This is a splendid book which does exactly what it purports to do. It presents an entirely practical and very effective guide to establishing a dance company which compiles an appropriate performance repertoire for children of diverse age groups and then takes this company on the road performing in varied venues. As someone who, over the past 40 years, has directed and toured with 2 youth companies as well as conducted many, many student tours within the far reaches of South Africa (and even in one unforgettable year, 1990, with a group of 18 to Europe), I fully appreciated the detailed, useful advice. Whenever I thought "I wonder if she has dealt with this or that aspect", ---there it was in the next chapter!!
Magruder begins her book by encouraging prospective companies to carefully consider and define their goals. PART 1: –DREAMING AND CREATING explains why this is so important and why tumbling headlong into an idea which has not been fully thought through is counter -productive to realising the dream. This process involves being clear about where you want to perform and then giving a great deal of thought to an appropriate programme to which children of all ages will relate and which at no point "talks down" to the audience.
PART 11:- PRODUCING begins by addressing the nitty gritty of production: the necessity for a portable set and props-(including an easily copied design for a basic set), sound, costumes, (including the dos and don'ts only learnt 'on the job') and make up. She moves on to Marketing strategies including how to put together a funding proposal and where to take it to and Publicity and how to manage this and how to structure a sound financial basis for a company. She addresses the booking process—how to contact schools and organisations, what details of their venues to request they provide you with and how to deal very politely with these schools and organisations over a specified timeline. Of enormous value is the chapter which provides sample check lists of venue requirements and guidelines for performing in schools. Oh, and how to make sure you arrive at the venue. Good information that – do not count on a GPS system to find directions to country schools!
PART 111: DANCING --moves onto the touring itself, Magruder again gets down to very practical checklists around your vehicle, (reminding me of the tour when little funding led to the Rent-a Wreck agency and all warm-ups consisted of pushing the vehicle up hills!), what to take on board re food and other necessities and the importance of safety checks. She discusses the advantages and disadvantages of school teachers who may want to "help" and how to Dance for an audience (of varying sizes) on often make shift stages while maintaining the magic. She concludes this section by exploring the possibilities of audience participation, how to handle Master Classes and workshops and concludes with the importance of evaluations from the audience and how important it is to ask the right questions in order to elicit the feedback which allows the company to self- reflect.
PART 1V: DANCING THEIR DREAMS: TEN SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES, AND INTERVIEWS WITH THEIR ARTISTIC DIRECTORS/CHOREOGRAPHERS –highlights a selection of companies that perform for, and work with youth but do not limit the age group of the audiences, although they may choose to tailor work specifically for children. Magruder has chosen to present these companies "both to inspire my readers to think broadly about the potential goals of the dance company they may want to form in the future and to show the creative organisational possibilities already successfully at work in the field." She has chosen to present companies from a broad range of countries and the questions she asks the Directors are reported together with the responses and this opens a further field of useful (and inspiring ) advice.
PART V: EPILOGUE - gives a succinct account of what can go wrong, the complications around acoustics and travelling and arriving to something less than expected. Again the advice is clear, self- reflective and above all practical.
Two APPENDICES list more companies around the world doing similar work –the first in some detail, the second a directory listing, and finally, CHAPTER NOTES allow for further exploration of people and concepts mentioned in the text.
To repeat the opening statement –a truly splendid book. I am a firm believer that all teaching and performance theory should be firmly rooted in praxis. It is not often that a book comes along which goes straight to the praxis so effectively. I wish that it had been around 40 years ago when I began touring!
BA (Hons) MMus Cape Town, Dance Education Consultant, Dance Writer, Editor
Contact: (Phone) 0833086989 - 18 Camp Ground Road Rosebank Cape Town 7700 - sharon.capetown@gmail.com
