Annual Report 2008-2009 To inspire hope and joy in our community and beyond through the power and passion of dance. Table of Contents A Message from Kathy Selker, Board President 1 A Message from Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director/CEO 2 Annual Marketing Report 3-4 Annual Development Report 5-6 Annual Education/Outreach Report 7-8 Annual Otto M. Budig Academy Report 9 Dancers and Artistic Staff 10 Board of Trustees 11 Management and Administrative Staff 12 Donor Honor Roll 13-14 Fiscal Year Financials 15-16 2008-2009 A Message from Kathy Selker, Board President A Triumphant 45th Anniversary Cincinnati Ballet concluded its 45th anniversary of bringing inspiring dance to the Tri-State area on a high note, with more than 50 former dancers taking the stage with current company members and students from the Otto M. Budig Academy. It was a stunning visual depiction of the past, present and future of Cincinnati Ballet in one singular moment. Along with many reasons to celebrate, we, like so many others, have responded to our economic challenges by reducing expenses in every area of operations which required us to make some very difficult decisions. We hope some of the cuts are temporary, while others represent great detective work and will be maintained for years. The entire organization has rallied to assure the Cincinnati Ballet Company’s survival. The dancers, wardrobe department, and musicians signed their union contracts agreeing to return to 2007 – 08 wages. We decreased our dancer roster, left open some departing staff positions and replaced others with lower-paid personnel. All staff agreed to forgo raises. These actions have helped us to strengthen the financial viability of our beloved company. We have good news to report on ticket sales, as well. Attendance was up 8% from a year ago, and we even sold- out our last Peter Pan matinee and had to turn people away at the box office. Overall ticket sale revenue for the season was up 2%. On the fundraising side, development efforts put us 3.6% ahead of our 2007 – 08 results despite the soft economy. Of course, we had hoped to raise more – but we understand how difficult a year it’s been for our supporters and feel grateful for the support we have received. It would be tempting to cut-back on community out-reach efforts during tough times. However, the economic downturn makes our enrichment programs more important than ever to the schools who welcome us and to the students whose lives we impact. We continue to offer free dance instruction at schools in low-income areas and provide not only scholarships but a bridge program to transition talented students into our Otto M. Budig Academy. We were able to substantially pay down our line of credit, which had been like a dark shadow hanging over the organization for the better part of a decade. We are excited about and, pending attainment of fund raising goals, are slated to present a new Nutcracker in 2010. I am deeply grateful to those who have supported us in this extraordinarily challenging year, as well as to our exceptional dancers, musicians, guest artists, and our professional staff, whose commitment to our ongoing excellence remains the very cornerstone upon which our Company is built. Check out our 2009-2010 season at www.cincinnatiballet.com. A magical season has begun! Kathy Selker, Board President PAGE 1 A Message from Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director/CEO Beauty, Power, and Passion in DifficultT imes In April of 2008, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity not only to continue as Artistic Director of Cincinnati Ballet but to take on the executive and administrative responsibilities as CEO. Initially it was like being let loose in a complicated but highly stimulating playground. To be able to work intimately with marketing and development and to discover how I am drawn to the numbers in the budget, obsessively, surprised me (and probably our finance committee, as well). The glory days were short lived, as September and October 2008 brought one of the worst economic crises that our world has ever experienced. The exercise of continually defining the Cincinnati Ballet’s essential mission and our most vital “reason for existing” kept coming up over and over. Why are we here? What value do we bring to this community that no other entity can? What must be preserved? We peeled away any excess. We undertook a new strategic planning process. We rallied our patrons and subscribers and found new support. We welcomed a large class of new committed Board membership and updated our governance and committee expectations, so as the company itself constricted, the external reach and influence expanded. It is also somewhat ironic that in a year of immense crisis we also celebrated our 45th Anniversary season. While it was a time to redefine and adjust expectations, it was also a time of celebration. We honored past Board and Bravo presidents, major patrons and volunteers, and partied with our former dancers who returned to Cincinnati from around the country to celebrate with us. There have literally been thousands of dedicated individuals including artists, administrators, board members, volunteers, and community leaders alike who have given enormous amounts of time, talent, and financial support. All those who love Cincinnati Ballet have benefitted from past years of generosity. Our new mantra is, “Everybody Dances,” whether it’s for exercise, as in our Rhythm & Motion classes, or whether your child receives top-professional training at our Academy. Maybe you recognize the value and impact of dance in a young underprivileged child’s life or perhaps you attend our exhilarating performances. In some way, the world and the city of Cincinnati is a better place because the beauty, power, and passion of dance is a part of our lives. Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director & CEO PAGE 2 Annual Marketing Report Steady as company moves through 45th anniversary season Annual Marketing Report Cincinnati Ballet’s 2008-2009 Season presented challenges for the marketing department. In the planning stages of the 2008-2009 season, additional expenses were added to the marketing budget, as were comparable ticket sale revenues, to balance and increase over-all goals and attendance. The weeks preceding the performance of Dracula, the economy plunged into a downward spiral. At this point, decisions were made to make necessary adjustments to the budget. Several line items in the budget were re-evaluated and alternative marketing strategies were put in place. With the economic decline, pricing appeared to be a key factor in purchasing tickets, hence, a new pricing strategy was implemented. No cost online marketing (Pacmail and social media) emphasized the new discounts in the middle and rear orchestra sections. Attendance began to climb, which resulted in an 8% increase from the previous season. Although we did not meet our goals for Subscriptions (97.5%) and Single Tickets (86%) we were delighted that Group Sales exceeded their goal by 6.27%. Over all we increased ticket revenue by 2% over last season and 3,907 more seats were occupied. Nutcracker Due to building economic challenges, the Nutcracker tickets were discounted and one performance was cancelled. However, it is intriguing that we increased our attendance by 3,500 from the 07-08 Season. Revenue was 3% below the previous season but compared favorably to the National Average, which showed a 15% decline from the previous year. Peter Pan Peter Pan was the marketing hit of the season, resulting in strong houses and a Sunday matinee sell-out. Unfortunately, 80 + patrons were turned away at the box office. During the run of Peter Pan, we had more ticket sales (20% over goal) than any other full-length ballet in the February time slot. Mixed Repertoire Mixed Reps are traditionally the most challenging ballets to market. Online media (facebook, myspace and twitter) was used to target the younger audience, which will be the new generation of ballet attendees. New Works sales remained strong, which included our after performance receptions. Sinatra Suite + More and Greatest Hits centered on the marketing hook that our audiences got “a little of everything,” hoping we would attract a new and more diversified audiences. Mixed reps are important to the company’s future, due to the fact that our subscribers enjoy the mixture of contemporary and classical styles of dance and the new, younger patrons are hooked by the modern pieces and will then return to see the classical ballets. Advertising Highpoints Our advertising budget funded a diverse and effective mix of newspaper and magazine ads, radio spots, direct mail, social media, and television. In addition, we purchased highway billboards and community billboards for our family classics, The Nutcracker and Peter Pan. The Cincinnati Enquirer reviewed all six performances and published many interesting preview stories throughout the season. Ballet Season Soars… Ballet overcomes case of newness… Eminent companies top must see list… Lagging sales cancel 1 ‘Nutcracker’ performance… Arts Belts Tighter, But The Shows Go On… Ballet offers unexpected turns… It’s not all bad news for the arts… Subscribers suggest favorites for finale… Rhythm And Motion for all… Dancers linked by Cincinnati… PAGE 3 Ballet’s greatest hits on pointe… The news media in Cincinnati has shown a renewed A Bastion of the Ballet…(Carmon DeLeone) interest in the Cincinnati Ballet. It was rewarding to see The YWCA Career Women of Achievement Mentors and our local stations take part in the coverage of our 2008- Role Models (Victoria Morgan)… 09 Season: ‘Pan’ sparkles with playfulness… Liz Bonis – Channel 12 Peter Pan delights, DeLeone a bonus… Peter Pan – Liz took flight with Michael ‘Sinatra Suite’ looks easy… Health – Dance is good for the brain ‘Suite’ of five shorts has it’s highs and lows… Bob Herzog – Channel 12 Six ‘New Works’ open ballet’s season… Nutcracker – Dance Party Friday ‘New Works’ kick into gear at last… Meghan Mongillo – Channel 19 New Season presents new dancers….