Dance Centre announces Isadora Awards recipients

>> by Brittany Duggan
Isadora Awards for Excellence in Choreography, Excellence in Performance and Excellence in Teaching were awarded to Rosario Ancer, Natalie LeFebvre-Gnam and Barbara Bourget, respectively. Ancer won for her piece Mis Hermanas: Thicker Than Water, My Sisters and I, which was premiered by her company, Flamenco Rosario, in 2008. LeFebvre-Gnam won for her performance in endORPHIN, an evening-length choreography by husband James Gnam as part of their company, the plastic orchid factory. Barbara Bourget, artistic director of Kokoro Dance, won for her long-standing role as a teacher of contemporary dance throughout BC. The Isadora Awards, named after the late dance pioneer Isadora Duncan, were instituted by The Dance Centre in 1999 to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the dance profession in BC. Each recipient is chosen from a jury of professionals working in the field after having been nominated by members of the dance community. The award includes fully subsidized rehearsal space at the Scotiabank Dance Centre to the value of $1000 for the year.

La danse sur les routes du Québec announces Objectif Danse

>> by Brittany Duggan

La danse sur les routes du Québec, a network dedicated to the development of dance through the support of fourteen presenters in the region of Québec, has just announced the launch of Objectif Danse. Objectif Danse is the first initiative to program professional dance in Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean. This development has come from the collaboration between Objectif Scène, a not-for-profit organization responsible for the development of the arts in Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean, and four presenters in the area.

Jay Rankin appointed Executive Director of Ballet BC

>> by Cynthia Brett
After nine seasons as managing director of Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT), Jay Rankin is resigning to join Ballet British Columbia as permanent executive director beginning November 1st, 2009. Ballet BC's board commented in a press release that they are delighted to welcome Rankin who has served non-profit arts organizations for more than thirty years. A TDT-issued press release states that since Rankin joined the company in 2000, he has refreshed TDT's touring presence across North America and Europe, implemented a multi-year professional development program, and increased the company's working capital reserve while reducing its deficit. Before joining TDT, Rankin worked in Vancouver for Karen Jamieson Dance Company and Full Circle: First Nations Peformance, among other groups. He said in a press release that he looks forward to returning to the west coast. TDT is now seeking a new managing director.

New school premises for LADMMI

>> by Natasha Frid
Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal inc. (LADMMI) is now on the path to receiving a brand new home. Montreal city council decided on September 21st, 2009 to sell the vacant lot surrounding the St-Laurent subway station to the Angus Development Society, which plans to build a cultural centre. LADMMI will be located on the top floor of the new building and its space will include large studios, a gym, student services areas, a library and a laboratory studio that will replicate a theatre space. LADMMI’s current building on rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest will no longer be used once the move is complete. The project is slated to finish by fall 2011 and will also include professional training schools for digital photography, jewellery craft and the Cinema Parallèle.

Judith Marcuse wins Jacqueline Lemieux Prize

>> by Naomi Brand
Vancouver artistic director, producer and choreographer Judith Marcuse has been awarded the 2009 Jacqueline Lemieux Prize. The prize, valued at $6,000, is awarded annually to the most deserving applicant in the Canada Council Grants to Dance Professionals program. The prize is awarded in memory of Jacqueline Lemieux and her contribution to Canadian dance. Marcuse was chosen by a peer assessment committee consisting of Carol Anderson (Toronto), Margaret Grenier (Vancouver) and Kenneth Roy (Montreal). Judith Marcuse has had a distinguished international career as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer in dance, theatre, opera, television and film. At the core of her work is a commitment to the marriage of artistic excellence and social relevance and a passion to integrate art into community life. Marcuse is the founder and co-director of the International Centre of Art for Social Change (ICASC) at Simon Fraser University, a global hub for networking, training, professional development, research and community outreach in the field of art for social change (www.icasc.ca).

Senior Artists' Research Project looking for input

>> by Naomi Brand
The Senior Artists’ Research Project is looking for input from artists 60 years old and over from all disciplines. The research project is initiated by a steering committee of Canadian arts organizations that includes representation from actors, dancers, musicians, directors, visual artists and writers. The group is launching the first-ever assessment of the situation and needs of senior artists in Canada. Senior artists are invited to participate in an online survey and “town hall” discussions being held across the country about their needs and interests in areas such as artistic activity, health care, housing, retirement, financial issues, community connections and social networks. The research is being conducted by Hill Strategies Research. The information gathered will be used to improve current services and establish new services that best meet artists’ needs and interests. Up-to-date information on town hall meetings can be found at http://www.hillstrategies.com/resources_details.php?resUID=1000320 and surveys of the situation and needs of senior artists are available at http://www.seniorartists.ca/.

University Celebrates 100 Years of Dance

>> by Christa Lochead
In June 2009, the University of Michigan presented “Dancing at 100: Celebrating a Century of Dance.” The five-day event included a public lecture by York University Professor Emerita Dr. Selma Odom entitled "The Dance Knowledge Expansion: Generations of Research and Teaching." One of the earliest universities in North America to include dance in a curriculum, the University of Michigan first offered “Aesthetic Dancing” through the Department of Physical Education for Women in 1909.