Jane Franklin Dance
movement - sound -art
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community engagement, Dance education, Public performances
The primary focus of Jane Franklin Dance is to develop and present artistic productions that merge movement, theatre and the visual arts, and by so doing, to generate an environment to connect and engage.Collaboration is central to the artistic focus and results in partnerships with other music, media and visual artists, and with neighborhood participants. Movement workshops bring after-school youth and Senior Adults into active participation in dance.
Community Engagement targets after school youth and older adults. Our community engagement projects lie in that bridge between dance education and participation. With over eighty free workshops and performances for older adults, Concert for Community, and on site performances at Senior Centers, we reach approximately 2,500 Senior Adults each year. With after school youth, we implement weekly workshops adding approximately an additional 360 – 500 participants. Summer camps offer an intensive learning environment to develop skills in movement, drama, visual arts and creative collaboration
Dance Education consists of residencies and performances that tie dance to the core curriculum. The company’s in-school performances include Mouse in House, about an unlikely friendship between a mouse and reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, The Big Meow, a story of hope, disappointment, courage and the need for belonging. These family-friendly performances are presented for the school population as well as for the general public. Most elementary school attendance is around 500 students and we normally perform at 4 – 6 schools for a total of 2,000 – 3,000. A residency that incorporates dance into the school day normally includes 10 to 15 workshops, with 20 children in each workshop, or a total of 200 – 300 children.
Public Performances Jane Franklin Dance was established to develop artistic productions over time, to work with a consistent group of artists, and to develop meaningful ideas that cross the artistic disciplines. The process in the studio involves instinct, chance, observations, and multiple revisions in partnership with dancers and collaborators. Movement is determined by the relationship of one dancer to the other, establishes a visceral and visual experience, and responds to collaborative progression. Performances take place in public spaces, making dance available to those who may not otherwise see dance, as well as locations such as libraries, art galleries and on proscenium stage in public theaters. These performances reach approximately 2,000 – 2,500. We reach many communities as Virginia Commission for the Arts Performing Arts Touring Program and through the Virginia Museum of the Arts Paul Mellon Arts in Education Program.
Forty + Projects
Forty+ dancers meet weekly with a local choreographer to build a work for performance. Forty+ is open to people of all ages regardless of previous experience in the performing arts.
After School Projects
Movement, theater, and visual arts promote active learning. Workshops may
be coordinated with after school staff or parent-teacher
organizations. Movement concepts are applied to increase physical skills and to explore creativity
Where we work
Awards
Creative Communities Initiative 2008
Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
Forward Five 2010
Dance Metro/DC
Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint 2008
Cultural Development Foundation
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our operational support goals for the next five years are:
• Build a stronger, larger company of competitively salaried dancers
• Present high-quality productions in the Washington D.C. area
These goals involve increasing both paid staff and volunteers. The foundation for an internship program has been established, as well as for a Board recruitment process that should increase the number of volunteer Board members in the next three years. Because volunteers cannot replace paid staff in the longer term, we have as another goal to increase the number and skills of administrative staff.
Operational support goals for the next five years are:
A. Develop a stronger, bigger Board of up to 15 members
B. Create and manage a volunteer corps
C. Create new staff positions
D. Hire a Managing Director
The primary objective of the short- and long-term goals for marketing is to increase the number of seats sold at JFD performances. This can be accomplished by:
A. Increasing brand awareness to patron and dance community
B. Increasing repeat patrons
C. Creating performances with higher production values
D. Creating merchandise to promote the company in the community
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Building the Company
The company is currently made up of five to six dancers, all of whom work elsewhere for a good share of their time. This has been made necessary by a small budget and limited time available for the Artistic Director to devote to artistic concerns. The company should have:
• 7 dancers competitively salaried (part-time) for at least nine months of the year
• Dancers with skills in education, outreach and administrative areas
• A reliable pool of adjunct dancers
The plan
A minimum step to retain dancers (and audiences) is to develop a local season. This means company members can plan their time and understand at least roughly the amount of income they can expect during the performing season.
Dancers are employed as independent contractors in education, outreach and administration. It would be possible to move three dancers to salaries over the next three years, because future revenues would offset salary outputs.
A step toward building the company is to develop a touring season. Thanks to funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Paul Mellon Arts in Education Program, nonconsecutive touring dates for performances and workshops were carried out in 2015, which did advance our goal of building wider name recognition. (JFD is on the Virginia Commission for the Arts Touring Directory, Virginia Commission for the Arts Artists-in-Education Roster, and the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Paul Mellon Arts in Education Roster.)
The plan
The plan requires freeing the Artistic Director from being the primary administrator so that she can spend her time and energy on the artistic development of the company. This goal is being addressed primarily in the plan described in the section, Operational Support. This task will be a part of each year's plan, but will not be completed before the fifth year with the hiring of a Managing Director.
The second step involves institutional marketing, i.e., marketing the company rather than a particular performance. Given Jane Franklin's role as both the Artistic Director and the chief choreographer for the company, marketing Jane herself is another avenue. This will involve finding ways for her to become more visible in dance situations where performance is not part of the equation.
Some possible ways to accomplish this goal include:
• Providing adult education through workshops for teachers
• Offering master classes for dance professionals
• Setting choreography on other companies
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Jane Franklin Dance
Board of directorsas of 06/15/2021
Alyxandrea Ouellette
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Term: 2017 - 2019
Cara Davis
Scott Risius Ross, LLC
Christine Tarrago
Dynne Sung
Lynette Madsen
Katie Davis
Rebecca Weiss