 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
We take a look behind the scenes at the Sydney Dance Company. But it's not the dancers or the costumes we're interested in - it's the business of ballet.
LUISA SACCOTELLI: This is where Sydney choreographer Graeme Murphy gets his dancers to bring his signature style into being. It's empty at the moment and the real performance anxiety is that it could stay that way due to a $600,000 deficit. It's more than a case of pre-opening nerves. The numbers just don't stack up, as they ought for a commercial concern. But then again, should they be expected to or does the dividend come in another way? LEIGH SMALL: It's an extremely intense time. We're trying to maintain what has been built over 30 years, currently open a new show, so we're leading a dual life. We are pursuing our future as a 17-member company, whilst knowing that it's very precariously hanging in the balance. LUISA SACCOTELLI: Leigh Small is doing some very fancy financial footwork as general manager of the Sydney Dance Company. LEIGH SMALL: For performing dance companies you have different levels of risk. With Sydney Dance Company every year we make one new work so that's the highest risk you can have in performing arts. Government funding is 29 per cent of our gross annual turnover. About 50 per cent of our revenue is from commercial enterprise, so it's box office, fees for performance, dance classes that we run here, income from the cafe that we run and then there's about 17 per cent of revenue is from sponsors. Currently we're sitting on a net deficit of $600,000 and we operate through an advance against our grant. So our cash flow situation is steady, but our net deficit situation is rocky. GRAEME MURPHY: I want you to be bullying this way, you mustn't... LEIGH SMALL: If the current funding of 29 per cent was maintained, then there would have to be a mathematical response to what we would do. 75 per cent of our costs are salaries, so it's obvious that that's an area we would look at. There have been three separate reports that said the company is underfunded by $300,000 to $500,000 per year and we survive through that. But it does mean that there's no reserves, that the company operates on a knife-edge the entire time. So there's numerous reasons why you can slip over the edge. You become used to crisis management. You rely very heavily on a small team and everybody adapts to being in crisis mode the entire time. It's a necessity. We don't have a choice to operate otherwise. The ambition I have, as manager of the company is to remove risk from the financial area of the company and place it entirely into the studio and what Graeme does with the dancers.
|
It's Only the contracted form of it is is written with an apostrophe. For more about the words it's and its, follow the link below. more information: its & it's stack up If something doesn't stack up, it doesn't make sense or give you the result that you want. Example: His account of where he was last night just doesn't stack up. For more meanings and audio examples of the phrasal verb stack up, follow the link below. more information: stack up dividend profit built Here built is the past participle of the irregular verb build. Follow the link below to find out more and to listen to some examples. more information: build hanging in the balance Something that is hanging in the balance is in a state of uncertainty. It can go well or it can go badly. Example: My future is hanging in the balance until a decision is made about this project. Click here for more idioms and common expressions. gross annual turnover Turnover is the amount of business done in a period. Annual turnover is the amount of business done in a year. And gross means the whole or total amount of something. So a gross annual turnover is the total amount of business the company does in a year, including everything. revenue Revenue is income, or money that is regularly received. commercial enterprise A commercial enterprise is another way of saying a business. box office The box office is the place where tickets are sold. They make money by selling tickets. sponsors Sponsors are businesses or people who give money, usually in return for advertising. net deficit Here, net means final, or after everything else has been taken into account. A deficit is a shortage or a loss. It’s when the amount of money spent is less than the amount of money earned. The company spent six hundred thousand dollars more than it earned. advance An advance is a forward of money, an amount paid before it has been earned. grant A grant is an amount of money given by the government for a certain purpose. cash flow Cash flow refers to money moving into and out of a business. steady fixed and not moving rocky uncertain costs Costs are things that a business pays for to run the business, such as rent, wages and advertising. salaries wages; money paid to employees reserves savings; extra money kept in reserve on a knife-edge To be on a knife edge is to be in a difficult situation where it is possible that something bad will happen. Example: He's in hospital and his life is on a knife edge. Click here for more idioms and common expressions. crisis management A crisis is a difficult or dangerous situation. They’re used to dealing with difficult situations. mode Here, mode refers to a way of living or operating. They have to work as if they’re always in a crisis.
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Australia Network Home Contact Us Help Legals © ABC 2009 | |||||
Vodcast
Dance Company
