The KiCKER April 19 To Boost Local Art Innovation And Education
Tulsa Modern Movement (TuMM), a resident modern dance company, brings a new voice to the Tulsa arts community. To lay the foundation for continued growth and innovation, TuMM is hosting, The KiCKER, its first fundraiser, April 19th at 7:30 pm at Hardesty Arts Center () in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District at 101 East Archer. Proceeds benefit TuMM productions and education outreach.
“For nearly a century Tulsa has prided itself on providing world-class, leading artistic culture and product,” said Merrily A. Sanzalone, president of The Norvell Family Foundation. “We are honored to provide KiCKER’S lead donation in to kick start their first annual campaign. TuMM’s compelling original dance represents the passionate dedication and youthful exuberance that honors the art form and engages a widely diverse audience, including many school-aged children through its affiliation with the Tulsa Arts & Humanities Council and Harwelden Institute.
Tickets are $75 per person in advance or $90 at the door. From 7:30 to 10pm, the evening includes a food and wine tasting and performances by TuMM. For event ticket information visit TuMMdance.org or call 877.460.0422. Funding is also provided by The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation.
TuMM History:
In three short years TuMM has produced four site-specific performances, three engagements at Tulsa Ballet’s Studio K and two commissioned works for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, among many other appearances. “Our goal, our hope, is for TuMM to continue as a permanent resident modern dance company for Tulsa and be its modern dance ambassador regionally,” says Ari Christopher, founder and executive director. “This season, TuMM’s outreach in the schools has inspired over 3,000 students through classroom visits and its Harwelden Institute production “Afternoons with Emery.”
Ari Christopher, executive director, personally has provided over 100 classroom teachers with professional development in aesthetic education and the value of open-ended inquiry in the arts.
“Since our beginning,” Christopher said, “nearly half of the work we have presented has been site-specific or a cross-disciplinary collaboration and nearly half of our performances have been free of charge. As our artistic and community-centered commitments and responsibilities have grown, a focus on sustaining financial support has become a priority. It is vital for our mission that we begin to expand our funds through charitable donations so that we can continue to make interesting and accessible work. Our first campaign seeks to raise $40,000 for our 2014-2015 season. These funds will allow us to reach a wider audience and engage in more community events across Tulsa.”
TuMM has run the last two seasons with 80% of revenue from earned income, representing ticket sales, class fees, contracts and commissions, demonstrating financial management.
Tulsa Modern Movement’s artistic leadership (Ari Christopher, executive director, and Alicia Chesser, artistic director) draws its education from Marymount Manhattan College Modern Dance program, the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, Tulsa Ballet, and from decades of artistic practice in Tulsa and in New York City. TuMM invigorates modern dance in Oklahoma by engaging with artists in cross-disciplinary collaboration, teaching and performing in the public schools, providing community dance classes for adult and children dancers and non-dancers and making and performing original works of modern dance.
Updated 04-11-2014
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