We’ve included a few means here to help you better organize your time with your crew and plan long-term projects. If you read our previous article on creating road maps and outlined your objectives, then your next step is to plan! While hitting play on the next Netflix show might be tempting, let’s get into the details. If you want to reach your goals with your team you’re going to have to set some hard deadlines. Rest assured, we’ve got you covered to smooth the process with this thorough tool kit.

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

Here are 4 tools we recommend to create your next agenda and manage your time!

1. Daily Journal

Jumping right into it, create a journal to help remind you of all of the events and work that will take place this year as they happen. Now’s a time to treat yourself and buy a nice journal, but feel free to start it on your smartphone or on another device that suits you best. Next, being as detailed as possible, you can take into account who, what and where each event will take place.

In this daily journal, the could be noted as a period, range of time, or a target month. This will allow you to personally reflect on the fixed dates of all your events, so you can come to terms with your tasks bit by bit. Who knows… maybe becoming directly aware of your needs will help you optimize your plans. *wink wink*

2. A Provisional Schedule

Moving onto your next tool, you might want to create a Google Sheets to create a provisional schedule of the year. Google Sheets is Google’s version of Excel found on your Google Drive, which is very practical for collaborative teamwork if everyone tends to work elsewhere. The difference between the two is that you can have multiple people working on the same document at the same time from different devices. Also, each person can update the shared document as you go, so you only need one note-taker and that way no one will be out of the loop. You should also add the events you noted in your daily journal so that others can catch a glimpse of your timeline. Including detail again, add in major events and tasks that everyone has to get done in the future.

As you can see the button “Share” in the upper right-hand corner, you can easily add all members of your artistic crew to the schedule. Be careful, even if there are a couple doubts regarding certain dates, go ahead and note down the initial date you have in mind so everyone is aware of the events. Not everything has to be exact at this moment, and it is normal to give room for things to change. Just focus on your concrete goals first and see how things develop as you check things off with the help of everyone else’s support.

3. Work-back Schedule

After finishing your agenda and based on your road map’s main ideas, you can start by working backwards from your deadlines. To break it down for you, here is an example. It is March and you want to work with human resources and you had outlined the necessary steps that make up that category (ie. determine responsibilities of each worker, who will be assigned, and what qualities are best suited). You can then start with each subdivision and decide how long they will take in September, August, July and so forth until you get to present day. Same thing goes for your performance and the initial actions you want to plan. So now, thanks to this reverse planning tactic, you can look at the evolution of your project and the tasks associated with each major category.

In this graph above, you can see future tasks that you cannot start until the previous ones are finished. It is extremely important to see the course of your planning, but more so, don’t forget to stick to it!

4. Doodle: An app for scheduling group meetings

To find a date that works for everyone is in itself a challenge. Whether the crew needs to meet to go over details or get to the venue for the show, here are two options to use:
At the end of the night of rehearsal, everyone cracks open their agendas for 30 more minutes to coordinate a date. As you account for everyone’s individual plans, doctor’s appointments, dates, family gatherings etc. this option is sure to make your head spin…
OR
You use a simple online application where everyone can fill in their individual agendas on their own time. That’s much better isn’t it?
After using it ourselves, we can happily say it’s not only reliable, but also free! Doodle is a great way to pick and agree on a date to meet with your ensemble of dancers. You can propose a few different options and then each person individually responds and marks the day(s) that work for them. It works great to help predict the week’s schedule and bring in the dancers you need.

So you just need to offer the dates that have been validated by your crew. For example, before asking the theatre for dates, go ahead and make a doodle to see when the majority of people are available and only propose the dates that work for your group. This way there are less chances of miscommunication and disorganization.
Organization, planning, time management, groups…gives you a headache right? Take a break, dance for an hour and you’ll come back feeling much more at ease now that everything has been settled.

Need help with organizing your next project? Take part in our summer intensive to get some insider tips!

An Artist’s portfolio… is like the window display of your choreography. It showcases your work and sense of self. It should resemble a window at Macy’s in the sense that at first glance, it pulls in its viewers and invites them to discover the designer’s style and creative intentions. In this article, you can pick from various layouts and rubrics to use for your portfolio. Obviously, take these suggestions with a grain of salt because your portfolio must reflect your own individuality, art and creation. So keep in mind, one uniform layout does not exist, but these tips may help you refine your collection.

Photo : Vadim Fomenok sur Unsplash

To start, like any professional presentation, your art portfolio should be flawless in terms of grammatical errors. So beware of spelling, syntax, and phrasing. Re-read your statements and paragraphs to catch all of your mistakes and make sure your sentences are in a logical order. Simplify your sentences that are too wordy, complex, or long. Sometimes it helps to read out loud your written work to check the flow of your text. You want a fluid document that makes it easier for the reader to understand your artistic work.

What rubric should I use to construct my portfolio? And why?

To open your art portfolio, you should have a cover page that clearly states the name of your piece, the title of the artistic direction (choreographer, co-director, stage manager) and the name of your company. On this page, it is equally important to put down all of the practical information: number of dancers (solo, duet, small group), length of the piece, year of creation, and date of premiere night. Providing this information on your cover page gives readers context and makes the initial reception much more comprehensive and favorable in relation to the rest of your work.

The second part is your core presentation which should have three main points: artist statement, synopsis of the work, and the project’s goals. Here you can talk about creating your piece. It is important to the reader to understand your opinions and what your intentions were for the piece as a whole. If it helps to clarify, you can link videos, teasers, and other clips featuring your piece at the end.

The third part of your art portfolio concerns the company and team presentation. Take the time to work on describing your company or collective group well. Think about how your spirit flows through your art and what ignited a flame in previous projects that led you to create this piece. What is the common thread woven from your past and present pieces and what themes remained the same? This will help us understand how you came to make your artistic decisions. By retracing your steps and themes in past creations, you can guide us along the spark that ignited your passion. After the company presentation, you should also take the time and give some biographical details about yourself as the choreographer(s). In this biography you should mention specifics of your path: dance education, technical training, company creation, and awards. These parts could be complemented with citations from the choreographer or a member of your team to highlight aspects of your portfolio. These quotes can be a way to cite in first person, but remember that the rest of your portfolio should be in third person to avoid personalization. To end this part of the presentation, you should also present the other artists who worked on the piece – musicians, performers, actors, designers – as well as the technicians of your crew.

The fourth part of your portfolio makes readers aware of your piece’s evolution. This should be clear by attaching a schedule of the planning involved (broadcast if the piece is completed and offered for sale). It is also in your best interests to show completed tasks with the names of your partners of what you have already done on the schedule to keep a record.

You cannot finish this portfolio unless you have mentioned the administrative information of your company (license number, SIRET, etc.) and if you have it available to you, do not forget to attach a technical sheet of your piece to the appendix, specifically if your piece required any installation procedure: video projector, screen, etc.).

How do you clearly state your note of intention? What do you say and in what form?

Are you in the middle of developing a project with your company? This article allows you to perfect your art portfolio, but before you can get there, you might want to learn more about how to structure your current project. To learn more, come take our training intensive!

February has already flown by and you haven’t established your resolutions for this year… No need to panic, we’re here to help give you a step-by-step plan you can take to reach your goals with our handy Road Map.

Photo : Patrick Perkins sur Unsplash

First of all, what is a road map? It’s quite simple, really, and it starts with a sheet of paper. It’s a document that lets you put down all of your ideas, aspirations, and artistic goals for a given time (we recommend thinking ahead for the next year in correspondence with your next artistic endeavor). Think of it as a stream of consciousness activity to write out any and all thoughts, plans, subjects and concerns regarding your choreography and future piece. It’s important to include all aspects: administrative, artistic, technical and business-oriented! Once you’ve got a firm grip on this, you will be on top of your productivity and ready to anticipate any tough choices you may have to make along the way.

1. A 360˚ Look

On paper, put down all of your thoughts that come to mind on the spot. Ranging from small details to the basics of your idea or even the stress and pressure you’re feeling on how to get it all done, write it all down without giving priority. No judgement here. The objective is to turn all of your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. This first step will help address your road map from all possible directions and will help remind you of all of your most crucial points while advancing onwards. Eventually, once written down, it will be impossible to turn back.

2. Do not panic: Sort, Classify, Arrange

Once your ideas have been noted, you might be a little overwhelmed when face-to-face with the multitude of tasks ahead of you, and it might seem harder than it looks to prioritize all of your items. Don’t worry! Take some breaths and follow these rules…

• SORT
  Start by defining your categories: Finance, Communication, and Administration (feel free to add more, if it applies). Then group your ideas and thoughts accordingly and place them into these categories.
• CLASSIFY
  Next, in one category, go through your tasks and decide how long each one will take and how important they are to you. For example let’s say one of your ideas in the communication category is « Find a performance venue for my piece » and another is « Reserve studio space ». You’ll write next to the first « This is more important because it will take several weeks and a lot of various types of communication ». The second idea can be deemed less important because it will take less time to organize.
• ARRANGE
  Finally, let’s prioritize. How exactly? You can start by numbering each of your tasks from most to least important: 1,2, and 3. At this point, you will have considered all other factors so it shouldn’t be too difficult. Prioritizing will allow you to list out your due dates and stick with them in the future. For example: deciding on a Premier Date, #1 importance, due date July 2019 .

Now you’ve identified all of the most important ways to navigating your project while creating a basic structure to follow throughout the year. *victory dance*

3. Define your Checkpoints

Have you heard about a road map before? Want to know more about the advantages of project management in dance? Then check out our July summer intensive below!

After reading our previous blog posts and advice, hopefully you have been able to take advantage of all our offerings and support for yourself. Now, it is time to focus on your administrative and artistic team. You noted your qualifications for each position, hired accordingly, and thus have done a stellar job at recruiting your ideal crew. So you are officially a manager! What does this mean exactly though? Without getting into too many technical terms, we have provided you with five golden rules to better understand your role and how to evolve your leadership skills.

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

Managing a team means you are in charge of directing and leading a group of collaborative individuals towards one, collective goal. Your crew will most likely have a variety of skills that could range from similar to completely different from your strengths. So your job is not to be an expert of each domain, but rather to act as a team leader who can personally guide each and every one of your members on their prospective paths.

1. Give Clear Objectives

The manager is responsible for reaching structural and project-oriented goals of the whole team. As team leader, you need to eliminate any mixed signals and confusion by formalizing a way to share common, clear objectives with your people. Your team’s objectives should be reasonable and SMART. They should be Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic and Time-bound. For example: land two meetings with broadcasters here by the end of the year.

2.Stay Confident

Having clearly defined your goals, then shared them with your crew, your next task is to accelerate the mission by delegating and not controlling others. While you can guide individuals by encouraging them, you cannot control the aspect of « how » it gets done. Your necessary steps are to first reassure that each person has the means needed to reach their individual goals. Secondly, as manager, meeting your role as a guide, you can identify concrete solutions that will help alleviate pressure on your team and further develop their skills. Exude confidence that you believe in their abilities. For example, organize a monthly meeting with your head of advertising and bring a list of constructive feedback from actions already taken and a list of solutions on how to proceed for the next wave. By doing this, you are creating a fail-safe plan by bringing solutions to the table before problems occur so your team is prepared

3. Reward Results

When goals are reached, it is so important to take the time and congratulate your team. However, don’t forget that it is equally important to analyze why you were successful. Analyzing the methods or the « recipe » to success can help you find your groove as a team. You can then re-use this recipe for future, bigger goals and transitioning from one goal to the next is ideal to shaping a smooth evolution of your team’s dynamic and track. You could even arrange a monthly get-together to share individual and group successes! During this informal gathering you can celebrate and support your crew which is just as much of a bonding exercise as your day-to-day work.

4. Take on the responsibility of the team’s mistakes

Just as successes are are reflection of the manager, your mistakes are too. Failures, miscommunication, unclear objectives or inability to reconcile are all valid and no matter how shameful these may seem at a given moment, they are yours to assume. While it can be easy to become fixated on all of the details and nit-picky complications that went wrong with certain members, just acknowledge that it happened, take responsibility and move on. Once you’ve realized your mistakes, you have the chance to try again and fix them! So do not beat yourself up too much, things happen, so get back into it and find a better way to succeed with the help of your crew. 

5. Develop your Team

Let’s talk about developing talents. The execution and skills of your team allow you as a manager to balance different types of projects. So it is important to give each crew member as much information as possible, the keys to understanding certain issues and the ways to follow through with their projects in order to cultivate strong practices. Show them that you want to help them reach their potential by acts of appreciation and attention to detail. 

Want to develop your skills as a choreographer? Come take part in our intensive in Paris next July!

How do you calculate the price of your next show? Here are some helpful tips to apply when considering the finances.

yyyy

Just as you are trying to keep all the balls in the air, a theatre has shown interest in displaying your show. What’s the next step? Now you will need to determine how to estimate the cost of your show while negotiating with the theatre venue company. In France, this sale is specifically known as « le prix de cession » and this article is based on french rules and regulations. This price you are calculating is translated as the « transfer price », the sum that the theatre will pay the company to put on your show.

Starting things off, it is important to understand that a universal transfer price does not exist and that each calculation method is perfectly valid. Here, we are proposing just one of the many possible methods capable of determining these costs. So keep in mind that there are many, many ways to go about this task and one single, absolute formula does not exist. Once you have picked your route, stick to it! There are going to be a lot of factors and variables, so be consistent.

To calculate your show’s transfer price, we will begin with your operating cost. Hang on, what’s an operating cost again? It consists of the compensation costs for the whole ensemble on the day of the show: dancers, technicians, stage director, etc. Here’s a helpful formula: Operating Cost = Gross Salary + Taxes that the company must pay as an employer for the show to happen.

Essentially, all of these (above) costs get added to the additional costs necessary to put on your show. Make sure to note these important points :

• Envelope budgeting regarding intellectual property: for example, author’s rights in relation to the « Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques » (SACD) or the right to use certain music given by the « Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique » (SACEM). (Interestingly, this is a different process than copyright laws in the United States.) To note, most of the time these two costs are often covered by the theatre which would be stated in the transfer contract, however this may not be the case in a cooperation contract. So, you should verify with your contractor whether this cost is included or not. Our advice: try and get control of their payment declarations even if you have to backtrack and pay your dues. This will alleviate any confusion on the subject via administrative management from within your company.
• Communication Expenses regarding advertising: flyers, social network publicity, newsletter entries, etc.

Finally, it is time to pad your budget by placing a margin. This margin is generally understood to be between 15 and 30 percent. This margin provides extra cushioning to your company’s costs that might have added up during the creative process: choreography work, administrative work, publications, etc.

As you are almost done figuring out the cost for your show, it is quite possible that you will need to think about other elements that are just as important to communicate with the theatre venue. Take our suggestion and present them with a package of the actual price of bringing your show to the venue separate from the transfer price with as much of the details as possible so that you leave no room for misunderstanding and that everything is transparent and explicit. Here are two examples:

• The touring costs: As an employer, you are responsible for taking care of meals, transportation, and housing for your whole artistic and technical team as soon as everyone moves outside of their regular workplace or studio. This is called a tour. For the calculation, you can refer to the minimum charges mentioned in the collective agreement that your company runs on.
• The expenses for workshops and mediation activities that the company would organize if necessary in the case of the theatre contract. For example this includes the gross salary and the expenses of the people engaged in these activities.

To learn more about transfer contracts or budget handling, take part in our summer training program!