1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to get connected with Nina del Rio, a weekly 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: conversation about fitness, health and happenings in our community on 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: one oh six point seven light FM. 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to get connected with returning guests from 5 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 2: Dance and YC. They are a service organization for the 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: dance industry, promoting the appreciation, practice, and knowledge of dance 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: in the New York City metropolitan area. And Dance NYC 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 2: has just announced a new fund to provide direct support 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 2: to freelance dancers. Sarah Rower is interim executive director of 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: Dance NYC. Thank you for being on the show. 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 3: Thank you so much Nina for having us back. 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 4: It's really an honor to be here and always exciting 13 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 4: to share some of the resources that we're putting out 14 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 4: into the community for dance workers. 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: Dance NYC has so many resources for dance workers, calendars 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: of auditions, a workforce directory, and events calendar. What else 17 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: does the organization do? 18 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 4: So, as you mentioned, we are an arts service organization, 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 4: which is sometimes a misunderstood entity, but that essentially means 20 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 4: that our work is to support dance artists and dance 21 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 4: workers in doing their work well and feeling supported and 22 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 4: doing their work so primarily the way that we do 23 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 4: that as an entity is through regranting, which means that 24 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 4: we're moving money from larger funders to smaller organizations or 25 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 4: individual dance workers. We do that through research, which we 26 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 4: talked about previously on this show, through doing a dance 27 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 4: indust resensus from which came a robust research report. We 28 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 4: do that through advocacy. We do a lot of that 29 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 4: in coalition with other art service organizations in the community, 30 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 4: where we are advocating for things like increases to the 31 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 4: New York City budget, which we had much success for 32 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 4: this year, which is a great win. And we also 33 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 4: do that through knowledge sharing, which is part of what 34 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 4: you were talking about, Nina, in terms of the robust 35 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 4: amount of resources that we have on our website, and 36 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 4: we also work to disseminate those out through social media, 37 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 4: through list serves, through showing up on panels and sharing 38 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 4: these things, through showing up on radio shows like this one, 39 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 4: and letting people know what's available and what they can 40 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 4: take part of in terms of support for their work. 41 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 2: And adding to that now is the Dance Workforce Resilience 42 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 2: Fund distributing one time grants directly to dancers. How does 43 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: it work. 44 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 4: Yes, So, as you have mentioned, it is underway. It 45 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 4: launched in mid to late June of twenty twenty five, 46 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 4: and it is one of our first models in terms 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 4: of a rolling fund, which means we are continually accepting 48 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 4: applications for this fund and then once a month we 49 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 4: are selecting a number of grantees that receive, as you're 50 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 4: talking about, this one time one thousand dollars award. 51 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: And this grant is designed to benefit individual freelance dance workers. 52 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: That's who's eligible. Why this particular group. 53 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 4: We are doing that because that is the distinction of 54 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 4: folks in our community that we know are the most 55 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 4: likely to be under resourced and undersupported. And we know 56 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 4: that from these other pieces of work that we've mentioned, 57 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 4: through the Dance Entency Census, through our research. So we 58 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 4: know that dance workers typically and this is from our 59 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 4: data in twenty twenty three, are earning an average of 60 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 4: twenty two dollars an hour, which is fifteen percent below 61 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 4: New York City's living wage standards. And we also know 62 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 4: that nearly half of dancers are taking jobs without formal contracts, 63 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 4: which can exacerbate this kind of procarity. So the dance 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 4: Workforce Resilience Fund is an attempt to link those two 65 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 4: things together in terms of support. So the fund is 66 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 4: geared towards this distinction of workers, individual freelance dance workers 67 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 4: who we know are in a very low wage and 68 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 4: part of the eligibility and part of the application is 69 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 4: that it is linked to contracted dance performance work. So 70 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 4: we are incentivizing, so to speak, the use of contracts, 71 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 4: starting to try and move more and more folks toward 72 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 4: having these working standards and workplace protection conversations. 73 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: Our guest is Sarah Roher. She's interim executive director of 74 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 2: Dance YC. They're a service organization for the dance industry 75 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 2: which is just announced the Dance Workforce Resilience Fund. You 76 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 2: can find out more at dance dot NYC. As she mentioned, 77 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 2: you can apply online. It is one time grants of 78 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: one thousand dollars to more than three hundred and twenty 79 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 2: freelance dancers in New York. You're listening to get connected 80 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: on one six point seven light Fmimina del Rio. Just 81 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 2: to go a little bit back in time, Sarah, as 82 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 2: you mentioned, you did the study in twenty twenty three. 83 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 2: Most dance workers you found in the city have additional 84 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: jobs outside of dance. I believe up to have have 85 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 2: at least four jobs. Many do direct fundraising. They have 86 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: health insurance only through a partner or a parent. New 87 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: York City is the center of the dance world, but 88 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 2: most dancers cannot support themselves through dance alone. Can you 89 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 2: talk about what that career looks like when you're being 90 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 2: paid perhaps for the rehearsals and the performance, but all 91 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 2: the other things that you're responsible for that you have 92 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: to cover in your career. 93 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 4: Yes, and those are some of the things that we 94 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 4: So this fund is working to promote and support to 95 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 4: prongs in a way. One obviously is just a direct 96 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 4: subsidy for folks. So that because we know, like you're saying, 97 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 4: there's so many things even when we're looking at some 98 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 4: of these contracts that aren't covered. There's no considerations for 99 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 4: child together, there's no considerations for travel. And we know 100 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 4: from the large amount of data that we're getting from 101 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 4: these applications, a lot of people are using this funding 102 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 4: for those kinds of basic needs. Right They are buying groceries, 103 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 4: they are supplementing rent on a slow month, they are 104 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 4: paying off medical debt or they are actively getting medical attention, 105 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 4: which is great. We love it. 106 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 3: Will we see something like that. 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 4: And then in the contracting realm, you know, we did 108 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 4: a lot of educational work leading up to the launch 109 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 4: of this fund, and during the beginning of the launch 110 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 4: of this fund, developing short and long form contractual templates 111 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 4: so that folks have what we're thinking of as like 112 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 4: a menu for your conversation of entering a work workplace agreement. 113 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 4: We have a you know, the the more robust version, 114 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 4: which we hope folks will move toward over time, and 115 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 4: then we have a really short version which is at 116 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 4: least trying to get a basic checklist of things to 117 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 4: talk through, like what is the payment, how is it 118 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 4: being issued, what is the timeline articulating and being clear 119 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 4: that this is an independent contract relationship and what that 120 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 4: does and doesn't cover in terms of workplace protections, just 121 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 4: so that folks are getting like strengthening that muscle, right, 122 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 4: because we have to train in the studio and this 123 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 4: is a different kind of muscle that we're trying to 124 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 4: strengthen and hone around how we make these agreements for 125 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 4: our work. 126 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: So part of the component of the is about just 127 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 2: getting a contract and getting things formalized. 128 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 4: Absolutely, yes, yeah, that's really what we're thinking of as 129 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 4: like the bare minimum. And then we are supplying We 130 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 4: have done some webinars which we have recorded for free 131 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 4: on the website, and we have offered one on one 132 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 4: technical assistance with a legal consultant, which is still available 133 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 4: through the end of this fund. And then we've offered 134 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 4: these just templates which people can download and use. So 135 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 4: we're offering a lot of tools to help move folks 136 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 4: into more rigorous contracting practices. And we know that we're 137 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 4: working in a space because we have those statistics that 138 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 4: so many people are working without contracts at all. We 139 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 4: know that we're working in a space where we are 140 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 4: essentially thinking about this fund is helping to onboard people 141 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 4: into a contracting practice at all. 142 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: And are you looking at what type of dance it 143 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: is or what type of performance space or anything else 144 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 2: you know, burlesque to ballet, from the subway or wherever 145 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 2: it might be. Are you looking at anything like that? 146 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 4: That is not a consideration in terms of eligibility for 147 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 4: the fund. It is really wide ranging in terms of 148 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 4: a performance, a movement or dance performance practice. 149 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 2: The full fund I believe is about three hundred and 150 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars, and you're opting for one thousand dollars 151 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: individual grants. Why did you opt for smaller grants to 152 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: more people versus bigger grants to fewer people. 153 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 4: That's a great question. We wanted to make this intervention 154 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 4: at sort of the lowest rung of payment and contracting 155 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 4: practice that we could and make it as widespread as possible, 156 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 4: so we opted for doing microgrants for that reason, and 157 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 4: also because when we're working in a lottery system and 158 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 4: we're working more broadly than deeply, we would be able 159 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 4: to make the application and the vetting processes quite quick 160 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 4: and more simple so that we're able to keep moving 161 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 4: through this fund and turning out and reaching as many 162 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 4: dance workers as possible during this time. 163 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 2: And where does the funding come from for this pilot. 164 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 3: That's a great question. It's a consortialm of funders. 165 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 4: So we have some seed funding from the Ford Foundation 166 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 4: as well as the New York Community Trust, and a 167 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 4: combination of smaller other funders that have come in to 168 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 4: fill it out as well. 169 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 2: The dance community is very wide. Is there help for 170 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 2: people with English language barriers or other barriers. 171 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 4: Absolutely, we have as you're mentioning, we have a lot 172 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 4: of these resources on the website at dance dot NYC. 173 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 4: We have a carousel of information on the front page 174 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 4: and the DWR Fund is one of those tiles. So 175 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 4: if you give it a maximum of four seconds, you'll 176 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 4: be able to see it flash in front of your eyes. 177 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 4: And we do have an email address that folks can 178 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 4: reach out to DWR Fund at dance dot y C, 179 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 4: where through requests we can offer Spanish and Chinese translations 180 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,359 Speaker 4: as well as American Sign language interpretation and live captioning 181 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 4: and just leaving the conversation open. If there are other 182 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 4: accommodations that would help folks access the application and the 183 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 4: fund more easily, we can have a dynamic, ongoing conversation 184 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 4: via that email as well. 185 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: So again, these grants are available to dancers whose contracted 186 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: work goes through April thirtieth. You can apply through March 187 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 2: third of twenty twenty six, and as you mentioned, this 188 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 2: has been available the application process since June. What have 189 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 2: you take has been the takeaway in these first few 190 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 2: months of the pilot. 191 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 4: That's been an exciting, I mean one we you have 192 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 4: just realized how much sort of passive data we are 193 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 4: receiving via these applications, and how much we are learning 194 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 4: about more we are learning about the community. You know, 195 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 4: we did this huge way via the dance industry senses 196 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 4: and this fund. Because it's so widespread and because the 197 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 4: application barriers are pretty low and simple, we're getting a 198 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 4: lot of people, which is wonderful, and we are learning 199 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,719 Speaker 4: a lot about the wide variety of contracts that are 200 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 4: out there and the work to be done in that space. Honestly, 201 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 4: it's showing us a lot around everything, from like folks 202 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 4: using an email agreement that's just sort of casually outlining like, yeah, 203 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 4: this is the time I think we can afford to 204 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 4: pay you one thousand bucks. You know, rehearsals will be 205 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 4: sometime this month, you know, to like folks having some 206 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 4: pretty robust like obviously they've done their kind of due 207 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 4: diligence and have their own internal template of contracts that 208 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 4: they're working with within their companies, even when they're small. 209 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 4: We've seen a lot of folks grappling with missing work, 210 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 4: with unsupported and unpaid time off due to injury, struggling 211 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 4: with childcare and basic living expenses while they are doing 212 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 4: dance work, and those are again, you know, every time 213 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 4: we do this kind of research and data, we have 214 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 4: ideas that these things are happening, and then when we 215 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 4: receive the evidence of that so to speak, you know, 216 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 4: in print, it's an important underscoring and it's important to 217 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 4: have that actual data because all of that helps drive 218 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 4: advocacy and helps drive funding, and it builds on each 219 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 4: thing to kind of help support the sector as a whole. 220 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 2: Again, the last major survey you did about metropolitan area 221 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 2: dance and dancers was in twenty twenty three. Did this 222 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,679 Speaker 2: fund spring forth from that? How long has it been 223 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 2: in the works. 224 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 4: Yes, yeah, it absolutely did. I tend to think of 225 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 4: our work at dance and see as somewhat cyclical, so 226 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 4: where we might do something like the Dance Centers Industry Census, 227 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 4: which involved convening it involved grassroots work with the community 228 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 4: to be in direct contact with them to get their 229 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 4: data to understand what's going on. That data becomes research 230 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 4: and it becomes a research publication. That research publication has 231 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 4: advocacy priorities and really clear findings that come out of 232 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 4: it that drive what we're coming to City Hall with 233 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 4: in terms of our testimony in terms of our asks 234 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 4: for the budget, and then it also peels out into okay, 235 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 4: as an organization, what can we directly act on in 236 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 4: terms of an intervention, And that's often where our regranting 237 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 4: programs come in. So this is a peel off in 238 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 4: that way that's uniting some of the pretty dire findings 239 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 4: that we found around really low wages and around this 240 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 4: really low contract adoption rate, which to us brings concerns 241 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 4: around working conditions. 242 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 2: I would think that's true for every freelance industry, right, 243 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 2: Like freelancers, you step off to have your own career, 244 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: but the business part doesn't always come naturally to people 245 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 2: or the resources are hard to find. A people who 246 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 2: aren't involved in this arena, what would you want them 247 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 2: to know about the dance community and the challenges in 248 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: this career. 249 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 4: One of our core goals within the organization is to 250 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 4: bring more understanding and awareness and value of dance not 251 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 4: only to the dance community, but to the large arts 252 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 4: community and then even beyond the arts community. 253 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 3: And so one of the. 254 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 4: Things I think is to me really impactful about dance 255 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 4: as a performing art is that it is one of, 256 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 4: if not the most difficult to reproduce and has an 257 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 4: ephemerality that I think lends a lot to its magic 258 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 4: and also to the difficulty in understanding it. And I think, 259 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 4: you know, because it doesn't often use words, because it 260 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 4: moves quickly sometimes and you can't hang on to anything, 261 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 4: and like a picture of it doesn't really give you 262 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 4: the sense of what's going on, and a recording of 263 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 4: it doesn't really do the same as being there sharing space. 264 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 4: I think that that makes it a little harder to 265 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 4: hold on to, which to a lot of us is 266 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 4: kind of the seed of its brilliance, and to many 267 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 4: other folks, I can understand, it feels a little harder 268 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 4: to get in. 269 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 3: And understand and take it in. 270 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 4: But I would say that what I would want folks 271 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 4: to understand or take away about that is, you know, 272 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 4: movement is our first language. Actually, most of us are 273 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 4: gesturing and pointing and moving toward things that we desire 274 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 4: or that are interesting before we have words. And I 275 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 4: think dance can offer us a really deep and kind 276 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 4: of essential reconnection to that way of bonding, end of 277 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 4: interest and excitement and joy. 278 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 2: There is so much more for the industry and about 279 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 2: the industry at dance Dot and YC a myriad of 280 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 2: resources again including auditions of Workforce directory and events calendar, 281 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 2: rehearsal space, rehearsal space, subsidy program, and again the new 282 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 2: Dance Workforce Resilience Fund is open through spring of twenty 283 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 2: twenty six. Our guest has been Sarah Rower, the interim 284 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 2: director of Dance NYC. Thank you for joining me on 285 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 2: Get Connected. 286 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 4: Thank you so much, Dina. 287 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: This has been Get Connected with Nina del Rio on 288 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: one oh six point seven light Fm. The views and 289 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views 290 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: of the station. If you missed any part of our 291 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: show or want to share it, visit our website for 292 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: downloads and podcasts at one oh six to seven lightfm 293 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks for listening.