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The CDA exists to facilitate the dynamic
exchange of information relevant to Canadian professional dance of all
forms and aesthetics. We strive to cultivate a strong national
voice for Canadian professional dance and to support the development of
resources for this field of artistic expression.
Taking the Pulse II: An Economic Snapshot of the Performing Arts Sector in Canada In the spring of 2009, Canada’s Performing Arts Alliance (Canadian Dance Assembly, Opera.ca, Orchestras Canada, and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres) undertook a series of surveys of our members to assess the emerging impact of the economic downturn on professional dance, opera, theatre companies and orchestras across the country. The first survey covered the four-month period from September-December 2008; the second survey covers the period from January-April 2009. Two more surveys are planned. The summary of Taking the Pulse II: An Economic Snapshot of the Performing Arts Sector in Canada can be found here. Dear CDA members, friends and colleagues, November 30th marks my last day as CDA’s Executive Director. My five years with the organization have been an incredible time in my career and so my departure from this role is inevitably an important milestone. I have learned so much and feel proud of what we’ve accomplished together in the short time CDA has been in existence. The organization is a strong, unified voice for dance with a diverse and representative membership. It is a visible and credible ambassador for the dance community and has emerged as an arts advocacy leader in the broader arts and culture sector. It is my hope that moving forward CDA will continue to build on this momentum and strengthen its role as an advocacy leader, supported by an informed, engaged and politically active membership. I cannot stress enough how critical it is for each of us to make advocacy an essential part of our working lives. We have already made great strides in asserting our presence on public and political agendas, and I believe our future success lies in our commitment to ourselves, to each other and to the value and importance of our work. As the end of 2009 approaches, I hope you will consider making a financial contribution to the Canadian Dance Assembly, ensuring that we can continue to lead effective, coordinated advocacy efforts and deliver valued programming and services. A charitable tax receipt will be issued for your contribution. Donate by clicking on the following link: http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s92936 As I conclude my role as CDA’s Executive Director, my challenge to you the members, supporters and friends of the CDA to renew your commitment to the dance
community by contributing actively and often to the better future we all aspire to enjoy. With warm wishes, N.B. Please note that going forward, CDA correspondence can be directed to either Aviva Fleising, Programs and Services Manager aviva@dancecanada.net or Michael Freethy, Membership and Communications Intern michael@dancecanada.net. My email address shannon@dancecanada.net will remain active as I will continue to manage CDA’s advocacy files in the short term. Advocacy-related inquiries can continue to be directed to me going forward. JOB POSTING The Canadian Dance Assembly is seeking a full time Executive Director. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is charged with leading the Canadian Dance Assembly into the next phase of its journey, with its mission, vision and community values as a guide. The scope of responsibility will include oversight of external and community relations, membership services, revenue generation, long range planning and the overall internal operational, financial and administrative responsibility for the organization. The Executive Director will maintain an institutional culture that balances the diversity and richness of the Canadian dance milieu with the efficacy of best business practices, fiscal accountability and institutional impact. Term: Full time The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) is the national service organization representing the professional dance sector in Canada. Together with its membership of over 360 dance professionals and organizations, CDA advocates for a healthy, sustainable environment in which professional dance practice can grow and thrive. CDA is a reputable source of information on the current state of dance in Canada and provides representation to policy- makers and the public. CDA enables its national membership of dance professionals and organizations to connect with their peers through regular communication, conferences, forums and workshops, and facilitates opportunities for networking, dialogue and exchange on topics relevant to the Canadian dance sector. To read the whole document, please click here. To download this document in pdf format, please click here. The Canadian Dance Assembly, The Dance Umbrella of Ontario and The Dance Current are collaborating on preliminary research to build greater public engagement in Canadian dance via a dynamic online portal or gateway (a web site of sorts). The portal will gather, organize and frame existing online material about the Canadian dance scene and guide users to the kinds of information and resources that they seek. The idea is to create and promote a high-profile entry point into Canadian dance for members of the general public, and to provide simple and direct access to the diversity of art and activity in our dance scene. We really want this to work for you. Please take a moment to give us your feedback - it will only take 5 minutes. Plus, all survey participants will be entered to WIN A FULL YEAR SUBSCRIPTION (OR EXTENSION) TO THE DANCE CURRENT!
AGM documents are now available as one complete PDF package. The AGM PDF package includes updated membership lists, reports from the President, Management & Treasurer, financial statements, and reports from the advocacy, governance and nominating committees. NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS Please take note that the Annual General Meeting for Members of the Canadian Dance Assembly will take place on Friday, September 25, 2009, commencing at 4:00pm, at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, 80 Winchester Street - Studio D, Toronto, Ontario. AGM business will include: • President's Report If unable to attend the meeting, a Member has the right to assign his/her/its vote to another Member in good standing. A proxy form is included for this purpose. Non-Members are welcome to attend the meeting as observers. However, they may not participate in the proceedings. Although advance notice of your participation is not required, your RSVP will ensure that we are able to provide sufficient copies of the documents and an appropriate venue for the expected attendance. Please RSVP the CDA office at: shannon@dancecanada.net Toronto, ON - Shannon Litzenberger, Executive Director of the Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) will be resigning from her position as of November 30, 2009. Shannon began working with the CDA in 2004, and since that time has shepherded the organization to the forefront of arts advocacy leadership in Canada. "During her tenure at the CDA, Shannon has contributed much to the development of the Assembly and we, her peers and colleagues, recognize and appreciate her hard work and dedication." says CDA Board President Jim Smith. In her role as the CDA's Executive Director, Shannon has contributed to shaping sector-wide policy positions on behalf of the arts and culture community. She has been called on frequently by a variety of different organizations and government agencies to provide consultation and to participate in committees and working groups in the areas of dance and cultural policy. Representing the professional dance sector, Shannon was a founding member of Canada's Performing Arts Alliance (an alliance of the Canadian Dance Assembly, Orchestras Canada, Opera.ca and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatre). She was also a member of the Canadian Arts Coalition Steering Committee - Canada's largest ever group of artists, business leaders and volunteers assembled from across the country. Shannon is leaving the CDA to pursue artistic activities. The community wishes her well in her endeavours and expects to see much of Shannon in the future, both in the context of the CDA and as part of Canada's professional dance community. The National Council of the CDA will be striking a search committee within the month to lead the process of identifying a new Executive Director. German Dance Legend Pina Bausch Dies at 68 “Unlike almost any other, she broke out of traditional structures in dance, modernized classical ballet and coined her own idiosyncratic style," said a statement released by German Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "She was the biggest choreographer in the world," said Paris-based US choreographer Carolyn Carlson. "She made a revolution, she was a revolutionary. She was absolutely unique." Bausch formed the successful Wuppertal Tanzheater in 1973, turning the Ruhr Valley town into an international dance mecca. Though Bausch tended to avoid the limelight, she became known to many people outside the dance world with her appearance in Pedro Almodovar's Oscar-winning film "Talk to Her." The film also pays homage to her work. Bausch's oeuvre explores memories, questions of identity and the difficulty of human understanding. Frequently, she thematizes the difficulty of relations between the sexes. Men and women can flirt tenderly at one moment, then fling each other violently across the room the next. "It is about life and about finding a language to describe life," she said. The choreographer, on the whole, usually avoided pinning down or labeling her creations, preferring to let her audiences make up their minds. In 2007 she was awarded the Kyoto Prize - one of the top prizes in the culture and arts field - in recognition of her work in breaking down the boundaries between dance and theater, and pioneering a new
direction for theatrical art. She was the first woman to receive the accolade in the category art and philosophy. Breaking with convention Bold and visually arresting, her first works were roundly criticized by traditional ballet fans. She became notorious for having her company dance on dirt, on leaves, in ankle-deep water, as well as for bringing them into direct contact with the audience. But she began to attract attention abroad with her performances at the World Theater Festival in Nancy, France, in 1977. This was the start of a flourishing international career. The grande dame of modern dance was famed for her collaborative way of working. She would start by directing a barrage of questions at her dancers, who would respond with words, gestures, and improvised dance. "I'm not interested in how people move, but what moves them," she once famously stated. Bausch was strongly influenced by Kurt Jooss, a pioneer of German expressionist dance, with whom she began studying at the age of 14. He was to have a strong influence over her work. The psychological ballets of Anthony Tudor, whom she encountered during a scholarship at the Juilliard School in New York, also made a marked impression on her. Although she led her company for over 35 years, she didn't talk of retiring. Upon receiving the Kyoto Prize less than two years ago, the choreographer said she still had "an awful lot of plans." (Article reprinted courtesy of Deutsche Welle, DW-World.de) To view a slideshow of Pina’s work click on this link. Further articles Dance Sector Celebrates 5 year Renewal of Arts Investments Toronto, June 29, 2009 - A commitment to extend expiring arts investments for 5 years was announced Friday by Heritage Minister James Moore in an address to the Vancouver Arts Summit. Rebranded by the Conservatives, matching contribution programs in support of arts presentation, cultural spaces, organizational sustainability and arts training were renewed to March 31, 2015. Also renewed for 5 years was $25 million in annual funding to the Canada Council for the Arts, maintaining its annual budget at $181 million. “Confirmation of renewed investment was met with applause and a sigh of relief by members of the Canadian dance sector who were gathered in Ottawa at the Canada Dance Festival over the weekend.” says Shannon Litzenberger, Executive Director of the Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA). “We are thrilled that this government has taken action on a key recommendation made by the CDA and other arts sector representatives during pre-budget consultations last fall.” Jim Smith, President of the Canadian Dance Assembly adds that “extending investment over five years to valued arts programs couldn’t be more timely, ensuring artists and arts organizations have the stability to effectively plan and manage their activities in uncertain economic times”. The renewal of these investments represents $504 million over 5 years. Affected programs and their total annual budgets to 2015 are as follows: • Canada Arts Presentation Fund (formerly Arts Presentation Canada Program) - $18M The Canadian Dance Assembly is the voice of dance in Canada, representing over 300 dance professionals and organizations from across the country. CDA is a member of the Performing Arts Alliance, the Canadian Arts Coalition and the Canadian Conference for the Arts. For more information, please contact: Federal Strategic Review Process To Affect Canada Council Canada Council will be participating in the Government of Canada's Strategic Review process this Spring. This process is additional to the recent Special Examination of the Council by the Auditor General, which concluded (in part) that "the Council's systems and practices involved in grant management, governance, strategic planning, performance measurement and reporting, and human resources management provide it with reasonable assurance that its assets are safeguarded and controlled, that its resources are managed economically and efficiently, and that its operations are carried out effectively". And the Auditor General concluded that the Council's systems and practices "had no significant deficiencies. In fact, the Canada Council's systems and practices have contributed to its success in several areas". So what is Strategic Review? According to a posting on the Treasury Board Secretariat's website, "Strategic reviews are assessments of all direct program spending to ensure programs are managed effectively and efficiently. These reviews support a more rigorous results-based approach to managing taxpayer dollars responsibly and delivering effective and efficient programs that can better meet the priorities of Canadians. As part of the strategic review process, departments will review their direct program spending and the operating costs of their major statutory programs on a four-year cycle to assess how and whether these programs: • Are effective and efficient; Through the strategic review process, departments will also determine whether there are any lower priority, lower performing programs for possible reallocation of funding to higher priority, higher performing programs within the department or government." We understand that Council has been asked to identify 5% of its spending (approximately $9 million) on "lower priority, lower performing programs", and offer these funds up for re-allocation - either at Council, within the Department of Canadian Heritage or to another government department. The potential of a $9 million cut to the Canada Council's base funding is unsettling, to put it mildly. The Canadian Dance Assembly will be working with you our members, and with our partner arts service organizations, to convey the importance of Council's work and the hardship that any reduction in Council funding could impose. We will keep you posted. Dance your way into Spring with International Dance Day April 29, 2009! The Canadian Dance Assembly welcomes all to come out and celebrate. Toronto, ON – The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) invites all Canadians to move and be moved in celebration of International Dance Day, April 29. On this day, CDA members will host an array of performances, workshops and activities across the country to promote Canadian dance and engage in community spirit. The Canadian Dance Assembly is a national organization representing the interests of over 350 dance professionals and organizations from across Canada and recognizes the UNESCO International Dance Day annually. Initiated in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute (http://iti.unesco.org), International Dance Day falls on April 29 of every year, commemorating the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a distinguished choreographer that brought about significant reforms in ballet production. Every year, an international message authored by a well-known dance personality is circulated around the world as part of International Dance Day celebrations. Additionally, since 2005, the Canadian Dance Assembly has issued a Canadian message in conjunction with the UNESCO message. This year the Canadian Dance Assembly invited Nico Archambault, dancer extraordinaire and winner of the inaugural season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, to author a message to all Canadians. Together with his longtime dance partner and girlfriend, Wynn Holmes, they expressed a compelling message that reflects the inner-dancer in all of us: "Dance... The International Dance Day Message, commissioned by ITI – UNESCO, has been written this year by Akram Khan. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades and is a highly acclaimed choreographer living and working in Britain today. His message is as follows: “This very special day is dedicated to the one language that everybody in this world can speak, the inherent language of our bodies and our souls, of our ancestors and of our children. In order to commemorate International Dance Day 2009, members of the Canadian Dance Assembly have assembled an eclectic lineup of dance activity throughout the country. For the complete program, click here. March 18, 2009 Dear CDA members, On Monday, March 9th, I was on Parliament Hill in Ottawa among a small handful of witnesses invited to speak to the all-party federal Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the impact of recent cuts to arts and culture programs. In particular, my presentation addressed cuts that most directly affected the dance sector including the PromArt ($4.7 million) and Trade Routes ($7 million) programs, as well as the Capacity Building component of the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program (reduced by $1.8 million). At best this was a politically charged environment and not one particularly conducive to fact finding, as it was intended. However, CDA offered the only pan-Canadian perspective among the witnesses of the day, which helped to represent the broader impact of the cuts for dance, and the implications from a national, sector-wide point of view. You’ll find a copy of my presentation to the committee attached, as well as a link to an article that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen and other print publications across the country. Arts cuts jeopardize jobs at home, MPs told; Ottawa Citizen I would encourage you to engage your local MP on this issue and request that he or she support the recommendations made in the document. Sincerely,
Canadian Dance Assembly
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Acclaimed German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch has died at the age of 68. The recipient of numerous awards and prizes, she left her mark as an innovator in the hybrid genre of "Tanztheater," or dance theater.
