New Dance Group Closing

Matthew Neff | Jan 24, 2009 | 1

another one bites the dust.

New Dance Group is closing on Feb 15th. This is not another causality of the recession. This is a direct result of poor management. The board was recently replaced (according to rumors) and the artistic director was fired.

This should be sad news but this studio has failed to produced anything of merit in recent years.

More details and gossip after the jump.

A Statement from NDG.ORG:

New Dance Group Chooses to Give Up Its Home and
Re-Focus Its Operations

"The New Dance Group Board of Directors announced on January 15, 2009 that it will suspend New Dance Group's operations in order to regroup and gain the resources needed to save this historically significant organization. The last day of classes will be February 15, 2009 and the organization will relinquish its space at 305 West 38th Street by the end of that month. The next steps for New Dance Group will be to concentrate its scarce resources on the fulfillment of its mission and raising funds to possibly reestablish a school in the future.

Starting March 1, 2009 New Dance Group will operate as a board-run organization without a physical home. The board members expect to identify new and creative ways to fulfill the mission established by the founders.

Since its inception in 1932, during the midst of the Great Depression, New Dance Group has been a safe-haven for artists, providing training and space for expression of unconventional and difficult topics and ideas through movement. Founded by seven exceptional women who chose to follow their passion and use modern dance to make social and political statements, New Dance Group has provided an environment where artists and the general public could nurture their talent and creativity for 76 years.

This difficult decision was well thought out and all alternative options were thoroughly examined by the New Dance Group Board of Directors and the administrative staff. We made every effort to maintain our operations in the West 38th Street facility, but continuing to reside here would amount to financial suicide which could cause New Dance Group as an organization to cease to exist. Reluctantly, after open debate and much contention, a decision to close our doors by February 15, 2009 was reached. We hope that you will all join us for classes and other activities in our final weeks. Anna Zak, Executive Director of New Dance Group."

As with every dance studio a group came together and became close friends. Those people that shared memories and good times at NDG are the ones I feel sorry for.

NDG history:
In 1932, in the midst of economic and political upheaval following the Great Depression, seven modern dancers united to create a proletarian dance collective which would bring current political and social issues to the forefront. These spirited pioneers, Miriam Blecher, Fanya Geltman, Edith Lambert, Rebecca Rosenberg, Edna Ocko, Pauline Schrifman and Grace Wylie dedicated themselves to a social revolution through new styles of dance. Hence, New Dance Group was born.

From its radical beginning, New Dance Group grew into the vanguard of modern dance in New York, fostering an artistic home for emerging choreographers, creating visionary pieces that were presented around the world and establishing a nurturing school for training and discovery. New Dance Group provided an open, multi-cultural gathering place for professional and aspiring dancers alike and became a catalyst for free rebellious art form that affirmed the human spirit.
In the early stages of New Dance Group, trailblazing choreographers changed the face of dance. Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow and William Bales, known as The Trio, increased artistic influence on socio-political concerns. Other luminaries followed, including Pearl Primus, Jean Leon Destine, Hadassah, Eve Gentry, Eva Desca, Donald McKayle, Jose Limon, Ana Sokolow, Daniel Nagrin, Charles Weidman, Stanley Berke, Muriel Mannings and Joyce Trisler.

As many of you know I had been on faculty at New Dance Group for a little while. Sophie Maslow, Anna Sokolow, Donald McKayle and Jose Limon were among the many artists that grew from the New Dance Group community. From humble beginnings the studio grew to be a powerhouse studio during the 50's, 60's and 70's. How could such a breeding ground for talented artists be closing?

I had a friend working as a front desk manager at the new studio NDG had moved into. I knew little about the studio or the people that ran it. He suggested I get a job teaching there. So I submitted my resume and reel. In a short time I was hired as faculty.

From my first day teaching  there I started hearing all the gossip of the studio. Gossip is common and usually petty. This wasn't petty gossip though. It was lots of angry people that were unhappy with how they were being treated. These angry people were the administration. I found out lots of information about people, lawsuits and money problems. I also found out why the studio moved from it's old home on West 47th to it's new one on West 38th. Considering I had two classes at the studio during late night hours I couldn't believe how much dirt I would hear. I have worked at many other studios in NYC and never experienced such a monstrous outpouring of gossip. When I would walk into the studio the gossip would start. I did my best at keeping a distance from the drama. I just taught my class and would leave.

Normally I would never repeat it. Why am I going to now? As a performer, teacher, choreographer I know how important and limited funds are. I would never want to pay for a class or space rental if I knew that bad people were mismanaging a space. Well that's exactly what is happening.

So why would a studio move from a studio on West 47th that they owned into a space they would have to rent? Poor management of resources. Legal battles apparently are a common issue over at NDG. NDG's legal were growing so bad that they sold their building and began renting one. What were the legal issues? Well I don't want to throw all their dirty laundry in the wind but since it was in The New York Times I can remind everyone of one of their lawsuits.

read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/arts/dance/04lega.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1218049209-wepVpS09YIUBqwFH82dFBQ

I love how the lawyer in the article tries to make it sound like it's just an issue of money when it's clearly an issue of intellectual property being stolen and abused. Would you support an environment that would claim to own your choreography if it was presented in their venue? Apparently not since it's closing.

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Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Ballroom, Teacher, Studio, Performance, Dance, Group, NYC, New (all tags)