Dance for Good

>> by Samantha Mehra
From March 12th through 28th, 2013, participants in hospitals, shelters and hospices in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia benefited from seeing and learning Bollywood jazz dance as part of the new initiative Dance for Good. Organized by contemporary Indian dance choreographer Shiamak Davar's Victory Arts Foundation (a not-for-profit Canadian organization), the project brought together teachers, students and the Shiamak Dance Team in an effort to demonstrate the "transformative effect of dance." Dance for Good gave participants a chance to view Bollywood jazz dance performances, as well as the opportunity to learn choreography and interact with performers. Participating organizations included St. Michael's Centre Hospice, the Downtown Eastside Women's Shelter and the BC Children's Hospital's Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. A public demonstration of the Dance for Good program was held on March 23rd at the Capilano Mall, featuring a free showcase of the Dance Team. In a press release, Davar outlined the significance of the initiative: "As the name suggests, Dance for Good is a program where an individual or a group can dance for a good cause ... our aim is to share the joy of dance, to empower the performers, to encourage the spirit of volunteerism, and to bring communities together through music and the performing arts."
More: shiamak.com

VIDF presents new Choreographic Award

>> by Samantha Mehra

The Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF) recently announced its inaugural Choreographic Award, which recognizes (biennially) outstanding artistic achievement in choreography. On March 5th, 2013, Michelle Olson, artistic director of the Vancouver-based Raven Spirit Dance, was presented with the first award in recognition of her choreographies, which were influenced by the culture of the Yukon Territory’s Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in peoples. The VIDF, a festival that features local, national and international contemporary dance artists, ran from March 2nd through 23rd, 2013.

More: vidf.ca

BC Arts Council receives record-high budget

>> by Cynthia Brett
The BC government surprised the arts community last month when it announced a $24 million budget for the British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC) in 2013/14, a record high. $5.25 million of this funding will flow from the recently announced BC Creative Futures strategy, a government initiative developed to stimulate growth in the creative sector. Geared toward younger generations, the plan invests in many of the BCAC's youth and education programs. Other funding comes from the ongoing Arts and Sports Legacy fund, a three-year initiative rolled out in 2010 that gives $10 million annually to arts and culture. Mirna Zagar, executive director of The Dance Centre in Vancouver, commented to The Dance Current, "Of course any funding increase is always welcome. However, this is not so much an increase as what seems to be an effort to restore funding and most likely can be viewed as a pre-election booster ... This does not appear to really be new money – it's more about how the existing funds are now being allocated. A good move is the fact that most of it now appears to be flowing back to the community through the BC Arts Council." With funding not yet fully restored, and another $2 million still unallocated, the BC arts community will just have to wait and see what happens next.

Jeni LeGon (1916-2012)

 Jeni Legon with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson / Photo courtesy of American Tap Dance Foundation archives

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
African-American dancer, teacher and actor Jeni LeGon died on Friday, December 7th, 2012, at age ninety-six in Vancouver. According to the American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF), LeGon was one of the first African-American women to develop a career as a tap soloist. She challenged stereotypical female roles at the time, by donning pants when others wore skirts, and performing toe stands, acrobatics and complex rhythmic dancing. LeGon, born Jennie Bell, grew up on the south side of Chicago. The ATDF says LeGon landed her first job in musical theatre when she was thirteen years old. It was the beginning of an incredible career that spanned her lifetime, and included performing with stars such as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Fred Astaire and Fats Waller. LeGon also played roles in Hollywood films, including the 1935 musical Hooray for Love, at a time when the industry was primarily white-dominated. LeGon settled in Vancouver in 1969 where she became a well-respected and beloved teacher. Canada's National Film Board produced the documentary Jeni LeGon: Living in a Great Big Way in 1999. LeGon is survived by her husband, drummer Frank Clavin, and will be remembered as a great dancer and teacher and as a pioneer for black performers.

Leland Windreich (1926-2012)

Leland Windreich / Photo courtesy of Dance Collection Danse

>> by Kaija Pepper
Leland Windreich – a rare breed of writer who established himself as an important dance historian and critic – uncovered one of Canada’s great art stories: the Vancouver-Ballet Russe connection. Starting in 1938, seven dancers who had trained in the small west coast city joined one of two famed Russian companies: Colonel de Basil’s Ballet Russe or Serge Denham’s Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

Lee, as he was known to friends, died in Vancouver in July at age 85, still engaged in the art form he loved, though mostly via the internet due to limited mobility. His lifetime involvement with dance began as a boy in San Francisco devouring movie musicals starring Eleanor Powell or Ruby Keeler. By the time he immigrated to Canada in 1961 (for a University of Victoria librarian’s post), ballet was his passion.

Several of Windreich’s countless reviews and articles are collected in his book, Dance Encounters. Windreich also edited Dancing for de Basil: Letters to her parents from Rosemary Deveson 1938-1940, covering the time Deveson toured with the Ballet Russe under the stage name Natasha Sobinova. In June Roper: Ballet Starmaker, Windreich wrote about the teacher who created the hothouse where those seven dancers bloomed. These books, published by Dance Collection Danse, are Lee Windreich’s legacy, his gift to the dance community.

Gohs receive lifetime achievement award

>> by Cynthia Brett

On February 25th, Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh, co-founders of The Goh Ballet Academy, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from S.U.C.C.E.S.S., a social service organization for new immigrants in British Columbia. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. gives the award annually to celebrate the achievements of immigrants. As part of the honour, the Gohs performed for over 700 people at the Bridge to S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Gala, which raised $475,000 for the organization.

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.”

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.

New Works invites you to #sharedance with the world

>> by Jaimée Horn
New Works, the Vancouver-based arts organization that presents dance and also provides mentorship and management to a roster of clients, initiated the new hashtag #sharedance on February 1st. New Works is encouraging everyone to post, upload and tweet their daily encounters with dance using #sharedance, in order to make dance more accessible and to share dance with the world. In addition, New Works will feature some of the #sharedance stories in its e-newsletter, offering contributors the opportunity to win a New Works Dance Card that provides discounts to performances in Vancouver.

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.”

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.

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

Two books from Western Canadian dancers

>> by Brittany Duggan
Leap, a new novel by Jodi Lundgren, is a fictional story about a fifteen-year-old girl and her relationship with dance. Full of twists and turns, Leap captures the positive power dance can have on young girls as they wade through the social and personal pressures of growing up. A native of Victoria, BC, Lundgren herself grew up writing and dancing before moving to Seattle to pursue more training and performance opportunities, as well as a Ph.D. in English. Along with other published short works, Lundgren has written one other novel, Touched (2009). Leap was published in March by Second Story Press.

Another dance book to emerge from a Western Canadian dancer is Keltie Colleen’s Rockettes, Rockstars and Rockbottom, an autobiography about this celebrity-status dancer from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Her story starts with her move to New York City and struggle to become a dancer for The Radio City Rockettes and stumbles fast through broken hearts and career highs. Some of those highs include working with the New York Knicks, Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Panic at the Disco; dancing on the MTV Music Video Awards, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live and Entertainment Tonight; and creating and writing for her blog: www.highkicksandhighhopes.blogspot.com. Colleen currently hosts Live Nation’s music news and her own web series “Living the Dream” on teen.com. Rockettes, Rockstars and Rockbottom was published last year by The Deadxstop Publishing Company in Chicago.

Les Productions Figlio wins Rio Tinto Alcan Award

Serge Bennathan

>> by Naomi Brand
Les Productions Figlio is the winner of the twelfth annual Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, a $60,000 production fund. The company's new work, Elles, will have its premiere at Vancouver's, The Cultch in March 2012. Les Productions Figlio is a production house dedicated to the artistic work of choreographer Serge Bennathan. Elles is Bennathan's latest work, which brings together a large cast of female dancers from across Canada. The piece researches the visceral, raw physicality of feminine strength and passion. The Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award is a production fund open to performing arts companies residing in British Columbia. One of the largest awards of its kind in Canada, the award is funded by Rio Tinto Alcan and administered by The Cultch. The competition rotates annually among the disciplines of Dance, Theatre and Music/Opera and is adjudicated by an independent panel of artistic professionals. Previous winners in dance include The Holy Body Tattoo (Circa), battery opera (Cyclops), Kidd Pivot (Lost Action) and Wen Wei Dance (Cock-Pit).

New facility and scholarship for Dance Victoria

>> by Samantha Mehra

Dance Victoria recently announced the creation of The Chrystal Dance Award, a new scholarship worth $11,500 aimed at helping emerging dancers and choreographers pursue further studies at accredited institutions outside of Canada. It also aims to support mid-career dancers and choreographers interested in self-directed studies outside of Canada with a mentor, dance company, or via group activities (workshops, research, residencies). Named for Victoria pediatrician Dr. Chrystal Kleiman, who left a large bequest to the organization, the scholarship is open to both emerging and mid-career dance artists, and will be awarded for the first time in Spring 2011. Applications for the scholarship will be available on January 2, 2011 at DanceVictoria.com. Only dancers resident in Western Canada may apply. Dance Victoria has also acquired a new 11,800 square-foot facility at 2750 Quadra Street after six months of negotiations with the former owner of Victoria Arts Connection. The facility offers three fully outfitted dance studios, three office suites, lobbies and a commercial kitchen. The facility, which is now Victoria's central dance community centre, offers ongoing programs as well as creation residencies, professional mentoring and the LOLA Projects. It has already become home to several dance companies including Boston Dance Collective, Shan-e-Punjab Dance, Wanda Kivitt Dance, Alma D'Espana, Red Hot Swing and others.
DanceVictoria.com

Arts update from BC

>> by Naomi Brand
After British Columbia's cabinet shuffle in October, BC's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts is no longer. It has been replaced by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development headed by rookie minister Stephanie Cadieux. The change makes British Columbia the only Canadian province or territory without a culture ministry. The new name has made many BC artists concerned about the future of arts funding. Additionally, the BC Association for Charitable Gaming (BCACG) is mounting a campaign in response to the Provincial Gaming cuts that have taken place over the past year. In 1999, the province, the Union of BC Municipalities and the BCACG signed an agreement for a permanent revenue sharing formula for the three parties that allocated 33.3% of net gambling revenues to BC charities. While gambling revenues have grown significantly in the past ten years, in 2010 charitable organizations received only 10.43% of proceeds. The BCACG is urging the province to honour their 1999 agreement. Jim Smith, past president of the Canadian Dance Assembly and producer of Eponymous says of the challenging situation in BC, "None of these developments leaves the arts community feeling any confidence in the future." In related news, BC Premier Gordon Campbell announced his resignation on November 3rd.

To support these efforts, there are petitions available to sign at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/VCBS2010/petition.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/bcacg99/petition.html

New book on the life and work of Lola MacLaughlin

Lola Dance – Lola MacLaughlin: A Life in Dance. Photo: Susan Elliott in Lap Dogs and Other Restrictions by Lola MacLaughlin / Photo by David Cooper / Design and layout by Vancouver Desktop Publishing Centre Ltd.
>> by Brittany Duggan
Lola Dance – Lola MacLaughlin: A Life in Dance was launched at the Scotiabank Dance Centre in Vancouver on September 30th, 2010. The book, celebrating the life and work of the late choreographer Lola MacLaughlin is a collection of artifacts from her creative life, with essays from a group of artists close to her. Edited by Carol Anderson and Dorothy Woodend, the book includes contributions from Max Wyman, Susan Elliott, Brian Webb, Kaija Pepper, Mary Theresa Kelly and Stephen White. It was announced in April 2009 that proceeds from the book’s sales will go to the Lola Legacy Fund, a cash prize awarded to a deserving BC dance artist; all contributions received by October 31st, 2010 will be matched by The Department of Canadian Heritage.

Vancouver Global Dance Project and Toronto's D2D Festival

>> by Samantha Mehra
From July 26th through August 13th, Vancouver hosted the city’s first contemporary dance festival for young and emerging artists: The Vancouver Global Dance Project (VGDP). Directed by Brenna Mclaud, Claire French and Heather Laura Gray, the project aims to use education and performance to unite the dance community and support young choreographers in creating contemporary dance work. The project also emphasizes the tools emerging choreographers require when creating and presenting new compositions. The VGDP included a three-week dance intensive for youth and pre-professionals, as well as a performance series in which festival participants and youth dance companies performed work for the public at Vancouver’s PAL Theatre on August 12th and 13th. Festival participants had the opportunity to work with guest choreographers Susan Elliott and Justine Chambers.
www.vancouverglobaldance.com

Toronto’s Dance 2 Danse Festival, the city’s newest annual dance festival, began its first run in August. Artistic Director Sion Irwin-Childs created the festival in order to provide diverse, economically sound and accessible opportunities for dancers and audiences. The festival is comprised of four dance series that showcase mixed programs of performers and choreographers: Eros, Thanatos & the Avant-Garde ~ The Cabaret Series (performed at The Rivoli); D2D Dance Duels (performed at the Winchester Street Theatre) in which the audience votes for its favourite pieces; D2D DLX! at which the favourites are performed; and D2D DIVERGE/DIVERSE, which presents seasoned dance artists and emerging artists.
www.d2dfestival.ca.

SFU's School for Contemporary Arts moves downtown

Photo credit: Dale Northey/SFU

>> by Naomi Brand
On August 9th the entire School for Contemporary Arts (SCA) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) moved from Burnaby Mountain to its new home at the historic Woodward's site in downtown Vancouver. The 125,000 sq. ft. facility on West Hastings St. will house the programs of music film, theatre, visual arts and dance with teaching studios, performance venues and a lab for new media. The dance program has acquired three spacious studios, an experimental performance theatre and two studio theatres all with sprung floors and high ceilings. "Between the quality of the building and its location, this move is huge for the dance area of the SCA," says Rob Kitsos, a professor in the dance program. "I think the big effect of being at Woodward's will be our visibility. We will be in the heart of downtown Vancouver – a very different kind of environment than the far away hills of Burnaby. I'm really excited for more people to see and get involved with what we do." By combining public events with interdisciplinary training, SFU Woodward's hopes to attract art scholars, students and enthusiasts from around the world and to be a new artistic hub for the City of Vancouver.
www.sfuwoodwards.ca

Chan Hon Goh new director of Goh Ballet Academy

>> by Samantha Mehra
Chan Hon Goh, former principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, has been appointed the new director of Vancouver's Goh Ballet Academy and Goh Ballet Youth Company. As the new director, Goh plans to establish a Chan Hon Goh scholarship Fund of $100,000 for selected students to encourage their professional development. Goh trained at the Goh Ballet Academy beginning at age nine. Her parents, Choo Chiat and Lin Yee Goh, formerly principal dancers with the National Ballet of China, co-founded the academy in 1978, and the youth company in 1979. Chan Hon Goh will take on the position effective September 1, 2010.