By Amy Flis
<[email protected]>

With performances of the “Nutcracker” fast approaching, dance companies around the country look forward to their biggest revenue-provider of the year. However, the economic downturn this year could spell trouble for the companies.

I am a member of Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, a not-for-profit ballet company, which is one of those dance companies. I will be playing the part of the Rose in our show. That said, I obviously hope that the current economic situation does not affect the ability of companies such as mine to continue operating as always. However, with budgets already under strain and families cutting back on spending, it doesn’t seem likely that dance companies will be exempt from the effects of this strained season.

According to forbes.com, this Christmas season will not provide much relief. The traditional retail stores are expected to see their first flat Christmas season in 33 years, according to Merrill Lynch retail analyst Daniel Barry. All this adds up to my fear of a tough season for the world of ballet.

This is bad news for not just the companies themselves but for the economy as a whole. According to a study titled “Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences,” the not-for-profit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity nationally each year.

In addition, the arts attract tourism and add culture to the community. Indianapolis has already experienced the loss of a precious company, its only professional ballet company at the time, when Ballet Internationale abruptly closed its doors in November of 2005.

This event is, however, some hope for the art world. An Oct. 3 article by Shane Hickey in Independent.ie, an Irish independent newspaper, said, “As the economy slows to a grinding halt, it seems the art world is ready to sail through the downturn,” a statement supported by the high prices in an art auction.

A separate article from the Associated Press also cited successful auctions as a marker of hope. Despite these positives, though, the examples of art-related organizations suffering along with the economy are also numerous.

For now, I will just have to wait and see what happens to my own company and to the rest of the art world. We will have to hold on and hope the economy either picks back up or doesn’t cripple the organizations I hold dear.