Report: State of the Art(ist)

A Platform for Change
Report - Part One

Summary | Sommaire

Today, the environment in which dance artists operate is radically different than in decades past. New technologies, global interconnectedness and the changing nature of public engagement in the arts have been at the root of this change.

Aujourd’hui, le milieu de la danse diffère radicalement de celui des dernières décennies. Au coeur de cette transformation : les nouvelles technologies, la connectivité mondiale et la nature changeante de l’engagement public dans les arts.

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[More than ever] there is a need to take another look at some of the fundamental assumptions of how the arts are supported and sustained in Canada, including how public investment is distributed, what kinds of working models best facilitate the creation, production and distribution of art, where partnerships can be leveraged to better capitalize the sector, and how the arts can better engage with, and create value for the communities and audiences they serve. In the first of a three part series, dance artist and arts policy researcher Shannon Litzenberger explores strategies to create meaningful change within the Canadian dance and arts landscapes.

Plus que jamais, nous avons besoin de revoir les prémisses du financement et de la durabilité des arts au Canada, y compris la distribution des fonds publics, les modèles d’opération pour la création, la production et la diffusion de l’art, les partenariats qui pourraient mieux servir notre secteur, ainsi que l’engagement accru des arts dans les communautés et auprès des publics. Dans le premier volet d’une série en trois parties, Shannon Litzenberger, artiste de danse et chercheuse en politique des arts, explore des stratégies pour créer un changement systémique significatif dans le paysage de la danse et des arts au Canada.



Shannon Litzenberger is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, writer, director and arts advocate. Currently an Innovation Fellow at the Metcalf Foundation, she is exploring the changing relationship between arts policy and practice. As an independent dance artist, she recently presented her new dance production HOMEbody - lessons in prairie living... to critical acclaim. She is the recipient of the 2012 Jack McAllister Award for Accomplishment in Dance from Ryerson University.



Read Shannon’s report in the March/April 2013 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Lisez l'article intégral dans l’édition imprimée de mars/avril 2013 du Dance Current.

Dancing the Manifesto

A Celebration of National Dance Week April 22nd – April 29th

National Dance Week Message 2013


Vicki Adams Willis

The ancients had it right. They understood the vital role that dance and music play in connecting us to the gods, to our communities and, indeed, to our inner selves.

Les anciens l’avaient bien compris. Ils avaient tout à fait saisi le rôle vital de la danse et de la musique dans notre relation aux dieux, à notre communauté et, bien sûr, à nous-mêmes.

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Dance and music were the major mediums through which our disparate ancestors experienced, honoured and celebrated the “big picture” and practised an intrinsically holistic approach to life. When they danced, they nurtured and ignited their spirits while exercising their bodies, and they included everything from education and rites of passage to contemplation and celebration in the mix. Sometimes the entire community danced and sometimes it was up to the master dancers and musicians to communicate universal truths through their skilled performances and ceremonies.

Throughout National Dance Week let’s all remember why we dance. Yes, when we dance it feels good, but it’s more than that. As humans we are far more than flesh and blood and logical thinking, and the essence of dance addresses this in a profound and immediate way.

Happy National Dance Week and International Dance Day to all! ~ Vicki Adams Willis


La danse et la musique constituaient la principale voie par laquelle nos divers ancêtres expérimentaient, honoraient et célébraient l’univers. Ils envisageaient la vie de manière véritablement holistique et lorsqu’ils dansaient, ils nourrissaient et animaient leurs esprits, tout en exerçant leurs corps. L’éducation, les rites de passage, la contemplation et la célébration passaient tous par la danse et la musique. Parfois, c’est toute la communauté qui entrait dans la danse. Parfois, il incombait aux maîtres danseurs et musiciens de communiquer les vérités universelles par leurs habiles exécutions de spectacles et de cérémonies.
Pour la semaine nationale de la danse, rappelons-nous pourquoi nous dansons. Bien sûr, nous le faisons pour nous sentir bien, mais il y a plus que ça. Comme humains, nous sommes davantage que chair et raison, et la nature de la danse s’adresse justement à cela de façon profonde et immédiate.

Joyeuse semaine nationale de la danse et heureuse journée internationale de la danse à toutes et tous! ~ Vicki Adams Willis


Learn more >> cda-acd.ca

Check out the photo essay in the March/April 2013 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Regardez les photos dans l’édition imprimée de mars/avril 2013 du Dance Current.

Healthy Recipe: White Bean and Avocado Dip

Illustration by Nicole Bazuin

Homemade dips are versatile and provide protein and healthy omega fatty acids from the olive oil and avocado. Served on whole-grain crackers, this recipe provides a balance of all the macronutrients needed to keep you energized at home or on the road.

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2 cups cooked white or navy beans (you can used canned, but if you choose to prepare your own they are even healthier)
4 ripe avocados
4 garlic cloves
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 sprigs fresh or 1 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 cup lemon juice
Zest from half a lemon
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
Unbleached sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, combine beans, avocados, garlic, tarragon, parsley, lemon, red-pepper flakes and 6 tablespoons of water. Season with salt. Process until smooth. Serve sprinkled with red-pepper flakes, if desired.
Chill and let flavours develop for several hours before serving. Serve with whole-wheat pita chips, pumpernickel rye or flaxseed crackers. This dip is also terrific on grilled or boiled root vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes) or on a bed of arugula or salad greens.

This recipe was inspired by Avocado and White Bean Dip from marthastewart.com

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The Dancing Chiropractor

By Dr. Blessyl Buan

Blessyl Buan (2002) / Photo by Wendy Vaubel

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be many things. I wanted to be a doctor, a teacher, a mother and, secretly, I wanted to be a professional dancer. My story is about how a little dream can drive intention and how dreams of dance don’t have an expiry date.

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When I was in my third year at McMaster University studying kinesiology and juggling dance classes and shows, I was preparing to decide what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” Around the same time I was narrowing my career search, a talent agent who had noticed me at one of my shows asked to represent me. One year later, I submitted my application to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College just as my agent was insisting, “You need to audition for The Lion King. You’re booked to go.” Without hesitation, I packed my dance shoes and took the train to Toronto with a childhood dream tucked in my back pocket.

I arrived at the audition with confidence and an open mind. Gorgeous dancers with long legs, flexibility and lots of experience were everywhere. At the time, I had experience on stage, but was still pretty amateur. I was new to my agent’s roster of talent and, with a potential chiropractic career ahead of me, I had nothing to lose.

The first round was technique and across the floor combinations. To my surprise, the “Fosse girls” were being cut and I was still in the running. My mind was racing. I thought, “If I get cast and I also am accepted to chiropractic college, I’ll defer my entrance and dance after my undergrad!” What a plan.

The second round was choreography from the musical itself. The casting director was smiling at me. As I practiced the combo I just couldn’t get a beautiful battement line à la seconde. I thought, “Maybe they won’t notice.” However, they did notice and my name was called. I was cut. As I walked out, heartbroken, the choreographer yelled out, “Go to ballet class, ladies!” I peeked through the door to see the audition continue. From that point, I gave up on dancing.

Blessyl as Lululemon Ambassador / Photo by Bruce Zinger

If I transplant myself back to that time, I see myself internalizing the message, “You are not good enough for this level. You are not a REAL dancer.” When I watched the production a few months later and looked at the bios and headshots in the program, I cried. It’s amazing how rejection can make an impact especially when you are at a crossroad. It took eight years for me to understand that it was a necessary experience.

My aspiration to be a chiropractor was also strong at this time in my life. One year earlier I had been experiencing chronic groin and hamstring strains while performing. It was later attributed to a sacroiliac joint problem. In Toronto, I met Dr. Julie Houle, a former ballerina with The National Ballet of Canada. She was the first practitioner to tell me that I didn’t need to quit dancing while I was injured. Her approach and way of educating inspired me. I would travel to her Toronto clinic monthly even though I was studying in Hamilton. It was through meeting her that I decided to combine my two passions: healing and dance.

In 2001, I started my four-year program at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and vowed that when I graduated, I would teach dancers how to be injury free, and I would improve their dance technique by being a sound practitioner and teacher. In my second year, I was awarded the Robert J. Cannon Award, given to the student who shows promise in contributing to dance health upon graduation. Reading books and writing exams consumed my time. Although I had said “goodbye” to my dance career, my hunger for it continued and dance eventually called me back under the light – except this time it was for film and television. A friend encouraged me to audition for a commercial that needed dancers. I booked it and became hooked. These types of dance contracts were short and allowed me to work as a dancer while studying.

Blessyl on set during Dairy Farmer's Milk Rap Commercial (2002)

During my four years of pursuing my Doctor of Chiropractic designation, I gained experience working on a dance series, a CBC documentary, a music video, a variety show and several commercials. I also earned my apprentice status for ACTRA. My experiences taught me what it was like to be a working dancer and also that dancers have specific needs for performance. I also started to teach hip hop classes as my part-time job and opened my own hip hop school with weekly classes on Sundays for youth and adults. It was called “choreograFIT: the choreographed solution to fitness”. I managed to juggle both worlds – dance and school – and graduated in 2005 as a chiropractor with professional commercial dance experience under my belt.

As I entered the workforce, I started to believe that my dance days were over again since I had to focus on building a practice. I also got married and began a family. But a friend once again encouraged me to audition. I was four months pregnant when I booked a commercial in which I had to dance in front of a green screen. My wardrobe mysteriously didn’t fit but I didn’t tell the director I was expecting. We figured something out and my first-born gave me little kicks when the music cued.

From that point, I continued to take ballet and contemporary drop-in classes as part of my fitness routine. (I also secretly hoped that a dance contract would come my way again and these classes also served as training.) My chiropractic practice grew throughout the years and my inclusion of Pilates, chiropractic and acupuncture techniques and treatment helped dancers and non-dancers learn about their bodies and to be injury free. For seven years I treated both emerging and professional performing artists and dedicated myself to being a resource for education, rehabilitation and treatment for my patients.

In July 2012, with the coaxing of yet another good friend, I auditioned and was cast with ten local dancers to perform with the lead actors of the movie Step Up Revolution 3 on Much Music’s live show New Music Live. At the age of thirty-three and a mother of two I was laughing inside: I was dancing with nineteen and twenty year olds who assumed I was also their age. The experience definitely gave me some validation!

Blessyl in Step Up Revolution Flash Mob for New Music Live at Much Music (2012)

These days, my oldest daughter is taking dance classes and it’s been a catalyst for me to target dance studios and dance educators on how to ensure that dancers are being trained safely. On September 16th, 2012, I spoke at the Healthy Dancer Canada Conference in Vancouver about “Achieving the perfect line: Demystifying flexibility and stability in dance training”. The presentation was well received and I plan to speak at future conferences and organizations. Recently I was invited to be a part of the Healthy Dancer Screening Committee for Healthy Dancer Canada and I’ll be a speaker at the Performing Arts Medicine Association’s regional meeting in Toronto in 2013.

As a practitioner, I can truly empathize with the dancer’s desire to be free from injury and the anxieties they experience whether they are working or between contracts. It’s knowledge that I gained from being a working dancer. I am very fortunate to juggle both careers.

Dr. Blessyl Buan / Photo by Ryan Buan

As a mature dancer, I embrace the changes in my physicality. There are other ways to showcase your body as you age. Interestingly, I am much more confident in my own skin now than when I was younger and had the flexibility and physique that I didn’t appreciate at the time.

This is what I have learned: dance is an extension of your heart. Dance is wearing your emotions on your body through movement. Under this definition, dance never ages and so your relationship with it should never end. In actuality, dance becomes more colourful as you age. I want a new generation of dancers to dance with no regrets and to have the tools to be successful. Being a healer and a dancer is my life’s work. It is both my intention and my passion to be a practitioner who is knowledgeable to treat and educate the performing artist; I can be genuinely empathetic to their needs because I am also one of them.

Your childhood dreams are messages of what you intend to become. At thirty-four years of age I can honestly say that I am a doctor, a teacher, a mother and a professional dancer. It took the writing of this article for me to appreciate my ongoing journey. For that I am both humbled and grateful.


On January 27th at 2:30pm at the Creswell Dance Academy in Toronto, Dr. Buan will lead a workshop in Acuball for Dancers. The Accuball Mini is a tool for self-care between class and rehearsals to prevent injuries. Participants will learn breathing techniques as well as ways to scan the body and release muscle tension. info@drblessyl.com for more info.

Dr. Blessyl Buan, B. Kin (Hons), DC, Dip. AC, Pilates, practices chiropractic, medical acupuncture and rehabilitative Pilates. As a professional dancer, she has a passion to educate and prevent injuries of the performing artist. Find Dr. Blessyl Buan on Facebook or Twitter, @drblessyl.

Canadian Arts Coalition’s Arts Day on the Hill

Report by Shannon Litzenberger

Tuesday October 23rd marked the Canadian Arts Coalition’s annual Arts Day on Parliament Hill. Building on four years of positive momentum, Arts Day 2012 welcomed over 130 arts supporters from across the country – converging under the banner of the Canadian Arts Coalition to advance a common message.

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The Coalition’s membership includes artists, arts organizations, business leaders, volunteers and audience members from all corners of the country – effectively the largest consortium of arts, culture and heritage supporters in Canada. The Coalition is non-partisan, 100% volunteer-led and receives no government funding – important features that have contributed to the Coalition’s reputation as a credible arts policy advisor. It is led by a dedicated Steering Committee that includes Co-Chairs Katherine Carleton (Orchestras Canada) and Éric Dubeau (Fédération Culturelle Canadienne-Française), as well as Melissa Gruber (CARFAC – Canadian Artists Representation – Le Front des artistes canadiens), Sarah Iley (Canadian Arts Summit), Bastien Gilbert (Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec), and myself (Business for the Arts).

Arts Day participants shared a common goal and strategic message, carefully crafted by the Coalition and focused on consensus issues within the sector that are reasonably aligned with Government interests and priorities. This year’s message focused on two key policy priorities, the first of which was to ensure critical program renewals at the Department of Canadian Heritage. A suite of programs re-packaged by the Conservative government in 2009 is set to expire in 2015. These programs are currently under review by the Department and include the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, the Canada Arts Training Fund, the Canada Cultural Investment Fund and the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. A total of $80 million is up for renewal.

The second priority is one that has been championed by the Coalition since its inception in 2005: continued and increased support for the Canada Council for the Arts. Given the Government’s careful management of economic recovery at this time, our message was framed around sustained support with consideration for increased investment as the Canadian economy continues to recover. Last year the Coalition’s Arts Day helped to protect the Canada Council from potential cuts, in a context of spending reductions across all departments as part of the Government’s Deficit Reduction Action Plan.

A record number of 115 meetings were scheduled this year with MPs, Ministers, Senators and senior officials from all parties. Key meetings included Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Heritage Paul Calandra, Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal Leader Bob Rae, and senior officials at the Department of Finance. Heritage Minister James Moore was unable to meet with us this year, as he was at home in his riding. Moore has been an important champion of the Coalition and our work, mentioning us recently on the CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos show as effectively advocating for sustained investment in the Canada Council for the Arts. Moore tweeted supportively during #artsday and commended the Coalition for our friendly and productive approach. Watch his impromptu speech from the 2011 Arts Day reception here.

Arts Day participants were prepared with MP biographies, notes from past Coalition meetings with the MP, and profiles of arts activity in the MP’s riding. With the help of Government Relations firm Ensight Canada, attendees were also briefed on the politics and protocol of Arts Day. They were encouraged to frame key messages in the context of their own work, illustrating the impact of investment through personal stories and narratives that connect to the MP’s local constituency. For some MPs this is an important educational piece and for others a chance to express pride for the artistic activity taking place in their home communities.

Arts Day closed with a lively reception hosted by Deputy Speaker Joe Comartin. The room was beyond full and many MPs who were unable to meet with us during the day made brief appearances. Canadian actor and Queen’s University Political Science grad Graham Abbey of The Border offered a few compelling words on the importance of government investment in the arts, following an equally supportive and impassioned speech from Deputy Speaker Comartin.

The strategic approach to advocacy employed by the Canadian Arts Coalition has paid dividends over the years, as we are now recognized as a credible and respected representative of the arts sector across all parties, able to offer sound policy advice to government and elected officials. Following Arts Day, the Coalition received an invitation to lend our “expert point of view” with the Standing Committee on Finance during their upcoming cross-country pre-budget hearings. I appeared in front of the Committee in Ottawa on November 20th on behalf of the Coalition.


Coming up in the March/April issue The Dance Current in Part One of a three-part series, Shannon Litzenberger reflects on her work as an Innovation Fellow in Arts Policy at the Metcalf Foundation, including a report on the recent Creative Partnerships symposium hosted in collaboration with Business for the Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts, the ASO Learning Network and the Manulife Centre in Toronto. At this day long symposium, Litzenberger presented key arts sector trends and issues, contextualizing opportunities for collaboration between arts and business. Her work set the stage for a host of guest speakers from across Canada, the US, and Australia who highlighted new innovative private-sector partnership development models. Her upcoming series will reflect on contemporary issues in the national dance landscape, and offer up some perspectives on how to build capacity for the next generation of dance and arts development in Canada.

Shannon Litzenberger is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, writer, director and arts advocate. Currently an Innovation Fellow at the Metcalf Foundation, she is exploring the changing relationship between arts policy and practice. As an independent dance artist, she recently presented her new dance production ‘HOMEbody - lessons in prairie living…’ to critical acclaim. She is the recipient of the 2012 Jack McAllister Award for Accomplishment in Dance from Ryerson University.

Photo Essay: Tango

The People’s Embrace
Photography by EK Park

Summary | Sommaire

Tango has been declared part of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It was started in the 1800s by the working poor of Buenos Aires and was only later taken on by the middle class.

L’UNESCO inscrit le tango sur la liste représentative du patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité. Les travailleurs pauvres de Buenos Aires développent cette forme dans les années 1800 qui est éventuellement adoptée par la classe moyenne.

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Today, the majority of tango aficionados in Argentina tend to be working class, bohemians and taxi drivers, with a sprinkling of adventurous bourgeois. Here in North America, it’s a white-collar pursuit, especially popular with engineers and computer programmers.

Alison Murray and Carlos Boeri teach a traditional style of tango from the Villa Urquiza neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Tango has been exported primarily as stage performance, and often the uninitiated confuse what's on stage for what is appropriate on the social dance floor. Dramatic, skirt-splitting dips and poses don't go. This photo essay featuring Murray and Boeri and photography by EK Park demonstrates the more intimate, less flashy side of the Argentine tango.



Aujourd’hui, la majorité des amateurs de tango en Argentine sont des travailleurs, des bohèmes et des chauffeurs de taxi, accompagnés d’une poignée d’aventureux bourgeois. En Amérique du Nord, c’est un art de cols blancs, très populaire auprès des ingénieurs et des programmeurs.

Alison Murray et Carlos Boeri enseignent une forme traditionnelle de tango du quartier Villa Urquiza du Buenos Aires. Puisque la danse a surtout été exportée comme art de la scène, les non-initiés confondent souvent la forme scénique avec les codes acceptables dans un contexte de danse sociale ; les envolées spectaculaires à fendre les jupes n’ont pas leur place dans un salon de danse. Cette collection de photos montre un côté moins tape-à-l’œil, plus intime du tango argentin.



Check out the full photo essay in the January/February 2013 issue of The Dance Current print magazine. | Regardez toutes les photos dans l’édition imprimée de janvier/fevrier 2013 du Dance Current.