Christine Moynihan named new GM of STDT

>> By Samantha Mehra

The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (STDT) recently announced Christine Moynihan as its new general manager as of April 8th. Moynihan, in addition to her time as an actor and producer, enters her new role with a long history of experience in arts administration. From 1988 to 2002, she served as artistic producer of Equity Showcase Theatre, followed by a ten-year term as executive director of the Dance Umbrella of Ontario; she also acted as an arts consultant for Toronto-based dance companies. Moynihan is the recipient of both The Harold Award and the Brenda Donoghue Award, both of which recognized her outstanding service to the theatre community.

Ballet BC appoints new executive director

>> by Samantha Mehra

Ballet BC recently announced the appointment of new Executive Director Branislav Henselmann. In a statement, Artistic Director Emily Molnar communicated her support: "Branislav is a talented and accomplished leader whose background, experience, and connections with the international dance community will add significant strength to Ballet BC's leadership team." Henselmann, originally a dancer who trained both in Munich and at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, comes to the new position with a wide variety of international experience in arts management. In addition to earning an MFA in Dance and Business Administration as a Dean's Fellow at New York University, he served as head of programming and learning for DanceEast; artistic curator for New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute; and most recently, as executive producer for London's Michael Clark Company. Henselmann takes over the role from Jay Rankin, who is now executive director of BJM Danse.

Mocean Dance announces new leadership

Susanne Chui
Photo: Nick Rudnicki

Sara Coffin
Photo: Peter Eastwood

>> by Naomi Brand
Halifax's Mocean Dance has announced that its 2012/13 season will begin under the new leadership of Susanne Chui as the company's artistic director and Sara Coffin as artistic associate. Mocean Co-founder and Artistic Director Carolle Crooks Fernando will be stepping down after more than a decade with the company in order to pursue the next phase of her career. "I have total confidence in the strength of this new leadership," says Crooks Fernando. "Susanne and Sara are dedicated to their craft and to the development of Halifax as a centre for dance creation and production. They value the company's vision and its potential for moving forward.” Coffin has been acting as interim artistic director this past season while Crooks Fernando was on maternity leave and will continue her work with the company next season while also pursuing an MFA in choreography at Smith College in Massachusetts. Chui and Coffin are both contemporary dance artists and co-founders of the cross-Canada collective SiNS (Sometimes in Nova Scotia). "I am excited to bring to Mocean the knowledge I have gained from being an independent dance artist for the past ten years,” says Chui. “I look forward to the new experiences that will come with this position.” Mocean's upcoming season is full of performance and creation activities including touring work across the country, performing a new commission by New Brunswick’s Lesandra Dodson and beginning a new creation with Sara Coffin.

Ballet Kelowna appoints new executive director

Meaghan Williams

>> by Naomi Brand
Ballet Kelowna has appointed Meaghan Williams as its new executive director. Williams brings a strong background in arts management, having worked for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Turning Point Ensemble. Williams is also a professional musician herself and currently plays bass for both the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra. Williams said, “Iʼm honoured to join Ballet Kelowna and share the enthusiasm and love of dance of this professional company in the Okanagan Valley. I believe that Ballet Kelowna is poised for exciting growth and Iʼm thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of that journey.”

Jay Rankin appointed ED of Dance Umbrella of Ontario

>> by Jaimée Horn
Jay Rankin, former executive director of Ballet BC, was recently appointed as the new executive director of the Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO). Rankin is succeeding Christine Moynihan who has led DUO since 2002. Rankin is enthusiastic about his partnership with the arts community and organizations in the city of Toronto, and looks forward to helping dance artistry thrive in Ontario. Rankin comes to DUO having served a variety of non-profit organizations for nearly thirty-five years. He returns to Toronto after spending the past two years in Vancouver with Ballet BC, where he reshaped the company by directing its focus to new Canadian contemporary ballet work. Prior to his time in BC, Rankin spent nine seasons as the managing director of Toronto Dance Theatre where he reduced the company’s deficit. He is also the current president of the Canadian Dance Assembly. Rankin's knowledge and experience from having served arts communities across the country will enable DUO to pioneer new services to the community of dance artists in Ontario. DUO Board Chair Michael Du Maresq stated in a press release, “This is a pivotal time in DUO’s history and we’re thrilled to have Jay’s creative leadership guiding the organization.”

CLC to open newly renovated dance centre

>> by Cynthia Brett

On February 14th, 2012, Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie (CLC) officially opens the Citadel, a newly renovated centre for contemporary dance in Toronto's Regent Park. Located at 304 Parliament St., the former 1912 Salvation Army Citadel has been redesigned by Diamond & Schmitt Architects into a dance centre with a 1,800-square-foot studio/theatre, a 900-square-foot studio, office space for CLC and accommodation for out-of-town artists. The facility is also home to YogaBeat, which hosts pay-what-you-can yoga classes. CLC made its home in the Citadel in 2007 when co-artistic directors (and husband and wife) Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux moved the company from Montréal to Toronto. They soon became part of the Regent Park Revitalization Project and launched the Brick by Brick Campaign in 2009 to raise funds for renovations. The opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebration and open house from 5pm to 6pm. February 15th through 25th, CLC presents Les cheminements de l'influence (Pathways of Influence), the Citadel's first official performance (although Company Vice Versa unofficially performed Children of the Triangle there in January). The Brick by Brick Campaign to raise funds is ongoing.

www.colemanlemieux.com

www.citadeltoronto.com

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Joel Klein new Made in BC Program Director

Joel Klein / Photo by Katherine Henderson

>> by Samantha Mehra

Made in BC recently announced the appointment of Joel Klein as its new program director. The move comes at a time when the organization begins a shift into becoming an ongoing program. As program director, Klein will take a leadership role in organization and program services. Klein has been an active administrator in British Columbia; he serves on the board of the Pride in Arts Society, has acted as registrar for general and professional stream programs and other roles at Arts Umbrella, and has also worked in the health sector administrating in surgery at the Vancouver General Hospital / UBC Eye Care Centre.

www.madeinbc.org

National Ballet of Canada update

Bridgett Zehr and Brendan Saye / Photo by Aleksander Antonijevic

Guillaume Coté / Photo by Sian Richards

Bridgett Zehr and Zdenek Konvalina in Swan Lake / Photo by Aleksander Atonijevic

>> by Cynthia Brett
Dancers at The National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) have been making headlines both at home and internationally this spring. On April 24th, principal dancer Guillaume Côté's choreography No. 24 won third prize (2,000 Euro) at Ballet Society Hanover's 25th International Competition in Germany, where it was performed by principal dancer Aleksander Antonijevic and second soloist Elena Lobsonova. The piece, originally created for NBoC's 2010 Choreographic Lab, is Côté's second work. In other news, Antonijevic's own creative endeavour, a photography exhibit called "Secrets of the Flesh", ran May 10th through 15th at CONTACT International Photography Festival in Toronto. In a press release, he commented that, "In my photography, I continually explore the essence of shape and form. My many years as a dancer gives me an unique understanding of the effect body movement has on our senses." Finally, the company recently announced that two of its principal dancers, Bridgett Zehr and Zdenek Konvalina, will join the English National Ballet as principal dancers in the 2011/12 season, but will remain with NBoC as guest artists. NBoC wraps up this season with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (June 4th through 25th) and Mozartiana, Other Dances and In The Upper Room (June 15th through 19th).

SCDS/SECD director Amy Bowring stepping down

Amy Bowring and sons / Photo by Michael Ripley

>> by Samantha Mehra
Amy Bowring, founder/director of the Society of Canadian Dance Studies/La Société des études canadiennes en danse (SCDS/SECD), recently announced her decision to step down from the position citing the need to make more time for family and for her role as director of research at the archives/publisher Dance Collection Danse. In order to preserve the Society and move it forward, available members plan to meet in Toronto on June 24th during the Society of Dance History Scholars (SDHS) conference to determine the future governance and leadership structure for the organization. Bowring founded SCDS/SECD in 2000, with a mandate to support and publish Canadian dance research, to disseminate dance studies in schools, and provide and promote discussion of issues surrounding Canadian dance. The organization, via its website, has provided resources and facilitated the publishing of scholarly articles about dance in Canada, and has held conferences across the country. It has also collaborated with the Canada Dance Festival and The Dance Current on various dance literacy projects and is the only academic association for dance in Canada.
http://people.uleth.ca/~scds.secd/

Ballet Jörgen's Tara Butler retires

Tara Butler in Ballet Jörgen Canada's Cinderella / Photo by Karolina Kuras

>> by Brittany Duggan
Tara Butler, principal dancer at Ballet Jörgen Canada, has retired after sixteen years with the Toronto-based touring ballet company. A native of Pickering, Ontario, Butler trained at Canada's National Ballet School graduating in 1992. She apprenticed with The National Ballet of Canada for one season before joining the Alberta Ballet for two years, and the Banff Festival Ballet for three summers. Butler joined Ballet Jörgen Canada in 1995 and has been a principal dancer ever since. As a principal with Ballet Jörgen, Butler has danced lead roles in Cinderella, Anastasia and Romeo and Juliet – a role created especially for her by Bengt Jörgen, artistic director of the company. “Only a few artists in every generation have the ability to connect in their art form with the ease and sincerity that Tara has communicated in her love for dance to so many people,” commented Jörgen by e-mail. “Tara is an extraordinary dancer, a consummate artist and a spellbinding performer.”

Butler’s transition from the stage will include coaching Ballet Jörgen’s dancers, teaching at George Brown Dance as well as teaching Bikram Yoga, a certification she received last year thanks to a retraining grant from the Dancer Transition Resource Centre. “I am happy with my decision to retire from Ballet Jörgen Canada and look forward to the many adventures ahead. Dance will always be a part of my life and will always bring me joy. I will continue to contribute to the dance world in any way that I can. I believe very deeply in this art form and the power, magic and inspiration it holds,” commented Butler via e-mail.

Butler’s final performance was in Halifax on April 19th at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. She chose Coppélia as her farewell role.

Dance 2 Danse Festival cancelled

>> by Brittany Duggan
Toronto’s Dance 2 Danse (D2D) Festival has been cancelled for 2011, and possibly for good. Sion Irwin-Childs, artistic director and founder, has informed artists who applied before the deadline that their submissions are currently in the process of being returned along with all application fees. The decision comes shortly after applications were due for 2011, and just one year after the festival’s founding. D2D was a summer dance festival in Toronto that catered to a range of artists and dance disciplines. The programming consisted of a curated cabaret and a series of mainstage shows chosen by lottery. Irwin-Childs has chosen not to comment.

Canada Council appointments

>> by Amy Bowring
The Canada Council for the Arts has made two appointments that will be important to the dance community. Anne Valois, former head of the Dance Section, has been named director of Arts Disciplines Division, and Caroline Lussier, departing administrative director of the Festival TransAmériques (FTA), has been appointed head of the Dance Section. Both women bring extensive knowledge of the Canadian dance community to their new roles. Valois’ early career included administrative work with Montréal companies Le Groupe de la Place Royale and La La La Human Steps; she was also executive director of the Festival international de nouvelle danse. She acted as a consultant with the arts councils of both Québec and Ontario. Her first role at the Canada Council was as dance and theatre officer for the Touring Office in 1986. She was made head of the Touring Office in 1990 and of the Strategic Initiatives Unit in 1991. She became head of the Dance Section in 1997 and in her capacity there has worked with the section’s officers to evolve granting programs to reflect changes in the dance scene itself. Like Valois, Lussier has also worked for La La La Human Steps; she then became assistant director of Diagramme gestion culturelle, which provides administrative services to dance artists and companies in Montréal. She has also worked as a program officer for the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, as administrative director of Compagnie Marie Chouinard, and has been with FTA since 2007.

Brian Webb announces his departure from CDF

Brian Webb / Photo by Ed Ellis

>> by Naomi Brand
Brian Webb, artistic director of the Canada Dance Festival (CDF), announced in January that he will be completing his tenure in October 2011. Webb has been at the helm of the festival since 2001 where his programming has contributed to greater diversity and new audience development. Among his achievements was the conception and presentation of “Hip Hop 360” and “Dancing Through Cultures”, two of the most successful programs in the festival’s history. "CDF has opted to view Brian’s departure as an opportunity to thoughtfully review our past and plan for our future," CDF Chair Pamela Fralick told The Dance Current. With the help of an independent, external consultant, the board is seeking input from the Canadian dance community about their expectations for a renewed CDF. The results of this research will inform the creation of a new vision for the festival and a strategic plan for CDF's future. The board hopes to launch the search for a new artistic director in August. In the meantime, the 2011 festival lineup is set to be announced in the coming weeks. This year's festival will take place June 15th through 18th in Ottawa.
http://www.canadadance.ca/pages/

Megan Andrews concludes 13 years at The Dance Current

Megan Andrews and daughter / Photo by Ken Cunningham

>> by Brittany Duggan
Megan Andrews, publisher/founding editor of The Dance Current magazine, has recently announced her decision to resign from her current role as Publisher/Founding Editor of the dance media organization stating, “I fully expect to remain involved in the dance community and perhaps even contribute to the magazine in a different capacity in the future. I certainly plan to continue writing. I’m so appreciative of the community’s investment, both personally and professionally, over the years. I truly hope the magazine will continue to benefit from this support and serve Canada’s dance community in the best possible way.” Andrews’ decision comes a year after the birth of her first child and with a desire to pursue other professional activities. She assures the dance community, in the magazine’s March issue, that this coming transition to new leadership will be gradual and with the support of the board of directors, the remaining staff and of Andrews herself, both until her official departure date this summer and potentially thereafter in the form of consultation.

The Dance Current started as a black and white publication in the form of a newsletter for the Toronto dance community in 1998; it has since grown to cover the national scene, making it a unique Canadian publication.

The organization has begun the hiring process for a new publisher and editor, check www.thedancecurrent.com for more information.