Alliance for Dance at Yale (ADAY)



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This page is meant as a helpful all-around guide to the logistics of creating and running a dance group at Yale. If there's any information you think is missing, please contact us and we'll try to remedy the gap. Getting Established Getting Funded Getting Rehearsal Space Putting on a Performance Getting Publicity Additional Resources Getting Established The main step to formally establishing any organization is to register with Yale. For undergraduate groups, this means registering with the Yale College Dean's Office at http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/student-organizations, a process which will require submitting a description and brief constitution for the organization, designating a president, treasurer & three signees, and establishing a bank account for the organization (Note: Even if the word "Yale" is in your group's name, it cannot appear in the name of the account). Graduate student organizations can register at http://fs3.formsite.com/yalegraduateschool/form130499866/index.html. For both undergraduate and graduate groups, all registrations must be renewed annually by the end of October. The Alliance for Dance at Yale encompasses all registered dance groups, so please let us know at danceatyale@gmail.com if you plan on starting one. That way we can help you get access to ADAY rehearsal space, add your group's information to this website, and generally help out. Getting Funded For undergraduate dance groups, the two main sources of university funding are the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee (UOFC) and the Creative and Performing Arts Award (formerly known as the Sudler fund). Registered organizations who send representatives to the annual UOFC meeting in the early fall may apply for funding at any of four funding deadlines over the course of the semester. Groups may collect up to $600 a semester if they present receipts for valid expenses such as printing, costumes, office supplies, guest travel, and food. Student travel, theater rental, and guest artist payment will not be covered. For application forms and more detailed information on restrictions, deadlines, go to uofc.research.yale.edu/prod/. The Creative and Performing Arts Award (CPA) is designed to support free on-campus performances by undergraduates. Students apply for funding by submitting performance proposals through their residential college master's office, which may provide up to $1000 to cover accepted performance costs of a dance recital (CPA funding will not pay for wages, food, travel, guest artists, or equipment). CPA Award funded shows may not charge for tickets. The application deadline for Spring 2011 is Monday, January 24th. To learn more about funding guidelines and apply online, go to http://creativeandperformingarts.commons.yale.edu/ Getting Rehearsal Space All member groups of the Alliance for Dance at Yale are welcome to apply for weekly ADAY rehearsal time in 5th floor studios of the Payne Whitney Gym (D, E/F, & Main Exercise Room) and the 3rd floor studio of the Broadway Rehearsal Lofts. Requests must be made at the beginning of the semester to the ADAY Facilities Coordinators, and time will be given based on availability and perceived need (Ex: Groups too large to rehearse in the smaller residential college studios will be given preference in the time distribution). The current schedule of ADAY rehearsals as well as rehearsal schedules for some of the college dance studios can be found on the Calendars page. A variety of other dance spaces are also available, though many of them limit access based on residential college affiliation. They are listed here, in approximate order from largest to smallest, with descriptions and information on how to access them. In order to minimize injury, use of the studios with unsprung floors is limited to only "low impact" dance groups like ballroom dance. York Street Ballroom--A large dance space in the 220 York St. building, this room has a sprung wooden floor but no mirrors. Reservations can be made by Theater Studies majors through the department. Morse/Stiles Dance Studio--The largest of the residential college studios, this long, rectangular space features a sprung floor, barres, a high ceiling, and mirrors on two sides. Since only reservation-holders can gain swipe access, this space may only be used with a reservation made through the Ezra Stiles Master's Office. To reserve it on behalf of a group, you must be a Morse or Stiles student. Standing reservations are listed on the calendars page. Davenport Dance Studio--A medium sized room with mirrors on one wall, the Dport studio doubles as a basketball court and lacks a sprung floor. It can technically be reserved through the Master's Office, but groups should be warned that the posted schedule on the door is rarely updated, and the studio often functions on a first-come, first-served basis despite the reservation system. Silliman Dance Studio--A medium sized rectangular studio with mirrors on one long side, the Silliman studio has a sprung wooden floor, a built in speaker system with iPod hookup, and a high echoey ceiling. Reservations (up to five hours a week, with no more than two hours back-to-back) are made through the Silliman dance studio coordinators, who should theoretically unlock the room at the time of the reservation (though this is often not the case). To reserve or check the reservation schedule, go to http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/colleges/silliman/studentinfo/dance.html Only groups with at least one Silliman student may make reservations. Trumbull Dance Studio--The Trumbull studio is a small rectangular studio equipped with mirrors, barres a sprung wooden floor, and a boombox. It can be accessed by Trumbull students who apply for a key through the Trumbull Master's Office. Keyholders may make weekly standing reservations (up to three hours a week) through that office and write-in reservations on the schedule that is posted on the door. The schedule of standing reservations can be found on the calendars page Calhoun Dance Studio-- A small, square studio with mirrors, barres, and a sprung wooden floor. It may be reserved through the Calhoun Master's Office, and aides will unlock it in time for the reservation. Jonathan Edwards Dance Studio--The JE studio is small and rectangular with a sprung wooden floor, barres, and a mirror on one side. JE students and affiliates who apply may be issued a studio key through the Master's Office. Reservations can be made by contacting erica.westerman@yale.edu Branford Dance Studio--A small former squash court that has been converted into a dance studio, the Branford space is dimly lit and lacks sprung flooring and even its own power outlet for speakers. Only Branford affiliates can access the schedule and make reservations on the Branford College website While these formally designated dance studios are certainly the best rehearsal space options on campus, dance groups pressed for space have been known to use nontraditional spaces like the Berkeley Multipurpose Room and the Engineering Student Center Lounge to meet their rehearsal space needs. Putting on a Performance Before you can put up any dance performance, there are a lot of logistical items that need to be addressed. You'll need to book a space, make sure you meet all the theatrical guidelines, get technical help, handle ticketing and publicity, all of this on top of your normal dance rehearsals, so make sure you start the planning early. Getting a Space There are a lot of things to consider when deciding where to perform--size of stage, cost, lighting, seating, availability, etc. This page only discusses three spaces, but it's important to note that these aren't the only options. For a complete list of on-campus performance spaces, go to http://www.yale.edu/oup/spaces/index.html The Harkness Ballroom at the Yale School of Medicine, Sudler Hall in WLH, the Saybrook Underbrook, and Dwight Hall Common Room are all of particular interest because they have been used to host dance shows in years past. The Off-Broadway Theater (OBT)--A nice blackbox that can seat up to around 130, this theater features a sprung floor covered in black marley and is generally seen as the most desirable campus venue for a dance performance. It has extensive lighting options, a small backstage, and costs $200 to rent for a week. Theater users must set up and take down their own drapes and lights. The theater is popular, so the application process can be very competitive, particularly for time at the end of the year. Applications for fall semester usage can be submitted at the beginning of the fall semester, while those for the spring can be submitted starting immediately after Thanksgiving. Theater usage is determined by the OBT Selection Committee, which meets a few weeks into each semester, and preference is given to productions that apply early. The producer's packet (application) is found at http://www.yale.edu/oup/forms/pdf/obt_producers.pdf. Dance groups putting up productions without a set need not submit the front elevation sketch along with their application. If you have questions about OBT or the OBT application process, contact Jim Brewczynski at the Office of Undergraduate Productions. The Crescent Underground Theater (Morse/Stiles Theater)--A reasonably sized on-campus theater, Crescent has a sprung floor, backstage dressing rooms, flexible seating, and a high-quality light and sound system. Theater users are responsible for hanging their own lights and cannot use extensive sets. Crescent can seat up to 130 with a restricted stage space and seating on three sides, but seats a smaller audience if front-only seating and a wider stage are desired. Applications can be found if you follow the "Theater" link here and are submitted to the Stiles Master's Office at the beginning of the semester by students in Morse or Stiles, though other students can also apply if sponsored by a Morsel or Stilesian. Productions are required to supply a refundable $200 deposit and abide by the college's quiet hours. For more details, contact the Stiles Master's Office. The Educational Center for the Arts Theater (ECA)-- A spacious off-campus theater on Audubon Street, this theater has professional technicians, stadium seating, and an extensive backstage. It must be booked many months in advance and is prohibitively expensive for most campus groups, as an hour of teched theater time is approximately $150, meaning that rehearsing and putting up a full-length production usually costs upwards of $2500, though the Yale College Dean's Office will be subsidizing rentals for select ADAY member groups starting in the 2011-2012 school year. For more information on the subsidy and its application process, contact danceatyale@gmail.com. For information on the theater itself contact the Educational Center for the Arts. Technical Matters Which space you use will dictate to what extent you have to worry about things like lighting design and operating a sound board. At OBT or Crescent you will need to recruit a lighting designer, either an undergraduate or a student from the School of Drama--try contacting the Yale Drama Coalition, the Dramat, or leaders of other dance groups for recommendations if you don't know anyone personally. Depending upon the complexity of your sound cues, you may also need to find a sound technician to help with your show. Your group will also be responsible for hanging and striking your own light grid, so make sure as many members of your cast as possible attend the ladder/scaffold safety training sessions offered by the Office of Undergraduate Production at the beginning of each semester. Without proper safety training, you will be barred from hanging lights. At ECA there are professional techs who will handle all the light and sound for you unless you specify at the time of contract that you would like to bring in outside technicians. Ticketing While many dance groups handle ticketing through a devoted gmail account, the Yale Drama Coalition offers free ticketing services to those who register their performances through the YDC site. This site will track your reservation numbers for you, issue waitlist spots, and help you send show reminders to ticketholders. Getting Publicity All student dance groups have a lot of opportunities for free online publicity. You can upload fliers to http://yalestation.yale.edu and submit announcements to the Yale Daily News at http://www.yaledailynews.com/accounts/login/?next=/events/submit/. If you're hosting any public dance events, contact ADAY and we will post them to our website calendar. If you want to publicize a show you can also post about your performance on the Yale Drama Coalition website here. If you want to publish your own website for free on the www.yale.edu server, simply apply for an Elsinore account at http://www.yale.edu/web/index.html. You can get help in this process from webmaster@yale.edu. If you're looking to post fliers around campus and don't want to print in a computer cluster or on your own printer, there are a number of busineses where you can have the printing done. Allegra Print & Imaging (1060 Chapel St.) is a popular option because it issues 25% discount cards to registered student organizations. TYCO Printing & Copying (262 Elm St.) and Docuprint & Imaging (27 Whitney Ave.) also provide printing services. Yale Printing & Publishing Services may also be of help--not only they do printing and copying but they can also help with graphic design work. Additional Resources Still have questions? The Yale College Council posts an Online Organization Handbook with lots of useful information on how to make use of university resources. The Yale Drama Coalition's "Resources & Info" page has a lot of information relevant for those trying to put on a performance.