Jennifer Dunning finds some issues with going overboard on program notes and pre-performance talks:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Gimmicks, Games and Explanation to Create Dancegoers</B><P>JENNIFER DUNNING, NY Times<P>... Early programs sent dancers out into the schools to rear the audiences of the future. Now the needs of the most grizzled dancegoers are attended to with everything from pre- and post-performance talks to lively information-age Web sites complete with dance-related games. Like other performing arts, dance is sharpening its marketing skills. In the meantime no dance seems to go unexplained. Are program notes or any other kind of education necessary?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/arts/dance/16EXPL.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

In the Boston Herald:

i'm stunned that anyone would find pre-show lectures and workshops, etc. to be ridden with gimmicks - i find it very valuable to educate our audiences (although perhaps my judgement is skewed somewhat since i plan arts in education programs)

for a recent philadanco performance we arranged for ~50 boys from a youth camp to attend the performance as well as a pre-show talk with deborah-chase-hicks - other members from the community attended the lecture as well, but by far it was the young boys from the camp who participated the most - for most of them this was to be their first exposure to an actual live dance performance and they had many many questions - i think i nearly teared up to witness it - and the questions they had were intelligent and well-posed

and yes, the philadanco performance was brilliant

In the Boston Herald:

I don't attend these often, but I think one advantage is that it gives the audience a chance to see, talk and interact with the dancers/choreographers/ADs in a relaxed setting, and helps them feel more a part of both the performance and the organization. It helps bring dance into the community and i can't see anything wrong with that. I am not sure which is better, pre or post. PNB does both.

That's right, PNB does both pre and post talks. And all the times I've went, Kent Stowell himself has conducted the post show talks, usually with one of the guest choreographers. What a treat.

At SFB, there are a couple of volunteer organizations that do selective pre-show talks. It seems in California that ballet companies tend to do pre-show lectures and modern dance companies post-show analysis.

I find pre-show talks and program notes helpful when the creative process is discussed and I'm given specific things to look i.e. particularly meaningful gestures or difficult phrases or special set/costume.lighting issues.

In the Boston Herald:

I love the pre show talks the Orange County Performing Arts Center hosts before ballet and modern shows. It really gives me a chance to learn not only about the pieces being presented, but I usually learn much about the presenting companies history as well. I feel like it's Ballet lecture day only without grades and no college teachers.