PeopletoKnow/PunchProfiles:SpotlightonAlexandraNowakowski,Executive

DirectorofCityDance
ContributorMelindaContreras

CityDancesThirdAnnualDREAMscapereturnsSaturday,May
9th.Theproduction,whichbringstogetherperformersfromall
overthecountryinamashupofallgenresofdance,everything
fromballet,totap,tohiphop,raisesfundsforCityDances
DREAMprogram,whichprovidesfreeafterschooldanceto
studentsinDC.

AlexandraNowakowski,ExecutiveDirectorofCityDance,tooka
quickbreakfromworkingonCityDancesbiggesteventofthe
yeartotalktousaboutthisSaturdaysgala(whichshemore
oftenreferstoastheungalagala),newCityDanceinitiatives,
andtheimportanceofeducationthroughdance.

AlexandraNowakowski,ExecutiveDirectorofCityDance

Unlikesportsorotherartforms,dancebringstogetherthephysical,creative,andemotional,
anditissomethingthatisdeeplypersonal,butatthesametime,verycollaborative.

PamelasPunch:Whatisyoureducational/careerbackground,andhow/whydidyouget
involvedwithCityDance?

AlexandraNowakowski:Iwasadancer,Igrewupdancing,dancingmodernand
contemporarydanceinlocalpickupcompanies,thatwasmything.Itneverreallyoccurredto
metohaveanartsadministrationcareer.Iwasgoingtogointobusiness,andIinfactdidgo
intobusiness,andsofromthetimeIgraduatedfromtheCollegeofWilliamandMarywitha
politicalsciencedegree,Iwasinthetechnologyindustry,theinformationmanagement
industry.


IhaddancedwithCityDanceforacoupleofyearsrightafteritwasfoundedin96,andhad
alwaysstayedinvolvedinthedancesceneinDCaskindofanextracurricularactivity.In
2002,IwasthinkingaboutwhatIwantedtodonextwithmylife,whatmynextcareermove
wouldbe.ItwassummertimeandIdecidedtovolunteerforCityDanceandhelpwith
fundraising.IrealizedhowmuchIhadtocontributebringingmybusinessbackgroundand
businessskillstotheartsworld,andsoforafewyearsIvolunteeredforCityDance,anddid
technologyconsultingontheside.In2005IbecameCityDancesExecutiveDirector.

PP:WhattypesofprogramsandopportunitiesdoesCityDanceoffer?

AN:CityDancesmissionistobringgreatdanceperformance,training,andeducationtothe
DCmetropolitanarea.Wedothatinthreedifferentways.
First,wehaveaschooland
conservatorythattrainsyoungdancersforprofessionalcareersandweareveryexcitedto
havejustopenedanewsiteinTenleyrightabovetheTenleytownmetro.

Second,weareapresenter.WepartnerwithWashingtonPerformingArtsandwebringmajor
dancecompaniestoDCandpresentthematmajortheatersinDC.

Thethirdthingthatwedoisprovidefree,afterschoolsummercampprogramstostudentsin
everyward(exceptWard3)inWashington,DC.

WealsoofferanOnstageIgniteProgram,whichislikearesidenceartistprogram.Weselect
localDCartists,emergingchoreographers,andwesupporttheminproducing,presenting,
andcreatingtheirownwork.Wegivethemfreerehearsalspace,andsupportwithmarketing,
production,fundraising,andadministration.

PP:Whathasbeenyourfavoriteinitiativetoworkon?

AN:Idontwanttosaymyfavorite,butaneventthatIgetreallyexcitedaboutisourgala,
whichwehavecomingupthisweekend.Itreallyistheonetimeoftheyearthatbrings
togethereverythingthatCityDanceisallabout.Wecallitreallytheungalagala,because
therearenotables,andnospeeches.Iworkwithaproducer,RastaThomas,andwebringin
majordancecompaniesfromallaroundthecountryforthisonenightextravaganzaofreally,
really,amazingdance.Mostimportantly,itraisesfundsforourafterschoolprogram,DREAM.

Inadditiontothat,kidsfromallofoursites,fromlocationsinMontgomeryCountyandinDC,
prepareformonthsaheadoftime,andtheyperformtogetheratthegala,onstagewith
professionals.

Oneofthemoreexcitingthingsformeaboutitisthatwhileitisafundraiser,andwealways
sellaselectamountofseatsat$150ormore,inmorethanhalfthetheatertheticketsare
$2538.Wedothatbecausethatisreallywhoweare.Therearecertainlymany,many

peoplewhocomeandsponsorusgenerously,buttherearealsoalotofpeopleofallages
andbackgroundsthatjustcometoseeagreatdanceperformance,andthatswhywekeep
theticketssoaffordable.

PP:IsCityDanceworkingonanynewinitiates?

AN:Acoupleofyearsagowestartedtalkingaboutthefactthatallofourfreeafterschool
programsforDCpublicschoolstudentsandcharterschoolstudentstakeplaceinclassrooms,
hallways,cafeterias,etc.Toreally,reallybeabletoofferthemthesamethingthatweofferto
studentswhocometoourstudios,weneedtohaveastudiospaceindowntownDCthatis
accessibleforDCstudents.Wehavepartneredwithadevelopmentteam,Roadside
Development,andSorgArchitects.Wewerepartofawinningteamthatwasselectedbythe
DistrictofColumbiatoredevelopabuildingthatisat10th&U,theGrimkebuilding,intoan
arts&culturalcenter.Wewillbeoneoftheanchorartstenantsthere.Thebuildingwilltake
twoorthreeyearstobuildout,butoncewedo,itwillhavestudiospace,classroomspace,
andablackboxtheaterforabout375students,anditwillbeforthosestudentsthatcurrently
areparticipatinginourafterschoolprogramsandsummercampprogramsacrossDC.In
additiontodance,wewillalsobeprovidingacademicsupportservices,collegereadiness,
andfamilyprograms.

PP:WhatisthefutureofCityDance?

AN:ThefutureofCityDanceiseducatingchildrenthroughdance,bringinggreatdancetothe
DCmetropolitanarea,andcreatingworldclassdanceinDC.

PP:HowdoesCityDanceeducatethoughdance?

AN:Wereallybelievethatdanceteachesstudentsawholebunchofskillsetsthatarevery
uniquetodance.Unlikesportsorotherartforms,dancebringstogetherthephysical,creative,
andemotional,anditissomethingthatisdeeplypersonal,butatthesametime,very
collaborative.Ourbeliefisthatdancehelpstudentsexperienceallofthoseaspectsthatmake
awholechild,awholeperson.Thereisalotofheadlinesinthenewsrightnowaboutthefact
thatwevejustbeenteachingtothetests,andalltheartshavegoneoutoftheschools,and
allthesportshavegoneoutoftheschools,anditdoesntseemtobegettingtheresultswe
wanted.Webelievethatyouneedtoapproachchildrenfromthesocial,emotional,creative
andacademicaspects.

Nevertakeforgrantedwhatyouaredoinginanypointintime.Itdoesntmeanthatyou
shouldbeconstantlychangingorconstantlyinventingthenew,butyoushouldalwaysbe
calibrating.

PP:Whatisthemostchallengingpartofyourjob?

AN:WhatIthinkisuniqueaboutmyjob,andrunningCityDance,isthatforpeoplethatarein
businesstomakemoney,thatiskindofthegoal.Ifyourenotmakingmoney,yourenot
makingaprofit,thenyoushutyourdoors.Foranonprofit,andespeciallyanartsnonprofit,
youreallyhavethreeconcurrentthingsthathavetohappeninordertobesuccessful.

One,youhavetobeonmission.Thereasonyouexististoachieveyourmissionandtofulfill
yourmission.Thatsfirstandforemost.

Second,youhavetobefinanciallysustainable.Youhavetomanageyourresources,hire
people,runyourfinancials,watchyourP&Lsjustlikeanyotherforprofitbusinessmanager
does.

Third,youhavetofundraise,whichawholebusinessandskillsetinandofitself.

Youhavetoberunningthebusiness,focusedonthemission,andfundraising,andthose
threethingshavetoworkperfectlyinconcertinordertobesuccessful.Ithinkthatsthemost
challenging,probablyforanynonprofitartsexecutive,butforme,alsothemostrewarding,
interesting,andexciting.

PP:Whatisthemottoyouliveby?

AN:Imnotreallyamottokindofperson,butIcantellyouwhatIlookforandbelievein.Im
goingtostartwith,Neversitstill.WhatthatmeansisthatIamalwayslookingatnotjust
whatcouldbebetter,butwhatcanbedonedifferently.Ifwearedoingsomethingacertain
way,whyarewedoingitthatway?Nevertakeforgrantedwhatyouaredoinginanypointin
time.Itdoesntmeanthatyoushouldbeconstantlychangingorconstantlyinventingthenew,
butyoushouldalwaysbecalibrating,andmakingsureyouunderstandwhattheendgoalis,
whatthevisionis,andmakingsureyouareontracktomeetthatgoalandvision.Howyou
stayontrackwillchangebecauseyourresourceswillchange,yourenvironmentwillchange,
thepeoplearoundyouwillchange.

Also,IcannottellyouhowmuchIbelieveinsimplyworkinghard,andhavingagoodwork
ethic.Idontcareifyouscrewup.Icareaboutyouhavingareallystrongworkethic,and
thatswhatIthinkgetspeoplefar.

PP:Whatisthebestadviceyouvebeengiven?

AN:Withmypersonality,Itendtoreactandrespondverballyveryquicklytothings,andIstill
workonthis.Ihadabosssaytomeoncethatsometimesjustlisteningisthebestthingtodo
inacertainpointintime,fortworeasons.One,becauseyouactuallymightlearnsomething.
Two,becausesometimespeoplejustneedtobeheard.Thatwasgreatadviceforme
becauseIwasusedtojustjumpinginrightawayandtellingyouwhatthesolutionwas,and
howyoushoulddoit.


PP:Whatisyourfavoritegenreofdanceandwhy?

AN:Contemporarydance,becauseitblendsemotionanddepthwiththetechnicalprowessof
ballet,andtherearenotreallyalotofrulestoit.

PP:(AfterIoverhearAlexetellherdaughtertoputonshoesbeforesheridesherscooter)Is
yourdaughteradancer?

AN:Sheis,butshejustdoesntknowityet(laughs).

Seemoreat:
http://www.pamelaspunch.com/peopletoknowpunchprofilesspotlightonalexandranowako
wskiexecutivedirectorofcitydance/#sthash.ZO6Mgh0K.dpuf