Poor Dancer’s Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts

We are diving into our archival materials and excited to share finds from Pentacle’s Legacy project on #WayBackWednesdays.

On this Wednesday, we are sharing the book, Poor Dancer’s Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts, one of the inspirations for Pentacle’s newest initiative, nextSteps.

“Poor Dancer’s Almanac is an essential resource tool and source of inspiration for all independent artists—choreographers, performance artists, dancers producers, managers. Created in 1975 and revised again in 1984 this handbook has come to serve as one of the most crucial references for the arts community.” – Duke University Press

David White, a Pentacle founder before becoming the Executive Director of Dance Theater Workshop, compiled and edited the anthology. Ivan Sygoda, a long-time Pentacle Co-Director, contributed a chapter titled, “The Marketplace.” The book was illustrated with original drawings by Janie Geiser.

Source Materials: Duke University Press, Pentacle Newsletter (Spring 1985).