CaDance granted theater dates

To hear some tell it, the annual Laguna Dance Festival almost wasn’t. But a dispute over performance space in town has been partially resolved.

The city, school district and performing arts organizations are in the process of revamping how arts groups may book dates at the Artists Theatre at Laguna Beach High School, a main venue in town.

The school is inundated by requests from many groups, but also must facilitate its own needs. The district holds events ranging from school productions to college nights and SAT testing at the Artists Theatre.

Non-school groups request dates from the high school principal’s office beginning every June 1, after the district selects its own dates.

The district is now in the process of handing non-school booking responsibility over to the city; district officials believe the city is better-suited to select which groups may use the facility.

Talks are also under way to create an accessible, posted calendar that would allow groups to see what dates are available.

“The high road is the way the city of Laguna Beach is going to operate,” district Superintendent Robert Fraisse said. “I’m very, very encouraged.”

CaDance receives compromise

The move was catalyzed by the school’s denial of a date request by performing arts group CaDance, which holds the Laguna Dance Festival each fall.

When word of the denial got out, a “save the dance festival” e-mail and telephone campaign began.

City Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman and Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda met with district officials earlier this week, and negotiated a compromise for 2008 that CaDance would be able to request its dates earlier than June 1.

Formerly held in October, this year’s festival will be from Sept. 25 to 28.

“There was just total agreement and concurrence,” school board President El Hathaway said of the meeting. “The dialogue was very, very good.”

Kollenda also spoke highly of the district, particularly Fraisse’s evenhandedness.

CaDance representative Stuart Byer said the organization needs firm dates far in advance in order to contract with performing groups.

Should a date be canceled, CaDance would still be required to pay the contracted dance group.

“It could be ruinous for a small nonprofit company,” Byer said. “We really appreciate the fact that Dr. Fraisse really took the lead and found some middle ground.”

Teamwork

The CaDance situation is emblematic of a larger scheduling issue at the venue.

“We need to get out of the business of scheduling community events at the Artists Theatre,” Hathaway said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “It’s up to the city to hash out those available dates. There are 20 organizations who are after 10 slots.”

“We have been very good neighbors in sharing that theater,” board member Theresa O’Hare said. “And we’re going to continue to do that.”

At the meeting, district officials and board members discussed the district’s obligation to offer dates to community groups following the city’s grant of $300,000 to help remodel the space.

Board member Jan Vickers lauded the city for helping out the district in a time of need; in addition to helping fund the theater remodel, it also gave the district $700,000 for its pool renovation.

“We didn’t have enough money to do either of those things,” she said.

Larger venue

Earlier this month, a city subcommittee was formed to find additional performing arts venues in town.

Organizations like Ballet Pacifica and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra who performed in Laguna have departed, and the remaining groups struggle for dates.

Various ideas have been thrown about for years, from building a new venue on the Aliso Creek property owned by the Athens Group to opening up space operated by the Laguna Playhouse on city land.

“To be honest, we’ve sat and fantasized about the possibility of the performing arts groups in town joining together and funding a Cirque du Soleil-style tent that could go up after the summer season’s over, and be used by everyone, but we really haven’t moved on it,” Byer said.

The city’s Arts Commission approved a measure Monday to take $50,000 per year from the Business Improvement District fund to put into a trust fund for a new cultural arts center.

Any unexpected additional Business Improvement District funds at the end of each year would also go toward the trust fund, spearheaded by Kollenda.

“A theater would be a great idea if it met all of our needs,” Byer said.

“If it’s smaller than the high school, it really would make it challenging to bring any company in, frankly,” he said. “Even at the high school, we can’t bring in the Joffrey, or Alvin Ailey.”

CaDance submitted a list of needs to Kinsman, including required audience size, fly space and stage size. But for now, they’re content with the compromise.

“We’re just happy we can perform here in our hometown,” Byer said. “Getting this much advance notice allows us to enter into contracts early.”