Dance Mapping - Arts Council England

3. Normative isomorphism results primarily from professionalisation, whether through
formal education and training or through professional networks that span across
organisations and across which new ideas may spread rapidly. A pool of almost
interchangeable individuals emerges and staff may be filtered as they are hired from
within the same industry.
Thus, there is a complex interplay of individuals and organisations that collectively comprise
the dance field. This analysis is of interest in mapping the dance field as it may provide
explanation for some of the trends identified in the research.
It is also important to establish at the onset an understanding of the different economic
dynamics that operate within the dance field. Whilst the subsidised sector may be resource-
dependent as suggested above, the commercial sector is not. The subsidised /‘not-for-profit’
and commercial sectors differ in their cultural imperative. The subsidised sector of the dance
field deals in the curation and production of work that will break even, generating social and
artistic capital. Commercial producers balance potential financial return with audience
demand and satisfaction and quality of product in order to generate profit for investors. The
overriding characteristic here is that profit is the economic driver. Organisations within the
commercial sector may produce work and own the theatres within which the work is
presented. Examples include, Victor and Lilian Hochhauser, Raymond Gubbay, Back Row
and Ambassadors Theatre Group.
Increasingly we are seeing evidence that companies and artists are working across these
sectors and boundaries and more entrepreneurial models are emerging that break down this
distinction. These will be examined in more detail in Parts Four and Five of this report.
In addition, dance interacts with other primarily commercial sectors, such as broadcast and
media, where TV and film, digital production and computer games generation may engage
with dancers and choreographers, and the music industry, where dancers and
choreographers may engage in live performance or promotional video work.
What is clear is that together, the commercial and subsidised sectors enable the dance field
to deliver the various functions required to create, distribute and enable consumption of
dance.
In stage one of the research, the researchers defined these functions as six interlinked
processes with examples of roles:
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