More good news, and more sponsorships!

I've spent the week in St. Louis, and have come away with some more exciting news for the project.  I now have a publisher interested in the book, and they are creating a proposal for how they would like to work with us on this project!  Which there is still much to be decided upon, this is a MASSIVE step in the right direction!  Also, I've secured financial backing (actual, tangible money!) from a couple of sources, the largest being the Ann Carroll School of Dance in Franklin, TN!  We further have made an agreement for some additional equipment to be loaned to us for this project, with the actual announcement coming once the papers are all signed, and such.

Such a great week!  To top it off, a giant in the photographic field, Mr. Skip Cohen has become aware of us, and will be working with us to help get this project off the ground!  Mr. Cohen was the former president of Hasselblad Cameras, WPPI, and Rangefinder Magazine, among so many other cool things.  He is an author, educator, and so much, much more.  There is a lot coming up in the next few weeks, and some super cool stuff in the wings.  To learn more about Skip Cohen, you can click on this link - SKIP COHEN UNIVERSITY

More to come in the next little bit, but there are still so many steps to go!

WOOHOO! THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION IS ON BOARD!!!

Doing a ginormous project like this takes a ton of planning and a great deal of involvement with other groups and organizations.  A massive part of this project is linking with the National Park Foundation, which is the official charity of America's national parks.  There are still contracts to be signed, but we have come to an agreement that will allow us to work together on this amazing adventure! 

As we move closer towards our launch date, start to look for cross-promotion between us and the Park Service as well.  We will then have official permission to use their logo on our site and the book, as well as the ability to donate $1 from the sale of every book back to the National Park Foundation.  We are still on the search for an arts charity to also donate to as part of this project.  So if you know of a great nationwide arts charity that promotes arts education in ALL art forms (dance, photography, singing, music, painting, etc) let us know so we can see if we can work out a partnership.  

I hope you all have an incredible day!

The work continues...

Large scale projects like this require a great deal of fanning and coddling to get off the ground.  We are doing simulteneous work on our logo, sponsorships, permitting, licensing, route details, lodging, and much, much more.  This is all the not-so-glamourous background work that must be done to have the exciting portion come off without a hitch, as much as it can.  While there are a number of folks and business who are fans of the "It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission," we believe you get much farther by doing this above board, with permits and permission in hand well before we arrive to create the art which we do.

Very soon we will open up the sign up boards for people who want to work with us on this amazing project.  We hope to find dancers near our intended locations who wish to come join us in this history-making endeavor.  So if you happen to be anywhere near one of our stops, or feel like traveling to one of them for this amazing opportunity, make sure you sign up so you can be considered!  Thanks for all the contact we have received so far about this project, and we look forward to getting this project off the ground.  Thanks! 

Still working on the site...

A project like this one, until it is actually underway, ends up getting worked on in all the in-between time.  We were just in NY photographing a group of dancers, as well as another session in North Carolina, and are now back in Florida processing images and delivering orders to clients.  In between that, we are filling the rest of our days with work on this site, the logistics of the trip, soliciting sponsorship and funding from corporations and individuals, and all the other little details required to launch this project.  Quite literally, we are simply willing this project into existence.  We need quite a lot of support to get this puppy off the ground, and if you might be interested in seeing how you can help, feel free to reach out and contact us!  You can email us directly at info@danceatusa.com, or by filling out the Contact Us form on this site, HERE.  Thanks for your support! 

The journey of 16,701 miles begins with a single step.

Yep, that's the MINIMUM distance we will drive over the course of the Dance Across the USA project.  But to even get to the point where we start that drive, there are 1000 things to do.  Basic logistics, route planning, sourcing dancers, getting permission and permits where needed, raising funds, signing up co-pilots, etc.

Where we are now is the very, very beginning.  As you can see, we are just beginning the build of the website, which will grow as time goes on.  As we get to each location, we will upload images and behind the scenes videos as they are created, so you can see the art as it is made.  

Once we have completed our journey, we will create a photo book with all the glorious, final images.  No doubt there will be a few surprises, many challenges, and a ton of amazing stories that we will share along the way.  If you would like to help us out in reaching our goal, click on the Donate button here below.  Please and Thank You!