Marc Boivin elected as new RQD president

>> by Brittany Duggan
Members of the Regroupement québecois de la danse (RQD) elected Marc Boivin as their new president on October 23rd and 24th at the association’s annual general meeting in Montréal. Boivin will replace Anik Bissonnette, RQD president since 2004, by continuing her work on the Master Plan for Professional Dance in Quebec (2011-2021), a project scheduled to be released on April 29th, 2011 – International Dance Day. A teacher, choreographer and performer, Boivin sat on the Dance Committee of the Conseil des arts de Montréal between 2005 and 2010 and is currently the chair of the Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault. “Now’s the time for us to come together; this is a turning point for our community. It is both an honour and a stimulating challenge to make the vision for dance in the Master Plan a reality”, remarked Boivin at a reception thanking Bissonnette for her six years of work with the RQD. Founded in 1984, the RQD’s mandate is to represent and defend the interests of dance professionals in Québec.

Ron Snippe receives Dance Ontario Award

Roloef Peter (Ron) Snippe / Photo by David Leyes

>> by Cynthia Brett
Toronto Dance Theatre's (TDT) long-time lighting designer, Roloef Peter (Ron) Snippe, has been honoured with this year's Dance Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual award, which recognizes "the unique contribution of an individual over a lifetime," pays tribute to Snippe's thirty-seven year career collaborating with major dance, opera and theatre companies. TDT Artistic Director Christopher House says Snippe "has formed part of the bedrock of dance in this province." Snippe's career began with George Luscombe's Toronto Workshop Productions. He began working with TDT in 1973 and has since created over 150 designs in its repertoire. He was also the original lighting designer for Dance Ontario Dance Weekend and has work with major companies such as The National Ballet of Canada, Danny Grossman Dance Company, Dancemakers and independent artists and schools.

Survey shows Ontarians think art is important

>> by Samantha Mehra
Most Ontarians believe that the arts are important to the quality of life in their communities and their own personal lives. These sentiments were revealed in the Ontario Arts Council's (OAC) survey "The Arts and The Quality of Life: The Attitudes of Ontarians". Findings show that eighty-nine percent of Ontarians believe that if their communities lost arts activities, community individuals would be losing something of value; ninety-five percent believe that the success of Canadian artists creates pride in Canadian achievement; and eighty-one percent agree that the government should direct public dollars toward the support of the arts. The survey also indicated that most Ontarians place arts facilities on par with public transit (rated as important by ninety-one percent), but less important than parks and green spaces (ninety-seven percent), and sports and recreational facilities (ninety-nine percent). The results also suggested that positive attitudes towards the arts and quality of community lives extend across all regions and demographic groups. The provincial survey, which was conducted by Environics Research Group, is the first of its kind since 1994, when the OAC commissioned a similar survey. It examines the opinions of a probability sample of 1000 Ontarians aged eighteen or older, and is estimated to be accurate within approximately 3.1 percentage points.

Original TDT member dies

>> by Amy Bowring
Keith Urban was known to Canadian audiences for his striking performances and Adonis-like features. Urban grew up in Chicago but came to Toronto in 1968 dancing as a charter member of Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT). During the 1970s, he also danced for Dancemakers and taught at York University. TDT co-founder David Earle says Urban had an “innate dignity and a masculinity that gave him that everyman quality … he was a rare and ideal dancer.” School of Toronto Dance Theatre Artistic Director Pat Fraser, who was a friend and colleague of Urban’s at Dancemakers, described him as a “glorious dancer” with a “classical look”. In 1979, Urban made his way west to join Regina Modern Dance Works (RMDW) as co-artistic director with Maria Formolo. Stepping into what was supposed to be a promising period of growth for the company, Urban suddenly found himself co-directing a company in financial crisis. Dancers were let go and RMDW sold its building to clear the deficit. As it was not financially feasible to operate a full company, Formolo and Urban performed solos and duets. When the board began dictating artistic policy in 1982, Formolo and Urban left to start their own company in Edmonton. Formolo and Urban Dance ran until 1985 during which time the duo toured internationally. From 1985–1987, Urban was chair of the dance department at York University. He later returned to the U.S. variously dancing, writing, teaching and practicing yoga. He taught at Stanford University’s dance division from 1999–2002 and then in Continuing Studies until he was diagnosed with cancer. He died October 28, 2010. Urban is among the dancers featured in the painting by Lynn Donoghue that hangs in the second-floor lobby of Toronto’s Fleck Dance Theatre. Memorial services for Keith Urban are being planned for locations in Toronto, Chicago and California in December.

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

Merce Cunningham Studio faces possible closure

>> by Cynthia Brett
Almost 4,000 people signed a petition opposing the closure of New York's Merce Cunningham Studio and requesting a new and expanded Merce Cunningham Center. Students grew concerned over the Studio's fate when The Cunningham Dance Foundation announced its Legacy Plan following Cunningham's death in July 2009. According to the petition, 25% of technique classes have been cut in the past year and students have been told they may not be able to finish their certificate programs. The Foundation has responded to the petition and outlined the goals of the trust as set up by Cunningham.

Sign the petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-merce-cunningham-studio.html

Read a response from the Merce Cunningham Trust: http://studentsforcunningham.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/response-to-the-petition/

Denys Drozdyuk: Canada’s new favourite dancer

Denys Drozdyuk, Season 3 winner, So You Think You Can Dance Canada / Photo courtesy of CTV Inc.

>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Denys Drozdyuk was voted Canada’s favourite dancer for the third season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC). Drozdyuk, $100,000 richer and owner of a new Mazda 2, wasn’t confident his dancing was what Canada wanted: “I just tried to be myself and dance. I wasn’t sure if people would like that, but I guess they did.” His win was the result of 1.5 million votes cast for the final show. Born in the Ukraine and raised in Toronto, Drozdyuk brought an extensive background in ballroom to the stage, but also postsecondary dance education: he is a graduate of Julliard, and a master’s student in Dance Education at NYU. “I want them to know I’m serious about dance,” says Drozdyuk. He wasn’t always sure that SYTYCDC should be his focus; Drozdyuk was skeptical whether TV shows could cultivate “real dance”. “It’s really hard to combine entertainment and art together, but that was my goal,” Drozdyuk explained, “to still be artistic and not let the show get a hold of me.”

The top four dancers, including runner up Amanda Cleghorn, left the finale with cheques for at least $5,000. Top 12 dancer Claudia Primeau, back for the finale favourite performances, went home with a ring on her finger and a fiancé by her side: Top 12 dancer Francis Lafrenière, from Season Two, proposed on stage during the live show.