Kairos Dance: Health and healing in motion

Team CTRL l ALT l DEL helps nonprofit move its message online

Nonprofit and team profile

The mission of Kairos Dance Theatre is to share the joy of dance and unleash its power to nurture and heal. Kairos uses dance and storytelling to create a sense of community and wellbeing in participants of all ages and walks of life. Their work draws upon modern dance, movement improvisation, folk dance and oral history traditions around the world.

Founded by Artistic Director Maria DuBois Genne in 1999, Kairos Dance is a 19-member dance company spanning four generations with performers ranging from age six to 98. Kairos’ “Dancing Heart” program engages frail elders — including those with mid-to-late stage Alzheimer’s — in a weekly dance and storytelling playshop that has shown to positively improve the health of participants.

Team captain Erika Dahlquist got the inside scoop on the F1 Overnight Website Challenge from a friend — Sierra Bravo’s Director of Software Development Kris Szafranski. Six more volunteers later, Team CTRL I ALT I DEL was ready to do good deeds at strange hours.

Objectives

New Website wish list: a site that invites viewers to experience stories of heart connection and healing and learn about latest related scientific research; online outlet for people to contribute time, money, ideas and connections; use quotes, stories and images to communicate the emotional impact of the program; let people know when they can see a performance; highlight recognition, awards, participant stories; build community through the artistic process; provide ongoing education in dance, arts, medical and social science.

Sierra Bravo caught up with team captain Erika Dahlquist after she’d caught up on some shut-eye.

Q: What possessed you to want to give up a weekend as an F1 volunteer? A: It sounded like fun for a good cause. I knew a lot of people in the web design world that I’d never gotten a chance to work with without rigid client constraints and billable hours.

Q: How did your team come together? A: I emailed everyone website related that I knew.

Q: Describe the first “getting-to-know-you” hour with your designated nonprofit. How were objectives defined and prioritized, and how were expectations managed? A: We learned about who they were and what their objectives were. They were very organized and even had a professional creative director who laid out his thoughts. Then we collaborated. And danced.

Q: What was so wrong with their old website? A: Design and usability didn’t reflect the organization.

Q: What can this nonprofit now do that it couldn’t do before? How does the new site help them work smarter online? A: They can receive online donations, send out email lists, communicate their vision clearly and show off what they do.

Q: Was there anything the client did not expect, but got as a pleasant surprise? How did your team exceed expectations? A: We added video to the site.

Q: Do you and/or your team get any sleep or did you go the distance? What did your team do to stay productive and keep going in the wee hours? A: A giant beanbag was used by several people. I think I slept for about an hour. The dancing and yoga helped to keep us awake.

Q: Looking back, what’s the main thing you take away from your F1 experience? A: Personally, it’s harder to pull an all-nighter than it used to be. I’m getting old. Professionally, even when you’re sitting right next to the people you’re working with non-stop for 24 hours, communication can break down. It has less to do with geography and more to do with the people and personalities who are part of the team.

Q: What was your team’s greatest challenge and how did you overcome it? A: We had one critical team member who fell asleep. We need more critical team members next year.