Dancing for Young Audiences: A Practical Guide to Creating, Managing and Marketing a Performance Company provides the practical nuts and bolts to inform dancers and choreographers interested in performing for children. Using her dance company, Menagerie, as the model, Ella H. Magruder describes the essential elements necessary for forming and sustaining a small touring company.
The book is clearly laid out into sections that define the necessities of production. Part I, Dreaming and Creating, offers constructive suggestions about identifying artistic goals, the mission of the company, and the artistic intent of the dances performed. Part II, Producing, focuses on the elements of production: the necessities of costumes, sound and sets; marketing, publicity; finance; and bookings. Part III, Dancing, addresses performing needs in different venues and for different audiences. Part IV is titled, Dancing Their Dreams: Ten Successful National and International Dance Companies and Interviews with Their Artistic Directors/Choreographers; a title that describes the section exactly.
Menagerie's performance philosophy to not "dance down" to children is particularly heartening. It is clear from the photographs of dances performed that, while entertaining, the choreography presented by the Company is original, innovative, and high energy. The dances are rich with enlightening content that reflect artistic quality, and devoid of cliché movement and storylines. It demonstrates great respect for the children, who will rise to the artistic level of the work.
In addition to the work of Menagerie, 10 children's performance companies are described and examined through interviews in Part IV. Some of the groups have greater notoriety than others, and some demonstrate artistry closer to the level of Menagerie than others, but the groups, together, provide a smorgasbord of successful models for production and company endurance.
While most dance "how to" books describe how to choreograph or teach dance, this "how to" book is a prescription for producing dance for child audiences, but can also be applicable for local adult venues. It is an excellent text for high school or university student performance groups that want to tour the community, or small performance groups that wish to perform in schools or other community centers. From this text, a clear checklist could be constructed to insure a well-organized and efficient production and performance plan.
Dancing for Young Audiences: A Practical Guide to Creating, Managing and Marketing a Performance Company is published by McFarland & Company whose books are sold widely from most major book outlets, but most easily from McFarland: www.mcfarlandpub.com or (800.253.2187). Titles are also available from all major ebook providers including consumer/retail providers (e.g., Google Play, Amazon, Kindle) and Library suppliers(e.g., Overdrive, ebrary). For a complete list of ebook providers, see www.mcfarlandpub.com/customers/ebooks.
