The Dance Family Organization (DFO)
works to ensure all dance department events run smoothly, and that fundraising successfully supports the needs of our dancers.
Volunteering… 
is the most important way you can help the DFO and the Department of Dance and Movement. Keeping our shows and other events fully staffed depends greatly on your help. The schedule of volunteer opportunities (nearly 150 of them!) for the 2010/2011 school year is available on our Volunteer Page. Please visit and sign-up, as the saying goes: early and often. Getting signed-up now means you have the best selection of jobs, and including your email when signing up ensures you will automatically get a reminder. THANK YOU!
DFO Structure
The DFO is organized by committee, and volunteer or event coordinators for each event/task. Committees and volunteer coordination are tasks passed among “generations,” which are loosely defined below.
For 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 Jenny Roberts and Stanford Gnagy are co-coordinating DFO facilitation and communications.
Meetings are held monthly, corresponding to the DSA PTSO meeting schedule (with some exceptions) and will be announced on dsadance.org.
Currently, accounting has not been a direct function of the DFO – it has been suggested that DFO needs some kind of treasurer, who at least gives an annual budget and financial update.
Registration
The DFO hosts or provides an information table at school registration the week before school starts. This is typically a four-day event, and staffing the table is not necessary the whole time, but one or two volunteers to welcome new families on 6th-grade day is appropriate.
It’s important to collect and update contact information at this time for the DFO email list. Other information available usually includes fall picnic, first DFO meeting, and volunteering (which is also information emailed to the list prior to registration).
Dance Fall Picnic
The annual fall picnic (the first weekend following back to school) is a coordinated event (by a 7th-grade family), held at a neighborhood park. Food is potluck. The coordinator is responsible for reserving space (Denver Parks reservations are often 12 months out, permitting this event immediately in the fall guarantees location and costs approx. $100).
A save the date email should be sent within the last two weeks of school before summer break, and an email reminder should be sent with other back-to-school information in August (and a second email reminder to new/updated contacts). Details (including location, time, map, and suggested food items to share) should be posted at the beginning of August on dsadance.org.
The school office should be notified of the date so the event can be added to the school’s master calendar.
The 2010 Fall Picnic is scheduled for Sunday, August 22 at 11:30. Karen Crossman is coordinating the event.
Amaranth Guest Artist Show/reception
The Amaranth Contemporary Dance artistic director, Scott Putman, also associate dance professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, is an annual guest artist. His company presents a show featuring DSA Advanced Dancers in October.
The DFO provides ushers/box office staff for the performance, which are volunteer opportunities posted online at the beginning of the year.
Following the final performance the DFO hosts a reception, and sets up catering and donations of party trays from parents. The guest list is approximately 75 to 100.
This event needs a coordinator from an advanced class family.
Fall Concert
The annual fall concert is typically in November.
The show utilizes approximately 45 volunteers, and 5 or more volunteer coordinators (Box office, concessions, flowers, ushering, dressing rooms).
Denver School of the Arts is proud to present student-run performances, we request that our parents and families recognize that backstage areas are off-limits to everyone but those few volunteers which DFO specifically provides for each show.
Concessions are provided by donations from families (segregated by items by last name – e.g. A-H, bottled water; I-M, baked goods).
After-school Meals
The DFO organized an after school program and dinners for middle school dancers on the Thursday and Friday afternoons during the fall and spring concerts. It’s a great way to keep the dancers together, entertained, and well fed before their performances. It’s also a great tradition in the department, and one which other majors in the school are encouraged to follow.
The program is coordinated for two years by a middle school family, a 6th-grade family is recruited by the outgoing 8th-grade coordinator during the spring.
It’s a simple job, and not too many headaches are involved. The kids know the routine, and are generally pretty self directed. The big task is bringing in food.
About a week ahead of shows, the program coordinator will provide a permission slip to send home with middle-schoolers (approx. 60) and request a $5 contribution per student per day. Mr. O and Ms. K will have a count when these slips are returned (usually between 20 and 30 kids) who are planning on staying after school. Based on this count, the coordinator will order food and drinks for the group. The cost of the meals is reimbursed by the department (from DFO fundraising, and afterschool program contributions).
Another one or two volunteer parents for each day to help serve the food/monitor the kids are needed and should be posted in volunteer opportunities online at the beginning of the year.
The program runs from 2:45 to 6:00 p.m. on the Thursday and Friday of each concert, and there’s typically an hour of planning/shopping before the show – just 15 hours for a whole year…
Ramona DeMichelis and Barb Hahn are coordinating the program through 2012.
Auditions
Auditions are held in January. Dance generally has three audition days, the day starts with a master class and then each student has an individual audition and interview. Volunteers are needed to assist in ‘checking in’ and assigning audition times to prospective students, and then monitor the waiting area for the individual auditions. Typically three volunteers are needed per day, depending on numbers.
The DFO usually provides bottled water and bananas (snack) for auditioning dancers.
Potentially a second round of auditions takes place later in the spring and has similar volunteer requirements.
Senior Projects
The DFO provides ushers/box office staff for the performance, which are volunteer opportunities posted online at the beginning of the year.
Following the final performance is a reception organized by the junior class. This reception is held in the commons area and includes dinner and drinks.
A coordinator is needed for 2011. An email requesting this coordinator needs to be sent to the Junior class during the first couple weeks of school.
Spring Concert
Typically in April.
The show utilizes approximately 45 volunteers, and 5 or more volunteer coordinators (Box office, concessions, flowers, ushering, dressing rooms).
Denver School of the Arts is proud to present student-run performances, we request that our parents and families recognize that backstage areas are off-limits to everyone but those few volunteers which DFO specifically provides for each show.
Concessions are provided by donations from families (segregated by items by last name – e.g. A-H, bottled water; I-M, baked goods).
Auction
The Silent Auction is Friday and Saturday nights of the Spring Concert.
Additional auction volunteers needed for the Friday and Saturday evenings of the Spring Concert, which are volunteer opportunities posted online at the beginning of the year.
Lisa Mutchler is the coordinator for 2011.
More info soon…
Spring Banquet
The annual spring banquet is typically held in May, coordination is passing to Kim Daniels for 2011.
Junior Projects
The DFO provides ushers/box office staff for the performance, which are volunteer opportunities posted online at the beginning of the year.
Concessions Clean-out
Whatever food and drink remain in the dance closet after the shows needs to be cleaned out for the summer. In 2009 and 2010 remainders were donated to the Food Bank of the Rockies, opened packages were donated to the teacher lounge.
