Patrick Swayze Dies at Age 57

>> by Naomi Brand

Actor, dancer and singer songwriter Patrick Swayze died on September 14, 2009 at age fifty-seven. Swayze was best known for his role as romantic dance instructor Johnny Castle in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for twenty months.

Community-minded movement school opens in Toronto

>> by Naomi Brand
Professional dance educator and scholar Ann-Marie Williams opened a new community-minded movement school in the Leslieville neighbourhood of Toronto this fall. The Movement Lab brings together private and public dance education. The school offers after-school dance classes for both children and adults with profits going to the Movement Outreach Lab Program – a free learning-through-movement program for public schools and non-profit community groups. Williams has worked with the CanDance network and Dance Ontario and has been teaching in universities, schools and studios for over a decade.
www.movementlab.ca

BC artists set to rally

>> by Amy Bowring
The dance community of Vancouver will join artists of other disciplines for a rally in protest of recent funding cuts announced by the BC government on September 1st. Artists are asked to meet at the Scotiabank Dance Centre at 11:30am on Wednesday, September 9th. The group will then walk to Robson Square to join other artists for a rally at 12:00pm. Participants are asked to dress in grey to represent what a community without art looks like; the group will stand in a silent grey square for thirty minutes. More: http://www.hs.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129465534210.

BC artists facing unprecedented funding cuts

>> by Amy Bowring
When the BC provincial budget update was announced on September 1st, artists discovered that they were facing another round of cuts. BC MLA and NDP Culture Critic Spencer Herbert stated in a newsletter to his supporters that he estimates the cut to arts and culture to be 92 percent. He writes, “The BC Liberal’s are cutting arts and culture funding from approximately 47.8 million in 2008/09 down to 3.7 million in 2010/11.” Previously, the government had also frozen multi-year Direct Access gaming grants but has now reinstated this source of funding. The budget update has been surrounded by much confusion and details are still emerging as artists rally to find ways to cope with the situation. Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Kevin Krueger has so far been unavailable for comment.

Ride out economic storm says report

>> by Naomi Brand
Canada's Performing Arts Alliance released its report last week entitled Our Fiscal Performance, which summarizes the findings of its survey conducted in May 2009. The report examines the financial impact of the current economic downturn on orchestras, operas, theatres and dance companies. While the survey found that 51% of performing arts organizations were forecasting that they would break even or have a surplus this year, 47% report that the forecast is worse than they originally budgeted. As a result, organizations were taking such steps as reducing or freezing salaries (52%), reducing travel (37%) and reducing the number of productions/programs (27%). Eighty-nine performing arts organizations from across Canada participated in the survey. Three follow-up surveys are planned over the next year to track trends and changes to come.

MOTUS O receives $310,000 grant

>> by Cynthia Brett
MOTUS O dance theatre announced that they have been awarded a $310,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Located in Stouffville ON, the company will use the five-year partnership grant to foster the arts community in the York region by incorporating a variety of artists and local groups into its productions of Perspectives and A Christmas Carol. MOTUS O is an international touring company that has been fusing dance, theatre, film and music to create works of pathos and comedy since its inception in 1990.

Canada Council welcomes back Bernard Sauvé

>> by Naomi Brand
In July, Bernard Sauvé returned to the Dance Section at the Canada Council for the Arts as a programs officer; he was previously a programs officer from October 2006 to March 2007. Sauvé has been active in the dance sector for twenty-three years first as a dancer with Ballet British Columbia, among other companies, then in arts management. He is the co-founder of Eponymous Productions and Management Inc., and worked with The Holy Body Tattoo, Lola Dance, Kidd Pivot, Wen Wei Dance, Dance House and others. Sauvé will be responsible for the council's dissemination programs and the Grants to Dance Professionals program.