In April 2011, Ross started its 3rd AMAP initiative with Ballet Chicago. Ballet Chicago (BC) is a leading, international non-profit ballet school that trains and performs in the Ballanchine style. Five months later in September, the Ross AMAP team created the foundation for a Strategy Plan. Team member, Manisha Singh (EMBA2004), worked for the next few months to help them finish and get board approval for a five-year plan.
Timing of the Strategic Plan was critical for BC. They had grown to a $1 million organization but were operating on the same principles for over ten years. In their words:
“The growth that has occurred in the past year places Ballet Chicago on the cusp of a higher tier of performing arts organizations in metropolitan Chicago. With a budget of over $1,000,000 for FY2011, the organization has entered into a different category of fundraising and is now competing with larger arts organizations for the same funding dollars.”
It was clear that they could benefit from a team of Ross Chicago alums. The team formed in partnership with the Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit organization that makes business talent available to organizations working to improve society. In addition, Ross Alums felt a special bond to BC, as they truly build people’s character and leadership through an empowering educational experience. In the words of Patricia Blair, School Director:
“…we want children who can go into the world with the utmost faith in themselves, with kindness and care for other people, with knowing how to be a team player and pitch in and be one of those that walks into the room and makes it better just by their being there.”
SHIFTING BALLET CHICAGO’S FOCUS TO EDUCATION
Core team members met and interviewed various people affiliated with BC: employees, volunteers, students, parents, alumni, donors, dance critics and even competing organizations. Based on the information accumulated, the Ross AMAP team presented its Environmental Scan on June 16th.
The team quickly realized that everyone who knew BC even slightly was most impressed by the value of its school. The outside community saw only the performances, which were rated as highly as other professional troupes by professional dance critics. But the place that held the hearts of all those who knew BC, was how it developed the best dancers with its caring, character-building and deep attention to each student.
This was a significant change. Previously, BC had tried to create a reputation as a performance organization, competing with heavy-hitters like the Joffrey and Hubbard Street Dance. The strategy that the Ross AMAP team created shifted the focus away from the fierce competition of Chicago performance dance and into BC’s strength of education.
THE RESULT
On September 20th, the Ross AMAP team presented the final Environmental Scan and SWOT. All in all, it was a very successful project. With the findings of the team, Ballet Chicago has been able to secure new funding, is working to re-build it board and has critical hires planned over the next five years.
Ballet Chicago’s Artistic Director, Dan Duell, commented on the impact of this project:
“The Ross AMAP TEAM lifted us up and opened up a new world of possibilities for our future. We now have a much stronger sense of how to direct our energies and resources toward our long-term goals.”
AND THERE’S MORE
A new AMAP project is starting in March 2012 with Ballet Chicago. This time we will help them create a Brand Strategy and Key Messaging. Like the support we gave Family Matters in 2010, BC needs a clear message to cut through the clutter and misunderstandings in the dance industry. In all this confusion, their new strategy as an educational institution needs to come through clearly. A perfect challenge for Ross Alumni! If you’re interested in helping and have a marketing background please contact Hugh Jedwill before March 15 at hugh@mobileanthem.com.
Ballet Chicago will also receive a student MAP team that will work on its Marketing Plan during March and April. They will work in coordination with Kevin Williams (MBA1986), who is developing a Spring Communications Plan, and Hugh Jedwill (MBA2004), who is the Account Director for the next Ross Chicago AMAP team for 2012.
If you liked the Ballet Chicago story, please join your fellow Michigan alums for some special events. March 14 we will host an event welcoming the BC student MAP team, along with other Chicago MAP teams. We will also have a family-oriented alumni outing to see Ballet Chicago’s Spring Repertory performance on Sunday, May 6th at 3pm. More details on the May event will be soon available.
