Dancing in Stolen Shoes

To make debates about the National Endowment for the Arts a little less theoretical, let's take a look at where the money goes. Who knew America had so many destitute dancers?

Comments

[Brad S]

Based on my observation...these dancers wouldn't be so destitute if they just took off their clothes.

[JD Weiner]

The first one on the list is a jewel: "Our Little Sunbeam combines material from Anton Chekhov's play Ivanov with research drawn from the U.S. Space Program." Can't imagine why that wouldn't be box-office gold. And never say we don't get all sorts of spinoff benefits from NASA! (OK, seriously, it might actually be interesting, but the description is a howler.)

[Ivan Rebrov]

Total Creativity Grants: 787
Total Creativity Dollars: $19,865,000

Total Creativity Dollars?
No comment required.

[Larry Edelstein]

Dance is the least popular of the fine arts - vastly less so than music or visual. Plus the dancers themselves have very short viable careers - think hockey players. So it's very competitive and very stressful.

[Annoying Old Guy]

Mr. Edelstein;

So defunding them would be doing them a favor?

[JD Weiner]

You'll find another good one if you search for "fourth international accordion festival". I think some people would gladly pay tens of thousands to not have that one come to their hometown.

More seriously, a better page is actually
http://www.arts.gov/grants/recent/index.html
- you can see all the different types of grants the NEA gives out, and many of them are much bigger than the silly Dogtown Ballet Company-type ones. Check out "Leadership Initiatives". $214,000 to the Country Music Hall of Fame?! I was under the impression country music was pretty big business these days. $148,000 to Yale University's American Music archive! Yale's 2003 endowment was $11 billion dollars plus, with an 8.8% return, and their spending was $470 million, according to their own figures, but I guess coughing up another $148,000 would have just broken the bank.

[Mark Messier]

"Plus the dancers themselves have very short viable careers - think hockey players."

What on earth are you talking about? Look at me! I have a genetic dysfunction that prevents me from retiring until I'm pushing 45. Larionov's got it too. The Golden Jet had it, Bourque had it, Gordie REALLY had it...

[Overlord]

This last one is my favorite, a six month vacation at taxpayer's expense:

Women's Studio Workshop, Inc.
Rosendale, NY
$12,000
To support a residency opportunity for the artist Jill Parisi at a print and papermaking facility. The artist will be provided with a stipend, housing, materials allowance, and travel for a six-week residency

[Ron Bailey]

If you can't kill the NEA, at least enjoy the subsidies. I recommend seeing the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. See you there tonight.

[Mark Anderson]

Overlord,
What is the difference between Ms. Parisi's residency and subsidized student loans or grants? Well, it makes me sick! All of those kids learning on my dime!

[Warren]

Mark,
What you say in sarcasm I say with conviction. ALL government subsidies make me sick.

[fyodor]

"Plus the dancers themselves have very short viable careers - think hockey players."

Hocky players??? What kind of dance are you talking about--slam dancing?? 🙂

[Ivan]

Bush's actions on this are just plain inexplicable. Who does he expect to win over, the notoriously liberal "arts" community? The only people who notice this are economic conservatives already angry at him over his administration's profligate spending policies.

[joe]

I'm pretty sure they named it the FOURTH INTERNATIONAL Accordian Festival just to piss you people off.

😉

[thoreau]

Ivan-

It isn't about winning over lefty artists. It's about looking more moderate to win over moderate voters.

[Andrew]

So doesn't anyone who isn't new to this topic know, that most of the NEA budget goes to "spaces and places" (museums, libraries and performance spaces), rather less to on-going activities (performing arts troupes and schools) and a comparatively small amount to individual artists and their projects?

The last is especially noxious, but trivial in its scale. The rest would probably comprise some form of government spending at some level, and hasn't faced a principled challenge since the Reagan years.

[Kevin Carson]

joe,

I shoulda known those damned Trots were behind this. I'm waiting to hear about the first ballet with a starring role for an icepick.

[joe]

Just out of curiosity, are libertarians and conservatives opposed to the existance of the Smithsonian? And don't give me any bs about "I'm only opposed to using government funds..."

[kevrob]

Anybody who thinks hockey can't be balletic never saw Denis Savard's "spin-o-rama" move. Of course, many hockey arenas are outrageously subsidized, if not owned by governments.

Kevin

[Andrew]

Joe

Well, some people would privatise anything-- and this is always fun for a seminar or something. My guess is the US will have privatised mail delivery, or something like that, long before they get to the Smithsonian, or auctioning off the Declaration of Independence to Disney.

But what do I know...I'm a partisan Republican!

[jon]

Why so many dancers? Probably because they hardly ever offend. It's the most traditional (politically boring) of the arts.

I'm with the first poster: get some nudity in there and the problem will be solved. Of course, the men won't get to wear those ridiculous codpieces.

The NEA traditionally goes to established artists and corporations just so it gets some good publicity. If some PBS arts show has a "sponsored by the NEA" before it, the viewers think that their money is well-spent. And they won't feel guilty about skipping that pledge for the coffee mug during the next drive for private cash.

[Chuck Divine]

This is one of those times when I wonder about libertarians. They're oh so quick to condemn government subsidies. But do they step up with a libertarian alternative?

Now some libertarians will simply claim it's all garbage. With respect to dance, I can say with some authority that is not true. I've enjoyed ballet and modern dance for some years now. I've contributed both financially and as a photographer to the health of this artistic medium.

I'll make a small challenge to libertarians. NEA is very small potatoes as government agencies go. They dole out money in even smaller dribs and drabs. There's a good deal of bureaucracy involved. Libertarians could step up to the plate, start donating money to various arts groups and possibly start winning friends in visible activities.

Are libertarians capable of promoting libertarian alternatives to even tiny government programs? Or would they just rather whine about government?

[arjay]

Chuck Divine

The "Libertarian" alternative to stealing money and giving it to people who have not earned it is NOT stealing that money in the first place and leaving to individuals the choice to use their money as they see fit. Some may choose to buy art others may choose booze and hookers.

The trouble with insisting on an alternative to the NEA is that you have not demonstrated any need for it in the first place.

[joann]

i look up art galleries on the internet, i am an artist myself and like to view different art forms. just today i happened on an art site and gallery and came across an artist jill parisi (my grandson could do as well), and couldn't believe all the galleries she's affiliated with on the internet. come to find out she got a grant from the national endowment for the arts (i believe that's a federal program ?) for the sum of 10k !! how in the world do these people get these grants anyway ? is the fed gov nuts ? to make a long story short, the more i researched the name i came up with relitives she has on the internet that has health spa's and even a website with a class reunion in florida. i wonder if the federal government knows where their money is going ??? oh excuse me our money !! our tax dollars !! and don't tell me i don't pay taxes to give these so called artists money for their personal use. its all a bunch of bs. i'm sick of these scam artists getting free monies (grants) for crap they think is art and using the money to support themselves, pay their rent and have a merry old time and not have to work for a living.