Understanding a Centre Between Ground and Sky: Reflections on Aikido and Dance

By Colleen Snell

Before my first Aikido class began, I sat in seiza, my lower legs bent beneath me. I felt vulnerable and uncertain. I felt vaguely as if I were trespassing, bearing witness to a powerful and enigmatic ritual. Dressed in a white practice keikogi, I was ready to fall, to stand, to focus. I was ready to look like a complete fool.

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Clean calm blue, quiet. Clean, calm blue.
We were given white clothes told left over right, knotted them fumbling
Vulnerable, wide-eyed small among tall people with wide feet, deep roots.
Waiting for the class to happen to me, waiting for me to
Happen to it.
Fresh, un-skinned.
We clapped warmed up breathing moving together.
We took practice swords; I introduced my hands to mine, then together
Falling folding
Elbows knees and limbs.
Transparent,
Being wrapped in being.
Feeling warm and resonant, digesting
Deeply calm, clean, blue.

– September 22nd, 2010, written following my first Aikido lesson

Before my first Aikido class began, I sat in seiza, my lower legs bent beneath me. I felt vulnerable and uncertain. I felt vaguely as if I were trespassing, bearing witness to a powerful and enigmatic ritual. Dressed in a white practice keikogi, I was ready to fall, to stand, to focus. I was ready to look like a complete fool. It was a wonderful feeling, as it had been a long time since something completely unexpected happened to me in physical practice. Indeed, I have been dancing since the age of four. To say dance has influenced my life would be a considerable understatement. Over the years, my physical responses have become trained, even outside of the dance studio. I have been taught to see my body as a “dance” body: a flexing coil of neurons and muscle. Sometimes it is a mechanical device that can be objectively assessed for strengths and weaknesses; sometimes it is the song of Walt Whitman’s body electric, seen from within and illuminated by the vibrancy of kinaesthetic awareness. Even at rest, my body is a dance body. Paradoxically, I have been dancing for so long I sometimes forget how to think of it as anything else. As I continue to study dance, to embody dance, I have begun to see the limits of my perspective, and to respond by seeking physical training in new contexts.

My first class at the Tetsushinkan Dojo left me with enduring afterimages, both tangible and ineffable. Above all I felt possibility stirring … the possibility of moving to a primarily functional body, in contrast to my experience of an aesthetic body. In Aikido, an uke “attacks” by striking or holding a tori, the “defender”, although these roles can become quite fluid. The tori uses their technique in a “throw”, or to bring their partner safely to the ground. In practicing Aikido I have begun to understand how to manage my energetic state; consequently, my body can absorb a strike, or mutate and shift to find space around a hold. As I continued training, I began to challenge my identity, my concept of self and my understanding of my own capabilities. The learning process inspired me. I finally felt I was receiving the tools I needed to pragmatically respond to some of the “dance problems” I had been pondering. This in turn transformed my experience of technique class, contact improvisation and creative practice. It has dynamically influenced how I see myself as a dance artist, a martial artist, and indeed, a self in the world. In learning Aikido I have constructed a new, if ephemeral, Aikido “body”. More than a set of complementary trained physical responses, this is a holistic embodiment practice – a new way of being in the world.

Breath-power

Aikido embodiment is a state: a somatic sense of moving from the centre, or tanden. The tanden is the body’s centre of gravity, located below the navel. This is an area dancer and Aikidoist Sasha Roubicek calls a “focal point for breathing” in her article for the Journal of Dance and Somatic Science (2009). Exhalation provokes the reflex to inhale, and as we inhale, the diaphragm descends and compresses our organs, which move outwards. In Aikido, breathing is generative, linked closely with the will to survive. It is this force of spirit, anchored in the body, which is the root of movement. The tanden is an expression of ki energy. Kisshomaru Ueshiba, son of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba, describes the tanden as “inseparable from breath-power” in “The Spirit of Aikido”. This is Aikido embodiment at its most basic, and it is this understanding that has triggered a change in my physical awareness.

Unlike traditional dance training, Aikido practice has challenged my way of being – both within and outside of studio practice. While dancing I would struggle with technique and corrections – sometimes leaving the studio exalted by my achievement or discouraged by what I perceived to be a lack of progress. During my Aikido lessons I began to realize class was not only training my body. I was learning bushido, a way of being a non-violent warrior. In Aikido and the New Warrior (1985) Bob Aubrey states the purpose of Aikido training is to work towards the “victory of peace”. This peace is internal harmony, it is responding to stress and emergency with calm confidence. Thus my understanding of embodiment, although it began in Aikido practice, became obvious to me as I considered my sense of self between classes. This was a larger self – not a variation of how I held my self in esteem. It was a new way of considering my physical body and indeed a new way of being myself rather than a new way of looking at myself.

Clearly this way of being has relevance in the context of artistic performance and creation, particularly in situations of great stress where emotional resilience is required. After an evening Aikido class, I feel the “residue” of my practice when I dance the next day. In class I meet variations on the same corrections – corrections I have received so many times I have come to think of them as prosaic dilemmas of contemporary technique. These hackneyed phrases include “move from your pelvis”, “feel grounded” and “pay attention to your breathing”. There is a reason these phrases are repeated – but it is has been difficult to respond to them. Aikido has begun to give me the tools to take action, to build my tanden and understand how to move from it. I now understand my centre as a “physical” place, that is, how it relates to physics as a centre of gravity, not only how it relates to anatomy as a muscular area. In dance I have been distracted by abdominal contraction, seeking to engage the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis and to fortify the internal and external obliques. Centering in Aikido builds the tanden as an organic place, heavy and powerful. It is a massive region to be expanded, not only contracted.

The tanden is also a poetic place; it frames the way I interface with space. In technique I now have the choice to contract or expand my centre; my body is available to mutate in the moment, to modulate energetically. This engagement of centre has opened me to the possibility of malleability, and to the importance of dynamism and nuance in movement. I have learned I can absorb with my centre, not only “contract and hold” my abdominals, or simply “drop” the weight of my pelvis. I can eat space as I press outward. This kind of engagement has enabled me to see a great depth of possibility. I can open or close my centre, throw it through space, lift it out of my hips, release it or rebound it through the balls of my feet into the floor. Thus, I have discovered I can intuitively engage with my centre. This sense of choice in movement has begun to build itself from a non-verbal place within me, layer upon layer. It animates codified movement phrases vibrantly in the moment as I navigate through them, dynamically choosing from a repertoire of available responses.

Aikido and Contact Improvisation

Being movement, rather than consciously trying to manipulate it, has also had a tremendous impact on my decision-making process in dance, especially within the context of contact improvisation. It is within this framework that Aikido first appeared manifestly applicable to dance, not only in terms of pragmatic technique, but also poetically. Perhaps this should have been evident given contact improvisation founder Steve Paxton developed aspects of his technique from Aikido training. Improvisation emphasizes the lived process rather than the achievement of a product. This phrase is wonderfully similar to my discovery of experiencing rather than manipulating, or working without looking at myself. It is the process – not the product – that dictates the outcome of any creative endeavour, indeed of any life-affirming activity. Thus my work in improvisation has shifted from improving my execution of future repertoire to a focus on my decision-making in the moment, much like responding to a situation in Aikido. Much of my understanding of centre was discovered in this context.

As I began to build my tanden, I became more capable of sensing my partners’ centres as well, and grew better at engaging with them while maintaining the integrity of my own intent. Many of my partners remarked I was “strong”, but this was not bristling muscular force, it was increased efficiency and focus. With my Aikido embodiment I could decide to use my centre to support or resist oncoming force, as in lifts, or to soften into someone and feel my centre of gravity abandon control as it left the floor. Increased choice and the power of centering has given me a heightened sense of self-assurance, which now enables me to take risks more confidently, trusting myself to respond safely if I hit the floor. There is new freshness to my dialogue with others. During improvisation I feel more in contact with the “essence” of others’ being; I am more capable of listening to their intentions. I predict my relationship with others – both dancers and non-dancers – will continue to evolve as I study Aikido. I have yet to fully comprehend how to assume responsibility for my own movement – versus trying to “make something happen” to another person. Although my short study of Aikido practice has enabled me to understand how to move more intuitively and to no longer look at myself in movement, I believe working to realize this same transition regarding a partner remains a rich area to explore.

On Being in the World

Aikido continues to fascinate me with its ability to transmit knowledge of being an integrated whole. Aikido techniques are at once functional and transformative. They have improved my efficiency while imbuing my movement with meaning. Aikido practice has been not only a gateway to embodiment, but also a way of relating to others as integrated beings, through eye contact, touch and focus. It is not surprising then to realize that by synthesizing improvisation, dance technique and Aikido practice, I have begun to develop a deeper understanding of the somatic possibilities inherent within my choreography. My practice now stresses how I experience embodiment and how I create a sense of myself to generate movement from within. Again, I am no longer looking at myself. Furthermore, I can now recognize this same shift of understanding is reflected in much larger paradigm shifts in contemporary dance making. I see my transition apparent in how I am drawn to CI, Fulkerson’s release technique and Ohad Naharin’s Gaga. All of these examples parallel the meeting of Aikido and dance, working from both literally and figuratively a “new centre” – the individual’s subjective experience of movement.

Focus, centring, breathing and dancing … Aikido is permeating everything I do. It has changed how I drink a class of water (dropping my elbow to increase efficiency) and how I stand in the subway (centre dropped low for stability). Small details like these are of great importance. More dramatically, in December I was attacked from behind as I arrived home late one night. A middle-aged man had seen me take money from a cash machine, and in desperation, grabbed my bag. We struggled and he prevailed, running away with my bag. Getting to my feet, I pursued him, and he stopped, emptying the contents of my purse on the pavement. He was quite threatening, and while the street was deserted, I nevertheless felt calm descend. I spoke to him quietly, telling him where to find my money. He took thirty-five pounds and left me my camera, my wallet and my notebooks. Excepting a scraped knee, I was unharmed. At first as I reflected on this experience, I felt disappointed and afraid. I was disappointed because I had not produced an Aikido technique; I did not use a method I had learned to bring my attacker to the ground. And yet, I have come to see I did use Aikido to defend myself. In a situation of urgency and stress I acted non-violently, simultaneously discovering an intense calm and a presence bristling with awareness. I did not stand outside myself; I acted intuitively from a centre I previously had not known.

Aikido is not something to be practiced and then hermetically divided from other experience. On the contrary, Aikido is a practice that cultivates the relationship of the self in the world. As an embodied individual, the only way to make sense of this new information is creatively. For several months now I have been working on choreographing as a whole, researching and exploring the somatic qualities of movement around the theme of survival. I have tried to understand the generative force of martial arts through my own story as a Canadian. I gravitate to the distinctiveness captured in Margaret Atwood’s quintessential book, Survival (1972). Describing Canadian identity, Atwood offers:
“Our stories are likely to be tales not of those who made it but of those who made it back, from the awful experience – the North, the snowstorm, the sinking ship – that killed everyone else. The survivor has no triumph or victory but the fact of his survival; he has little after his ordeal that he did not have before, except gratitude for having escaped with his life.” (para. 14).

This resonates within the context of Aikido practice, where there is no reward other than the continuation of training and there is no “winner”, there is only survival. To creatively reinforce my exploration of survival, I have employed imagery inspired by Aikido. With the support of four wonderful dancers, I have worked on filling and emptying the body with energy and breath, using this force to animate the dancers’ relationships and charge the space. I no longer see the dancers as mere physical entities, but integrated somas. Together we are attempting to create visual poetry through imaginative self-experience. Thus, my experience of Aikido has led me to understand the integrated self in a broader context while deepening my personal and cultural identity.

Since my first class at the Tetsushinkan Dojo in September 2010, much has changed. I have explored a functional body, energetic and integrated, both separate from and linked to my concept of myself as a dancer. I have enriched my identity and my understanding of my own capabilities. This in turn has transformed my experience of technique class, contact improvisation and creative choreographic practice. Aikido work has dynamically influenced how I see myself in the world at large, not just as a dance artist, but also as a martial artist. With the ephemeral embodiment of a “new warrior” I have seen Aikido’s potential to act as a gateway to the larger Gestalt, as a whole that is more than the sum of its teaching methods and training. I can now appreciate Aikido as a way of living with ritual, dignity and respect. While Aikido certainly has offered me solid strategies to “improve” my dance, I now understand “improvement” is not the intention. I am beginning to appreciate a new centeredness that validates my own experience of my movement – that my esteem must be holistic and internal not exterior to myself. Thus my introduction to Aikido practice has had a profound impact on my self, a resonance that has less to do with movement and more to do with a powerful understanding of not what I do, but how I am centered in the space between ground and sky.

Colleen Snell was born in Canada, where she began dancing at the age of four. She trained at Toronto’s Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre as a company member. She then completed her post-secondary education at LADMMI in Montreal, where she became fully bilingual. Colleen recently completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Dance Studies with Distinction at the London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS) in England, and will soon complete her Masters thesis in Contemporary Dance, focusing on inter-subjective states. Colleen has worked with artists such as Irene Dowd, Risa Steinberg, Maeva Berthelot and Winifred Burnet-Smith (of the Hofesh Shechter Company). With Dancemakers she was a guest artist for the FastTrack series in 2007 and a teacher in the EDAP program for both 2010 and 2011. She is currently fifth kyu in Aikido.

Feature: Latin Nights: Salsa and Samba Sensations in Montréal

Article by Lys Stevens

Summary | Sommaire

Caroline Paré and "Mambo D" Delille Thomas at ¡ Vacilón ! by BIYA Productions / Photo by Marie-José Hains

Montréal writer Lys Stevens explores the vibrant culture of Latin dance and discovers that Samba, the dance she is currently developing a passion for, is one of the few forms that is not a partner dance.

La rédactrice montréalaise Lys Stevens explore la vive culture de la danse latine. Elle découvre que la samba – pour laquelle elle développe une passion – est une des rares formes de danse latine solo.

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Montréal writer Lys Stevens explores the vibrant culture of Latin dance and discovers that Samba, the dance she is currently developing a passion for, is one of the few forms that is not a partner dance. Merengue and bachata from the Dominican Republic; the cha-cha-cha, mambo and rumba from Cuba; forró and lambada from Brazil, the Argentine tango and the hugely popular salsa, are all dances performed in a couple. The multiplicity of forms and the interconnections of influences between them are dizzy-ing to a novice practitioner such as Stevens. What they have in common, including samba, is an Afro-Latino rhythmic base. Latin dance is a story of the displacement of peoples: at its foundation, Latin America is an uneven mix of indigenous peoples, European colonizers and Africans brought during the centuries-long trans-Atlantic slave trade of the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries. The mix creates a rich complex of cultural expressions, with dance a vital and treasured element among them. According to Montreal salsa dancer and teacher Caroline Paré, these are also ‘street’ dances: underground urban popular social dances that emerged as a social release and celebration of cultural roots. Many of these dances have a more refined ballroom dance counterpart that often has very little to do with the street form danced by the people who created them. But both streams are increasingly lending their energy and infectious qualities to the wider culture of dance in Canada.

La rédactrice montréalaise Lys Stevens explore la vive culture de la danse latine. Elle découvre que la samba – pour laquelle elle développe une passion – est une des rares formes de danse latine solo. Le merengue et la bachata de la République dominicaine ; le cha-cha-cha, le mambo et la rumba de Cuba ; le forró et la lambada du Brésil, le tango argentin et la très populaire salsa : voilà toutes des danses de couple. La multiplicité de formes et de filiations peut être étourdissante pour une débutante comme Stevens. Tous les styles, y compris la samba, partagent une base rythmique afro-latine. L’histoire de la danse latine s’inscrit dans la dispersion de peuples. À la base, l’Amérique latine est un mélange irrégulier d’autochtones, de colonisateurs et d’Africains déportés au cours de la traite des esclaves du quinzième au dix-huitième siècle. Le métissage donne lieu à un amalgame complexe d’expressions culturelles où la danse fait très bonne figure. Selon la Montréalaise Caroline Paré, artiste de danse salsa, les danses latines sont aussi des danses de rue, des danses sociales urbaines et marginales qui ont émergé comme échappatoire sociale et expression de traditions culturelles. Plusieurs styles comptent une contrepartie plus raffinée en danse de salon qui tient souvent très peu de la forme populaire et des peuples qui l’ont créée. Néanmoins, les deux courants prêtent de plus en plus leur énergie et leurs qualités contagieuses à la culture de danse au Canada.



Read the full article by Lys Stevens in the January/February 2012 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Lisez l'article intégral de Lys Stevens dans l’édition imprimée de janvier/février 2012 du Dance Current.

In Conversation: Zab Maboungou

In Conversation with Philip Szporer

Summary | Sommaire

Zab Maboungou / Photo by Cindy Diane Rhéault

Zab Maboungou has always moved well in the world. The dancer, choreographer, artistic director of Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Nyata Nyata, and a teacher of philosophy at Collège Montmorency in Laval, is a self-described “child of colonization”.

Zab Maboungou a toujours bien mené son mouvement dans le monde. La danseuse, chorégraphe, directrice artistique de Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Nyata Nyata et professeure de philosophie au Collège Montmorency à Laval se décrit comme une « enfant de la colonisation ».

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Zab Maboungou has always moved well in the world. The dancer, choreographer, artistic director of Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Nyata Nyata, and a teacher of philosophy at Collège Montmorency in Laval, is a self-described “child of colonization”. Born in Paris to a French mother and a Congolese father, she arrived in Montréal in 1973, never intending to stay in Canada. Engaged in the world of ideas, she has long stated that “the art of talking means the art of being able to assume yourself as a person, as an entity, exchanging, dialoguing”. In January, Maboungou will deliver the keynote address at the annual International Association of Blacks in Dance conference taking place for the first time in Toronto. The theme is “Connecting Our Diasporas Through Dance”. Writer Philip Szporer sat down with the innovative and opinionated Maboungou in her school’s warm and welcoming studios on bustling St-Laurent Boulevard in the heart of the city’s Plateau district. Their conversation touched on a number of topics including defining the African Diaspora, the drum as a device for regeneration and the democratization of dance.

Zab Maboungou a toujours bien mené son mouvement dans le monde. La danseuse, chorégraphe, directrice artistique de Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Nyata Nyata et professeure de philosophie au Collège Montmorency à Laval se décrit comme une « enfant de la colonisation ». Née à Paris d’une mère française et d’un père congolais, elle arrive à Montréal en 1973. Engagée dans le monde des idées, l’artiste affirme que « l’art de la parole veut dire l’art de s’assumer en tant que personne, en tant qu’une entité en échange et en dialogue ». En janvier, Maboungou donne une conférence au colloque annuel de l’International Association of Blacks in Dance. L’événement se tient pour la deuxieme fois à Toronto et s’articule autour du thème « la danse comme liaison à nos diasporas ». Le rédacteur Philip Szporer retrouve la novatrice et obstinée Maboungou dans les studios accueillants de son école sur l’animé boulevard Saint-Laurent, au cœur du Plateau Mont-Royal. En discussion, ils parcourent nombre de sujets, y compris la définition de la diaspora africaine, le tambour comme outil de régénération et la démocratisation de la danse.



Read the full interview by Philip Szporer in the January/February 2012 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Lisez l'article intégral de Philip Szporer dans l’édition imprimée de janvier/février 2012 du Dance Current.

Profile: Out Innerspace Dance Theatre

Juxtapositions, specificity and urban cool
Article by Kate Stashko

Summary | Sommaire

Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond / Photo by Wendy D Photography

There’s a newly energized duo in Vancouver these days. Although their company, Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, has been based on the West Coast since 2007, Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond are now on the cusp of an exciting shift in their careers.

À Vancouver, en ce moment, un duo dynamique se trouve insufflé d’une nouvelle énergie. Même si leur compagnie, Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, se retrouve sur la côte ouest depuis 2007, Tiffany Tregarthen et David Raymond se retrouvent au seuil d’une transition professionnelle excitante.

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There’s a newly energized duo in Vancouver these days. Although their company, Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, has been based on the West Coast since 2007, Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond are now on the cusp of an exciting shift in their careers. After years of working with list of collaborators that reads as a who’s who of the Vancouver dance scene, including Wen Wei Wang, Simone Orlando, Josh Beamish and Amber Funk Barton, they have crystallized what drives them and what excites them about creating new work: it’s a meticulous and specific approach to the integration of movement with sound. “We think of sound as a character and a voice in the body,” says Tregarthen. Raymond adds that “the body is a physical analogy, a reflection of what the sound is doing.” The couple’s newest work premiering at The Dance Centre in January, is strongly based on this self-described “dogmatic” approach to the integration of movement with sound, drawing on their strong chemistry as a couple and a current curiosity about characterization (specifically in superheroes and cartoons).

À Vancouver, en ce moment, un duo dynamique se trouve insufflé d’une nouvelle énergie. Même si leur compagnie, Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, se retrouve sur la côte ouest depuis 2007, Tiffany Tregarthen et David Raymond se retrouvent au seuil d’une transition professionnelle excitante. Partenaires sur scène et dans la vie, ils ont travaillé pendant des années avec des collaborateurs des plus en vue du milieu vancouvérois, y compris Wen Wei Wang, Simone Orlando, Josh Beamish et Amber Funk Barton. Maintenant, ils cristallisent leur pulsion créatrice : une approche méticuleuse à l’intégration du mouvement et du son. « Nous imaginons le son comme un personnage et une voix dans le corps », explique Tregarthen. « Le corps est une analogie physique, une réflexion du son », ajoute Raymond. Ils présentent leur dernière création en janvier au Dance Centre. La pièce intègre le son et le mouvement par une approche décrite comme « dogmatique » par les artistes. Ils puisent aussi leur chimie en tant que couple et leur présente curiosité autour des personnages, en particulier des superhéros et des personnages de bande dessinée.



Read the full article by Kate Stashko in the January/February 2012 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Lisez l'article intégral de Kate Stashko dans l’édition imprimée de janvier/février 2012 du Dance Current.

Report: Can you copyright a dance?

An Interim Report
By Chris Dupuis

Summary | Sommaire

Can you copyright a dance? In the grand scheme of things, the answer seems to be a resounding “not really”.

Le droit d’auteur s’applique-t-il à la danse ? Globalement, la réponse « pas vraiment » semble retentir.

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Can you copyright a dance? In the grand scheme of things, the answer seems to be a resounding “not really”. Rip-offs abound in the art world and as one high profile case involving American pop star Beyoncé and Belgian art star Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker recently demonstrated in the media, it is no easier for a choreographer to control their work than it is for any other type of creator. Writer Chris Dupuis discovers that a similar scenario could easily happen in Canada where dance is covered under the Canadian Copyright Act as a “choreographic” sub-section of dramatic work. The definition is not exactly rigorous – it includes “any work of choreography, whether or not it has any story line”. Copyright protection may be possible if the work is original and has been “fixed in writing” or, in the case of dance, notated, or, though it has yet to be tested and is thus not for certain, videotaped or filmed. So while copyright protection and the possibility of defending infringements of that copyright are theoretically possible – without test cases and precedents, the practical value of it is unknown.


Le droit d’auteur s’applique-t-il à la danse ? Globalement, la réponse « pas vraiment » semble retentir. Le pillage foisonne dans le milieu des arts et le chorégraphe qui veut protéger ses créations se heurte aux mêmes difficultés que les autres créateurs. C’est ce que démontre le récent cas très médiatisé entre la vedette populaire américaine Beyoncé et la vedette belge de l’art Anne Teresa de Keermaeker. Le rédacteur Chris Dupuis apprend qu’un scénario semblable aurait pu se dérouler au Canada, où la danse figure dans la loi canadienne sur le droit d’auteur. Une sous-catégorie d’œuvre « dramatique », l’œuvre « chorégraphique » ne jouit pas d’une définition particulièrement rigoureuse ; elle comprend « toute chorégraphie, que l’œuvre ait ou non un sujet ». Pour bénéficier de la protection du droit d’auteur, une chorégraphie doit être originale et « fixée par écrit ou autrement ». Pour la danse, c’est-à-dire qu’elle serait consignée dans une partition ou, bien que cela ne soit pas éprouvé, enregistrée sur vidéo ou film. En théorie, la protection du droit d’auteur et le pouvoir de se défendre contre les violations dudit droit demeurent possibles. Cependant, en l’absence de cas type ou de précédents, la valeur actuelle du droit d’auteur en danse reste inconnue.


Read the full report by Chris Dupuis in the January/February 2012 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Lisez l'article intégral de Chris Dupuis dans l’édition imprimée de janvier/février 2012 du Dance Current.

ASTUCES POUR PROFESSEURS: TIPS FOR TEACHERS

La relâche hivernale
de Katharine Harris de l’École nationale de ballet du Canada

Terril Maguire at Seven Seeds Yoga / Photo by Sheila Cullen

La motivation n’est pas toujours au rendez-vous pendant les longs mois d’hiver, sous le soleil timide et dans le froid pénétrant. Professeurs comme élèves souffrent facilement de surmenage pendant cette période de l’année. Vous avez franchi le premier grand jalon de la saison de danse, le spectacle de Noël, et la reprise des classes n’est pas toujours inspirante. Comment passer outre cette baisse énergétique saisonnière ? La réponse pourrait fort bien s’avérer une relâche.

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1. Dans les sports comme la course, le cyclisme ou l’haltérophilie, le repos s’inscrit naturellement dans l’entraînement. Ainsi, les tissus du corps se réparent et l’athlète refait le plein d’énergie. La récupération permet aussi de cultiver la motivation pour affronter les prochains défis. Cela s’applique tout autant à la danse, mais parfois, c’est facile d’oublier que vos élèves et vous pourriez profiter d’un repos.

2. En tant que professeur, renouvelez votre inspiration avec une pause. L’enseignement est un métier très exigeant et votre pratique profiterait peut-être une période de récupération. Souvenez-vous d’être à l’écoute de votre corps et de votre propre rythme. Vous vous consacrez beaucoup à vos élèves ; accordez-vous le temps de vous recentrer.

3. Plusieurs options s’offrent à vous pour une relâche. Essayez une activité qui n’est pas liée à la danse et que vous n’avez pas l’occasion de faire souvent. Pour bien vous reposer lors d’une fin de semaine bonifiée ou d’une semaine complète, choyez-vous. Planifiez vos repas et préparez-vous quelques bons plats. Une alimentation saine influence directement l’énergie ; il est ainsi toujours important de bien manger.

4. Si possible, songez à faire une retraite qui offre une semaine ou une fin de semaine de pratique intensive. Les retraites de yoga sont un bon exemple : elles incluent les avantages d’une activité physique, mais le programme diffère de votre quotidien.

5. Si vous prenez une classe ou participez à une activité pendant la relâche, que ce soit quelque chose que vous connaissiez bien ou une aventure quelconque, soyez à l’écoute du corps. Ne vous défoncez pas afin d’éviter les blessures et l’irritation musculaire. Dosez votre énergie et prenez plaisir à l’activité.

6. Ce n’est pas toujours évident, mais respectez-vous ; participez à des activités au véritable niveau de votre forme physique. Vous pouvez conseiller la même chose à vos élèves lors du retour en studio. Chaque classe et chaque jour sont différents. Tous les danseurs – professeurs et élèves – doivent régulièrement chercher l’équilibre entre se mettre au défi et se pousser trop loin.

Que votre relâche soit active, reposante ou un mélange des deux, revenez en classe avec une énergie positive. Vos élèves y répondront et tous en profiteront. Vous reviendrez revigoré et inspiré d’être en studio pour cibler votre prochain objectif en danse.

Taking a Winter Break

The winter months are always challenging with their lack of sunlight and dreary cold weather and it can be hard to find motivation. Both teachers and students easily suffer burnout at this time of year. The first big hurdle of the dance year – the holiday show – is over and classes can start to feel routine and uninspiring. How does a dance teacher break themselves and their class out of a seasonal slump? The answer just might be by taking a break.

1. For athletes who train in other sports, like running, cycling and weight lifting, scheduling rest time into their training is natural. Rest is when the body repairs tissue and replenishes energy stores. It’s also when excitement and motivation for the next challenge can build. The same is true for dancers, yet sometimes it’s easy to forget that taking a break may be beneficial for you and your class.

2. For teachers, a break can restore personal inspiration and energy levels. It can be necessary for your own practice to take a time out, relax and recharge. Dance teachers need breaks to remind themselves to listen to their bodies and their own rhythm. Because so much time is spent focussed on your students, it can take effort to turn that focus back to yourself.

3. With time off, there are many available options. Try focussing on a non-dance related activity you like and perhaps don’t get to do often. A nice way to take advantage of a break, whether it’s a slightly extended weekend or a full week, is to be good to yourself. Meal plan, go grocery shopping and prepare a few healthy meals for yourself. The nourishment of a proper diet directly impacts energy levels, so eating well is always important.

4. If possible, consider a retreat, allowing a week/weekend of intense, concentrated practice. Yoga retreats are good examples as they include beneficial physical activity but also offer a routine that is different from the day-to-day you’re used to.

5. If you take a class or participate in an activity during your break, whether it’s returning to an old favourite or trying something new, remember to tune in to your body. Don’t go all out and cause injury or irritation to your muscles, pace yourself and enjoy being active.

6. It can be difficult, but be honest with yourself about your fitness at that exact moment and participate in the class or activity accordingly. This is also good advice to offer your students, when you get back into studio. Each day and each class is different; balancing the act of challenging yourself without overdoing it is something each dancer, whether teacher or student, must do on a regular basis.

Your retreat may be active, restive or a combination but it’s important to come back to classes with an energetic and upbeat attitude. Your students will react to your mood and the positivity you bring to studio following a break is beneficial for all. You’ll likely all return feeling re-invigorated and inspired to get back into the studio and start working towards your next dance goal.

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What Do Dancers Know?

On life, movement and brain elasticity
By Sheila Heti

Several years ago, I performed in a ballet. I played the part of the “non-dancer”, although I danced.

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Four women danced with me – all members of The National Ballet of Canada. I loved seeing them stretching all the time, eating hummus and carrot sticks, and talking on their phones to their boyfriends, who did not dance.

Late one afternoon, two of the dancers and I were sitting on a park bench near the rehearsal hall, when we noticed two old men doing what people sometimes do when they walk toward each other on the street: they stepped toward the road, blocking each other’s path, then stepped in the other direction, then toward the road, several times, unable to get by. Finally, one of the old men took the other by the shoulders, positioned him to the right, and moved by.

Leslie, one of the dancers, watching it, said, “That has never happened to me – never – that sidewalk dance.”

“What?” I had thought it was a universal human experience, but the other dancer, Agata, agreed with Leslie.

“That has never happened to me, either. How does it happen?”

“What do you mean, how does it happen?” I said. “How does it not happen?”

Leslie shrugged. “Maybe I always know exactly where I’m headed, and it’s really clear to other people on the street where I’m headed.”

Agata confirmed: “When you’re dancing across a stage, the most important thing is that you see the spot you’re dancing toward, and you move toward it with clarity, so everyone can tell where you’re going.”

This made sense to me. If a dancer doesn’t move across the stage with true intention – with so much purpose and certainty that it communicates to all the other dancers, “This is where I’m going,” you would always see dancers knocking into each other in a dance performance. That skill – of knowing (and so communicating) exactly where you’re going, and so getting there – this was a skill that dancers took with them into the world.

Their experience of being human was slightly different from everyone else’s, since dancing had trained their bodies in specific ways.

“I never bump into anything,” Leslie said. “I must just have a really good sense of my body in space.”


Six months later, it was winter, and nothing felt any good. I felt outside the current of life. I was nostalgic for the summer, when I had been dancing and hanging around the dancers, learning new things. Those six weeks, everything had felt fresh: there was movement and music. I was using my body in strange ways. I was fully distracted from the question that had preoccupied my mind for the nine months before I started dancing – a question that returned, that winter, with real force.

It had not been two years since my husband and I had divorced, and I still did not know why our life together, which had not been so bad, had come to an end. The week I moved out of the house we shared, I called my mother in confusion and grief. She told me, “One day you’ll understand. Don’t think about it now. It’s too soon to know why.”

It was the most useful advice she had given me, and for some time the puzzle left me, but by that winter, it was back, and it was soon all I could think about. Why we divorced – it was the first thing my mind went to when I woke up, the last thing I thought of before I slept. It preoccupied me night and day.

How I longed to live in accord with my mother’s advice – to have the question rest in the back of my mind as I lived my life, an answer one day coming to me. How could I return to the happy, unfettered place I had been in while dancing; how could I retrieve that mental freedom I had known only six months ago?

In a bookstore one overcast and wintry day, I picked up a book that called to me: The Brain That Changes Itself by University of Toronto professor Norman Doidge.

I went to a café and began to read. Conventionally, neuroscientists thought of the brain as an organ that did its major constructive work in early childhood, finishing off its work in adolescence, and then remaining fixed (or deteriorating) through adulthood. Doidge’s book elaborated a more radical and contemporary line of thought: the brain is “plastic” and its structure changes throughout one’s life.

Pathways that have been underused can be strengthened, and pathways that have been strengthened from overuse can be weakened from disuse. “Use it or lose it,” as the neuroscientists say. As someone whose brain was stuck on the problem of her divorce – someone who hoped to turn her mind from that path – I tied myself to that statement, and to its corollary: “If you want to lose it, don’t use it.”

I remembered my day in the park with Agata and Leslie. Their experience of never doing that sidewalk dance had something to teach me, I was sure. I wanted to be like them. I didn’t want to dance with my divorce while walking down the street the way those old men danced with each other.

What was it about a dancer? Dancers – unlike the rest of us – have somewhere to go. They have a clear intention. My mind, knocking into my divorce, was feeble, where their bodies excelled. Their bodies were the embodiment of clarity, intention, direction, discipline. I had to get my mind to be more like their bodies. I had to make it clear, directional, disciplined.

That winter, I carried Doidge’s book with me everywhere, and underlined sentences on every page. Beside some underlines, I put stars: Neurons that fire together wire together **.

If a woman thinks about her divorce at a corner of the city, every corner of the city reminds her of her divorce. I soon became aware of how everything – books, trees, preparing food, sunlight – was wired to my divorce. Whatever fired, the mystery of my marriage fired with it.

If I didn’t want to think about my marriage, I couldn’t think about anything.

My purpose now was clear: to train my mind to be more like a dancer’s body. To do this, I knew I would have to start with my body: Make it like a dancer, I told myself, and maybe your mind will follow – your will purposeful and under your control, so you can direct your thoughts cleanly and confidently in the direction you want to go in – so your thoughts move across the stage of your mind with precision and ease.

I walked down the cold, city streets, and I tried to be aware of my body’s reality in space – its relation to people and things.

Paying attention to my corporeal nature for the first time ever, I focussed on the limits of my skin – I tried to know how far (and in what ways) I extended in the world. Without knowing this, I would surely knock into my marriage forever.

I tried to sense my actual height, the shape of my arms and legs. It was strange: without meaning to or being aware of it, my mind had settled on an understanding of my body that did not correspond with my body at all. My mind took my body as extending a foot or two beyond my actual flesh; it was blobby, not the narrow shape of arms, a torso and legs. I had been experiencing my body in a fabricated way; was everything else – like my understanding of my marriage and my divorce – as far from reality as that?

I started to see how different my life would be had I spent it dancing. A writer engages with possibility; the imagination accepts all things. One version of reality is made of the same substance as any other; truth does not have a certain substance that less truthful versions of the truth lack. But a dancer doesn’t abide in fantasy and imagination. The body has its limits, and a dancer is constantly aware of her body’s constraints and nature’s laws. While the mind can go anywhere, the body cannot.

The world wasn’t imagination. The world was flesh. I was flesh. And our divorce was flesh, too.

But this knowledge did me no good. Experiencing the limits of my skin, while interesting, did not prevent my thoughts from knocking into my divorce right and left. My attempt to make my mind like a dancer’s – intentional – got me nowhere.


As I read on in Doidge’s book, I learned some new things: that the brain is most elastic, and produces the greatest number of freedom chemicals (my non-scientific term for the chemicals that put the brain in a plastic state where the most change occurs) in early childhood. Neuroscientists theorize that early childhood plasticity is related to not knowing the value of things; one thing is as important as anything else. Children take in dust particles on the ground with as much serious absorption as they take in the sounds that come from their parents’ mouths, as the sight of a truck going down the street.

Everything is important.

Change becomes harder as one becomes older because the brain has settled on what is important. The brain pays more attention to certain things – maybe the same things over and over – and leaves other stimuli – stimuli that could potentially change it – behind.

I realized I had been going about my task all wrong. The problem with my mind wasn’t that it lacked intention – had nowhere to go – but rather, it knew, with all too much certainty, what path was important, and it went there with way too much zeal. I had trained my mind, as a writer, as rigorously as those dancers had trained their bodies. It wasn’t that my brain was knocking into my divorce at every step, but that my brain danced across the same line of the stage, always to the same point somewhere near the wings, where my divorce stood.

I had to make my mind less like a dancer’s! I had to scramble it up, confuse it, so it could find meaning and value in other places; so it could bump into so much: lampposts, political history, asbestos, peanuts, all things. The dancers were a negative example.

I had to become like those old men on the sidewalk, knocking into things, each other. That was their freedom – their very free dance.

Now I knew what I had to do, yet I could not do it. I was unable to find everything equally interesting – the streetlamp, the ceiling, an orange peel on the floor. I could not pretend that puzzling through the economic situation of Venezuela had as much pull as why my marriage had not worked out.

I had to accept it: my brain was like a dancer in Swan Lake. It had to dance stage right, then toward the footlights, then swirl off-stage, then on, the same way every night until closing, even if it was driving me mad. My brain would have to move in all the ways I was exhaustingly familiar with until this particular production was over. I had to let it play.

And that is what I did, giving up. Some nights I paid attention to the show. Sometimes, like a stage mother, I ate a candy bar and watched it with half a mind.

Then, without expecting it, a few years later, in the course of one night, the production ended.

I had a dream. I was sitting in a white tub, in an all-white room, with a circle of my female friends standing around. I was explaining to them why my husband and I broke up. Then an older woman – whom I had never dreamed about before, but who in real life owned the hotel where my marriage finally ended – entered the room and asked me what I had been saying. I told her that I was explaining the reason for my divorce.

“Was the sex not good?” she asked.

I shook my head. “It’s because he wasn’t strong.”

When I woke, I remembered the dream in its entirety. I wondered if this explanation was right or fair. It was not a reason that had occurred to me in my waking life even once. I could see how it could be “the reason”, but I could also see how I had also not been “strong”.

What was more important, perhaps, was the feeling I had waking from the dream – like the stage of my mind had been struck. (To strike is a theatrical term for taking down the set, the flats, the risers, everything, once a show is over.)

Yes, I felt better. The stage of my mind was struck.

That night, I wanted a drink. I called a friend and asked her to meet me at a bar I knew well, near where we lived. When I entered, sitting at the bar was the grey-haired owner of the hotel I had dreamed about the night before. It felt bizarre to see her there. I ran into her maybe twice a year. I went up to her to tell her I had dreamed about her.

“Last night you were in my dream,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “I dreamed about you last night,” she said, and she proceeded to tell me her dream: “We were in the Arctic. There was nothing but snow. And you were worried. You couldn’t figure something out, but you were trying very hard. I said to you: ‘Watch the polar bears. That’s where you will find the answer.’ Then we watched a polar bear that was sitting on an ice floe, and then the ice floe drifted away from the land, away from the few other polar bears that were there.”

I didn’t know what to make of this. We had both dreamed of these all-white places, in which we had had somewhat the same conversation.

After saying wow and wow and wow, I went to sit on my own, at a little round table. I considered what a beautiful closing image to a ballet that would be – a ballet about divorce, say, and what it means to separate – like being a polar bear, mysteriously floating away from one’s people and land.



A version of What Do Dancers Know? Originally appeared in Boulder Pavement, the digital arts journal of The Banff Centre Press.


Sheila Heti is the author of five books of fiction and non-fiction, most recently, the novel How Should a Person Be? and the children's book We Need a Horse. She lives in Toronto.

Sheila Heti / Photo by Chris Buck

Feature: Ballet Gloom or Bloom?: A Meditation on the State of the Art

Article by Michael Crabb

Summary | Sommaire

Aleksander Antonijevic and Bridgett Zehr in Chroma by Wayne McGregor for the National Ballet of Canada / Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

There’s nothing like controversy to boost book sales and, when it comes to stirring a hornet’s nest, American dance critic Jennifer Homans has done her publisher proud with Apollo’s Angels.

La controverse alimente particulièrement bien la vente de livres, et quand il s’agit de semer la pagaille, la critique de danse américaine Jennifer Homans a rempli son éditeur de fierté avec Apollo’s Angels, A History of Ballet.

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There’s nothing like controversy to boost book sales and, when it comes to stirring a hornet’s nest, American dance critic Jennifer Homans has done her publisher proud with Apollo’s Angels. Subtitled A History of Ballet, Homans’ book, published last fall, might have fallen off the radar had it not been for its mournful “Epilogue” in which the author argues that classical ballet is emitting death rattles. In the absence of choreographers who can move the art forward, ballet companies wallow in “an age of retrospective,” Homans writes, endlessly repeating lavish productions of the 19th-century classics. What new work is presented is wanting in the ideals Homans stakes as ballet’s bedrock. For ballet to return to its past glory, the New Republic dance critic believes “honor and decorum, civility and taste would have to make a comeback.” Yet Homans is hardly the first to question ballet’s health. Through the ages, rumours of the demise of classical ballet have been regularly circulated. In this essay, critic and writer Michael Crabb argues that ballet is alive and well in the 21st and talks to a number of artistic directors, choreographers and writers in the field – including Karen Kain, Jean Grand-Maitre, Aszure Barton and Wendy Perron – about why.


La controverse alimente particulièrement bien la vente de livres, et quand il s’agit de semer la pagaille, la critique de danse américaine Jennifer Homans a rempli son éditeur de fierté avec Apollo’s Angels, A History of Ballet. Publié l’automne passé, le livre aurait peut-être échapper au radar si ce n’était pas pour un triste « épilogue » ou l’auteur propose que le ballet classique émette des gémissements funèbres. En l’absence de chorégraphes qui font progresser la forme, les compagnies de ballet se vautrent dans une « ère de rétrospection », écrit Homans, et reprennent éternellement les somptueux classiques du XIXe siècle. Lorsqu’il y a de nouvelles créations, elles s’éloignent des idéaux décrits comme la pierre angulaire du ballet selon Homans. « Il faudrait un retour à l’honneur et à la bienséance, à la civilité et au goût », déclare la critique de danse du New Republic. Elle est loin d’être la seule à se pencher sur la santé du ballet. Au fil du temps, les rumeurs sur déclin du ballet courent. Dans son essai, le critique et auteur Michael Crabb soutien que le ballet est en pleine forme au XXIe siècle, et il en parle à plusieurs directeurs artistiques, chorégraphes et auteurs dans le domaine, y compris Karen Kain, Jean Grand-Maitre, Aszure Barton et Wendy Perron.

In Conversation: Marie Chouinard

Interview by Catherine Bush

Summary | Sommaire

Marie Chinouard / Photo by Karine Patry

All dance is about being in the body but in Marie Chouinard’s extraordinary work, the corporeality of the body is front and centre.

Toute danse porte sur le corps, mais dans l’œuvre extraordinaire de Marie Chouinard, la corporéité est à l’avant-plan.

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All dance is about being in the body but in Marie Chouinard’s extraordinary work, the corporeality of the body is front and centre. She’s been creating dance now for over thirty years, first as a solo artist and then as choreographer for her Compagnie Marie Chouinard, and continues to create dance that is astonishing and vital, often breathtaking, dance that has its roots in ritual and play yet with movement that continually reinvents itself. These days, Marie Chouinard and her company are based in a studio building, Espace Marie Chouinard, on L’Esplanade in Montréal. She’s had a conference devoted to her work 24 Preludes by Chopin, and her dancers were awarded a Gemini for their performance in the film of bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS. Her most recent piece, Henri Michaux: Mouvements premiered in Vienna in August 2011. It’s perhaps no surprise that Marie Chouinard keeps a jam-packed schedule. Novelist Catherine Bush managed to fit in a phone conversation with her one morning promptly at nine a.m. as she arrived at the studio. Their discussion was wide-ranging, touching on topics such as nudity, structure, the search for beauty and how a dancer’s body changes with time.

Toute danse porte sur le corps, mais dans l’œuvre extraordinaire de Marie Chouinard, la corporéité est à l’avant-plan. Elle compose des danses depuis plus de trente ans, d’abord comme artiste solo et ensuite au sein de la Compagnie Marie Chouinard. Ses créations demeurent surprenantes et vitales, souvent étourdissantes ; sa danse est ancrée dans le rituel et le jeu, sa gestuelle en perpétuelle réinvention. Sa compagnie occupe actuellement un immeuble, l’Espace Marie Chouinard, sur la rue de l’Esplanade à Montréal. Il y a eu un colloque sur sa pièce Les 24 préludes de Chopin et ses interprètes ont mérité un prix Gémaux pour leur travail dans le film bODY_rEMIX/les_vARIATIONS_gOLDBERG. Sa dernière création, Henri Michaux : Mouvements a été présentée en première à Vienne en août 2011. Ainsi, l’horaire très chargé de Chouinard ne surprend personne. Néanmoins, la romancière Catherine Bush réussit à la joindre au téléphone, précisément à 9 h, lors de son arrivée aux studios. Leur discussion touche à bien des sujets, notamment la nudité, la structure, la quête de la beauté et le changement du corps de l’interprète au fil du temps.

Profile: Jordan Clarke

Canada's Favorite Dancer
Article by Kathleen Smith

Summary | Sommaire
Jordan Clark with So You Think You Can Dance Canada's Season 4 Top 22 Finalists / Photo courtesy of CTV

As the competition gets stiffer and stiffer each season on hugely popular television dance shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, more and more spectacular dance talent is being unleashed on the viewing public. Sadly, in Canada at least, this showcase vehicle for dance has come to an end with the September cancellation of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC).

Alors que la concurrence devient de plus en plus féroce aux immensément populaires émissions de danse comme So You Think You Can Dance, plus en plus de talents exceptionnels se révèlent aux téléspectateurs. Au Canada, l’annulation en septembre dernier de So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC) entraîne la disparition d’une vitrine pour la danse – un événement malheureux pour quelqu’un comme Jordan Clark, dix-neuf ans, native de Tottenham, Ontario, couronnée danseuse préférée au Canada deux jours avant l’annulation de l’émission.

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As the competition gets stiffer and stiffer each season on hugely popular television dance shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, more and more spectacular dance talent is being unleashed on the viewing public. Sadly, in Canada at least, this showcase vehicle for dance has come to an end with the September cancellation of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC). That’s a shame for someone like Jordan Clark, the nineteen-year old Tottenham, Ontario native who was crowned Canada’s Favourite Dancer just 2 days before the show was cancelled.

Although the untimely announcement stole some of the redhead’s winning thunder, Clark isn’t miffed, just sad: “It’s really unfortunate that the show was cancelled. Canada is not going to forget about the great dancers that have been on this show, and great Canadian dancers in general.” SYTYCDC helped to introduce and educate new audiences about dance, Clark believes. “It takes a very long time to understand what dance is all about – I think that’s part of what’s so intriguing about it. It’s part of the reason why it’s becoming way more popular to kids.”


Alors que la concurrence devient de plus en plus féroce aux immensément populaires émissions de danse comme So You Think You Can Dance, plus en plus de talents exceptionnels se révèlent aux téléspectateurs. Au Canada, l’annulation en septembre dernier de So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC) entraîne la disparition d’une vitrine pour la danse – un événement malheureux pour quelqu’un comme Jordan Clark, dix-neuf ans, native de Tottenham, Ontario, couronnée danseuse préférée au Canada deux jours avant l’annulation de l’émission. Bien que la malencontreuse annonce appauvrisse la victoire de la rousse, Clark exprime la tristesse plutôt que la colère : « C’est vraiment dommage que le programme ait été annulé. Le Canada n’oubliera pas les grands danseurs présentés à l’émission, ni les grands danseurs canadiens en général. » Selon elle, SYTYCDC a aidé à sensibiliser de nouveaux publics à la danse. « Comprendre la danse est un processus très long qui, du coup, la rend très intrigante », déclare-t-elle, « Ça fait partie des raisons que la forme gagne en popularité auprès des jeunes. »

Report: Master Plans

Charting Canadian Dance

Summary | Sommaire

Three major policy and research projects around dance are currently being rolled out across the country.

Actuellement, au pays, trois grands projets de politiques et de recherche en danse se déploient.

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Three major policy and research projects around dance are currently being rolled out across the country. The Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD)’s Master Plan, the Canadian Dance Assembly’s I love Dance/j’aime la danse program and the Canada Council for the Arts Dance Office’s Mapping Dance Project all seek to achieve a better understanding of Canadian dance culture in order to describe it, protect it and promote it.
Dance faces many challenges. As a discipline, it somehow manages to be both under siege – by way of funding cuts and live audience apathy – and more wildly popular and culturally meaningful than ever before. It’s a paradox and it’s nothing new.

Actuellement, au pays, trois grands projets de politiques et de recherche en danse se déploient. Le Plan directeur de la danse du Regroupement québécois de la danse, la campagne I love dance/J’aime la danse de l’Assemblée canadienne de la danse et l’Étude cartographique de la danse du Conseil des Arts du Canada visent tous à développer une meilleure compréhension de la culture de danse canadienne afin de la décrire, de la protéger et de la promouvoir. De nombreux défis se présentent à la forme d’art. En tant que discipline, elle se trouve à la fois assiégée – par des compressions de financement et l’apathie du public quant à l’expérience du spectacle – et d’une popularité et d’une pertinence culturelle jusque-là inégalée. C’est un paradoxe et ce n’est pas nouveau.

ASTUCES POUR PROFESSEURS: TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Confort et sécurité par temps froid
de Katharine Harris de l’École nationale de ballet du Canada

Le Canada étant une nation de temps froid, les Canadiens savent comment affronter le froid. Cela dit, alors que les journées raccourcissent et que les températures commencent à chuter, c’est toujours une bonne idée de rappeler à vos élèves les meilleures façons de prévenir les blessures et de danser en santé et en sécurité au cours de l’hiver.
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1. Exprimer clairement votre politique sur les manteaux et bottes d’hiver dans le studio. S’il y a un lieu désigné pour les mettre dans le couloir, soulignez-le aux élèves et aux parents. Identifiez la zone, si possible. Vous ne voulez pas qu’un retardataire entre dans le studio propre avec un manteau, un chapeau et des bottes mouillées ; la communication claire est le meilleur moyen d’éviter cela.

2. Prenez le temps de revoir les vêtements de réchauffement convenables avec vos élèves. Rappelez-leur qu’ils auront besoin de porter plus de couches en hiver, et qu’ils garderont les vêtements de réchauffement pendant plus longtemps.

3. Plusieurs élèves arrivent au studio prêts, déjà en costume de danse. Au cours des temps froids, elles mettront bottes et manteau par-dessus maillot et collant, et se précipiteront entre la voiture et le studio. Parlez aux élèves et aux parents sur l’importance des vêtements de réchauffement. Plus les muscles restent au chaud, moins il y a de blessures. La clé pour cela, c’est une couche supplémentaire de vêtements.

4. Les jours de grand froid, préparez un réchauffement au sol ou un enchaînement aérobique afin d’activer et de réchauffer le corps. Si vos élèves ont accès au studio avant la classe, encouragez-les à s’étirer doucement dans le studio.

5. Si vous n’avez pas accès au studio avant la classe, préparer un exercice d’étirement de conditionnement léger que les élèves peuvent faire dans le vestiaire ou à la maison.

6. Rappelez à vos élèves qu’un réchauffement peut-être plus long en hiver qu’en été ou qu’à l’automne. Encouragez-les à écouter leur corps, à prendre le temps de s’étirer, de se réchauffer et d’enlever leurs vêtements de réchauffement quand ils sont prêts et non quand les autres le font.

7. Encouragez une hygiène rigoureuse en hiver. Avec tout le monde à l’intérieur pendant plus longtemps, la propagation de rhumes et de grippes est assez facile. Assurez-vous que les salles de toilettes du studio sont bien équipées en savon et en papier essuie-tout ou avec un séchoir électrique fonctionnel. Songez à offrir un désinfectant pour les mains à l’entrée du studio. Essuyez régulièrement les barres et autres surfaces communes.

L’hiver est partie intégrante de la vie au Canada et compte de nombreuses qualités. Avec un peu de temps et de préparation, c’est simple de garder le corps en sécurité, en santé et en activité.


Cold Weather Comfort and Safety
By Katherine Harris of Canada’s National Ballet School

Canada is a nation of winter and thus Canadians know how to handle the cold. That said, as the days grow shorter and temperatures start to fall, it’s always a good idea to remind yourself and your students about the best way to prevent injuries and ensure healthy and safe dancing in the winter months.

1. Be clear about your policy on winter boots and coats in the studio. If you have a special place in the hallway where they are to be kept, be sure to point it out to all your students and their parents. Mark the area clearly, if possible. You don’t want latecomers bringing wet jackets, hats and boots into your clean studio; clear communication is the best way to prevent this.

2. Take the time to review appropriate warm up gear with your students. Remind them that more layers will be needed in colder weather, and that warm-up wear will likely need to stay on for longer during winter months.

3. Many students arrive at their studios wearing dance clothes, ready to go. In the colder months, they’ll throw boots and a jacket over their leotard and tights, and run from the car into the studio and back again. Talk to your students and their parents about the importance of wearing warm up layers. Protecting muscles against the cold means less injuries and an extra layer of clothing is key for this.

4. On colder days, prepare a warm-up sequence involving floor work or aerobic activity to get the body moving and warm. If it’s possible for your students to get into the studio before class begins, encourage them to do so and start some gentle stretches before class.

5. If early access to the studio isn’t possible, prepare a gentle stretching/conditioning sequence for students to work on in the change room or at home.

6. Remind your students that a proper warm-up may take longer in the winter than it did in the summer and fall. Encourage your students to listen to their bodies and take the proper time to stretch and warm up and to remove layers, as each student feels appropriate, not just when other members of the class do.

7. Encourage high standards of sanitation in the winter. With everyone inside more often, it’s quite easy for colds and flus to spread. Be sure your studio’s washroom is fully stocked with soap and paper towels or a working hand dryer. Consider providing hand sanitizer at the entrance to your studio. Wipe down barres and other common surfaces on a routine basis.

Winter is a big part of life in Canada and brings with it many wonderful things. It’s easy to keep the body safe, healthy and active throughout the colder months with a little thought and preparation.

The “Culture War” | La « guerre culturelle »

Tools for artists and arts lovers | Outils pour les artistes et les amoureux des arts
By/de Louis Laberge-Côté

“War” has been declared in Canada. | La « guerre » est déclarée au Canada.

The Canadian “Culture War”, as Stéphane Baillargeon (Le Devoir) named it, seems to have on one side the cultural sector, and on the other, the multi-billion dollar communication corporation Quebecor. In the last few months, the cultural sector has been the target of numerous attacks, including the well-known articles of Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy in the Journal de Montréal and Krista Erickson’s infamous “bazooka journalism” (Le Devoir, June 13th) on the SunTV News Network. Is it by chance that the majority of these assaults took place via Quebecor-owned entities? Is it coincidental that the attacks have drastically increased, both in number and hostility, since the last federal election? I do not know the answers and I have to let you draw your own conclusions. But one thing is certain: Canadian artists, cultural sector workers and arts lovers need to get ready for what could potentially be the beginning of extremely challenging times.

La « guerre culturelle » canadienne, comme Stéphane Baillargeon (Le Devoir) l’a nommée, semble avoir d’un côté le secteur culturel, et de l’autre la société multimilliardaire Quebecor. Pendant les derniers mois, le secteur culturel fut l’objet de nombreuses attaques, incluant les fameux articles de Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy du Journal de Montréal et l’infâme « journalisme au bazooka » (Le Devoir, 13 juin) de Krista Erickson sur les ondes du SunTV News Network. Est-ce par hasard que la majorité de ces attaques furent diffusées par le biais de propriétés de Quebecor ? Est-ce une coïncidence que ces attaques ont radicalement augmenté, tant en nombre qu’en hostilité, depuis les dernières élections fédérales ? Je n’ai pas de réponses à ces questions et je vous laisse en tirer vos propres conclusions. Mais une chose est sûre : les artistes canadiens, les employés du secteur culturel et les amoureux des arts doivent se préparer pour ce qui semble être le début de temps extrêmement difficiles.


More...


The French version follows below. | La version française suit ci-dessous.


The “Culture War”:
Tools for artists and arts lovers
By Louis Laberge-Côté

“War” has been declared in Canada.

The Canadian “Culture War”, as Stéphane Baillargeon (Le Devoir) named it, seems to have on one side the cultural sector, and on the other, the multi-billion dollar communication corporation Quebecor. In the last few months, the cultural sector has been the target of numerous attacks, including the well-known articles of Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy in the Journal de Montréal and Krista Erickson’s infamous “bazooka journalism” (Le Devoir, June 13th) on the SunTV News Network. Is it by chance that the majority of these assaults took place via Quebecor-owned entities? Is it coincidental that the attacks have drastically increased, both in number and hostility, since the last federal election? I do not know the answers and I have to let you draw your own conclusions. But one thing is certain: Canadian artists, cultural sector workers and arts lovers need to get ready for what could potentially be the beginning of extremely challenging times.

Unfortunately, considering the amount of damage regularly perpetuated in the media these days, we, as arts supporters, cannot afford to live silently anymore. Each and every one of us must be proactively engaged in disseminating accurate information about who we are, what we do and why we believe the arts are important. We also have to prepare ourselves adequately, so that we can respond to disregard, disbelief – or even belligerence – with an informed mind, an open heart and a strong spirit.

I have put together a series of key issues, which rest at the heart of the arts funding debate, including my own thoughts on Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy’s philosophy, a few clarifications on “freedom of expression”, and a list of suggestions regarding how to address the journalistic outrage that is the SunTV News Network. I am aware that this article is a bit “lengthy”, but please, take the time to read it and proactively distribute it (or any other relevant information). Hopefully, these “tools” will help us address the subject thoroughly and confront our opposition with intelligence, calm, receptivity and articulation.

So, the big question in the Canadian “Culture War”:

“Why should the government continue funding the arts, especially when they are not profitable?”

To this completely valid question, I propose three answers:

1. Arts funding makes economic sense.
2. Cultured societies are happier, smarter, more compassionate and healthier.
3. Culturally rich societies create immaterial wealth, which fosters human evolution.

Most of us agree that the latter two reasons are the most important. But we have to be aware that these arguments won’t convince those with their eyes on the bottom line, especially if they themselves have found no value in the arts. And since most objections to arts funding usually come from an economic perspective, we should also learn the facts in order to respond to questions regarding the economic viability of the arts, so that we can hold an informed dialogue and present a solid case for the arts in Canadian society. Hopefully, the ability to discuss this topic openly and knowledgeably will bring a few more people closer to a sympathetic understanding of the arts, or at least soften the more entrenched perspectives that seek to denigrate them.

Here are some common questions that challenge the economic and social validity of arts funding and the role that arts play in the cultural and economic fabric of our society:

1. “Why does arts funding make sense economically (we just said it isn’t profitable)?”

The main point that people need to understand is that direct profits made from a specific artistic event are relatively insignificant. Whether this event received more money from box office sales than from government grants is not the most important aspect to consider. Instead, we need to investigate the revenue generated in wider circles. For example, from the moment a small theatre company receives a grant to create and present a show, a significant number of transactions are generated:

• Artistic, technical, marketing and administrative staff members are hired (and
pay taxes on this income).

• Rehearsal and performance spaces are rented.

• Posters, flyers, ads and programs are designed, printed and distributed, often carrying logos of supportive local businesses.

• Audience members purchase tickets; utilize coat check facilities; buy drinks at the theatre bar; dine at restaurants before or after the performance (tipping waiters); and travel by car (often paying for a parking spot nearby), taxi or public transportation.

• Previews and reviews circulate in newspapers, magazines, radio stations and internet blogs.

• Out-of-town supporters travel significant distances, depending on various means of transportation, and book hotel rooms for the duration of their stay.

• The vibrancy of the city’s cultural scene increases, which in turn attracts more tourists, making the cultural experience a self-perpetuating entity to be capitalized on again and again.

It is easy to see that the economic impact of this small theatre production goes far beyond what happens at the box office on performance nights. Knowing this, we have a multitude of reasons to consider arts funding as a collective and quite profitable investment that significantly boosts the local – and therefore federal – economy.

Here is some information to support this statement:

• The real value-added input of cultural sector industries totaled $46 billion in 2007.

• Together – direct, indirect and induced contributions brought the economic footprint of the cultural sector to $84.6 billion that year, or 7.4% of Canada’s real gross domestic product.

• The same year, cultural sector investments represented only 0.7% of total government spending, for a sector that generated 7.4% of the country’s GDP.

• The arts and cultural sector generated approximately $25 billion in taxes for all levels of government in 2007, more than three times higher than the $7.9 billion that was spent on culture by all levels of government.

• 616,000 Canadians are directly employed in the cultural sector, which is about double the level of employment in the forestry sector in Canada (300,000) and more than double the level of employment in Canadian banks (257,000).

• Nearly 1.1 million jobs can be attributed directly and indirectly to economic activity generated by cultural sector industries, which represents 7.1% of Canada’s total employment.

• The culture-related workforce grew by 31% over the past decade.

• Consumer spending on live performing arts events increased by 56% between 1997 and 2005, after adjusting for inflation, and accounts for $1.2 billion of overall cultural spending.

• Consumer spending on live performing arts is more than double the level of consumer spending on live sports.

• The arts and cultural sector is a growth market, with substantive potential for further expansion.

Simply put, government investment in the cultural sector more than pays for itself in terms of income generated throughout the Canadian economy; cutting government funding to the arts does not make economic sense.

2. “Are cultured societies really happier, smarter, more compassionate and healthier?”

Although it may seem obvious that a creative and stimulating environment has a positive effect on everybody’s overall health and wellness, some people still have their doubts.

Here’s some data you can share with them:

• Arts and culture play an important role in “at least seven of the twelve determinants of health" defined by Health Canada.

• The arts have a beneficial impact on students in six specific areas: reading and language skills, mathematical skills, thinking skills, social skills, motivation to learn, and positive school environment.

• According to Hill Strategies, using arts and culture to engage marginalized groups and the elderly results in higher academic achievement, better “life success”, and the ability to address difficult social issues.

• Recent Swedish research demonstrates the positive correlation between attending cultural events and performances and higher levels of well-being and increased longevity.

• Respected Danish researcher and professor Bengt-Åke Lundvall concluded that countries who do better economically and politically are precisely the ones who deliberately contributed to a “creative and cultural climate”.

• Arts and culture organizations report engaging more than 930,000 volunteers.

• In 2005, Canadians who attended a culture/heritage event or performance of music, theatre or dance were 31% more likely to volunteer as compared with those who did not attend a performance.

• Canadians who attend a theatrical performance are 16% more likely to have a very strong sense of belonging to Canada than those who did not attend.

3. “What is immaterial wealth and how does it contribute to human evolution?”

This argument is more difficult to support, since immaterial wealth is intangible and therefore difficult to measure. But if we think about it, its existence and its effects on our lives are quite obvious. Do we know for sure how much Beethoven influenced us? Can we put a number on how many people were enlightened by his creations? Can we measure to what extent they were transformed? No.

But we can all agree (even people who do not enjoy his work) that his musical achievements are considerable and important. And they, without a doubt, contributed to the evolution of humanity. Can you imagine a world without music, film, dance, sculpture, fashion, drawing, theatre, literature, architecture, photography, gastronomy, poetry, painting or calligraphy? What would remain? What kind of lives would we live? What kind of human beings would we be? The thought of it scares and saddens me.

Of course, not every artist is a Beethoven. But each artist propels humanity forward, whether we enjoy his or her works or not. Isn’t it extraordinary to contemplate that the existence of artistic works can be traced back to the dawn of humanity? Shouldn’t that prove to us all that there is a very profound human need to express ourselves through some artistic means? People who pretend they don’t like the arts are usually unaware that they are constantly surrounded by them – and enjoy them. Ironically, as Krista Erickson tries to convince her audience that arts funding is a waste, the medium in which she functions is engulfed in art: lighting design, set design, graphic design, musical and sound engineering, film direction, script writing, make-up, hair styles, fashion design, to name only a selection. Almost everything around her at that moment is influenced by the work artists have done in the past. Could you imagine the same show with plain white light only, no set, no music, no camera angles, basic primitive language, no make-up and a drab utilitarian uniform?

Clearly, it wouldn’t be the same. It would be horribly boring. And so would be a world without the arts.

4. “I understand the arts are important. But I don’t think they should be financed by the state. Why can’t the arts follow the basic rules of supply and demand as everything else?”

This question represents the basis of the argument proposed by Montréal’s Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy. She goes one step further by posturing that the arts funding debate is not about opposing right-wing and left-wing ideologies. According to her, it is about freedom from state-controlled finances. Strategically, this is a smart stance. Living in Montréal, Elgrably-Lévy is aware that left-wing thinkers surround her, for the most part. In this environment, it certainly sounds more noble to say, “I am fighting for freedom”, than admitting “I am fighting for conservatism”. But would eliminating arts funding really support freedom?

In many ways, artistic exploration is very similar to scientific research. In the scientific community, some research ventures are so obviously commercial in nature that they can easily find private funding, since an economic return on the investment is virtually guaranteed. Others are more concerned with expanding knowledge and acquiring deeper understanding. This latter type of scientific investigation is usually not cost-effective. But these research experiments are the ones that contribute to human evolution the most – quantum physics, genetics or environmental studies, for example. Allowing the private sector and consumers to dictate where the research monies should be directed would allow for only profit-generating research, unless individual scientists can afford to fund their own research. Scientific experiments that fail to produce immediate returns on their investments are not entirely worthless. To value any research endeavour on this basis alone would only satisfy an economic model and not an evolutionary one.

A parallel can be drawn in the cultural sector. Should only commercial art works be created? Should artistic exploration and expression be limited to only those who directly generate an economic pay-off? Of course not. This kind of thinking is not only dangerously narrow-minded, but negates the creative potential of the human spirit.

5. “As an honest taxpayer, I am offended that some of my hard-earned money goes into the artists’ pockets.”

This belief is unfortunately more common than we think. People need to understand that this is not a fight between taxpayers and artists, since artists are taxpayers too. When an artist receives a grant, the majority of the money doesn’t end up in his or her pocket. Grant recipients hire a vast array of professionals: artistic, technical, administrative and promotional. All of these people are taxpayers. And remember that “nearly 1.1 million jobs can be attributed directly and indirectly to economic activity generated by culture sector industries, which represents 7.1% of Canada’s total employment”.

6. “I think artists are lazy and spoiled. They are only fighting to keep their special privileges.”

This is obviously a huge misconception. As we know, artists need to work very hard to earn a living from their art. It takes many years of study followed by consistent training to obtain and maintain a professional level. Furthermore, applying for grants is not easy. The availability of grants is limited, and most applicants are not successful.

Here are a few statistics about the realities of being an artist:

• With average annual earnings of $23,500, artists are in the lowest quarter of average earnings of all occupation groups, earning 26% less than the average Canadian worker.

• A typical dancer, musician, singer or other performer earns only about $10,000 per year.

• Female, aboriginal and visible minority artists have particularly low average earnings.

• 54% of non-profit arts and culture organizations report annual revenues of $30,000 or less. Only 7% have annual revenues of $500,000 or more.

• As reported in 2007 by the Conference Board of Canada, cultural exports are greatly eclipsed by imports, leaving a net trade deficit in the cultural sector.

7. “I think artists are elitists. I don’t relate to their pompous little world.”

We must make everyone realize that the average artist is a normal, down-to-earth person. And yes, of course, there is a bit of elitism in the cultural sector. But isn’t there elitism in any specialized field? What makes Olympic athletes any less elitist than distinguished artists? Nothing, really. Aren’t we all proud when a Canadian athlete competes on an international level? Shouldn’t we then all feel the same when one of our artists is recognized and acclaimed internationally? I certainly hope the answer to this question is a resounding “Yes!”

8. “I don’t get contemporary art. Therefore, it is stupid.”

This is another widely held sentiment. What everyone must understand is that art, and especially contemporary art, is not always about accessibility and pleasurable entertainment. Art pushes boundaries. It raises questions. It comments on the world. It reveals humanity in all of its beauty and horror. It explores the abstract concepts of line, movement, sound, texture, colour and time, often from very unusual perspectives. Art exposes joy and agony. It allows us to dive within the depths of the indescribable world of another human being. Effort may be required to experience its value.

And that’s a good thing. It is not a new concept. Many artists and creators, whose work we applaud today, were at first not appreciated by their contemporaries. Many of the things we enjoy today as “normal entertainment” have been directly influenced by these originally misunderstood works.

That’s exactly what evolution is all about. The challenging works of today will shape the world of tomorrow.

I personally like to draw a parallel between contemporary art and gourmet cuisine. It takes some basic knowledge and life experience to fully savour a wonderful gastronomic experience. Would you bring your five-year-old child to an award-winning French-Asian fusion restaurant for a twelve-course tasting menu? Chances are, this is not going to work so well. But if you gradually introduce your child to different types of food and educate him or her accordingly, it is more than likely that as an adult, he or she will be able to relish the greatest treasures of culinary art. While the experience can’t be quantified in an economic way, there is no doubt that if he or she is in a position to value it, this will enrich his or her life.

This happens with art. Art takes time, education and patience. In our technological era, this can be a particularly challenging sell. And it’s all worth it. But of course, not everything is for everyone. Artists themselves do not like all works or artistic movements. And that’s normal. We all have our personal tastes. But it certainly doesn’t mean that contemporary art has zero value because someone had a single bad experience. Saying, “I went to a modern dance show once and I hated it, so I am done,” is essentially equivalent to saying, “I watched a Hollywood movie once and I hated it, so I am done.”

And really, who could pretend they understand and appreciate all of science, economics, or sports? Only a very few, if any. Does this mean these fields deserve to be ridiculed? Obviously not. They deserve our respect, and so do arts and culture.

9. “I heard that artists are asking people to boycott the SunTV News Network following Krista Erickson’s interview with dance icon Margie Gillis. Isn’t this an attack on freedom of expression? Shouldn’t the artists support expression? Isn’t Ms. Erickson allowed to have her own opinions and express them like artists do?”

This is a big one, and certainly not the first time the limits of freedom of expression beg to be defined, because even freedom of expression must have its limits. Of course, Erickson is allowed to have her own opinions and she is certainly allowed to express them. We all agree that it is healthy to question or even confront certain ideas. In this case, as in many others, the important factor is context. If the conversation between Erickson and Gillis had happened privately, for instance during a party, it would have been a different story. Erickson’s views – though rudely expressed – would have simply been just that: her privately held opinions. But this conversation was not private. It was public. Erickson’s professional responsibility (as stated by the CBSC/CAB Code of Ethics) is to ensure that the news is represented “with accuracy and without bias”. When Erickson chose to abandon her code of ethics and launch a personal attack on Gillis, she demonstrated the awesome power that the media possess, but not the journalistic responsibility that should attend it. This was not journalism; it was bullying.

Journalistic ethics aside, the argument for unbounded freedom of expression runs amok when freedom of expression is used as a cover for hurtful behaviour. Think about it: if a school student bullies another one, can we really accuse the victim of attacking the freedom of expression of his aggressor when the victim asks him to stop? Would this mean that the school principal is against freedom of expression because he punished the bully for his actions? If freedom of expression has no end, and SunTV News Network supporters can accuse artists of attacking it when they complain about Erickson’s treatment of Gillis, then in return, SunTV supporters should be considered equally at fault for criticizing those who protest. The result is an incessant spiral where we’re all constantly wrong, just for having an opinion. “Freedom of expression at all costs” has the potential to destroy the foundational value of mutual respect (which constitutes the very fabric of Canadian society) and can only lead to disaster: abusive behaviour, totalitarian thinking – or worse – complete silence.

Now, within the context of “freedom of expression”, I can understand the articles of Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy, even though I don’t agree with them. We live in a free society, and that’s something in which we all should take pride. But I believe that the SunTV News Network is a serious threat to the democratic process, professional integrity, political fairness, Canadian journalistic standards and, ironically, freedom of expression. We must stop this completely biased, aggressive and disrespectful “journalism” in our country as soon as possible. “Let it be” is not an acceptable option. If you don’t believe me, I invite you to watch the infamous interview with Margie Gillis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUfKrQpQbg (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPIuDql8vo0&feature=related (part 2)

Then watch this documentary about Fox News in the United States. As you will see, it is very easy to draw parallels between Fox News and SunTV.

http://documentaryheaven.com/outfoxed-rupert-murdochs-war-on-journalism-documentary/

The major reason why anti-cultural smear campaigns resonate with some sectors of our population is that they perpetuate well-established stereotypes regarding the arts community. While turning inward to our own arts communities is a necessary and natural reaction in the face of media-generated guerilla attacks (circling the wagons, so to speak), we must understand that our survival depends on our ability to connect in a meaningful way with the people who influence and impact the arts. Failure to do so is cultural suicide.

So there it is. The “war” has begun. And we have to stand up for ourselves. Our weapons are knowledge, creativity, open-mindedness, receptivity, compassion, teamwork and action. Will you join the ranks? ~


Louis Laberge-Côté is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and rehearsal director. A former dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre and the Kevin O’Day Ballett Nationaltheater Mannheim, he is currently freelancing in Toronto.

I would like to thank Michael Caldwell, Renée Côté, Tara Gonder and Claude Lamothe for their valuable help in writing this article.


To be pro-active in the fight against the SunTV News Network, please follow these easy steps:

1. Do not watch SunTV and avoid visiting their website as they receive money from their sponsors each time you do so.

2. Ask the CRTC (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/G8.HTM) to remove SunTV from basic cable programming. As of now, it is regulated that SunTV is included in basic cable, which means that your cable TV provider won’t be able to do anything if you ask them to remove this channel from your bundle. Sadly, even if you never watch it, SunTV will still make money out of your pocket since you are paying for basic cable.

3. Sign the petition (through Twitter) to ask the CRTC to remove SunTV from basic cable programming (http://twitition.com/6v4go).

4. If SunTV ends up not being under basic cable regulations, ask your cable TV provider to remove it from your bundle.

5. Join the “Boycott Sun News Network” Facebook group. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Sun-News-Network-Canada/207042459328166)

6. Notify SunTV advertisers (you’ll find a list and contact info below) that if they support the channel, you will boycott their business. This is particularly effective with profit-driven entities such as Quebecor, owner of SunTV News.

7. Write to your Member of Parliament (http://www.parl.gc.ca/SenatorsMembers.aspx?Language=e) and ask him or her to take the issue to the House of Commons. Canada is a democratic country in which all opinions should be expressed respectfully and with intelligence.

8. Do not send aggressive messages to Krista Erickson directly. She is apparently using these statements to back-up her pretense that the cultural sector is full of bullies.~

SunTV News Sponsors | Commanditaires de SunTV News

Acura
Web: http://acura.ca/contact_us | http://acura.ca/contactez-nous
Tel.: 1-888-9-ACURA-9 (1-888-922-8729)

American Express
Tel.: 1-800-869-3016

Adobe
Web: http://www.adobe.com/

Bell
Email | Courriel: relations.clients@bell.ca

Disney
Web: http://disney.go.com/guestservices/contact


Honda
Web: http://www.honda.ca/contact_us | http://www.honda.ca/contactez-nous
Tel.: 1-888-9-HONDA-9 (1-888-946-6329)

ING direct
Web: http://www.ingdirect.ca/en/aboutus/contactus/index.html | http://www.ingdirect.ca/fr/aboutus/contactus/index.html
Tel.: 1-800-464-3473

Mastercard
Web: http://www.mastercard.com/ca/company/en/contact_us.html

Netflix
Web: http://ca.netflix.com/ContactUs?lnkctr=cuPh&show=true
Tel.: 1-877-320-4701

Canada Post
Web: http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/support/helpcentre/others/find.jsf | http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/support/helpcentre/others/find.jsf?LOCALE=fr
Tel.: 1-866-607-6300

Rogers
Web: https://www.rogers.com/web/content/contactus | https://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=NEW_GCT&_nfls=true&setLanguage=fr&template=contactus
Tel.: 416-764-2000

Telus
Web: http://www.telusmobility.com/en/QC/contact/index.shtml
Tel.: 1-866-558-2273

Westjet
Web: http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/contact/index.shtml | http://www.westjet.com/guest/fr/contact/index.shtml
Tel.: 1-888-937-8538

******************************************************

La « guerre culturelle » :
Outils pour les artistes et les amoureux des arts
De Louis Laberge-Côté

La « guerre » est déclarée au Canada.

La « guerre culturelle » canadienne, comme Stéphane Baillargeon (Le Devoir) l’a nommée, semble avoir d’un côté le secteur culturel, et de l’autre la société multimilliardaire Quebecor. Pendant les derniers mois, le secteur culturel fut l’objet de nombreuses attaques, incluant les fameux articles de Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy du Journal de Montréal et l’infâme « journalisme au bazooka » (Le Devoir, 13 juin) de Krista Erickson sur les ondes du SunTV News Network. Est-ce par hasard que la majorité de ces attaques furent diffusées par le biais de propriétés de Quebecor ? Est-ce une coïncidence que ces attaques ont radicalement augmenté, tant en nombre qu’en hostilité, depuis les dernières élections fédérales ? Je n’ai pas de réponses à ces questions et je vous laisse en tirer vos propres conclusions. Mais une chose est sûre : les artistes canadiens, les employés du secteur culturel et les amoureux des arts doivent se préparer pour ce qui semble être le début de temps extrêmement difficiles.

Malheureusement, considérant le dommage qui est régulièrement perpétué dans les médias ces jours-ci, nous, partisans des arts, ne pouvons vivre plus longtemps dans le silence. Chacun d’entre nous se doit d’être engagé dans la diffusion d’information véridique et honnête sur qui nous sommes, ce que nous faisons et pourquoi nous croyons que les arts sont importants. Nous devons aussi nous préparer adéquatement afin d’être capables de répondre à l’ignorance, au mépris et même à l’hostilité avec un esprit informé, un cœur ouvert et une âme solide.

J’ai préparé une série de questions-réponses qui, je crois, constituent le fond du débat sur le financement des arts, incluant mes réflexions sur la pensée de Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy, quelques clarifications sur la « liberté d’expression » et une liste de suggestions par rapport à l’outrage journalistique qu’est le SunTV News Network. Je suis conscient que cet article est un peu long, mais s’il vous plaît, prenez le temps de le lire et partagez-le ensuite avec votre entourage. J’espère que ces outils nous aideront à analyser le sujet en profondeur, et à affirmer notre opposition avec intelligence, calme et sensibilité.

Alors, la grosse question dans la guerre culturelle canadienne :

« Pourquoi le gouvernement devrait-il financer les arts s’ils ne sont pas économiquement rentables ? »

À cette question (tout à fait valable), je propose trois réponses :

1. Cela contribue à l’économie du pays.
2. Les gens cultivés sont plus heureux, intelligents, compatissants et en santé.
3. Cela crée de la richesse culturelle qui contribue à l’évolution humaine.

La plupart d’entre nous sont d’accord pour dire que les deux dernières réponses sont les plus importantes. Mais nous devons être conscients qu’elles ne convaincront pas ceux investis d’un esprit économiste, surtout s’ils ne voient pas la valeur des arts. Et comme la plupart des objections au financement public des arts viennent d’un point de vue économiste, nous devons aussi connaître les faits pour pouvoir répondre aux questions sur leur viabilité économique. Cela nous aidera à tenir un dialogue informé et une perspective solide en faveur des arts. Espérons qu’en ayant la capacité de discuter sur ce sujet de façon ouverte et éclairée, nous pourrons rallier quelques personnes, ou du moins adoucir certaines opinions.

Voici les plus communes critiques sur la validité économique et sociale du financement des arts et le rôle qu’ils jouent dans la structure culturelle et économique de notre société :

1. « Comment le financement des arts contribue-t-il à l’économie "(nous venions de dire que cela n'est pas économiquement rentable) ? »

Ce qu’il faut comprendre dans le cas présent, c’est que le profit direct occasionné par un événement artistique est relativement non significatif. L’aspect le plus important ici n’est pas de savoir si l’événement a reçu plus d’argent par la vente de billets que par des subventions gouvernementales. Il faut plutôt regarder les effets que l’événement génère à un niveau beaucoup plus général. Par exemple, à partir du moment où une petite compagnie de théâtre reçoit une subvention pour la création et la présentation d’un spectacle, une quantité considérable de transactions financières se succèdent :

• Du personnel artistique/technique/administratif/promotionnel est engagé (et paie des impôts sur leur revenu).

• Des studios de répétition et une salle de spectacle sont loués.

• Des affiches, des prospectus publicitaires, des petites annonces et des programmes de spectacles sont conçus, imprimés et distribués portant souvent les logos de commanditaires et d’autres commerces locaux.

• Les spectateurs paient leurs billets, utilisent le vestiaire, achètent des consommations au bar du théâtre et vont manger au restaurant avant ou après la représentation (laissant des pourboires aux serveurs) et se déplacent en voiture (souvent payant pour un stationnement dans les environs), en taxi ou en transport en commun

• Des critiques du spectacle circulent dans des journaux, des magazines, des postes de radio ou des blogues.

• Des amateurs de l’extérieur de la ville se déplacent pour assister au spectacle utilisant différents moyens de transport et réservent des chambres d’hôtel pour la durée de leur séjour.

• L’événement contribue à la scène culturelle de la ville, ce qui la rend plus attrayante aux touristes, ce qui engendre des revenus à long terme.

Il est facile de concevoir que l’impact économique d’une petite production de théâtre va beaucoup plus loin que ce qui se passe à la billetterie les jours de spectacle. Sachant cela, il y a tout lieu de considérer le financement des arts comme un investissement collectif profitable qui stimule l’économie locale et nationale.

Voici quelques arguments pour appuyer cette affirmation :

• La valeur ajoutée des industries du secteur culturel à l’économie canadienne a totalisé 46 milliards de dollars en 2007.

• Cette même année, les contributions directes et indirectes ont fait grimper les retombées du secteur culturel à un total de 84,6 milliards de dollars, soit 7,4 % du produit national brut du Canada.

• Toujours la même année, les investissements en culture ne représentaient que 0,7 % des dépenses fédérales, pour un secteur qui a généré 7,4 % du PNB.

• Le secteur culturel a généré approximativement 25 milliards de dollars en taxes à tous les niveaux de gouvernement en 2007, ce qui est trois fois plus que les 7,9 milliards qui y furent investis à tous les niveaux de gouvernement la même année.

• 616 000 Canadiens sont directement employés par le secteur culturel, ce qui est le double du niveau d’emploi du secteur forestier (300 000) et plus du double du niveau d’emploi du secteur bancaire (257 000).

• Près de 1,1 million d’emplois peuvent être attribués directement et indirectement à l’activité économique générée par les industries du secteur culturel, ce qui représente 7,1 % du niveau d’emploi total du Canada.

• La main-d’œuvre associée à la culture a augmenté de 31 % pendant la dernière décennie.

• Le consommateur canadien moyen a dépensé deux fois plus d’argent pour assister à des spectacles des arts de la scène que pour assister à des événements sportifs.

• Le secteur culturel est un marché en expansion.

Clairement, les investissements gouvernementaux dans le secteur culturel sont plus que profitables en ce qui concerne les revenus générés au sein de l’économie canadienne. Couper ces montants pour aider l’économie n’a alors absolument aucun sens.

2. « Est-ce que les gens cultivés sont réellement plus heureux, intelligents, compatissants et en santé ? »

Bien qu’il semble évident qu’un environnement créatif et stimulant ait un effet positif sur le bien-être général de tous, certains gardent tout de même leurs réserves.

Voici quelques informations que vous pouvez partager avec eux :

• Les arts et la culture jouent un rôle important dans au moins sept des douze déterminants de la santé tels que définis par Santé Canada.

• Les arts ont un impact bénéfique sur les étudiants dans six domaines spécifiques : lecture et langage, mathématiques, capacité à raisonner, capacités sociales, motivation à apprendre et environnements scolaires positifs.

• Selon Hill Strategies, utiliser les arts et la culture auprès de groupes marginalisés et des personnes du troisième âge a entraîné une performance académique supérieure, un meilleur « succès dans la vie » et une capacité à résoudre des problèmes sociaux difficiles.

• De récentes recherches en Suède ont démontré la corrélation positive entre l’assistance à des spectacles et à des événements culturels et un meilleur bien-être en plus d’une longévité accrue.

• Le renommé chercheur et professeur danois Bengt-Åke Lundvall a clairement démontré que les pays qui s’en tirent le mieux économiquement et politiquement sont précisément ceux qui ont délibérément contribué à un « climat créatif et culturel ».

• Les organisations artistiques et culturelles utilisent les services de plus de 930 000 bénévoles au Canada.

• Les Canadiens qui ont assisté à des représentations de musique, de théâtre ou de danse en 2005 furent 31 % plus enclins à devenir bénévoles pour une cause quelconque.

• Les Canadiens qui ont assisté à des spectacles théâtraux étaient 16 % plus enclins à avoir une forte identité nationale.

3. « Qu’est-ce que la richesse culturelle et comment contribue-t-elle à l’évolution humaine ? »

Cette déclaration est plus difficile à démontrer puisque la richesse culturelle est intangible et dès lors difficile à mesurer. Mais, si nous y pensons un peu, son existence et ses effets sur notre vie sont assez évidents. Pouvons-nous quantifier l’influence de Beethoven ? Pouvons-nous chiffrer le nombre de personnes inspirées par ses créations ? Pouvons-nous mesurer jusqu’à quel point elles furent transformées ? Non.

Mais nous sommes tous d’accord (même ceux qui n’apprécient pas la musique romantique) pour dire que son œuvre est considérable et importante. Et elle a, sans aucun doute, contribué à l’évolution humaine. Pouvez-vous imaginer un monde sans musique, film, danse, sculpture, mode vestimentaire, dessin, chant, théâtre, littérature, architecture, photographie, gastronomie, poésie, peinture ou calligraphie ? Que resterait-il ? Quel genre de vie vivrions-nous ? Quel genre d’humain serions-nous ? L’idée d’un tel monde me fait peur et m’attriste.

Bien sûr, tout artiste n’est pas nécessairement un Beethoven. Mais chaque artiste propulse l’humanité en avant, que nous appréciions son travail ou non. N’est-ce pas extraordinaire de savoir que l’existence d’œuvres artistiques remonte à l’aube de l’humanité ? Cela ne devrait-il pas tous nous prouver qu’il y a, en l’être humain, un besoin très profond de s’exprimer de façon artistique ? Les gens qui prétendent ne pas aimer les arts sont souvent inconscients qu’ils en sont constamment entourés. Et ils aiment ça ! Par exemple, lorsque Krista Erickson essaie de convaincre son public que le financement des arts est un terrible gaspillage, le médium qu’elle utilise est submergé par les arts : conception graphique, éclairage et décor, environnement musical, mise en scène, rédaction du scénario, mode vestimentaire, maquillage, coiffure, etc. Pratiquement tout autour d’elle à ce moment est influencé par le travail que des artistes ont accompli dans le passé. Pouvez-vous imaginer la même émission télévisée avec un simple éclairage blanc, aucun décor, aucune musique, un langage primitif de base, aucun maquillage et une terne étoffe comme vêtement ?

Manifestement, ce ne serait pas la même chose. Ce serait gravement ennuyeux. Et voilà comment serait un monde sans les arts.

4. « D’accord, les arts sont importants. Mais je ne pense pas qu’ils devraient être financés par l’État. Pourquoi ne peuvent-ils pas suivre les règles de base de l’offre et de la demande comme tout le reste ? »

Ceci est la base du discours de Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy. Elle va encore plus loin en prétendant que cela n’est pas un débat entre les idéologies de gauche et de droite. Selon elle, ce débat est entre la liberté et l’étatisme. C’est une stratégie intelligente de sa part. Vivant à Montréal, elle sait qu’elle est principalement entourée de gens « de gauche ». Dans cet environnement, il paraît décidément plus noble d’affirmer « je me bats pour la liberté » que d’avouer « je me bats pour le conservatisme ». Mais est-ce que couper le financement public des arts contribuerait réellement à un monde plus libre ?

De plusieurs façons, l’exploration artistique s’apparente à la recherche scientifique. Dans la communauté scientifique, certaines recherches sont de nature si clairement commerciale qu’il est facile de trouver du financement privé puisqu’un profit est presque assuré. D’autres recherches s’intéressent principalement à l’élargissement des connaissances et à l’acquisition d’une compréhension plus profonde du monde qui nous entoure. Ce genre d’investigation scientifique n’est généralement pas profitable à court terme. Mais ce sont justement ces recherches qui contribuent le plus à l’évolution humaine ; les études environnementales, la physique quantique ou la génétique, par exemple. Laisser le secteur privé et le consommateur dicter la répartition de la richesse ne permettrait qu’aux recherches à but lucratif d’aller de l’avant, à moins qu’un chercheur ne décide de financer ses propres expériences. Les expériences scientifiques qui ne produisent pas de profits immédiats ne sont pas complètement sans valeur. Déterminer la valeur des recherches uniquement sur une base lucrative ne soutiendrait qu’un modèle économique, et non évolutionnaire.

La même chose s’applique au secteur culturel. Les œuvres dʼordre commerciales sont-elles les seules qui méritent de voir le jour ? Lʼexploration artistique devrait-elle se limiter aux recherches qui génèrent des profits ? Bien sûr que non. Ce genre de discours est non seulement dangereusement étroit d’esprit, il renie le potentiel de l’esprit humain.

5. « En tant qu’honnête contribuable, je suis offusqué de savoir qu’une partie de mon argent durement gagné va dans les poches des artistes. »

Cette opinion est malheureusement plus répandue que nous ne le croyons. Ce que nous devons comprendre, c’est qu’il ne s’agit pas ici d’une bataille entre les contribuables d’un côté et les artistes de l’autre. Les artistes sont des contribuables. Lorsqu’un artiste reçoit une subvention, la majorité de l’argent ne va pas dans ses poches. Comme je l’ai déjà mentionné, les récipiendaires de subventions engagent un large éventail de professionnels d’ordre artistique, technique, administratif et promotionnel. Tous sont des contribuables. Et rappelez-vous que « près de 1,1 million d’emplois peuvent être attribués directement et indirectement à l’activité économique générée par les industries du secteur culturel, ce qui représente 7,1 % du niveau d’emploi total du Canada ».

6. « Je pense que les artistes sont paresseux et gâtés. Ils ne se battent que pour conserver leurs privilèges spéciaux. »

Ceci est évidemment une perception fausse. Comme nous le savons, les artistes doivent travailler très fort pour vivre de leur passion. Cela prend plusieurs années d’études suivies d’un entraînement constant pour obtenir et maintenir un niveau professionnel. Pour le même niveau d’éducation, d’expérience et de sacrifice, les artistes feraient beaucoup plus d’argent s’ils travaillaient dans d’autres secteurs. De plus, faire une demande de subvention n’est pas chose facile. Le nombre de bourses est limité et la majorité des candidats ne reçoivent pas la subvention qu’ils demandent.

Voici quelques statistiques sur la réalité des artistes :

• Avec des revenus annuels moyens de 23 500 $, les artistes sont dans le plus bas quart de revenus moyens annuels de tous les groupes de métiers, gagnant 26 % moins d’argent que le travailleur canadien moyen.

• En général, un danseur, musicien, chanteur ou autre artiste de la scène ne gagne qu’environ 10 000 $ par année.

• Les femmes, les autochtones et les minorités visibles du milieu artistique ont des revenus particulièrement bas.

• 54 % des organisations artistiques et culturelles à but non lucratif ont des revenus annuels de 30 000 $ ou moins. Seulement 7 % de ces organisations ont des revenus annuels de 500 000 $ ou plus.

• Les exportations culturelles sont grandement éclipsées par les importations, laissant un déficit net dans le secteur culturel.

7. « Je pense que les artistes sont élitistes. Je n’ai rien à voir avec leur petit monde arrogant. »

Une chose que nous devons faire réaliser aux gens qui pensent de la sorte est que l’artiste moyen est une personne tout à fait normale et terre-à-terre. Oui, bien sûr, il y a un peu d’élitisme dans le secteur culturel. Mais n’y a-t-il pas de l’élitisme dans tous les champs spécialisés ? Qu’est-ce qui rend un athlète olympique moins élitiste qu’un artiste distingué ? Rien, vraiment. Ne sommes-nous pas tous fiers lorsqu’un de nos illustres athlètes compétitionne à un niveau international ? Ne devrions-nous pas sentir la même fierté lorsqu’un de nos artistes est reconnu et applaudi internationalement ? J’espère que la réponse à cette question est un « oui ! » crié haut et fort.

8. « Je ne comprends pas l’art contemporain, donc c’est stupide. »

Cet évident sophisme est une autre croyance très répandue. Ce qu’il faut comprendre ici c’est que l’art, et particulièrement l’art contemporain, n’a pas toujours comme mission d’offrir un divertissement accessible et agréable. L’art repousse nos limites. Il soulève des questions. Il commente le monde. Il révèle l’humanité dans toute sa gloire et son horreur. Il explore les concepts abstraits de la ligne, du mouvement, du son, de la texture, de la couleur et du temps, souvent d’une perspective inhabituelle. Il expose la joie et l’agonie. Il met au défi nos conceptions du vrai, du beau et du réel. Il nous permet de plonger dans les profondeurs indescriptibles du monde d’un autre être humain. Un effort peut être nécessaire pour apprécier sa valeur.

Et cela est une bonne chose. Et il n’y a rien de nouveau là-dedans. Maintes œuvres largement applaudies de nos jours furent très peu appréciées à l’époque de leur création. Et plusieurs des choses que nous qualifions aujourd’hui de « divertissements normaux » sont grandement influencées par des œuvres incomprises à l’époque de leur création.

Et c’est exactement ce qu’est l’évolution. Les œuvres difficiles d’aujourd’hui transformeront le monde de demain.

J’aime personnellement faire un parallèle entre l’art contemporain et la haute cuisine. Des connaissances de base et une expérience de vie minimum sont nécessaires pour en savourer pleinement la valeur. Amèneriez-vous votre enfant de cinq ans dans un chic restaurant de fusion française et asiatique pour un menu dégustation de douze services de cuisine moléculaire ? Il y a fort à parier que les choses n’iront pas très bien. Mais si vous donnez à votre enfant l’occasion de connaître différents types de nourriture et si vous l’éduquez en conséquence, il est plus que probable qu’une fois adulte il se délectera des plus grands trésors de la gastronomie. Bien que l’expérience ne pourrait être quantifiée en termes économiques, il n’y a aucun doute que si votre enfant est capable d’apprécier la valeur d’un tel repas, cela enrichira sa vie.

La même chose va pour l’art. Cela prend du temps, de l’éducation et de la patience, ce qui, dans notre ère technologique, n’est pas toujours chose facile. Mais cela en vaut la peine. Toutefois, tout ne convient pas à tout le monde. Les artistes eux-mêmes n’apprécient pas toutes les œuvres ou courants artistiques. C’est normal. Nous avons tous nos goûts personnels. Mais cela ne veut pas dire que l’art contemporain n’a aucune valeur parce que nous avons eu une mauvaise expérience. Dire « je suis déjà allé à un spectacle de danse moderne et j’ai détesté, alors c’est fini pour moi ! » est l’équivalent de dire « j’ai déjà vu un film hollywoodien et j’ai détesté, alors c’est fini pour moi ! ».

Et honnêtement, qui pourrait prétendre tout comprendre et apprécier de la science, de la finance ou des sports ? Très peu d’entre nous sont à même de le faire. Ces domaines méritent-ils donc d’être ridiculisés ? Évidemment, non. Ils méritent notre respect. Tout comme l’art.

9. « J’ai entendu dire que les artistes demandent aux gens de boycotter le SunTV News Network suivant l’entrevue qu’a animée Krista Erickson avec la danseuse Margie Gillis. N’est-ce pas une attaque à la liberté d’expression ? Les artistes ne devraient-ils pas soutenir la liberté d’expression ? Erickson n’a-t-elle donc pas le droit de s’exprimer comme les artistes le font ? »

Très bonnes questions. Et ce n’est certainement pas la première fois que les limites de la liberté d’expression doivent être définies. Car, en effet, la liberté d’expression doit avoir des limites. Bien sûr, Erickson a le droit d’avoir ses opinions et elle a, bien entendu, le droit de les exprimer. Nous sommes tous d’accord qu’il soit sain de questionner ou même de confronter certaines idées. Dans ce cas, comme dans plusieurs autres, l’élément important est le contexte. Si la conversation entre Erickson et Gillis était survenue dans un contexte privé, disons pendant une soirée entre amis, cela aurait été une tout autre histoire. Le point de vue de Erickson, bien qu’exprimé impoliment, n’aurait été que cela : ses opinions partagées en privé. Mais cette conversation n’était pas privée. Elle était publique. Pire encore, cela était présenté comme étant de l’information journalistique. La responsabilité professionnelle d’Erickson (tel que déclaré dans le code de déontologie de l’ACR du CCNR) est de s’assurer que les nouvelles soient présentées « avec exactitude et impartialité ». Lorsqu’Erickson décida d’abandonner son code de déontologie pour lancer des attaques personnelles envers Margie Gillis, elle a clairement démontré le pouvoir des médias, mais pas la responsabilité journalistique qui devrait l’accompagner. Cela n’était pas du journalisme. C’était du harcèlement.

Mais responsabilité journalistique ou non, l’argument pour la liberté d’expression sans limites n’a absolument aucun sens lorsqu’il est utilisé pour justifier des comportements agressifs. Pensez-y un peu : si un étudiant dans une école primaire s’attaque à un autre, pouvons-nous accuser la victime d’aller à l’encontre de la liberté d’expression de son agresseur en lui demandant de cesser sa brutalité ? Cela voudrait-il dire que le directeur de l’école en question est contre la liberté d’expression s’il décide de punir l’élève violent ? Si la liberté d’expression n’a aucune fin et que les partisans de Sun News peuvent accuser les artistes d’être contre cette liberté en décidant de boycotter ce genre de journalisme, alors, en retour, les artistes devraient aussi pouvoir accuser les partisans de Sun News d’être tout aussi fautifs pour les critiquer. Le résultat est une incessante spirale où nous sommes tous constamment dans le tort simplement parce que nous avons une opinion. La liberté d’expression à tout prix a le potentiel de détruire la valeur fondamentale du respect mutuel (ce qui constitue la base de notre société) et ne peut que mener au désastre : comportements abusifs, pensée totalitaire, ou pire encore, le silence total.

Maintenant, dans le contexte de la liberté d’expression, je peux comprendre les articles de Nathalie Elgrably-Lévy, même si je suis en complet désaccord avec eux. Nous vivons dans une société libre, et c’est quelque chose dont nous pouvons être fiers. Mais je pense que le SunTV News Network représente une menace sérieuse à la démocratie, à l’intégrité professionnelle, à l’éthique politique, aux normes de base du journalisme canadien et, ironiquement, à la liberté d’expression. Nous devons absolument cesser ce journalisme agressif, partial, irrespectueux et méprisant dans notre pays le plus tôt possible. L’accepter n’est pas une option satisfaisante. Si vous ne me croyez pas, je vous invite à regarder la troublante entrevue avec Margie Gillis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUfKrQpQbg (première partie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPIuDql8vo0&feature=related (deuxième partie)

Visionnez ensuite ce documentaire sur le canal Fox News aux États-Unis. Comme vous le constaterez, il est très facile de faire des rapprochements entre SunTV et Fox News.

http://documentaryheaven.com/outfoxed-rupert-murdochs-war-on-journalism-documentary/

Les campagnes anticulturelles ont autant d'impact sur certains secteurs de la population principalement parce qu'elles perpétuent de vieux stéréotypes sur le milieu des arts. Bien que le repli sur soi-même soit une réaction naturelle devant l'adversité médiatique, nous devons comprendre que notre survie dépend de notre capacité de nous allier à ceux qui ont le pouvoir d'influencer le développement des arts dans notre pays. Ne pas le faire est un suicide culturel.

Alors, voilà. La guerre est commencée. Et nous devons nous rassembler. Nos armes : la connaissance, la créativité, l’ouverture d’esprit, la sensibilité, la compassion, le travail d’équipe et l’action. Joindrez-vous nos rangs ? ~

Louis Laberge-Côté est un danseur, chorégraphe, professeur et répétiteur. Un ancien interprète avec le Toronto Dance Theatre et le Kevin O'Day Ballett Nationaltheater Mannheim, il est présentement pigiste à Toronto.

Je tiens à remercier Michael Caldwell, Renée Côté, Tara Gonder et Claude Lamothe pour leur aide à la rédaction de ce texte.


Pour prendre part à la lutte contre le SunTV News Network, suivez ces étapes faciles :

1. Ne regardez jamais SunTV et évitez de visiter leur site Web puisqu’ils reçoivent de l’argent de leurs commanditaires chaque fois que vous le faites.

2. Demandez au CRTC (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/fra/info_sht/g8.htm) de retirer SunTV de la programmation de base du câble. Il est présentement réglementé que SunTV soit inclus dans la programmation de base du câble. Cela veut dire que votre câblodistributeur sera incapable de faire quoi que ce soit si vous lui demandez d’enlever SunTV de votre forfait. Malheureusement, même si vous ne le visionnez jamais, SunTV fera quand même de l’argent de votre poche, puisque vous payez pour le câble.

3. Signez la pétition (sur twitter) pour demander au CRTC de retirer SunTV de la programmation de base du câble (http://twitition.com/6v4go).

4. Si SunTV finit par ne plus être protégé par les règles sur la programmation de base du câble, demandez à votre câblodistributeur de le retirer de votre forfait. Notez que Vidéotron est une autre propriété de Quebecor.

5. Joignez-vous au groupe Facebook « Boycott Sun News Network » (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Sun-News-Network-Canada/207042459328166).

6. Informez les commanditaires de SunTV (vous trouverez une liste ci-dessous) que s’ils continuent de soutenir ce poste, vous boycotterez leur entreprise. Ceci est particulièrement efficace avec des compagnies à but lucratif telles que Québecor, propriétaire de SunTV.

7. Écrivez à votre député (http://www.parl.gc.ca/SenatorsMembers.aspx?Language=F) et demandez-lui de discuter de ce problème à la Chambre des Communes. Le Canada est un pays démocratique où toutes les opinions devraient être exprimées avec respect et intelligence.

8. N’envoyez aucun message agressif à Erickson. Elle accumule ces messages pour prouver que le secteur culturel est rempli de gens haineux. ~

SunTV News Sponsors | Commanditaires de SunTV News

Acura
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American Express
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ING direct
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Canada Post
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Tel.: 1-866-607-6300

Rogers
Web: https://www.rogers.com/web/content/contactus | https://www.rogers.com/web/Rogers.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=NEW_GCT&_nfls=true&setLanguage=fr&template=contactus
Tel.: 416-764-2000

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References | Références

“Finances of Performing Arts Organizations in Canada in 2006-2007”. Hill Strategies Research Inc. With data and financial support from Business for the Arts, November 2008.

“Social Effects of Culture: Detailed Statistical Models”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., prepared by Kelly Hill and Kathleen Capriotti, July 2008

“Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada’s Creative Economy”. The Conference Board of Canada, in collaboration with Canadian Heritage, March 2008.

“Factors in Canadians’ Cultural Activities”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., February 2008.

“Provincial Profiles of Cultural and Heritage Activities in 2005”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., October 2007.

“Cultural and Heritage Activities of Canadians in 2005”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., March 2007.

“Consumer Spending on Culture in Canada, the Provinces and 15 metropolitan Areas in 2005”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., February 2007.

“Artists in Large Canadian Cities”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., March 2006.

“Artists in Small and Rural Municipalities”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., February 2006.

“Key Stats on the Arts in Canada”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., May 2005.

“A Statistical Profile of Artists in Canada”. Hill Strategies Research Inc., September 2004.

“Arts and Culture Organizations in Canada”. National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations, Imagine Canada. Funded by the Government of Canada through the Voluntary Sector Initiative, 2006.

“The Arts in Canada: Access and Availability”. Research Study Final Report, prepared by Decima Research Inc. for Canadian Heritage, March 2002.

“Use or Ornament? : The social impact of participation in the arts”. Prepared by François Matarasso, 1997.

“A Statistical Profile of Artists in Canada: Based on the 2006 Census”. Hill Strategies Research, 2009.

“Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement”. (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2006) Hill strategies research, March 2011.

“Arts and Culture in Medicine and Health: A Survey Research Paper”. Cooley & Asso