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Theta …
…
Business Plan
Lafayette, IN
Created By:
Rachel Rapkin
May 4, 2015
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AnIntroductiontoLafayette’s Artistic Community…
Greater Lafayette has a thriving arts scene within the local k-12 school systems and Purdue
University, however, the area lacks professional artists of all fields due to a stronger fan base in
the Chicago area. A professional artist is defined as someone who has honed their skill through
years of practice and continues to learn and produce work with the objective of selling the
product to an interested audience. Visual arts such as theatre and dance have continued to
grow throughout our community with a consistent attraction to dance based on the arising
number of studios in Lafayette. Ballroom, ballet, contemporary, modern, hip-hop and tap are
just some of the specialties the local studios teach. For those who want to continue dance after
grade school, they can attend Purdue University and take part in the dance minor program
which includes ballet, modern, jazz and other genres for a well-rounded dance education
without having to strictly focus on that specialization as a major. As mentioned above, Lafayette
doesn’t have a large professional community of artists, and for those who want to dance after
college the only option is to move elsewhere and join a company. Doing so can be particularly
challenging, especially if the dancer wants to perform on the side without having to make it
their career.
Dear Purdue Federal Credit Union,
This proposal will provide an easy solution to the problem stated above: the lack of a
professional dance company in Lafayette, Indiana. Below you will find further explanation as to
why our community needs a professional dance company as well as a description on how our
plan will be brought to life.
Ourcommunity situation …
Differentiating between a studio and a company
There are six dance studios in Lafayette and West Lafayette combined. A dance studio teaches
all ages - adolescents to adults – at various levels. Depending on the dedication of the student,
he or she can find themselves practicing anywhere from one day to all seven days of the week.
Studio dancers are not required to attend every class, but heavily encouraged. Studios usually
perform one show each semester giving the dancers about 16 weeks to perfect each routine.
Sometimes studios offer a competition team allowing dancers to practice the same piece for the
entire year in preparation for numerous competitions scheduled against other studios from
across the state or nation. Competitions usually take place during the second semester in
between January and May. Competition dance is similar to a professional company.
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Moreover, the main difference between a k-12 dance studio and a professional company is the
amount of time spent refining the art, which is on average about 20 hours or more a week.
Practices include a few technique classes in the morning, yoga or a stretch class after lunch and
a repertory rehearsal at night. In a professional company the dancers must have extensive
knowledge about the style in which they are auditioning. During the audition process dancers
are taught choreography at a quick pace and are required to perform it to the best of their
ability; this usually happens in small groups. The dancers are required to wear numbers on their
clothing and bring a resume and headshot. If selected to join the company, the dancers sign a
contract stating they will attend every rehearsal and performance and usually, the dancers are
paid for the duration of contract, which is typically a year or two, but it varies on the company.
Our Popular Arts Scene
With a community of about 70,000 residents, local news coverage is split between a local
television production team – WLFI News 18 – and a newspaper – the Lafayette Journal and
Courier. Both news outlets cover all aspects of the community, but with a large attraction to
artwork, the newspaper has a reporter who specifically covers the art and entertainment beat
with a special section published each Friday profiling either a group or individual’s visual or
performance art.
Few Opportunitiesfor Professional Dance
Tippecanoe County has a large pool of dance instructors and students all interested in various
styles. Some studios offer workshops with professional companies, but it’s rare. Purdue
however, offers numerous opportunities each year for students to watch, study and sometimes
perform with professional dancers. Many of these professional opportunities, however, are only
open to students enrolled in the dance minor program, which, for many, isn’t an option due to
the time constraints of their major area of study. Students who are interested in professional
dance and aren’t a member of the dance program don’t have opportunities to experience the
art before they graduate. Missing out of a real-world experience could result in making the
wrong decision for a specific career path from not having a chance to explore other options.
Teaching Opportunities
There are various opportunities to teach dance in our community for those who wish to keep it
in their lives. For many instructors, the performance aspect is greatly missed and there isn’t an
opportunity to do so due to the fact that there isn’t a local professional performance group
outside the realm of academia.
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We Havea Solution…
The Greater Lafayette community has proven a desire for more art attractions. In order to bring
affordable and innovative entertainment to the community, Andrea Larsen will establish a
nonprofit professional modern dance company. The performance group will be known as Theta,
which is a wave frequency responsible for the vivid images during the REM sleep cycle within
the brain. The company will be open to those of 18 and older who have had 10+ years of
extensive training in modern, ballet, contemporary or any other similar genre.
501C(3) Organization
Theta will operate as a nonprofit organization with the main focus on the development of the
dancers’ artistic expression through individualized instruction. The dancers will grow not only
as performers, but as human beings, due to the challenges they will face inside the studio. They
will learn how to interpret complex instruction and how to generate ideas as an individual and
with a group. The dancers will engage in community service by performing routines throughout
the Greater Lafayette community and fundraising for organizations within the American Dance
Therapy Association, which uses the sport as a rehabilitation effort for people suffering from a
traumatic injury or who born with birth defects.
OurImplementationPlan…
Theta can’t be initiated until certain objectives, such as securing a rehearsal space, establishing
a budget for promotional items, deciding official audition and performance dates, and
fundraising development techniques are decided upon. Below you will find our list of methods
in order to hit the ground running.
Securing a Rehearsal Space
The company will only meet two times a week for three hours each, so it’s not necessary to
lease a building. We find that a better option would be renting out studio space from a local
fitness or dance studio where we could develop a partnership through advertising and other
benefits. Larsen and her associates have relationships with the Morton Dance Center and Studio
b, all of which have leased the dance space to outside vendors. If renting out a space doesn’t
turn out to be a viable option, Larsen will further look into leasing. Eventually, once the
company is established, Larsen will lease a space for a full-time operation with compensation
for the dancers and staff while continuing to fundraise for national dance rehab programs. The
practices will stay below 10 hours a week for the first year of operation as the company builds
its nonprofit brand.
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Printing Promotional Items
In order to reach out toward the community about company information such as the times and
whereabouts of auditions and performances, promotional items should be developed and
printed. The most important item is a poster to hang around the community and share via
social media. Once the news spreads about the development of the company, the next step will
be reaching out to local news sources to promote the performances and attract audience
members.
Creating Awareness
Community outreach is a necessity to spread awareness about any new company. Our company
representatives such as Larsen and other supportive staff will be present at local community
outings, such as the Round the Fountain Art Fair, Wabash River Fest, and Dancing and Cruising
in the Streets event among other summer festivals in Tippecanoe County. At these festivals, our
team will promote the company and its purpose by sharing photos, videos and performing a
small segment of movement styles that will be presented during the audition. Discussions
about audition qualifications and performance schedules will also occur at the festivals. The
most important task will be gathering the names of interested participants and audience
members in order to connect with them through email and social media accounts.
Holding Auditions
After the company has a set rehearsal space and is promoted throughout the Greater Lafayette
area, the next step is to hold company auditions. The first audition will take place at the end of
August - with the specific date and location to be announced closer to the audition period.
Auditions are open to all dancers above the age of 18 with 10+ years of extensive ballet,
modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz and or any other similar style. Dancers are required to bring
an artistic resume and headshot. The audition will consist of modern basics, choreography and
partnering skills. If chosen as a member of Theta, a contract with a signed signature will be
required so the dancer understands his or her responsibilities.
Performance Outings
Theta Dance Company will be created at the end of August with the first showcase at the end of
the year in December. A performance venue isn’t set in stone at the moment, but Larsen wants
to choreograph and perform repertory and host lectures and demonstrations in different areas
throughout Tippecanoe County. During the winter season, the rehearsal and performance space
must be enclosed; viable options include the Morton Community Center, Leob Playhouse, the
Long Center and the Jefferson High School auditorium, which have all hosted community dance
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performances. The only requirement from audience members is a small donation of at least $5
to the American Dance Therapy Association to reach the company’s fundraising goal of $5,000
in the first five years.
OurThetaSupportStaff…
Andrea Larsen – Artistic Director/Lead Choreographer
Larsen has been dancing since she was six years old. She began teaching in the 8th grade at
Bohaty’s School of Dance. She began a strict dance education in 9th grade at a performance arts
high school with a concentration in dance. She began developing student choreography in high
school, which continued until her graduation from Purdue University. One of her college works
was performed in a national recognized conference – the American College Dance Association –
and was selected for the final gala performance. After college, Andrea coached for the She
Devils Dance Team and choirs at McCutcheon High School while balancing a job at the Morton
Community Center teaching modern, lyrical, ballet and partnering skills for grade school
students. She currently works full time at Lafayette Community Bank and Trust and wants to
make Theta her full-time job in the future.
Rachel Rapkin – Public Relations Representative
Rapkin has been dancing since the age of four. She began at a competition studio - Dazzle
Dance Academy - in Muncie Indiana. In 8th grade she began studying ballet and modern at
Anderson Young Dance Theatre. She received extensive modern training when she attended
Purdue and minored in dance with a major in professional writing. She is the director of public
relations for Theta and designs all promotional material and press statements.
Amy Cadwallader – Business Manager
Cadwallader didn’t start studying dance until she attended Purdue in 2006 where she also
minored in dance. She left Purdue to teach math for a few years and came back to study dance
independently at Purdue. She currently attends the University of Michigan with a focus on
graduate school for choreography. She will be Theta’s business director with responsibilities to
handle the fundraising efforts.
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TheCostof ourCompany…
For our company to take flight successfully, we are asking for $15,000 to cover the initial
startup expenses. The money will fund rehearsal space rental costs, with the rest allocated
toward the development of promotional items, rehearsal technology and performance supplies.
Expense Cost
Rehearsal Space Practice area
- Monthly Rent x 12 - $500-750
Promotional Items Advertising
- Posters (ink, paper, design
development)
- $700-$900
- Company Apparel - $600
- Office Supplies (pens, notepads) - $450
Rehearsal Technology Electronics
- Stereo - $600
- Mirrors + installation - $2,500
- Ballet Barres - $1,750
Performance Supplies Showcase Items
- Stage Light Rentals - $900
- Costume purchase per dancer - $40 to $75
- Tickets - $200
- Performance Space Rental - $350
Minimal Total Cost: $14,090
TheBenefitsof CreatingaProfessionalDanceCompanyinLafayette,In…
The main goal of our company, as previously stated, is to offer the residents of Tippecanoe
County the opportunity to perform in a professional dance company and an inexpensive option
for local entertainment. Acquiring this money will help the Greater Lafayette residents achieve
these goals. Below is a list of beneficial reasons to create Theta.
Performer Benefits
- Minimal Time commitment
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o The dancers can maintain their full-time jobs and dance professionally on the
side. There won’t be a strict time limit, but when the contract is signed, the
dancers must show up for both rehearsals twice a week for three hours each.
- Exercise
o Life is hectic at times and career driven individuals have found it harder and
harder to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. Dancing in the company will relieve
this burden by setting a specific time throughout the week to exercise and stay
fit without too much commitment.
- Performance
o After college, many dancers find themselves teaching others how to perform the
art, but there are limited opportunities for instructors to showcase their skills.
With this company, however, there won’t be a problem of the limiting
performance opportunities. Once established, the company will perform three
times per year in various venues from outdoor parks to auditoriums, as well as
site-specific works.
- Cognitive Health
o It’s important to develop friendships in all area of work and performing in Theta
will not only build relationships with diverse people but also develop a
professional work ethic and time management skills.
- Collaboration
o Larsen will be the lead choreographer for the company; however, her artistic
process entails a significant amount of collaboration with the dancers. Larsen
will have an idea of the piece’s purpose and will use different collaboration
methods to engage the students’ creativity in order to design the choreographic
work. An example of dancer and choreographer collaboration is developing a
motif or movement phrase from a shape that reminisces a word, picture, movie
or block of text. The created shapes or movements are then modified by the
choreographer and become the basic structure for which the rest of the piece is
formed.
- Guest Artists
o In order to keep each performance fresh and innovative, Larsen will invite other
artists, locally, nationally or internationally, to work with the students on new
skills and produce pieces that are different than Larsen’s original choreographic
style.
Community Benefits
- Entertainment
o Greater Lafayette will have an inexpensive way to bring the family together to
watch a variety of modern dance performances ranging from technical to
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abstract to technology-driven; each showcase will offer something completely
different.
- Workshop Opportunities
o Any interested community member can pay a small fee of about $10 to learn
skills, repertory a meet and greet with the dancers and work with acclaimed
choreographers who visit town for a short residency with the dancers.
The dancers will learn a variety of dance techniques as well as a plethora of other
skills that will carry into all aspects of life.
- Community Involvement
o There are many aspects of running a company in which volunteers are needed.
Any student in high school or college can apply for an internship opportunity for
lighting design, costume design, stage management, public relations or media
production. Opportunities for volunteer involvement include ticket sellers and
takers, set creation and backstage crew. There isn’t enough staff to fill all these
positions, but with support from the community, each performance will run
smoothly.
- Sponsorship
o There will be plenty of advertising opportunities for local businesses and
organizations. Promotional items such as posters, office material and apparel
will have space for an advertisement. Doing so will increase ethos and define the
company’s personal branding strategy.
Future Projections…
Theta Dance Company will perform its initial concert at the end of the year. We are currently
working on promotional and fundraising materials as well as the timeline for upcoming events.
We believe Theta will be a wonderful addition to the Lafayette community due to the impact it
has on the dancers and the audience members. In three years, Larsen and her team hope to
make Theta a full-time operation with compensation for the dancers, which will enable the staff
to pay the interns and hire to fill the positions currently in need of volunteers. If you have any
questions, comments or concerns don’t hesitate to contact us at (765)-745-6784 or at
Thetadance@gmail.com.
We look forward to discussing the opportunity to expand our dream into a reality.
Sincerely,
The Theta Development Team
