The Cost of Performing Arts

Published April 28, 2023

The Cost of Performing Arts

Reno is fortunate to have a vibrant community of local performing arts organizations. Year after year they have enjoyed great artistic and commercial success, having done so during some perilous financial times.

Until I became a member of the board of directors for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, I never really thought about the costs associated with putting on a large production. To meet the high standards that the artistic director, Alexander Van Alstyne, demands is expensive. The minimum cost of putting on a classical ballet at the Pioneer Center is over $120,000. Last year’s performance of The Nutcracker was almost $170,000.

A significant amount of this expense is having the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra perform at all of the classical ballets. To the A.V.A. Ballet Theatre board of directors, it is worth every penny. The board is committed to raising the funds for a live orchestra because we recognize the ballet experience is so much more exciting and enriching when a symphony is performing the score. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre has developed a great collaboration with the Reno Philharmonic and understands how special this is to the audiences.

While the Philharmonic may be the largest single expense for a ballet, there are many more dollars required before the curtain goes up. There is the rental of the Pioneer Center and the related fees. Contracted technicians and stagehands are essential to make sure the lighting is right, the backdrops are in place, and they move on and off the stage at the appropriate times. Costumes are another big expense, especially when a ballet is performed for the first time. Last week, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre presented Frozen. There were 50 performers in the cast and each one needed a costume. The ballet company is fortunate to have a dedicated staff of volunteer seamstresses who donate their time and create the costumes designed by the artistic director. Even ballets that are performed each year, such as The Nutcracker, require replacement costumes as they become worn out, or more likely, when Mr. Van Alstyne wants his audiences to see new vibrant attire. The local fabric stores love to see seamstresses from A.V.A. come into their stores.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre brings in professional guest dancers from throughout the country to perform in their productions. This allows some of the best dancers in the country to be showcased. Of course, the guest dancers as well as the local corps de ballet are paid. Dancers cannot commit so much time and effort to a production and not be compensated for their talent and work.

Travel is often a significant expense for the ballet company. Guest professionals must be flown into Reno for each show. These professional dancers don’t come to Reno instinctively knowing the choreography. The artistic director and his co-director often fly in advance of a performance to the guest professional’s cities to rehearse with them.

Finally on the expense side there is marketing. You cannot expect to fill the Pioneer Center if the potential audience does not know a ballet is upcoming. Fortunately for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, they have been able to build strong relationships with the local media outlets and they assist the ballet in this endeavor.

None of this can occur if there isn’t the money to pay for it. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, like most other non-profits, is grateful for the many grants and sponsorships they receive from private foundations, government entities, and businesses. What these organizations add to the quality of life in northern Nevada cannot be overstated.

It is the loyal patrons, the ticket buyers, who bring in the lion’s share of the revenue. It is A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s mission to provide audiences with an experience that makes the expenditure of a ticket worthwhile. They are dedicated to doing this with the intention of bringing superior classical and contemporary ballet to the region. I am sure all the performing arts groups in Reno have similar missions. To those who support the performing arts with grants, sponsorships and ticket sales, I have this to say: Thank you! It could not be done without you.

Steve Trounday is a board member at A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. The next production is Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks July 14 and 15 at the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch.