Toronto's arts and culture scene to get $6 million boost

>> by Jacqueline Hansen 

Toronto’s City Council has voted unanimously in favour of increasing funding for the arts by $6 million. The money comes from a billboard tax, unique to Toronto, that the city approved in 2009; however, outdoor advertisers launched a legal challenge to protest paying it, which delayed its implementation until the city won an appeal in the case. City Council had previously discussed directing proceeds of the billboard tax to arts initiatives, but hadn’t made the decision final until now. Four million dollars of the new funding will go to the Toronto Arts Council’s (TAC) grants program, which will reach $14.3 million in 2013. A TAC-issued press release states that the increase will allow the funder to "begin to address funding inequities amongst currently funded organizations while also providing new support for culturally diverse arts organizations, youth, artists working in the inner suburbs and community engaged arts projects." The remaining $2 million will go toward other cultural programs. The municipal financial target for arts support is $25 per capita by 2016. Mayor Rob Ford has referred to the arts funding in the city’s latest budget as a tool “to make Toronto an even more attractive place to live and to invest and create jobs.” 

Meagan O'Shea receives K.M. Hunter Award

>> by Cynthia Brett
The K.M. Hunter Artist Award recipients were announced last week and Meagan O'Shea is this year's dance division honouree. The award, bestowed annually to six artists of different disciplines (dance, film/video, literature, music, theatre and visual arts), was created in 1995 to support and encourage mid-career artists in Ontario who have made an impact and shown originality in their chosen artistic field. O'Shea and five other recipients each receive $8,000 and will be honoured at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel in May.

Nancy Lima Dent, 1919-2013

Nancy Lima Dent, 1957 / Photo by Jim Griffin, courtesy of Dance Collection Danse

>> by Amy Bowring
Pioneering modern dance choreographer Nancy Lima Dent died on February 15th, age 93, at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Born in Toronto to Italian immigrant parents, Lima Dent was not allowed to study dance as a child but did study piano at the Toronto Conservatory of Music. Her father was interned during World War II and during this time Lima Dent began ballet lessons with Boris Volkoff. At Volkoff's studio, she was introduced to modern dance through Elizabeth Leese and discovered an immediate affinity for this form of movement. She left home to pursue dance when her father was released from the internment camp. Living a hand-to-mouth existence, she put every cent she could into her training and staged her first work in 1946, Set Your Clock at U235. With its anti-atomic weapon theme, this was the first of many works Lima Dent created that included social or political commentary. She worked for a decade with the New Dance Theatre under the umbrella of the United Jewish People's Order and was its director from 1950 through 1955. She ran a dance program for the Canadian Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers' Union in Sudbury, Ontario, from 1955 to 1957 and then returned to Toronto and set up the Nancy Lima Dent Dance Theatre. Her works were performed at the Canadian Ballet Festivals in the 1950s and at several modern dance festivals in Toronto in the early 1960s. Working with choreographers such as Yoné Kvietys, Ruth Lau, Birouté Nagys and Bianca Rogge, Lima Dent was part of a group that laid the groundwork in the mid-1960s for the boom period modern dance would experience in the 1970s.
More: dcd.ca/exhibitions/limadent/index.html

"Together in Dance" forum hosted by Flato Markham Theatre

>> by Samantha Mehra
On October 14th, Flato Markham Theatre hosted its inaugural "Together in Dance" forum at the Markham Civic Centre, which brought together artists, teachers, scholars, writers, administrators and entrepreneurs working in the dance milieu in York Region and Toronto. Proceedings began with opening remarks by Eric Larivière, the theatre’s general manager. Extending a warm welcome to participants and outlining the theatre’s continued mission to engage in discussion with various facets of the dance community to elicit positive change, he noted that this forum was a tool to create the discussion and togetherness the dance community needs for a healthy ecology. Larivière's remarks were followed by a series of short presentations about success stories in community engagement, featuring speakers Dee Adrian, Emily Cheung, Bonnie Craig, Dr. Mary Fogarty, Vivine Scarlett, and recent winner of the Walter Carsen Prize, Menaka Thakkar. Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, The Honourable Michael Chan, was on hand to congratulate the organizers of the forum and to present panelists with certificates. Following a Bollywood dance workshop with Shiamak Davar (Interational Dance School), independent artist/consultant and former Toronto Arts Council dance program officer Soraya Peerbaye spoke of the state of dance in Markham and York Region, and revealed plans to develop a comprehensive inventory of individuals and institutions engaged in dance in the area. After a series of roundtable discussions on the topics of the Markham Theatre, education and dance organizations and schools, celebrity choreographer Tré Armstrong delivered the closing keynote speech.

Inaugural Dance Awards in Toronto

>> by Brittany Duggan
On October 14th, Toronto's Young Centre for the Performing Arts celebrated the inaugural Young Centre Dance Awards. Curated by Young Centre resident artists Roberto Campanella and Andrea Nann, the awards were created to celebrate excellence, creativity, innovation, collaboration, community and spirit in Toronto as well as to increase the Young Centre’s commitment to present dance and support dance-centered activities as promised by General Director Albert Schultz on the night of the event. Nominees were invited to present work, live or by video, in Whirl, The Dance Cabaret, which took place directly before the awards ceremony. Gadfly took the award for Emerging Dance Artist, Esmeralda Enrique for Senior Dance Artist, Jon Reid for Community Dance Artist and Marie-Josée Chartier for Multidisciplinary Dance Artist. Nominees included: Jasmyn Fyffe, Cara Spooner, Anjelica Scannura, Nova Bhattacharya, Robert Glumbek, Claudia Moore, Sylvie Bouchard, Bill Coleman and  Laurence Lemieux, Lenny Dela Pena, Jacob Niedzwiecki, Heidi Strauss and William Yong. Stay tuned for more dance at Toronto's Young Centre.
More: youngcentre.ca

Arts patron Walter Carsen dies at 100

 Walter Carsen / photo courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada

>> by Naomi Brand
Described by The National Ballet of Canada as its "greatest patron", businessman and philanthropist Walter Carsen died on October 8th, 2012 at the age of 100. Carsen’s generosity is unmatched in the history of The National Ballet of Canada. He underwrote twelve productions for the company, funded tours, campaigns and led the donations for construction of the ballet’s permanent home in Toronto, named in his honour. "He helped us achieve what we wanted to do. He was an inspiration through his generosity, leadership and great enthusiasm and he was also a great friend to the company," said Artistic Director Karen Kain in a statement. In addition to his support of the ballet, he established the annual $50,000 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts and donated to the Shaw Festival, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the United Way, among other charities.

Carsen was born in Germany and came to Canada in 1941 where he built his fortune distributing photo and optical supplies. Among his many honours, Carsen was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada in 1995 and, in 2002, was promoted to officer of the Order of Canada. “When I see a need I believe in, I want to help," said Carsen in an interview with the Toronto Star earlier this year. "Money is here to be spent. Give it where you love it and where it gives pleasure to others.”

Menaka Thakkar wins Walter Carsen Prize

>> by Jacqueline Hansen

Menaka Thakkar / Photo by David Hou

Indian classical dancer, choreographer and teacher Menaka Thakkar is the 2012 winner of the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. The award coincides with another major milestone for Thakkar – forty years of practicing and teaching classical Indian dance in Canada. She first gave workshops and performances in Canada in 1972 and then immigrated permanently soon after, opening her school of Indian dance, Nrtyakala, and forming the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. A pioneer of Indian dance in Canada, Thakkar is also the first dance artist from a non-western practice to receive the Walter Carsen Prize. The Canada Council for the Arts defines the award as recognizing "the highest level of artistic excellence and distinguished career achievement by Canadian artists who have spent the major part of their career in Canada in dance, theatre or music." Thakkar and her company will perform at the award presentation on October 20th, 2012.

Dance Ontario connecting dance in the province

Maxine Heppner at Dance Ontario's Connecting the Dots conference / Photo by Kathy Lewis

>> by Brittany Duggan
Dance Ontario recently wrapped up its inaugural Connecting the Dots conference at the Young Centre in Toronto’s Distillery District. The conference brought together educators, studio and venue operators, dance activists, animators and artists alike, as well as the funders and arts service organizations that serve the dance community of Ontario. Spread over three days – June 26th through 28th – attendees were invited to weigh in on issues that pertain to them and to their regions and to create action lists. Over the next two years, Dance Ontario will support the following communities: London, Orangeville, Barrie, Orillia, Sudbury, North Bay, Halton, Milton, Burlington and Hamilton, with its proposed activities. “These communities will develop partnerships across the sub-sectors (education/artists & venues/studios) and bring enhanced or new activities to broader markets within their regions,” commented Dance Ontario Executive Director Rosslyn Jacob-Edwards. Additionally, Dance Ontario will partner with the Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators to advocate to principals, faculties of education and the Ministry of Education to support dance educator’s needs as well as other partnered projects still to be confirmed.

Sharing and brainstorming was the work of the conference but the act of dance itself was not forgotten; dancers of all ages and genres were invited to perform at either the Performances by Competition & Youth Dance Teams, Studio & Professional Training Institution Showcases or the Professional Dance Showcase. The three-year Connecting the Dots initiative was made possible by funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
More: www.danceontario.ca

Sampradaya Dance Centre celebrates official opening

Lata Pada (centre) cutting the ribbon at opening ceremony

Lata Pada receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from Governor General David Johnston

>> by Samantha Mehra

On June 20th, Sampradaya Dance Creations (SDC) celebrated the official opening of its new studio and theatre space, the Sampradaya Dance Centre, in Mississauga, Ontario. At an opening ceremony in front of an audience of supporters, guest speakers Peter Caldwell (director and CEO, Ontario Arts Council), Dr. Dev Sainani (board of directors, Ontario Trillium Foundation), the Hon. Harinder Takhar (Minister of Government Services, Ontario) and Preeti Saran (Consul General of India, Toronto) offered their congratulations on this milestone moment in the company's history. The celebration also included a lamp-lighting ceremony and a performance by Sampradaya Dance Creations' dancers. In a press release, Founder and Artistic Director Lata Pada, CM, spoke of the new centre as a functional space for the South Asian dance community, stating, "We want this to be a place for the community to gather and witness the wealth of local and international talent." The new space boasts a multi-purpose studio and theatre, with retractable seating for an audience of 100. In the fall of this year, SDC will invigorate the space with the launch of its own series program, titled the Horizon Series, which aims to feature the local talents of emerging South Asian dance artists.

On June 18th, Pada, along with several other members of the dance community, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at a gala at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall. The medal recognizes the significant contributions of Canadian citizens to the Canadian community; 60,000 Canadians are awarded the medal throughout the year in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

Youth dance conference brings Ontario dancers together

Mariano Abarca / Photo: Lauren Van Gijn & Bobbie Dhindsa

>> by Jaimée Horn
With the goal of educating students and teachers alike about the value, scope and diversity of dance in Ontario, the Pulse Ontario Youth Dance Conference provides equal opportunities for all levels of dance students to benefit from the experiential learning and discovery that dance can provide in non-competitive environments. This year’s conference, held at York University from May 10th through 13th, had close to 200 participants who were enthusiastic to take in the workshops, evening performances and social events. Keynote speaker Mariano Abarca, recognized internationally as having put Canada on the map for hip hop dance, received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the dancers in the auditorium on Friday evening. His meaningful message directed to the youth and educators was to stay curious and creative. “Experience everything. Learn as much as you can and then build on that foundation. Be original. Ask questions. You are the scientists of this art form.” The conference, whose vision is to bring together dance students, teachers and dance professionals from across Ontario, manifested for the first time in May 2006. The conference is dedicated to providing students affordable opportunities to experience the art form, and develop their literacy and understanding of dance.

Update on arts funding

>> by Naomi Brand
In its 2012 budget, the Toronto City Council restored arts grants and community grants to 2011 levels. The grants had been at risk of being cut in the months leading up to the budget, but the reversal is due in part to hundreds of citizens who contacted their councillors and signed the Friends of the Arts petition. However, a new study released by Hill Strategies reports that Toronto has fallen far behind other major Canadian cities in its municipal investment in the arts. The study compared funding to the arts in Canada's five largest cities and found the following per capita figures: Montreal $55, Vancouver $47, Calgary $42, Ottawa $28 and Toronto $19. In BC, the government announced a three-year freeze to arts and culture funding in its latest budget despite overall increases in other sectors. "Overall, a disappointing budget for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors" says Alliance for Arts and Culture executive director Rob Gloor. After so much work by so many in the arts community in recent years to raise public and political awareness of the importance of a healthy cultural sector, we had hoped for better." Vancouver's Josh Beamish cites his frustration with the lack of sustainable arts funding in BC as one of the main reasons that he will be leaving Vancouver to set up his company in New York City. The twenty-four-year-old director of Move: the company, has had remarkable success despite only minimal funding from the BC Arts Council. In a January 31st article about his planned relocation, Beamish told the Vancouver Sun, “If our arts funding is going to keep getting cut, what’s the value of artists staying in this community?” One of the most recent effects of arts funding woes in BC, was the closing of the nearly fifty-year-old Vancouver Playhouse.

Jacques Gorrissen (1945-2012)

Jacques Gorrissen (1996). Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

>> Naomi Brand
Jacques Gorrissen, Belgian-born dancer and longtime National Ballet principal character artist died on January 20th, 2012, at the age of sixty-six. Born in Ghent, Belgium, Gorrissen studied dance at the Royal Flemish Opera School and upon graduation joined the Royal Flemish Opera Ballet in Antwerp. In 1968 he joined The National Ballet of Canada, was promoted to soloist in 1972, and was a principal character artist from 1985 until 1998. Gorrissen's range as a character dancer extended from the comic to the tragic. He earned both critical and audience acclaim in such roles as Dr. Coppelius in Coppélia, Friar Laurence and the Duke of Verona in Romeo and Juliet, the Master of Ceremonies and the Tutor in Swan Lake, the Catalabutte in The Sleeping Beauty, and Gamache and Sancho Panza in Don Quixote, among others. Gorrissen also danced several roles in works by James Kudelka including The Four Seasons (1997), a featured role in Pastorale (1990), Tesman in Hedda (1983) and The Balloon Seller in Washington Square (1979).

Condolences can be sent to Morley Bedford Funeral Home.
http://national.ballet.ca/thecompany/guest_bio/Jacques_Gorrissen/

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.”

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.

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

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.

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

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

32nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards

Robert Glumbek and Roberto Campanella at the Dora Awards 2011 / Photo by John Lauener

>> by Brittany Duggan
The 32nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards were held on Monday, June 27th at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts’ Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto. Celebrating the 2010/11 season in dance, the award for Outstanding Original Choreography went to Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbek for ProArteDanza’s . . .in between. . .; Alain Platel/Les Ballets C de la B won Outstanding Production for Out of Context – for Pina; Outstanding Performance went to Juan Ogalla for Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company's Espejo de Oro / Mirror of Gold, and Joby Talbot garnered Outstanding Original Sound Design/Composition in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma for The National Ballet of Canada. In the General Theatre Production Divison, Peter Darling won Outstanding Choreography for Billy Elliot The Musical. The awards, produced and presented on behalf of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), recognize excellence in Toronto theatre, dance and opera.

Trillum Foundation awards funding to micro-finance for artists research project

Elizabeth Chitty / Photo by Brian Yungblut Photography

>> by Samantha Mehra

The Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, Ontario Chapter (CADA-ON), has been awarded a $27,800 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Province-Wide Program. The award supports a research project that aims to discover how micro-finance might support Ontario artists. The project is a collaboration with the Canadian Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC Ontario), Dance Ontario, Ontario Crafts Council, and the Canadian Music Centre - Ontario Region. In a press release, CADA-ON Executive Director Elizabeth Chitty expressed the intent of the project: "This research project will investigate and explore how micro-finance tools work, how they could be used by individual artists in Ontario and what steps will be required to enable their use by artists ... Artists' improved status will enable their greater contribution to Ontarians' quality of life, social and economic health." http://www.cada-on.ca