Dayton Performing Arts Alliance's 22-23 Annual Meeting Touts Season Success

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) held its 2022-2023 Annual Board of Trustees Meeting in the Community Room of the Dayton Metro Library's Main branch in downtown Dayton on the afternoon of June 15, 2023. Board of Trustees President Ed Tomme and DPAA President & CEO Patrick Nugent presented the report to approximately 55 stakeholders. The meeting boasted a $1.5 million increase in total ticket revenue from FY22, a return of 80% of pre-COVID audiences (which aligns with industry trends, if not better), and more than 50,000 students and teachers participated in DPAA Learning and Community Engagement programs. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance programs and performances created a $9.2 million economic impact for the Dayton region, according to the Americans for the Arts economic impact calculator.

DPAA also bid farewell to Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke and honored her for her more than 30 years of service to Dayton Ballet and Dayton Ballet School.

“I am amazed at the number and diversity of people who have come back to the performing arts after COVID,” said DPAA Board of Trustees President Ed Tomme. “I believe Patrick Nugent's $5 ticket program had an impact, as well as the quality of programming presented by our artistic directors, Karen Russo Burke, Kathleen Clawson, and Neal Gittleman. I'm looking forward to an amazing 23-34 season.”

“Additionally, I want to express my sincere thanks to Karen Russo Burke for more than a decade of inspired choreography and repertoire choices, continued Tomme. “She is truly the person who inspired me (and countless others) to fall in love with ballet. We wish her all the best in whatever her future brings.”

2022-2023 By the Numbers

• 59,010 people attended DPAA performances.
• 80% audience return rate from pre-COVID numbers, and slightly above industry trends.
• 3,125 people purchased tickets through the $5 Ticket Program.
• 2,527 tickets were discounted or given complimentary to servicemembers in our community through DPAA's military appreciation program,
• Dayton Ballet had the most triumphant year since the merger, including sold-out performances of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Peter Pan; 2023's The Nutcracker was the most successful in its history.
• 50,926 students and teachers participated in Learning Programs, which included in-school performances, field trip concerts, and sensory-friendly productions (The Nutcracker and Magic Carpet Concerts.)
• 554 students participated in programs such as Dayton Ballet School, Q the Music programs at Ruskin Elementary and E.J. Brown Middle School, and Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestras.
• 100% of students participating in Q the Music programs who auditioned for Stivers School for the Performing Arts have been accepted to the school since Q the Music started in 2012.
• Opera Artists-in-Residence performed in 36 programs ranging from schools, churches, and synagogues.

According to a formula provided by Americans for the Arts, DPAA's total economic impact on the region is valued at $9.2 million.

Board of Trustees Vice Chair Joe Zehenny recommended the election of six new trustees: Darrick Long, Central State University; Robyn Lightcap, Preschool Promise; Samuel Dorf- University of Dayton, Christopher Coombs, Dayton Aerospace; Daniel Zehringer, Wright State University; and, Zachary Beck, Sinclair College.

The 2023-2024 Executive Committee is: Chair, Ed Tomme; Chair Emeritus, Vernon Fernandes; Vice Chair, Joe Zehenny; Secretary, Patricia McDonald; Assistant Secretary, Joshua Ward; Treasurer, Joe Grunberg; and Assistant Treasurer, Tom Burkhardt.

Trustees Amber Begley, Allyson Danis, Patricia McDonald, Rev. Joshua Ward, Michael Howard, Deborah Gross, Todd Press, Ed Tomme, and Katie Wahl were re-elected to serve an additional term. Outgoing Trustees Larry Forman, Suzi Mikutis, Jim Ratti, William Sibbing, Carlen Suttman, and Penny Wolff were thanked for their valuable service.

A non-voting position to the Board of Trustees was added to the by-laws for a liaison from Wright Patterson Airforce Base. Megan Dalitsch was elected as the WPAFB liaison. All Trustee terms begin July 1, 2023.

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is on an upward trajectory and looking forward to its 2023-2024 Season: Art That Moves.

The 2023-2024 season opens September 16 and 17 with a Season Opening Celebration: Prince Orlofsky's Grand Masquerade, a collaboration showcasing DPAA's three art forms, Opera, Ballet, and Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Schuster Center.

Prince Orlofsky's Grand Masquerade kicks off a season full of soul-stirring performances, heart-wrenching operas, and gravity-defying ballet. The heart of the evening includes a performance of Act II of Strauss's comic opera, Die Fledermaus (The Revenge of the Bat). The scene is Prince Orlofsky's masquerade, where disguises and deception abound!

New and renewal subscriptions are on sale now. Composed Packages include Ballet, Opera, Masterworks (6 or 8 concerts), Rockin' Orchestra, SuperPops, and Family series. Composed Package subscribers receive 20% off single tickets. Other series packages are Create Your Own (three or more select performances) and FlexPass (packages of four, six, eight, ten, or twelve tickets). Create Your Own and FlexPass purchases can combine performances from any series into one package.

Single tickets for all DPAA performances go on sale to the public on Aug. 10. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 937-228-3630 or by visiting daytonperformingarts.org

For more information about DPAA's 23-24 Ballet, Opera, and Philharmonic seasons, visit daytonperformingarts.org/2023-2024 Season

About Dayton Performing Arts Alliance

Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in a groundbreaking and innovative merger between Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community's indispensable source for traditional, diverse, and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. In addition, DPAA offers various performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in southwest Ohio. These performances and education initiatives are made possible partly through significant support from the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, Montgomery County, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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