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Ballet as an artistic dance form and the choreographers that move the discipline forward are always evolving. The ongoing relevance of ballet as a contemporary currency requires both careful stewardship as well as physical and mental space for exploration, inspiration, collaboration, and creation. For more than two decades, the New York Choreographic Institute (NYCI) has focused on providing physical and artistic space for the next generation of talent -- the first effort of its kind for ballet in the U.S. The artists invited to its programs have gone on to provide leadership and vision at companies across the globe.
But as its innovative approach was increasingly imitated by other dance companies, it became critical for NYCI and its new director to clearly articulate the Institute’s unique approach, explicitly express the benefits of its program, and boldly state its unique point of view about the future and relevance of ballet as a contemporary art form.
The imperative for cultural institutions: claim and celebrate their historic cultural impact while also embodying a dynamic relationship to contemporary culture that embraces changing audiences and expectations.
H&S created a brand position and distinct, differentiated narrative that embodied the Institute’s history, point-of-view and the new director’s perspective. To underscore the Institute’s pioneering legacy, we identified images from the NYCI archives, including set designs, sketches, and choreographic sessions. We added images evocative of evolution and movement to acknowledge the changing nature of dance as an art form. We clarified the differentiated benefits of the program and developed targeted messaging across audiences, a social media strategy, and social icons for NYCI’s first digital content strategy during COVID.
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