L.A.'s MOCA gala sparks controversy

>> by Naomi Brand
Performance artist Marina Abramović's centre piece performance for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles' (MOCA) annual donor gala has sparked controversy and debate over alleged exploitation of performers. During last month's gala dinner attended by 750 celebrity and art world guests, dozens of performers knelt beneath the large dinner table with their heads protruding through holes in the table slowly rotating and making eye contact with guests. Others lay nude rotating on top of circular tables with fake skeletons on top of them re-enacting Abramović's signature piece Nude with Skeleton (2002). After attending an audition for the project in early November, L.A.-based dancer/choreographer Sara Wookey wrote an (at the time) anonymous letter informing MOCA about the conditions being asked of artists for Ambromavić's piece, which Wookey described as "extremely problematic, exploitative, and potentially abusive." In an open letter to artists, Wookey states that performers were expected to commit to fifteen hours of rehearsal time, to lie naked and speechless as human centrepieces during the four-hour event even in the case of harassment and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement stating that they could be sued by the event’s producer for a sum of $1 million if they spoke to anyone about what occurred in the audition. American dancer, choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer also wrote a letter to MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch criticizing the organization for "stoop[ing] to such degrading methods of fund raising." Wookey's letter to artists calls for the creation of labour standards and fair wages to protect performing artists in L.A. and beyond.
http://theperformanceclub.org/2011/11/open-letter-to-artists/
http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2011/11/14/read-yvonne-rainers-final-letter-decrying-marina-abramovics-moca-performance/
http://cadabc.org/
http://cadaontario.camp8.org/

Canadian dance studies society adopts new name

>> by Samantha Mehra
The Canadian Society for Dance Studies/La Société canadienne d'études en danse (CSDS/SCDD) recently changed its name in order to be more inclusive of Canada's dance community. This change intends to reflect founder Amy Bowring's mission to "encompass a broad range of research areas including history, anthropology, movement analysis, ethnology, creative process studies, dance education, notation, dance writing and criticism." Formerly the Society for Canadian Dance Studies, under the new directorship of Kate Cornell and a transitional board, the society is in the process of incorporating federally under its new moniker. In addition to the name change, CSDS created a new set of by-laws and selected a new board of directors. CSDS will host the first conference under its new name in Montréal in 2012. The conference, titled "Collaboration: Intersections, Negotiations, Mediations in the Worlds of Dance", will be held in collaboration with the Festival Transamériques and the dance department at the Université du Québec à Montréal; the conference runs from May 31st to June 3rd, 2012.
http://people.uleth.ca/~scds.secd/English/home.html

Jeanne Holmes appointed artistic producer of CDF

Jeanne Holmes / Photo by David Hou

>> by Cynthia Brett
On December 1st, Jeanne Holmes will take her post as the new artistic producer of the Canada Dance Festival (CDF). With a background in performance, production, programming and arts management, Holmes brings over twenty years of diverse experience to the position. She is currently the producing director of Dancemakers and the Centre for Creation in Toronto as well as the chair of Dusk Dances Toronto. Recalling her personal experiences at the festival, Holmes told The Dance Current: "It is close to my heart and where some of my best Canadian dance memories have been created. I have been inspired in the past by the hard work and dedication of Brian Webb and Cathy Levy and am honoured by this opportunity to build on their incredible legacies." In 2012, the CDF will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary. Board Chair Pamela Fralick commented in a press release that "Jeanne's extensive experience in the world of the performing arts, her reputation as a collaborator and community builder, coupled with her enthusiasm for the future of dance in Canada is exactly the right combination to lead us onward into the next quarter century."

Celebrating touring, birthdays and legacies

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Ballet Jörgen Canada has been awarded the 2011 National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring, making it the first Ontario performing arts organization to win. In its nearly twenty-five-year history, Ballet Jörgen has connected with 250 North American communities and continues to bring ballet to 40,000 people annually across Canada and the United States…. Compagnie Marie Chouinard is celebrating its twentieth birthday by giving the dance community a gift. The company is teaming up with artists and organizations in the Montréal area to launch Les prix de la danse de Montréal, an award to recognize talent in the community. The inaugural winner will be announced on November 29th, 2011, and will receive a $5,000 prize…. Acclaimed Vancouver artist and choreographer Lola MacLaughlin died in March 2009, but she knew she wanted to leave a legacy behind. The Lola Legacy Fund, initiated by MacLaughlin's husband, Tony Giacinti, and the Lola MacLaughlin Dance Society, raised the funds to seed the award. Administered by The Dance Centre, the Lola Award will provide $10,000 to a mid-career or senior-level choreographer whose work exemplifies a spirit similar to MacLaughlin’s, described in the award's call for nominations as "thoughtful, inventive, experimental, collaborative and interdisciplinary". The nomination deadline for the first biennial Lola Award is January 16th, 2012.
www.thedancecentre.ca

Candace Loubert (1947-2011)

Candace Loubert / Photo courtesy of LADMMI

>> by Samantha Mehra

Candace Loubert, co-founder of Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal Inc. (LADMMI), died on October 28th, 2011. Loubert co-founded LADMMI with Linda Rabin, initially under the name of the Linda Rabin Danse Moderne School, where she was the artistic director until 1996. Prior to this, Loubert enjoyed a career as a performer in Europe, as well as dancing for Montréal's Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for five years, putting to use her extensive training in ballet. She also danced in Linda Rabin's groundbreaking work The White Goddess (1977) alongside a group of other young dancers including Margie Gillis and Stephanie Ballard. While artistic director of and teacher at LADMMI, Loubert found time to pursue creative research specifically on body work, while also tackling her interest in masks and other diverse visual arts practices. Rabin said of Loubert: [translated] "Candace's exceptional gift was her extraordinary capacity to nurture and support creativity in an original and profound manner. Through body work and a range of artistic media – painting, drawing, clay sculpting and mask making – she created space for the imagination to flourish. Those who were fortunate enough to experience her teaching knew the depth of her supportive nature, understanding and compassion."

New book on contemporary Indian dance

>> by Samantha Mehra

Palgrave Macmillan recently published Contemporary Indian Dance: New Creative Choreography in India and the Diaspora, written by scholar Ketu H. Katrak, a professor in the Department of Drama at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The book, which includes over thirty images, explores both the historical and contemporary practices of Indian classical dance, and the ways in which concepts of globalization and diaspora have influenced artists in India and in other locations such as Toronto, London, Chennai and Los Angeles. The book also unravels the "multilayered language" of dance that emerges when forms such as martial arts, yoga, modern and postmodern dance intersect, employing the themes of ethnicity, sexuality and gender to further the analysis. Katrak is the founding chair of UCI's Department of Asian American studies, and is also author of Politics and the Female Body: Postcolonial Women Writers, Wole Soyinka and Modern Tragedy.

DCD launches new exhibit

>> by Cynthia Brett

On November 14th, Dance Collection Danse (DCD) unveiled its latest exhibit: Renegade Bodies: Canadian Dance in the 1970s. For this exhibit, artifacts from Canada's 1970s dance boom, such as programs, posters, photographs and video, are on display in Theatre Museum Canada's Macdonald Heaslip Walkway of Theatre History at Toronto's Hart House Theatre until September 14th, 2012. In 2012, Dance Collection Danse Press/Presse will also release the anthology Renegade Bodies: Canadian Dance in the 1970s, edited by Allana C. Lindgren and Kaija Pepper.

DTRC turns 25

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Canada’s Dancer Transition Resource Centre (DTRC) is turning twenty-five years old, and the occasion is being commemorated with a night of performances titled Choreographing Change, at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre in Vancouver on December 1, 2011. In a quarter century, the DTRC claims it has acted as a "springboard for more than 10,000 dancers to make inspired, educated, and productive new beginnings." More information and tickets for Choreographing Change are available at www.dtrc.ca.

Beyoncé video accused of plagiarism

>> by Naomi Brand
Pop star Beyoncé Knowles' new video Countdown has raised some controversy over its striking similarity to the work of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and has been accused of plagiarism. The video allegedly borrows from two of De Keersmaeker's videos: Achterland (1990) and Rosas danst Rosas (1983). Beyoncé's video shares not only some very similar dance movement with Rosas danst Rosas, but also bears similarities in the set, costumes and even some specific shots, which are almost direct copies of the film made by Thierry De Mey. In an interview with a Belgian radio station, De Keersmaeker said, "I'm not mad, but this is plagiarism. This is stealing." In response to these comments, Beyoncé released a statement saying: "Clearly, the ballet Rosas danst Rosas was one of many references for my video Countdown. It was one of the inspirations used to bring the feel and look of the song to life." De Keersmaeker's work has made a major mark on contemporary dance over her thirty-year career and has received critical acclaim and international success.

Canadian wins Dance Your PhD

>> by Naomi Brand
Emma Ware, a biologist at Queen's University, is one of four winners of Dance Your PhD, an annual contest that asks researchers to convert their doctoral dissertation into a dance video. Ware's dissertation, entitled "A Study of Social Interactivity Using Pigeon Courtship", was a moody, black-and-white, contemporary dance video that won in the social science category. The contest attempts to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences and challenges researchers to explain their research to the public in an accessible and creative way. This year's competition had fifty-five entries from Canada, the United States, Europe, India and Australia. The competition is now sponsored by TEDx Brussels, part of a global network of events and speakers based on innovative ideas. The winner of the competition receives $1,000 and a trip to Brussels for the awards ceremony.

Alexander Grant (1925-2011)

Alexander Grant with ballet master David Scott / Photo by David Street

>> by Jaimée Horn
Alexander Grant, beloved dancer and former artistic director of The National Ballet of Canada, died in London on Friday, September 30th at the age of 86. Grant had been ill for eight months following a hip surgery that resulted in infections and pneumonia. The dynamic performer will be fondly remembered for his roles in ballets such as Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée, as well as his influential presence in the international ballet scene. His classical technique and interpretation of demi-character roles distinguished him as an outstanding performer, “one of the few great, as opposed to merely magnificent, dancers of our time” according to New York Times dance critic Clive Barnes. Born in New Zealand in 1925, Grant began his dance training at the age of seven. He was quickly offered a ballet scholarship in London where he went on to perform with the Royal Ballet for thirty years. He was artistic director of The National Ballet of Canada from 1976 through 1983 and brought several Ashton ballets into the repertoire including La Fille, Monotones, Les Patineurs, The Dream and Two Pigeons. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from the Royal Academy of Dance in London, as well as the 2009 De Valois award for outstanding achievement in dance.

Men outnumber women in STDT's first-year class

>> by Cynthia Brett

For the first time in The School of Toronto Dance Theatre's (STDT) history, there are more men than women in its first-year class. Of twenty-two students, twelve are men. Artistic Director Patricia Fraser commented that the school has seen an increase in the number of men auditioning, as well as an improvement in their dancing. A collective statement from the first-year class says that, "In this and other cultures there seem to be more men gravitating to the arts in general. Contemporary dance is now a more accepted career for men to pursue.... There may always be something of a stigma against male dancers, because the wider population doesn't yet entirely understand what we do; however, it's possible that seeing dance in popular culture, on TV shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars, has put men 'on the map' in terms of dance." Here's a look at the number of men in the first-year class over the last five years: 2011, 12 of 22; 2010, 7 of 24; 2009, 5 of 25; 2008, 9 of 25; and 2007, 3 of 22.

Toronto Heritage Dance showcases Canadian choreographers

>> by Samantha Mehra

In celebration of Canadian dance's vibrant past and present, Toronto Heritage Dance recently showcased the work of six eminent Canadian choreographers at the Winchester Street Theatre from September 15th through 18th. The program, an event presented by the DanceWorks CoWorks Series, featured three new works, and three revivals including Patricia Beatty's new solo The High Heart; David Earle's Baroque Suite Duet and Miserere; Lawrence Gradus' solo Castaway; Danny Grossman's new duet Lone; Terrill Maguire's solo Pond Life, set to the music of late composer Ann Southam; and Peter Randazzo's "Pavane" from A Simple Melody. The cast included dancers Danielle Baskerville, Eddie Kastrau, Michael Sean Marye, Suzette Sherman and Meredith Thompson, among others. According to DanceWorks Curator Mimi Beck, the concert of modern dance pieces intended to "highlight the individual creative visions of these senior Canadian choreographers, to expose audiences to the breadth of the art form, and to revive master works of modern dance."
www.danceworks.ca

David Y.H. Lui (1944-2011)

>> by Amy Bowring
Vancouver-based impresario and producer David Y.H. Lui died on September 15th, 2011. Lui had an extensive forty-year career in the arts and was dedicated to his passions of dance, music and musical theatre. The Vancouver native is credited with helping to develop audiences through his presentation of a wide variety of companies and artists, and even began this role while studying at the University of British Columbia in the 1960s. Among the dance groups he brought to the city were the Martha Graham Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Sadlers’ Wells Royal Ballet and Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the XXth Century. At the time of his death, he was working to bring Alicia Alonso and the National Ballet of Cuba to Western Canada in February 2012. He helped to found Ballet British Columbia and the cultural program of Vancouver’s Dragon Boat Festival; he served on many boards including the Dance Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts and British Columbia Arts Council. Lui worked tirelessly to fundraise for multiple causes including the Scotiabank Dance Centre. Mirna Zagar, executive director of the Dance Centre, remembers her friend as a visionary and in her speech at the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Dance Centre she stated, “David was always either getting out of a project, working on one or envisioning the next.” He received multiple honours for his work including the Order of Canada (2001) and Queen Elizabeth II Gold (2004) and Silver (1977) Jubilee Medals. David Y.H. Lui – A Celebration will be held on Sunday, October 23rd at 2pm at the Vancouver Playhouse to commemorate his life and work.

Signal Theatre takes part in carbon footprint study

>> by Naomi Brand
Signal Theatre's newest production, from thine eyes choreographed by Artistic Director Michael Greyeyes, is part of an environmental research project led by York University Theatre professor Peter McKinnon. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada–funded study is aimed to determine the environmental impact of a live theatre presentation by measuring and tracking the carbon consumption of Signal Theatre's production and comparing that against a "phantom" production conceived without any consideration for environmental impact. from thine eyes was created with the intention to minimize the carbon footprint in all aspects of its production and was presented at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre in September.

SWAP IT! event aims to satisfy community's needs

>> by Samantha Mehra
On September 25th, the first SWAP IT!, an arts resource-sharing event hosted by The Alliance of Independent Mid-Career Dance Creators (AIM-CDC), took place at Dancemakers Centre for Creation. The purpose of the initiative was to bring members of the dance community together to exchange skills, props, time to donate towards administrative work, transportation, and other valuable assets that might aid another artist/organization/company in artistic or other endeavours. Dancemakers donated its space for the event. To make these exchanges, the participants' needs and desires are first recorded, and then times are allotted for arranging the "swaps" between artists. Inspired by a similar event, "Sweet and Tender", which takes place in European arts communities, SWAP IT!'s exchange initiative intends to lessen the burden on artists and their costs, while simultaneously aiding them in building relationships within the artistic community. SWAP IT!'s initial event attracted approximately twenty participants. Members of the AIM-CDC include Kate Alton, Susie Burpee, Tanya Crowder, Allison Cummings, Susanna Hood, Meagan O'Shea, Sasha Ivanochko and Heidi Strauss.

FTA names new co-executive and administrative director

>> by Samantha Mehra
Festival TransAmériques (FTA) recently announced the appointment of Christine Bouchard as co-executive and administrative director. Bouchard, who is replacing Caroline Lussier (now the head of the Dance Section at the Canada Council for the Arts), will share general management roles with Marie-Hélène Falcon, the festival's co-executive and artistic director. Bouchard's past experience includes serving as cultural programming director at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, as general manager of LADMMI school of contemporary dance, and as general manager of the Société de développement des arts et de la culture in Longueil, where she was also head of that city's arts and culture division.

SYTYCD Canada cancelled

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
The cast and contestants of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC) have taken their final bow. The reality dance show will not be renewed by Bell Media for a fifth season. The finale, which will undoubtedly send the show’s final winner, Jordan Clark, to dance fame, was watched by 903,000 viewers. That is twenty-seven percent fewer than in 2010. Dancers will now need to look elsewhere for a high-exposure stage. SYTYCDC judge Jean-Marc Généreux gauged the impact, as reported in the Toronto Star: “[The show] was about one thing: culture and dance. I’m really, really sad, but dancing just lost its platform in Canada.” Scott Henderson, vice-president of communications at Bell Media, insists that the consequences SYTYCDC’s cancellation could have on the country’s dance community and culture was taken into consideration; however, high production costs along with a drop from number three on the list of most-watched programs in Canada in 2009 to twenty-two this year, has CTV, the division of Bell Media that airs the show, saying no to an encore. “You can't make a TV show that is not economically viable, just to be a supporter of the arts,” Henderson told The Dance Current. Henderson could not comment on whether CTV has specific plans to air another dance show, but said it is a “definite possibility.”

Canadian dancers make on-screen splash

Laurieann Gibson / Photo courtesy of E!

Nico Archambault and Mylène St-Sauveur in Sur Le Rythme / Photo courtesy of Seville Pictures

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Canadian dancers Laurieann Gibson and Nico Archambault were on-screen stars this summer. Gibson, a Toronto native known for her choreography for artists such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Diddy and So You Think You Can Dance Canada’s Luther Brown and Natalli Reznik, headlined a new series on E! called The Dance Scene. The show gave viewers an inside look at the intensity with which Gibson, a former student of The National Ballet of Canada, choreographs in order to create her eye-popping works. Along with the cast's talent and intensity also comes drama; the show intertwines the complicated personal lives of Gibson and her dancers. Archambault, winner of the first season of SYTYCDC, stars as Marc Painchaud in Charles-Olivier Michaud’s French dance film Sur Le Rythme. Archambault helps Delphine Lamarre (Mylène St-Sauveur) in making a choice between following her dreams of dancing or her parents’ plans for her to attend medical school. Sur Le Rythme was released in theatres August 10th, and has thus far brought in nearly $1 million in ticket sales.

Dance Matters. And now, it is official.

>> by Jaimée Horn
Toronto-based Tanya Crowder’s HOWDARESHE Productions has been the umbrella for a number of her creative collaborations. Among these endeavours is Dance Matters, a sustainable, community-based, curated performance series, featuring original choreographic works from Canadian dance artists of all disciplines. Originally existing under Crowder’s HOWDARESHE production name, Dance Matters has officially been incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the name of Dance Matters Dance Productions since October 2010, and is now headed into its sixth season.

American dance icons honoured with U.S. postal stamps

>> by Naomi Brand
Four influential American choreographers will appear on a series of stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2012. The set includes Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse. The stamps were designed by art director Ethel Kessler and illustrated by James McMullan. A large number of Canadian dancers throughout the twentieth-century studied or worked with Limón, Dunham and Fosse. The current Limón company includes Canadians Kristen Foote and Belinda McGuire, both from the Greater Toronto Area.

Tré Armstrong gives back

Tré Armstrong teaching Hip Hop during The Give Back

>> by Jaimée Horn
Tré Armstrong, choreographer, dancer and judge on CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada, is giving back to the dance community. Her company, A New D.A.E.I., recently hosted The Give Back on July 10th, 2011 at Canada’s National Ballet School. The day’s purpose was to provide youth, teenagers and adults the opportunity to be a part of the dance world at no cost. More than twenty teachers offered workshops in various disciplines including Salsa, Contemporary and Bollywood, while Armstrong taught both basic and master hip hop classes. The Tré Armstrong Give Back Foundation was officially launched on August 15th, 2011.
http://anewdaei.com/and/

Sonia Rodriguez co-authors children's book

>> by Cynthia Brett

Sonia Rodriguez, principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada, and her husband Kurt Browning have co-written a new children's book: T is for Tutu: A Ballet Alphabet, illustrated by Wilson Ong. Intended for children aged six to ten, T is for Tutu explores the art and history of ballet. Though a first book for Rodriguez, Browning has also co-written A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet.

NAC Foundation announces CEO's National Fund

>> by Samantha Mehra
The National Arts Centre Foundation recently announced the creation of the CEO's National Fund, which will support national performing arts and education programs. The fund honours Peter Herrndorf, president and CEO of the National Arts Centre since 1999, whom the foundation acknowledged for strengthening the centre's national character, setting high artistic standards and prioritizing education. Made possible by contributions from donors across Canada, the CEO's National Fund stands at $1.2 million, and aims to support the NAC's creation and sustenance of country-wide programming, such as national tours by the NAC orchestra, attracting artists from across Canada to take part in NAC-supported national showcases, and engaging Canadians via live NAC webcasts and podcasts.The National Arts Centre also announced the extension of Herrndorf's contract until 2013.
www.nac.cna.ca/foundation

Two new Canadian dance books hit the market

Lata Pada in her own work Revealed by Fire, 2001 / Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

Chi Long in Marie Chouinard’s bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG _vARIATIONS, 2005 / Photo by Marie Chouinard

>> by Jaimée Horn
There are two new titles that dance lovers can start adding to their book collections this month, Compagnie_Marie_Chouinard_Company, and the soon-to-be-released Fields in Motion: Ethnography in the Worlds of Dance. Compagnie_Marie_Chouinard_Company is the first bilingual monograph of a Canadian contemporary dance company. Written by the choreographer herself as well as eight other close contributors, the book includes testimonials from the company’s dancers, and offers an intimate window into Chouinard’s creative universe. Visit www.mariechouinard.com to purchase a copy of the book, or to find out more information about the company. Finally, the release of Fields in Motion: Ethnography in the Worlds of Dance is forthcoming in September after eight years of hard work. Edited by Dena Davida, artistic co-director of Tangente in Montréal, the authors include fourteen Canadian contributors and fourteen contributors from around the world. Published in Canada but with an international perspective, this collection of essays explores the art of dance as cultural practice, revealing the significance of the art form in our contemporary society. Students and dancers take note – a paperback edition of Fields in Motion: Ethnography in the Worlds of Dance will also be released for a more moderate price.

MERGEzine re-launches

>> by Cynthia Brett

MERGEzine, a Toronto-based publication for emerging dance artists, will soon re-launch after taking a one-year hiatus to build its team and apply for funding. A not-for-profit publication, MERGE publishes four to five issues per year and also regularly maintains a blog. Co-editors Rachel Martin and Kelly Morden recently sent out a call for writers, submissions and photos for this fall's "Falling Forward" issue.
www.mergezine.blogspot.com

Canadian government invests in Yukon

>> by Naomi Brand
The Government of Canada announced that it will be investing in arts, culture and official languages in the Yukon territory. The announcement was made in July at the Yukon Arts Centre by Paul Calandra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The total funding of $1,939,590 will support nine projects in the Yukon under three programs of the Department of Canadian Heritage: the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, the Exchanges Canada program, and the Community Life component of the Development of Official-Language Communities program. Organizations to receive funding include The Yukon Arts Centre, the Adäka Cultural Festival and Breakdancing Yukon Society, among others. "Our support for these organizations ensures that youth and families in Yukon can experience diverse artistic performances and cultural activities," said Parliamentary Secretary Calandra.

CCDT turns on the switch for SolarDance

CCDT Co-Artistic Director Michael deConinck Smith with solar panels on 509 roof

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre (CCDT, formerly Canadian Children's Dance Theatre) is bringing in the green by going green. The recently renamed company got started on a bright idea it calls SolarDance arts education. Ninety-six solar panels, spanning 6,000 square feet of the studio’s rooftop, will generate enough energy to raise $15,000 for CCDT annually. The company says the new income will finance year-round dance scholarships for twenty neighbourhood children. CCDT is located in Cabbagetown, sandwiched between some of Toronto's wealthiest and poorest citizens.

Yoné Kvietys (1924-2011)

>> by Amy Bowring
Lithuanian-born Yoné Kvietys died on July 17th in Calgary. Laban-trained, she immigrated to Canada in 1948 and began working with ballet teacher Boris Volkoff in Toronto. She soon moved to Montréal where she worked with Ruth Sorel and collaborated with fellow Lithuanian émigré Birouté Nagys; the two performed a psychological dance-drama at the 1954 Canadian Ballet Festival. Kvietys returned to Toronto in 1956 and set up a studio and company; among her dancers in the 1960s were Donald Himes, David Earle and Susan Macpherson. Kvietys was part of a team of modern dance artists who organized a series of festivals in Toronto in the early 1960s; she also presented choreographic workshops providing dancers, such as David Earle, with opportunities to stage their own works. In 1966, Kvietys moved to Calgary where she taught modern dance and developed the roots of what would become the dance program at the University of Calgary; Lisa Doolittle and Margaret Dragu were among her Calgary students. In 1972, she shifted disciplines and began a career as a visual artist eventually teaching at the Alberta College of Art.

Amelia Itcush (1945-2011)

Amelia Itcush in David Earle's Angelic Visitation #1, 1968 / Photo by Eric Dzenis

>> by Amy Bowring
Saskatchewan-born Amelia Itcush died on May 27th. A charter member of Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT), she performed in such seminal works as David Earle’s Angelic Visitation #1; he described her interpretation in a 2002 interview: "Amelia was a technical phenomenon and a tremendous asset. She had absolute commitment to the emotion of every piece." Itcush left TDT in 1973 but stayed intimately connected to dance through her studies of the Alexander and Mitzvah Techniques and her incorporation of their principles into dance. She was the first certified teacher of Mitzvah after working with its founder, Nehemia Cohen. She later expanded on these movement practices to develop the Itcush Method. In 1980, she was appointed the acting artistic/educational director for the Prairie Dance Lab Association in Regina. She won the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize in 1982 for her work in integrating Mitzvah Technique into dance. Over the course of her career, she taught in several Canadian cities and also in Japan, and frequently gave workshops at New Dance Horizons in Regina and at her studio in Davidson, Saskatchewan, where she mentored several artists and teachers.

David Earle wins Premier's Award

David Earle self-portrait

>> by Samantha Mehra
Canada's most prolific modern dance choreographer, David Earle, was awarded the Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts. The award, created in 2006 by the Government of Ontario, recognizes the outstanding achievements of professional artists and arts organizations, as well as their contributions to Ontario's arts and culture over a significant time period. Earle was awarded in the Individual Artist Category, one which included nominees choreographer Menaka Thakkar, composer R. Murray Schafer, photographer Edward Burtynsky, Clay & Paper Theatre founder David Anderson and writer Dennis Lee. A $35,000 purse accompanies the award, money that Earle says is needed by the Guelph-based dance company he founded, Dancetheatre David Earle. Robert Kingsbury, a dancer with Earle's company, also won a Premier's Award for New and Emerging Talent. David Earle has received several other honours including the Order of Canada and the Walter Carsen Prize. He co-founded Toronto Dance Theatre in 1968 with Patricia Beatty and Peter Randazzo.
www.dtde.ca

New director to lead SCDS

Kate Cornell / Photo by Tal Schacham

>> by Brittany Duggan
Kate Cornell was recently appointed the new director of the Society for Canadian Dance Studies/La Société des études canadiennes en danse (SCDS/SECD). Members of the Society met in Toronto on June 23rd to discuss the future of the organization after founder/director Amy Bowring announced her decision to step down from her decade-long leadership role. Bowring founded the Society in 2000 to support and publish Canadian dance research. The Society, via its website, provides resources to members and publishes scholarly articles about dance in Canada, while also engaging in collaborative dance literacy projects and hosting national conferences. At the same meeting, members of the society decided that the next SCDS/SECD conference will be set to coincide with the Festival TransAmériques 2012 in Montréal.

Free dance film screenings at Yonge-Dundas Square

Yonge-Dundas Square' s City Cinema Series 2010 / Photo courtesy of Yonge-Dundas Square

by Cynthia Brett
This summer Yonge-Dundas Square, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, presents free dance film screenings every Tuesday at sunset. The series, "Dancing in the Dark", runs June 28th through August 30th and will feature classic dance movies such as Dirty Dancing and Saturday Night Fever, as well as double-bill theme nights on jazz, ballroom and urban dance. Check out the full schedule at www.ydsquare.ca.

CADA-ON unveils new health plan

>> by Cynthia Brett
Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, Ontario Chapter (CADA-ON) recently announced the first phase of its new Arts Workers Health Insurance Plan (AWHIP). Self-employed arts workers and some corporations can benefit from this program that addresses both day-to-day health concerns and larger incidents, such as Out of Country illness. CADA-ON needs 200 Ontario-based arts workers committed to join before launching the program and asks people to pledge their commitment at www.cultureone.com/awhip.php.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland breaks box office record

Aleksandar Antonijevic and Jillian Vanstone in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

>> by Naomi Brand
The National Ballet of Canada's production of Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has broken box office records to become the highest grossing mainstage production in the company's history. Over 27,000 people in total attended the thirteen performances generating more than $2.2 million in box office revenue. The production was completely sold out with many people turned away and patrons lining up for rush and standing room tickets at 3:30 a.m. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was co-produced with The Royal Ballet (UK) and presented as part of Toronto's Luminato Festival. The production, which closed The National Ballet of Canada's season, received standing ovations at every performance and much praise from critics including acclaim for Jillian Vanstone's performance in the title role of Alice. Critic Michael Crabb wrote in The Toronto Star: "First Soloist Jillian Vanstone has just the right measure of naturalness and spontaneity to capture Alice's feisty character." Vanstone joined the company in 1999 after graduating from Canada's National Ballet School.

The National Ballet of Canada's 2011/12 season launches in November with Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. The 2011/12 season marks the company's 60th anniversary.
http://national.ballet.ca/

Kaha:wi Dance Theatre brings together dance and lacrosse

Performers Danny Vyse, Shayne Martell, Jared Robillard, Vaughn Harris in The Creator's Game.
Photo by Elizabeth Thipphawong

>> by Naomi Brand

Kaha:wi Dance Theatre Artistic Director Santee Smith was commissioned to choreograph a new contemporary work combining lacrosse and dance. The Creator's Game was a three-way co-production between Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, the O’Kaadenigan Wiingashk Collective and Public Energy for this year's Ode’min Giizis Festival. The piece integrates movement from contemporary dance, traditional Haudenesaune (Iroquois) dance and the athleticism of lacrosse, while honoring the spiritual and cultural significance of the sport. The work was performed by a company of professional dancers and Six Nations lacrosse players with an original musical score composed by Derek Miller. Leading up to the festival, a ten-minute excerpt of The Creator's Game was performed before a lacrosse game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre with over 3,000 lacrosse fans in attendance. "Our idea was to bridge, or weave together the sporting community with the arts community," said Patti Shaughnessy, director of the Ode’min Giizis Festival. The final presentation of The Creator's Game took place outside, as part of the Traditional Gathering of the festival and was free to the public. The Ode’min Giizis Festival is a multi-disciplinary indigenous arts festival that takes place in Peterborough, Ontario, each June around the time of National Aboriginal Day.
http://okw-arts.ca/festival/
www.kahawidance.org