Every fall, Miller Outdoor Theatre explodes with a cluster of local dance companies who managed to make the coveted lineup of Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance (WTCD).

Yet, this weekend's event is historic for Houston's dance community. It's the first WTCD without Christina Giannelli at the Dance Source Houston (DSH) helm. Gianelli, now resident lighting designer for the Metropolitan Opera, remains president of the board, while the day-to-day duties have been take over by Stephanie Wong, DSH's new executive director. DSH has continued without its founder on site, a milestone for any arts organization.

DSH sprang into being from this yearly event. They are the city's go to dance service organization, with numerous projects, including the ever popular Dance Card, which has been imitated all over the country, highlighted in Dance Magazine, and even spawned different Houston versions, with The Chamber Music Card and The Poetry Card.

Today, DSH stands on its own two feet. How exactly does an arts organization grow up?

Sometimes, they need help, or that favorite new word of mine, "infrastructure," oh, and a little cash, office space and cammaraderie would be nice, too. For DSH and its classmates, Classical Theatre Company (CTC), Brazilian Arts Foundation (BAF), FrenetiCore and InterActive Theater Company, the care and nurturing comes directly from Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) through the MODE Arts Incubator program, which provides funds, a really nice office and artsy neighbors, along with monthly training sessions by various experts.

Groups with budgets between $50,000 to $200,000 are eligible. And, get this, the program lasts for three years.

MODE stands for Management Assistance and Organizational Development Enterprise, and the Arts Incubator is just one of three MODE programs. Sure, it sounds like a mouth full, but for these five emerging enterprises, a little bureaucracy can be a good thing.

Growing Art

MODE was already in place when HAA's executive director, Jonathon Glus, arrived in 2007. Still, it was his decision to keep the program. He sounds like a proud papa when he lays out the facts.

"What is extraordinary about the Arts Incubator Program is that, in its 20 years, it has become a critical element in the growth of some of Houston’s most venerable arts institutions," Glus says. "Between 1993 to now, there have been 40 plus organizations through the MODE program. From DiverseWorks, which has been ground zero for some of the country’s most provocative performance art, to Ensemble Theatre, which is among only a handful of theaters devoted to the work of African-American playwrights, the Incubator has tooled gifted artists and their supporters with the resources to build organizations strong enough to sustain their visions."

It felt like a college dorm hallway when I visited HAA's opening reception for the freshman class a year ago. Everyone was settling in, unpacking and putting their posters on the wall. Like a bunch of new friends, they were still learning each other's names.

A year later, the now sophomores gush over the arts smarts they have gained.

DSH benefited from being ready with a succession plan when Giannelli departed.

"It was clear that our plan was going to be sped up, we were so grateful for what we had already learned and implemented based on the support and information we received in year one," Wong says. "We had doubled the board and put in place a whole slew of new financial policies and procedures. Had this increased infrastructure not been in place at the time of the transition, the organization would have been at risk."

With twin productions in Prague and Houston last season, along with its current delicious production of Pierre de Marivaux's A Triumph of Love, CTC continues its momentum.

"Simply having an office, board room, and access to some of the most basic office supplies has proven to be a huge boon for CTC," says John Johnston, CTC's founder and executive artistic director. "It really facilitated a new mentality for the organization. We've managed to grow significantly through the resources and seminars that HAA provides."

Johnston goes on to mention improvements in board development, technical assistance and Katy Ploch's (TALA) help with accounting and fiscal procedures. "We also upgraded our computers, software, and database systems," he adds.

Brazilian Arts Foundation (BAF) was at a crossroads when it entered the program. It was ready for a next step nudge and an infusion of knowledge.

"I'm truly enjoying the process, every day is a school day for me," says Mauricio Campos, BAF's executive director. "Not only are we are all learning a lot, but we also can count on support of the staff. Richard Graber, Jerome Vielman and Janel Badrina are always eager to assist, to answer any questions, to give us a different angle on a particular issue or even just to listen to our struggles. They make not only their job or responsibility, but also their passion to help us succeed.

"It's an honor and a privilege to be part of the program and to know that the HAA believes in our organization, in our mission and in our capacity to grow."

Angela Foster, director of InterActive Theater, has also put her art house in order.

"During our first year, we have experienced profound change and growth. We have revised our financial practices and restructured our budget procedures through education we received through MODE. We have grown our audiences through better and smarter marketing from workshops we attended through MODE. We have increased the number of arts organizations with whom we collaborate through relationships we have formed through MODE. We have broadened our programming."

FrenetiCore's director Rebecca French reports a banner year of activity, from a successful Fringe Festival to an expansion of their theater, along with a new FrenetiKids program and greater visibility on the scene.

"Having a dedicated office space has allowed us to better network with fellow organizations, complete more grant applications and benefit from the numerous workshops and presentations," French says. "Being part of the HAA community has allowed us to grow by leaps and bounds professionally, financially and creatively."

When the groups graduate from their incubator years, they are not just shown the door, but become eligible for the more advanced MODE programs, Level Two: Intensive Services Program and, down the road, Level Three: Stabilization.

The Next Level

Mercury Baroque is one shining example of what can happen when you nurture a fledgling arts group in its early years. After participating in the Arts Incubator they gradated to Level Two, and soon will be eligible for Level Three. Starting as a tiny operation based out of Antoine Plante's home, this is MODE's poster child.

Mercury arrived in 2003 with a $54,000 budget. Today, its projected budget is $1,050,000, with five full time staffers, two part-timers and a core orchestra of 14.

"It got us out of my house, giving us a professional place of work. Also, they really tailored to our specific needs," Plante says. "We kept growing after we left, adding concerts, marketing resources and subscribers."

Notice how everyone uses the "grow" word?

"I sincerely want to see them grow," says Jerome Vielman, HAA's program and services manager. "We provide these organizations a community of support to take calculated risks into their next level of growth. In doing so, managing the MODE program allows us to gain peer-to-peer insight on best practices in the arts."

Arts organizations gaining stability may not seem like sexy topic, but without it, we are big trouble, especially during dire economic times. We need strong arts biz minds behind the people putting art in our city. Kudos to HAA for helping Houston's arts orgs grow and grow up.

Next week, I promise I won't use the "infrastructure" word even once.

Watch iMee's Ivonice, which will be presented at DSH's Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance