Audience development: Adult education programs in three dance organizations

Dance organizations confront a myriad of challenges in sustaining and building audiences in the face of various social, economic and technological trends that affect the overall arts environment today. In competing with an ever increasing number of available leisure and entertainment activities, dance organizations must not only produce quality and engaging artistic works, they must also nurture and foster audience participation. An effective tool by which to achieve this objective involves devising and implementing meaningful adult dance education programs that are in line with the organization's mission statement and relevant to its performances. An examination of three dance organizations' adult arts education programs not only provides insight into how to create and structure solid programs but also indicates a strong correlation between adult education programs and enhanced audience interest and attendance rates.