Be the Difference on Tuesday
Confluence Ballet Co.
Positively disrupting ballet: We envision a world where ballet is a beacon of inclusivity for both artists and audiences
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, is Giving Tuesday.
Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Confluence Ballet, be an active partner in helping us effect healthy change, in and out of ballet.
We're on a mission to positively disrupt professional ballet and build Pittsburgh by providing our community with ballet performance and education of the highest caliber while nurturing artists in an inclusive, diverse environment of both tradition and innovation.
What problems will your tax-deductible gift help solve?
Fun facts about the business and economics of professional ballet
Even the largest, long-established, and well-funded professional ballet companies in the US receive over half of their annual revenue in the form of generous donor contributions. Revenue from performances and service delivery typically account for one third to one half of revenue.
At Confluence, our professional dancers are in the studio, training, preparing and rehearsing at least four days per week. To stage a production like "Ternion" or "Nutcracker for a Difference" takes months of hard work. The 90 - 120 minutes people pay to see took hundreds of hours to prepare for.
We typically spend $1000 - $2000 per production to commission or create brand new works of dance by up and coming female choreographers who have beautiful stories to tell through movement art, who deserve a wider audience for their voice. It takes hundreds of hours to create a new work and set that work upon a group of professional dancers, bringing the vision to fruition.
We spend over $1000 per production on costuming. Our frugality and sustainable approach, coupled with brilliant concepts to keep costs down while presenting world-class performances, has allowed us to get more from a costuming dollar than anyone can possibly imagine.
We spend $500 - $1000, or more, on music rights for each production.
We spend $5000 - $8000 on venue leasing and technical support for each production.
We need to pay our dancers what they are worth as professional artists who have committed their lives to ballet and dance, at great personal sacrifice.
A pair of ballet pointe shoes runs at least $100, and can be double that or more. A professional ballerina will go through three to five pairs, or more, in a month. For 10 months of a season. 30-50 pairs of pointe shoes, $3000 - $5000, per dancer, per season.
A typical, two-show mainstage production costs us about $15,000 when all is said and done.
This figure is for the production only. It does not include paying our 10 dancers and tiny staff for two months of their time in studio before the production.
[ Serious question: how much should an accomplished professional ballet dancer be paid? ]
Add that in, as of course we must, and we're looking at easily $60,000 of investment.
领英推荐
$60,000 investment.
For our venues, which typically seat 350 - 400 patrons, if we want to keep prices affordable and promote inclusion and access to the performing arts--which we absolutely must, with effective marketing and excellent audience turnout, we can expect to bring in maybe $8000 - $10,000 in box office revenue.
$10,000 revenue.
We want to do as much community outreach as we can afford. A typical small venue, focused event costs us at least $1000 - $2000 to produce.
[ Serious question: what do professional performing arts do for our community? For our sustainability as a society? To bridge gaps and bring people together? To make our Pittsburgh region a great place to live, work and grow? ]
If you miss Giving Tuesday, you can also make your tax deductible contribution directly to Confluence Ballet. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our financial statements are available on our website.
How else can you help propel Confluence Ballet?
You can also give big by coming to our shows, bring your friends, and tell everyone about us and our mission! Follow us and share us on Instagram and Facebook.
We hope to see you at Nutcracker for a Difference! Ticket Link Here
Please subscribe to our newsletter!