The next deadline is October 2008 - check website for exact date.

About the Program

The Live Music for Dance program (LMD) was founded as the Pocket Orchestra Project in 1986 by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and the American Music Center. NYSCA conceived the idea for the Pocket Orchestra Project and co-administered the program for its first three years. From 1989-2003, Live Music for Dance was a program of the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, administered by the American Music Center.

When the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust announced in 2004 it would no longer be able to fully fund LMD, the American Music Center took on all legal and financial responsibility for the program. In fiscal year 2005, through a generous grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the program expanded to create a separate funding category especially for New Jersey-based dance companies.

Over the past 20 years, Live Music for Dance has distributed over 500 grants totaling $5.3 million to over 200 New York City and 11 New Jersey dance companies to help them meet the costs of hiring musicians for live accompaniment of dance performances and for commissioning composers to create new works for dance.

The objectives of the programs are:

• to support and encourage the use of live music for dance performances;
• to support collaborations between composers and choreographers;
• to foster meaningful collaborations between musicians and dance companies; and
• to create performance opportunities for musicians.

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by non-profit professional dance companies based in New York City or New Jersey. All applicants previously funded in this program must have submitted to the American Music Center a narrative and financial report on the use of grant funds.

New York City grants range from $1,000 to $20,000. The largest grants are normally for orchestral fees, while most grants are modest in scale.

• Applicants may request up to a total of $20,000. Requests for commissions, musicians’ fees, or a combination of the two cannot exceed this amount.

The New York City grants may cover one or both of the following:

• musicians’ rehearsal and performance fees for performances in New York City during the 2008 calendar year.
• composer fees, including commissions and copying costs, for music to be created for new works in the 2008 calendar year.

New Jersey grants generally range from $1,000 to $15,000 and are modest in scale.

• New Jersey applications will be accepted for performances that take place within 18 months of January 1, 2008 (from January 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009).

The New Jersey grants may cover one or both of the following:

• musicians’ rehearsal and performance fees for performances in New Jersey and/or New York City occurring between January 2008 and May 2009.
• composer fees, including commissions and copying costs, for music to be created for new works being performed between January 2008 and May 2009.
rehearsal fees for dancers to work with musicians and/or composer(s) in preparation for proposed performances in New Jersey and/or New York City occurring between January 2008 and May 2009.

Criteria

Funding priority for musicians’ fees will be given to companies that have a demonstrated commitment to the use of live music, and to those for which live music will be featured in a substantial portion of the repertoire being performed. With regard to composer commissions, funding priority will be given to commissioned music that will be performed live.

The following criteria will also be applied in evaluating grant proposals:

• the artistic quality and performance history of the applicant institution;
• the artistic quality of the music and musical performers; and
• the applicant’s ability to cover adequately the costs of production.

Deadlines and Notification

The next deadline is October 2008. Keep checking website for further details. Completed applications must be postmarked (not meter-stamped) by this deadline.

Late and/or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Correspondence between applicants and the AMC prior to the final decisions will be via email. Applicants must provide a working email address that is checked regularly.

Applicants will be notified in writing of funding decisions by December 31, 2008.

Grantee Requirements

Grantees must acknowledge the American Music Center in programs and publicity material regarding the supported project. Grantees will be required to submit a written narrative and a financial report describing the use of the funds at the conclusion of the project.

Grantees will receive one year of membership to the American Music Center at no cost. This benefit is redeemable once per applicant.

How to Apply

Applications must include all of the following, submitted together in one package. Do not staple or otherwise bind these materials. Do not send brochures, flyers, or any other additional materials beyond what is requested below.

2. The Proposal Letter

• a description of the company and the season for which live music is planned;
• a description of the music component of the season, including a statement about the relationship of live music to the dance works, and the degree to which live music will be used;
• if applicable, identification of the musicians to be employed;
• if applicable, biographical information on the composer to be commissioned;
• biographical information about the choreographer;
• biographical information about the dance company, including number of dancers;
• information about the dance company’s prior use of live musicians and prior commissions
• a production budget, with a detailed breakdown of musicians’ rehearsal and performance fees, and if applicable, composer fee; and
• If the applicant is from New Jersey and is applying for dancers with musicians’ rehearsal costs, separate those expenses from the other rehearsal expenses.
• if applicable, information about other funds received or pending for composer or musicians’ fees.

Musical Materials
The panel will view/listen to a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 8 minutes of any one DVD or CD. Applicants must indicate which sections of the submitted material should be reviewed with cue marks or other specific instructions on the work sample sheet.

• a DVD of two (2) recent samples of the dance company’s work. Entire pieces are preferable to edited segments of performances;
• if applicable, a separate audio sample (CD only) featuring the musicians to be employed;
• if applicable, two (2) audio samples (CD only) of music of the composer to be commissioned with their respective scores;
• a work sample sheet with suggested cues from where to begin review, dates of performances, titles of pieces, and performers;

Financial Materials

• a copy of the dance company’s (NOT the fiscal sponsor’s) financial statement/budget from this fiscal year and the last fiscal year;
• a list of the dance company’s current and pending institutional donors with award amounts, and a list of the company’s previous year’s institutional donors with award amounts;

Organizational Materials

• a list of members of the dance company’s board and their affiliations;
• a copy of the dance company’s determination letter confirming tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; if using a fiscal sponsor, include the sponsor’s tax-exempt letter and a letter of intent from that sponsor; and;
• SASE for return of materials (optional – see following section).

Returning Materials

Do not send unique or irreplaceable materials. The American Music Center cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage to such materials. Materials will be returned only if a self-addressed stamped envelope is provided with sufficient postage and a return address. Metered mail is NOT acceptable for return postage. Do not place tape over stamps.




Contact Information

Address applications and inquiries to:

Manager of Grantmaking Programs
American Music Center
30 West 26 Street, Suite 1001
New York, NY 10010-2011
RE: Live Music for Dance

Tel: (212) 366-5260, ext. 29
Email:




Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the American Music Center with questions prior to the time of application. These guidelines and an application form are available in .pdf format by clicking the links in the yellow box in the upper right side of this page.





Lead support for Live Music for Dance in 2008 is provided by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, The New York Community Trust – LuEsther T. Mertz Advised Fund, the Harkness Foundation for Dance, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Funding for New Jersey-based applicants is provided by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.