’t) see one another in class, at rehearsal, performances, department meetings etc. and that somehow becomes the only marker of whether or not we “support” one another or are “in community” with one another. The dance community needs a 3rd space of sorts.

2) The deep intergenerational trauma present in the community needs to be acknowledged and addressed, and systems to stop perpetuating harm need to be implemented. It feels clear to me that much of the division and isolation present in the community is the direct result of systemic oppression and decades of perpetuating harmful and antiquated practices. Real and meaningful work needs to be done that demonstrates intentional, long lasting change in order to break the cycle at the institutional level as well as within interpersonal relationships. Properly mediated conversations are needed to resolve past harm, as well as new conflicts. An accountability council should be established to support the processing of problems in real time, one that takes into account the myriad intersections of power and privilege in mediating disputes. Funders and local government need to be invested in understanding the dynamics, and commit to supporting change through funding and resource allocation to this work.

3) Insufficient access to resources for independent artists is creating a major gap in the arts ecosystem. San Diego dance artists suffer from a serious lack of funding, affordable performance spaces, and essential support structures that allow them to build their capacity. When only a small handful of well-established organizations have access to funding, the resources continue to be distributed amongst a small cross-section of dance artists in our region. FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING the work of independent artists and unincorporated projects is the missing link for growing and establishing a more diverse ecology. A culture of investing in people and their ideas rather than track records and deliverables is essential to dismantling inequitable and oppressive structures. Advocacy for dance artists that is informed by their lived experiences, but spearheaded by government agencies, funders, and other resource organizations is a must.

4) An online hub for information about dance in the San Diego region is critical. In no way is this “Town Hall" project reflective of a comprehensive evaluation of ALL dance talking place in San Diego. The region is extremely robust in its variety of dance forms, relationships and organization, geographies, interests and purposes. A tool for connecting across communities and illuminating diversity in the field is essential for a healthy ecology. A central website that is not operated by an individual dance organization or company - where anyone and everyone can highlight their offerings in the community (classes, workshops, performances, community gatherings, employment or project opportunities, open calls, etc.) would provide a neutral “territory” for the distribution of information and visibility of the wide range of dance that is happening throughout the region. With input and support from the dance network, a local (non-dance specific) arts advocacy entity would be the ideal moderator of this platform. The platform should be funded and resourced by local agencies, and not the responsibility of an individual dance organization or collection of practitioners to “figure out” how to make sustainable.

5) Developing a deep understanding and attention to intersectionality, accessibility, identity politics, and the systems that inform our dance politics and cultures (whether we like it or not) is essential to understanding the chasms and alignments that exist within the community. Take into consideration who is in which spaces, who is not, and why. Take into consideration who has access, who does not, and why. Take into consideration who you think should be there, but is not, and why. Not every space needs to be for everyone, but we should certainly consider who is included and who is not (whether that is intentional or not). Practice making spaces WITH folx not just FOR folx (i.e. make spaces with disabled folx if they are for disabled folx).

6) We must make the effort to support the ecology more intentionally. Get out there and take the classes, go to all of the shows, donate the $5 to the fundraising campaign, volunteer for events, advocate for one another in all of the places, and share resources! Too often, our artistic preferences inform our bonds or divides. Your presence and participation outside of your immediate network matters more than you think!

The impetus for this project, the methods, and following conclusions are informed by my personal experience as a dancer who grew up in San Diego, and as an artist, administrator, educator, advocate, and organizer working professionally in the concert dance community over the past 12 years. In addition to my ongoing work in the field, the direct informants of the project include: preliminary research, interviews, listening sessions, the story collection process and 1-to-1 sessions, the initial Town Hall gatherings and subsequent feedback. This is an assessment of the current state of things, and what is needed to move towards a healthier San Diego dance ecology.

Far South/Border North is a program of the City of San Diego through Arts and Culture and its regional partners, including Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, and The San Diego Foundation. The program is funded through the California Arts Council Creative Corps with additional support made possible by The Conrad Prebys Foundation.