June 6, 2016 | Ottawa, ON Kit_Print_FINAL.pdf · 2016 Annual General Meeting of Members June 6,...

2016 Annual General Meeting of Members

June 6, 2016 | Ottawa, ON

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2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

Tuesday, June 6, 2016

Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave, Ottawa, ON

Agenda

I. Welcome

II. Adoption of Agenda

III. Adoption of 2015 AGM Minutes

IV. President’s Report

V. Executive Director’s Report

VI. Treasurer’s Report

VII. Advocacy Report

VIII. Nomination Report

IX. Other Business

X. Open Forum

Canadian Dance Assembly | l'Assemblée canadienne de la danse

2nd

Floor, 476 Parl iament Street, Toronto ON M4X 1P2

Tel/tél : (416) 515-8444 or/ou (416) 504-6429 Ext. 28

Email/Courriel: [email protected]

Website/Site web: www.cda-acd.ca



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Mandate

The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) is the voice of the professional dance sector in Canada and advocates for a healthy, sustainable environment in which professional dance practice can grow and thrive.

CDA is a reputable source of information on the current state of dance in Canada and provides representation to policy makers and the public.

CDA enables its national membership of dance professionals and organizations to connect with their peers

through regular communications, conferences, forums and workshops, and facilitates opportunities for networking, dialogue and exchange relevant to the Canadian dance sector.

Value Statement

The Canadian Dance Assembly is a membership driven organization that, through the design and delivery of its

activities, programs and services, upholds the core principles of being a collaborative, inclusive, consultative, non-

partisan, proactive, diplomatic and transparent organization that represents the diverse professional dance milieu in all regions of Canada.

Membership, Standing Councils, and Governance

MEMBERSHIP

Regular Membership in the Canadian Dance Assembly is available to individuals and organizations involved in

activities related to the development and promotion of professional dance in Canada. This includes, but is not

limited to, dance companies, training organizations, dance service organizations, dance artists, teachers,

consultants, academics, researchers and journalists. Other individuals and organizations may join the CDA in the Supporter Membership category.

STANDING COUNCILS

Regular Members will form Standing Councils, based on natural groupings within the dance milieu and/or their

particular interests. The following Standing Councils have been established: Ballet Companies, Dance Companies,

Dance Presenters, Service & Support, Independent Dance Artists, Training & Education / Research & Writing, and Dance Consultants & Freelancers.

GOVERNANCE

A maximum of ten Standing Councils will be created, and they will each elect from among its ranks, one

representative to the National Council (Board of Directors). Members at Large are appointed by the National

Council and elected by the membership at the AGM. The National Council nominates these Members at Large to

help balance sectoral representation, regional diversity, cultural diversity, aboriginal representation, generation

representation, and gender representation. Each Director must be a Member of the Corporation or an individual of a Member organization.

The National Council meets one or two times a year in person, and maintains ties through distance

communication tools (teleconferences and email). The Executive Council, elected by and from the ranks of the National Council, guides the operations of the organization and oversees the work of senior management.



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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jason Dubois – President PRODUCING DIRECTOR, CANADA DANCE FESTIVAL

Jason Dubois is an arts manager with more than 15 years experience working in dance

creation, dissemination and presentation. Originally from Saskatchewan, he holds a

Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Regina where he first became

involved with the Canadian dance scene at New Dance Horizons in 1996. Some dance

career highlights include working as Executive Director for Dance Victoria, working with

Eponymous as Production and Tour Manager for Kidd Pivot, Wen Wei Dance, Lola Dance

and The Holy Body Tattoo (among others); as well as, working with The Dance Centre as

Production Manager / Technical Director. Jason’s lighting design credits included works for

Company 605, The Response (Amber Funk Barton), Martha Carter, and Aeriosa (Julia Taffe);

and he has worked as Technical Director for Judith Marcuse Projects & DanceHouse. He is Associate Producer for

The Dance Centre’s Dance In Vancouver and Producing Director for the Canada Dance Festival. Jason has served

as a director on the boards of Out Innerspace Dance Society, The Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture,

The Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria and the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists BC Chapter (CADA/West).

Kevin Ormsby – Vice President Dance Companies Standing Council Chair ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, KASHEDANCE

Artistic Director of KasheDance, Kevin A. Ormsby works as a Dancer / Choreographer, Arts

Marketing Consultant and is an adjunct artist with Dance Exchange (Washington D.C). A

Toronto Arts Council Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow (2015) and Canada Council for the Arts’

Victor Martyn Lynch – Staunton Award recipient in Dance (2014) for outstanding

achievement by a mid career artist, Mr. Ormsby functions in many of areas of dance; from

the creative practice and administration to advocacy, writing and education. As the Program

Manager for Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) he delivers

programming for the professional and organizational development in the Arts. A OAC KM

Hunter Dance Award 2016 nominee, he has performed with various companies and projects in Canada, Caribbean

and the United States. He was a company member of Garth Fagan Dance (NY), the Assistant to the Artistic

Director and Marketing / Outreach Coordinator for Ballet Creole, and performed in works by Marie Josee Chartier,

Allison Cummings, Ron K. Brown, Menaka Thakkur, Mark Morris and Bill T. Jones. Mr. Ormsby is Co-Vice President

and Chairs the Dance Companies National Standing Council at Canadian Dance Assembly, is a Board Member of

Prologue to the Performing Arts and Nia Centre for the Arts and was on Toronto Arts Council’s Community Arts Program Committee and the Dance Committee.

Louis Laberge-Côté – Vice President Independent Artists Standing Council Chair

Louis Laberge-Côté Louis Laberge-Côté is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, teacher,

and rehearsal director. An acclaimed performer, he has danced nationally and internationally

with over 20 companies, and has been a full-time member of Toronto Dance Theatre (1999-

2007) and the Kevin O’Day Ballett Nationaltheater Mannheim (2009-2011). He has created

over 60 choreographic works, which have been presented and commissioned in Canada and

abroad. His work has garnered him a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding

Choreography, as well as seven other individual and ensemble nominations for Performance

or Choreography. He has been nominated for the KM Hunter Award in 2014, 2015 and 2016. NOW Magazine

named him “Dance Most Valuable Player” in 2006 and “Best Male Dancer” in 2014. A sought-after pedagogue, he



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has taught classes and workshops all across the country and is on faculty at Ryerson University. He currently

shares the Vice-Presidency at the Canadian Dance Assembly and is the Chair of the Dance Committee at the Toronto Arts Council.

Sue Edworthy – Treasurer Freelancers and Consultants Standing Council Chair MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, SUE EDWORTHY ARTS PLANNING

Sue Edworthy has worked in the non-profit performing arts for over fifteen years. Her

passion for the performing arts has led her to stints as a director, event coordinator and arts

administrator and is now respected and sought after in Toronto as a marketing and

communications specialist. Sue is a former Board Member for TAPA, was co-chair for Artsvote 2014, spent 2 years

of a seven year stint as Vice President of The Toronto Fringe. She is a Harold Award recipient, received the 2012

and 2013 Char-PR Prize for PR, and is the 2015 recipient of the Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for

Excellence in Arts Administration. She runs Sue Edworthy Arts Planning, a marketing, producing and strategic planning company for the Toronto arts community.

Candice Pike – Secretary Service and Support Standing Council Chair VICE PRESIDENT, DANCE NL

Candice Pike completed her first degree in 2002, a Bachelor of Arts focused on Social and

Cultural Studies, before going on to complete a Master of Arts in Dance at Toronto’s York

University in 2010. That combination of degrees has led her to create original performance

work rooted in the exploration of geographic and identity-based communities and histories.

Since 2010, Pike has been involved in almost 20 performances and original creations, often she holds choreograph

and directorial roles as well as being a performer herself. She also shares her professional artistic skill set with

others through instructional roles, and has been involved in ArtsNL’s Visiting Artist Program as well as being a

class facilitator at Memorial University, Dance Studio West, Stagehead Academy, and more. Pike also developed and facilitated Gros Morne Summer Music’s Listen, Move, Make interdisciplinary art project for youth.

In 2013 Pike was shortlisted for ArtsNL’s CBC Emerging Artist Award, and a year later was the recipient of the

Roberta Thomas Legacy Award from Neighbourhood Dance Works. She is currently the President of the provincial

sectoral organization for dance, DanceNL and she is the Chair of the Support and Service Standing Council of the Canadian Dance Assembly.

Elected Chairs

Calla Lachance – Dance Presenters Standing Council Chair EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEIGHBOURHOOD DANCE WORKS

Calla Lachance is a passionate dance artist, educator, advocate and arts administrator living

and working in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. In her role as Executive Director of

Neighbourhood Dance Works (the province’s premier presenter of contemporary dance), she

works alongside the NDW team to develop the Annual Festival of New Dance and other

creative projects that cultivate a lively, evolving dance scene. Through NDW’s programming

and partners she strives to build an informed dance audience who love dance and who understand the intrinsic

value of dance as a meaningful art form that spurs creative and critical engagement. As an artist she has studied,

taught and performed in Canada and abroad. For the past 4 years she has focused on bringing an education



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dance work, Idealicious (choreographed by Eryn Dace Trudell and co-created with Tammy MacLeod and Andrea

Tucker) to communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. She is currently working with Louise Moyes on a new docuDance about grandmothers.

Branislav Henselmann – Ballet Companies Standing Council Chair EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BALLET BC

Branislav Henselmann, Ballet BC’s Executive Director, originally trained as a dancer in

Munich, later deepening his studies at conservatory level at Rambert School of Ballet and

Contemporary Dance in London. Mr. Henselmann joined Ballet BC following his tenure as

Executive Producer for the Michael Clark Company in London, where he produced and

toured a number of high profile full evening works to theatres and museums commissions

world-wide. Previously, he was the Head of Programming and Learning for DanceEast, a

national dance organization overseeing dance development and artistic programming in the

East of England, and the Artistic Curator for New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute, where he led a wide

range of initiatives to promote the development of emerging choreographers involved in new classical choreography. Mr. Henselmann holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University.

Ann Kipling Brown, Ph.D. – Research & Writing / Training & Education Standing Council Chair PROFESSOR EMERITA, UNIVERSITY OF REGINA

Ann Kipling Brown, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita of the University of Regina, having worked for

many years in the Arts Education program in the Faculty of Education. She continues to

teach, research and publish on dance pedagogy, the integration of notation in dance

programs, the application of technology in dance education, and the role of dance in the

child’ and adult’s lived world. In her professional and community service Ann has served for

several years on the Advisory Committee and the Reference Committee for Arts Education

for Saskatchewan Education. She has been actively involved in the Saskatchewan cultural community as well as

serving on several international committees as well as attending conferences concerned with arts/dance

education, including Dance and the Child International (daCi), World Dance Alliance (WDA) and The World

Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE). Ann is committed to the research and networking in arts education with a

focus on dance education in the public and private sectors having attended local, provincial, national and international conferences and symposia.

Member At Large

Jeff Herd FREELANCE CONSULTANT

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jeff Herd has 45 years of experience producing and

managing stage productions and companies across Canada, the United States and in Europe.

He began his ambitious career at the age of 15 as an apprentice at Rainbow Stage in

Winnipeg which then led to successful years of freelance lighting design, production and

stage management at theatres throughout Manitoba. In 1973, Herd joined Canada’s Royal

Winnipeg Ballet as production stage manager, a position he held until 1980. Following positions with Cirque du

Soleil (Las Vegas) and Dragone (Belgium), Jeff returned to Winnipeg in 2008 where he was the Executive Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet until 2016.



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Peggy Reddin DIRECTOR OF ARTS EDUCATION, CONFEDERATION CENTRE OF THE ARTS

Peggy Reddin is Director of Arts Education at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in

Charlottetown, PEI. She is the program coordinator and instructor for the Dance

Performance and Theatre Performance programs in the Holland College School of

Performing Arts, a partnership with Confederation Centre. Ms. Reddin co-founded dance

umbrella (now part of the Youth Education Program of Confederation Centre) in 1988 with

Julia Sauvé and has served as its Director since 1996. She is a graduate of the National Ballet

School Teacher Training Program and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) degree from

U.P.E.I. Ms. Reddin has taught with Charlottetown Ballet Theatre, DancEast, and Charlottetown Festival Young

Company, and has directed and choreographed numerous events on the Island. She was also the project founder

for Dance with D.A.W.N., an innovative dance program for women with disabilities. In addition to her work in arts

education, Ms. Reddin is very involved in the local arts community. She has worked in collaboration with Theatre

P.E.I., the P.E.I. Symphony Orchestra, and the U.P.E.I. Music Department, among others. She has served on the

board of the PEI Council of the Arts and Culture PEI, and as a juror for the New Brunswick Arts Board and the PEI Council of the Arts.

Soraya Peerbaye CURATORIAL AND PROGRAM CO-DIRECTOR, ANANDAM DANCETHEATRE

Soraya Peerbaye has more than 20 years of experience in the arts in the field of policy

development, program management and advocacy; she works in dance in a collaborative

capacity as a producer, dramaturge, writer and curator. She was the Dance Officer at the

Toronto Arts Council, and prior to that the Equity Officer at the Canada Council for the Arts,

advocating for artists of colour and diasporic artistic and cultural practices. She currently

works with Brandy Leary, Artistic Director of Anandam DanceTheatre, as the company's

Curatorial and Program Co-Director; through Anandam, Leary and Peerbaye also produce

Contemporaneity, a new dance series dedicated to contemporary expressions of Asian, African, Latin American,

Arab, and Indigenous dance. Peerbaye also works with Nova Dance (Nova Bhattacharya) and Compañía Carmen

Romero, and was the producer of the inaugural Body Percussion Festival (Artistic Director Viv Moore). She has

acted as a consultant for a range of cultural entities involved in the development of dance, including the

Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and Cultural Pluralism in the Performing Arts Movement Ontario.

Peerbaye graduated with a BA in Theatre from York University and also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the

University of Guelph. She is also a poet and the author of Poems for the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

(Goose Lane Editions, 2009), nominated for the Gerald Lampert Award, and Tell: poems for a girlhood (Pedlar Press, 2015), shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize.

Barry Hughson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA

Barry Hughson has served the performing arts field for 23 years as a professional arts executive. In 2014, he joined The National Ballet of Canada as Executive Director.

Mr. Hughson was previously Executive Director of Boston Ballet. Under Mr. Hughson’s

leadership, Boston Ballet achieved several key milestones, including the retirement of its long

term debt, completing a multi-million dollar renovation of the ballet’s headquarters and

international tours to Canada, Spain, Finland and the UK, as well as raising more than $60 million dollars in contributed revenue.

As an arts advocate, consultant and educator, Mr. Hughson has had teaching and speaking engagements in the

USA, Europe and South America. He is the Vice Chair of Dance/USA, North America’s largest service organization

for professional dance. He is a founding member of Dance/USA’s National Leadership Council for Dance and has



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served as a mentor to emerging arts executives through the Institute for Leadership Training. In January 2015, in

partnership with Dance/USA, Mr. Hughson spearheaded the first ever meeting of North American and European

dance leaders, bringing together 22 administrators from nine countries for two days of meetings at the Royal

Opera House Covent Garden in London. In Canada, Mr. Hughson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Dance Assembly and serves on the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Summit.

Mr. Hughson began his career as a dancer with The Washington (DC) Ballet, where he performed classical and contemporary repertoire at the Kennedy Center and on tour throughout the world.

Margaret Grenier EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID

Margaret is of Gitxsan and Cree ancestry. She is the Executive and Artistic Director for the

Dancers of Damelahamid, a company that is dedicated to reviving Gitxsan dance traditions

and presenting Aboriginal dance. She choreographed and produced the full length works

Setting the Path 2004 and Sharing the Spirit 2007 which toured internationally to New

Zealand in 2008 and the 2010 World Expo in China. She choreographed and produced

Visitors Who Never Left as a site specific work in 2009. Here newest work Spirit Transforming

2012 reflects contemporary perspectives in her traditional form. Margaret has produced the

Coastal First Nations Dance Festival since 2008. She has presented at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference

on Education on Aboriginal identity and dance in Australia in 2008, Peru in 2011 and Hawaii in 2014. Margaret holds a MA in Arts Education at Simon Fraser University and a B.Sc. from McGill University.

Cliff Le Jeune EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DANCE NOVA SCOTIA

Cliff Le Jeune is currently the Executive Director of Dance Nova Scotia. He has been a

mainstay in the cultural life of Eastern Canada for over 35 years, as an actor, singer, dancer,

director, choreographer, teacher/coach and was Artistic Director of the Stephenville Theatre

Festival in Newfoundland for five years. He was a founding and principal dancer with Nova

Dance Theatre of Halifax as well as duet partner with independent dancer/choreographer

Leica Hardy. As an actor he has performed on stages across the country in musical, classical

and contemporary productions and has created roles in many original Canadian musicals. Cliff is also a solo

cabaret artist and has gained an international following for his interpretations of the songs of Leonard Cohen. He

has been featured in concert on CBC and in 2005, along with Halifax’s Blue Engine String Quartet, he recorded a

CD of Cohen’s songs entitled If It Be Your Will, which Cohen himself has called “a sublime gift”. In 2014, he left the

theatre to take over as Interim ED at Dance Nova Scotia and was appointed Executive Director in 2015. He

currently sits on the boards of Kinetic Studio, SOCOA/FODAR, Kazan Co-Op Theatre and the Cultural Federations

of Nova Scotia. “Dance is for everyone. My goal is to make that statement a reality. From elementary school children to seniors, we all deserve to know the joy of dance. That is my mission as Executive Director.”

Staff

Kate Cornell – Executive Director

Kate Cornell is a writer, arts advocate, and spokesperson based in Toronto. Kate advocates

nationally on behalf of the arts sector as the Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition/la

Coalition canadienne des arts. Kate has worked in arts management for a range of

organizations including: the Canada Dance Festival, Toronto Dance Theatre, the CanAsian

International Dance Festival, Canadian Society for Dance Studies/La société canadienne

d’études en danse, DanceWorks and many more. Over the years, she has inspired thousands

of children to dance with the Learning Through the Arts program and the National Ballet of



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Canada’s education programs. In addition, Kate has taught at several university performing arts and education

programs. With a PhD in Communication and Culture, her graduate research focused on Canadian cultural policy

on dance at the federal level. Her research has been published in anthologies, journals, magazines, and online. Kate Cornell is the recipient of the John Hobday Award in Arts Management (2016).

Aviva Fleising – General Manager

Simultaneously pursuing her love of dance and Arts Management, Aviva is the General

Manager with the Canadian Dance Assembly and an independent artist. She holds a

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Contemporary Dance from the University of Calgary and a

Certificate in Arts & Cultural Management from Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. An

avid traveler, Aviva has trained and performed in Cuba, Italy and throughout North America.

Aviva began choreographing in 2004 with a full-length interdisciplinary show for the

Montreal Fringe Festival, and since then has created for festivals in Alberta, Ontario and

Quebec. In 2012 she formed her own company Tziporah Productions to carry out her independent projects. Aviva is a member of the Drum and Dance collective Saboumando.

Leanne Le – Programs & Services Officer

Leanne returns to her hometown, Toronto, after many years residing and working in

Vancouver, BC. Leanne holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communication from Simon Fraser

University. Her experience spans more than fifteen years in both corporate and startup

settings. She co-founded a web/software development firm that services corporate clientele

in both the private and public sectors. Leanne is a web business consultant and marketer

with a passion for the arts. She is a self-trained photographer turned Getty Images

contributor. Outside of the office, Leanne is a proponent of elevating the lives of women

and girls through her involvement with the Soroptimist International of the Americas. She served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the SI Club of Vancouver in 2012-13.

Laura Zasada – Administrative Officer

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, she completed her post-secondary education in

Communication and Psychology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, including a year at

Middlesex Uni in London (UK). Throughout her professional career, Laura has identified

unique projects and organizations: from living in South Africa to work with an NGO that

advances gender equality, to working with the National Film Board. She is excited to pursue

her interests in the Arts Admin world, and is thrilled to contribute her event coordination and administrative skills at the CDA as it combines her love of dance and the arts.

Laura Paduch – Metcalf Intern General Manager

Laura is an arts administrator and emerging producer based in Toronto. She is a recent

graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School, where she began her arts career as a stage

manager. Over the course of her degree Laura has worked with such companies as

Driftwood Theatre Group, April 30th Entertainment, Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity,

The National Ballet of Canada, Hart House Theatre, The AMY Project, and select Toronto

indie theatre companies. Laura is the recipient of a 2015 Metcalf Foundation Arts Internship

grant; she is completing a co-internship in General Management with Acting Up Stage Company and the Canadian Dance Assembly.



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2015 Annual General Meeting of Members - Minutes

Tuesday, September 29 2015, 9:15 AM Location: Harbourfront Centre

235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON

1. CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME

Soraya Peerbaye welcomes CDA members, guests and officially opens the meeting. She introduces the

other speakers at the head table – Kate Cornell and Aviva Fleising. Other Board members in attendance

are: Alain Dancyger, Jeff Herd, Sue Edworthy, Kevin Ormsby, Branislav Henselmann, Peggy Reddin and

Ann Kipling Brown. Jason Dubois sends his regrets as his flight was delayed and so Soraya will lead us

through the AGM reports.

Thanks are expressed to our funders: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the

Department of Canadian Heritage. Additional thank you to venue partners: Harbourfront Centre and the

many sponsors and partners that made this event possible.

Soraya confirms there are 15 voting members in attendance, which includes proxies so it does meet

quorum. Meeting notice was distributed to all registered members within the required period (21 days in

advance) so it officially constitutes a valid meeting of members.

Soraya asks that when the motions are passed and seconded that people identify themselves clearly for the note takers.

2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

Motion to approve the agenda for the 2015 AGM: Soraya Peerbaye seconded by Andrea Vagianos, all in favour; motion carried.

3. ADOPTION OF THE 2014 AGM MINUTES

Motion to approve minutes from the 2015 AGM. Sue Edworthy seconded by Fannie Bellefeuille. All in favour; motion carried.

4. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Written report submitted by Jason Dubois. In his absence, Kate Cornell reads some highlights.

The past year has seen our organization re-double its efforts in representing the interests of the Canadian

dance milieu in Ottawa.

Under the leadership of our national office staff, the CDA membership mobilized to respond to the

changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which were creating insurmountable administrative

difficulties for many dance companies across the country.

These advocacy efforts have resulted in significant changes in policy that will have a hugely positive

impact on our members but more importantly for international artistic exchange (changes that will

hopefully take place immediately after the election).

The CDA played a central role in assisting the all-party Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, which

Kate will address more thoroughly in her Executive Director’s report.

The CDA owes a ton of gratitude to Amy Bowring and Alain Dancyger who led our advocacy efforts in

such a skillful and proficient manner. The recent change to our sector’s relationship with the Temporary

Foreign Worker program is a testament to their leadership.

Thanks also to all of our colleagues on the National Council who represented our membership for the

2014-15 year and a very special thank you to Alain Dancyger and Jay Rankin, who will be leaving the National Council after numerous years of dedicated service.

Motion to accept the President’s report as tabled. Kevin Ormsby seconded by Sue Edworthy. All in favour; motion carried.

5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT



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In October 2014 (while still on maternity leave) Kate, along with Aviva, attended Arts Day on the Hill in

Ottawa. It was an incredibly successful event.

The day included more than 100 meetings with MPs and arts advocates. A highlight of the day was

delivering her reception speech in front of Stéphane Dion, Minister James Moore, Minister Shelly Glover,

Astronaut Marc Garneau, Canada Council’s Director and CEO Simon Brault, and Green Party Leader

Elizabeth May.

As a result of the success of Arts Day, Kate was personally invited to attend the first pre-budget

consultation with Finance Minister Joe Oliver with fifteen other advocates from many different sectors.

The focus of Kate’s advocacy year was the meetings with the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

as they studied dance during the month of May. This was an unexpected and incredible opportunity for

the CDA. Kate immediately scheduled meetings with MPs on the Standing Committee from all parties. She

worked closely with Lorraine Hébert of RQD to develop a list of recommended speakers, to whom she is

very grateful for her support and advice.

Kate assisted in writing briefs and speeches for the 25 dedicated representatives of the dance sector who

spoke to the Standing Committee over a period of three days in May, in front of 10 MPs. Kate spoke on

the first day, primarily about the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. Kate used NHL hockey as a point

of comparison to foreign workers in dance.

Kate refers to the list the MPs that she met and consulted with during 2014/2015 (the list is included in the written report).

Deficit reduction - Last year, General Manager Aviva Fleising, consultant Jane Marsland, and Cornell

crafted a Financial Recovery Plan and are pleased to report that the 2014-15 year ended in a larger than

projected surplus (applause). Aviva will go over this in more detail in the Treasurer’s report.

CDA moved offices from the Distillery District to a shared space with Dance Umbrella of Ontario’s space

(DUO) to save money. This move also allowed us to join what is becoming the ‘dance district’ on

Parliament Street in Toronto.

Communication continues to be an ongoing concern for the organization. In lieu of a conference in 2014,

the National Council and Financial Committee focused on regional networking and travel. Aviva travelled

to the Canada Dance Festival (CDF) where the CDA co-hosted a night at CDF and then onto the Festival of

New Dance in St. John’s where the CDA hosted a community meeting. In the off-years we are focusing on

this regional outreach to make sure we are connected to our members.

Notably in this fiscal year, the Presidents of RQD and CDA signed a two-year partnership agreement beginning in October 2014. Kate is very proud of this significant relationship as it develops day by day.

Motion to accept the Executive Director’s Report as tabled. Alain Dancyger, seconded by Peggy Reddin. All in favour, motion carried.

6. TREASURER'S REPORT

Aviva Fleising presented the report.

CDA had a higher surplus than budgeted in the financial recovery plan. CDA ended the year with just over

$9,000 surplus, when we were aiming for $7,500.

Aviva provides an overview of the finances detailed on page 3: membership remains relatively the same,

just slightly up from the year prior. The fundraising and donation numbers are down as it was not CDA’s

conference year. Also in 2014, we had a mobile app project with an in-kind donation agreement which

explains that difference. For grants in 2014, there was a Heritage grant received towards that mobile app

project that is now discontinued (not sustainable for CDA to maintain). Had also received some funding

for our Strategic Planning process.

The other revenues relate to our office sublease. As Kate mentioned, we’ve moved offices so that line in

our finances will change for the next year.

Since last year was not our major conference year, the line for conference registrations is empty.

In terms of expenses, the Membership services difference is related to the Conference expenses and the

Communications and profile decrease largely relates to the mobile app project that we felt we were not

able to sustain without additional funding support.

In terms of Operational expenses, CDA had two employees through a program called ‘Investing in

Neighbourhoods’, where we receive funding to support salary payment through the City of Toronto.

However, in managing our cash flow at the end of the fiscal year we were not able to sustain two



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employees; largely because there was a two-month delay in getting the money reimbursed. Moving

forward, we have reduced the two positions to one per year.

CDA’s Finance Committee - Jason Dubois, Jane Marsland, Kate Cornell, Aviva Fleising – has been working

hard in following the Financial Recovery Plan and getting the CDA back in a surplus position. The goal of

the Financial Recovery Plan is to see the CDA out of deficit by year 2020.

The goal this year has to be about earning more revenue, we have trimmed expenses as much as possible;

that is our challenge and that is how we will be able to sustain ourselves.

Fleising would like to thank the Finance Committee who have been very diligent in meeting on a monthly

basis to manage the cash flow along with the forecasting and budgeting. Thanks also to our auditors,

Marinucci & Company as well as our bookkeepers, Young Associates.

There are three motions that need to be addressed: a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report, a motion

to approve the Audited Statements and a motion to approve the auditors for next year - Marinucci & Company.

Motion to accept the Treasurer’s report. Jeff Herd. Seconded by Sue Edworthy. All in favour. Motion carried.

Motion to accept the Audited Statements. Andrea Vagianos. Seconded by Fannie Bellefeuille. All in favour. Motion carried.

Motion to approve that the membership gives the National Council authority to appoint prospective auditors, including past auditors Marinucci & Company, for the upcoming year. Amanda Hancox. Seconded by Kevin Ormsby. All in favour. Motion carried.

7. ADVOCACY REPORT

Presented by Kate Cornell, much of these highlights have already been covered in the Executive Director’s

report.

Kate starts off by thanking and recognizing the representatives who spoke to the Standing Committee

about Dance in Canada (full list provided in the 2015 Advocacy report).

The Standing Committee on Heritage report that came from this meeting will keep the CDA busy for at

least 10 years. It is a 31-page report that has 7 recommendations. Recommendation # 3 is our Temporary

Foreign Worker recommendation. The language of the recommendations is very political, Kate knows that

the MPs fought amongst themselves over how to phrase the recommendations but she wants everyone to

know that they were all keenly interested in dance education as well as dance health. Those are two areas

that, as a sector, there is so much potential for us in advocacy efforts.

Kate reminds everyone to vote on October 19 in the Federal Election.

Another part of the advocacy work is meeting with as many politicians as possible (list of MP’s included in

the written Advocacy Report). It has been a busy year doing that, and Cornell looks forward to an equally

if not even more busy year as well as learning who will be the new Minister of Canadian Heritage will be following the election.

Motion to accept the Advocacy report. Jessica Wadsworth. Seconded by Alain Dancyger. All in favour. Motion carried.

8. NOMINATING REPORT

Both Kate Cornell and Aviva Fleising present the Nominating report.

The National Council currently consists of 13 members; CDA can have between 3 and 17 members. There

are 7 Standing Councils currently and there can be up to 10. There are also up to 7 Member-at-Large

positions. At this time CDA has 7 Standing Council Chairs and 6 in the Member-at-Large category.

Standing Council Chairs keep their positions for 3 years whereas Members-at-Large serve their terms for 1

year, which can be renewed depending upon their availability.

Kate reads through the list of the proposed slate for 2015-2016.

Aviva mentions that we do have one vacant Member at Large position and opens any nominations to

come forward from the floor. Cliff volunteers himself to fill the vacant Member at Large position.



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Motion to nominate Cliff Le Jeune as a Member at Large for CDA’s National Council Proxy for Stephanie Ballard (proxy vote held by Kevin Ormsby). Seconded by Jessica Wadsworth. All in favour. Motion carried.

Aviva lists the current list of active committees that CDA runs alongside the National Council: Advocacy,

Pluralism Membership, as well as the Finance Committee. If anyone if interested, connect with either Kate, Aviva at the office.

Motion to accept the Nominating report. Jessica Wadsworth. Seconded by Amanda Hancox. All in favour. Motion carried.

9. OTHER BUSINESS, OPEN FORUM / DISCUSSION

Andrea Vagianos thanks the CDA for getting further involved at the federal level in regards to the

Temporary Foreign Workers file, and facilitating connections across the regions. Amanda Hancox

expresses her gratitude for facilitating the meeting with the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Patty from Prologue remarks about dance education piece being an essential part of the Heritage

discussions. Is there an opportunity to support those recommendations? Kate mentions that she wants to

work with colleagues at C.O.D.E. (Council of Dance and Drama Educators) and Physical and Health

Education (PHE) with whom the National Ballet School works with frequently, talk about the various dance

curriculums that are being taught across the country.

Both C.O.D.E. and PHE come from two different philosophies: one is that dance education should be

taught as physical education and the other as art form. Kate’s take-away from the MPs is that it should be

both. She recognizes that within the dance community that might be difficult to reconcile, but looking at

the bigger picture we need to recognize funding potential from both of those pockets.

Want to make sure that provincial Ministers of Culture and Education are talking to each other and that at

the National level we can have a larger conversation. Trying to make ties between federal/provincial.

Ann Kipling Brown makes reference to UNESCO, and initiatives between artists and teachers in terms of

dance education. Many have been involved in the policy suggestions and many initiatives in that area

have already been under way so we should reference that. Kevin supports this comment as they have a lot of documentation about connection and importance of arts education and curriculum.

Motion to adjourn the 2015 Annual General Meeting. Sue Edworthy seconded by a show of hands to approve. All those in favour Motion carried.



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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Dear Fellow CDA Members:

Congratulations on the great number of recent federal government announcements that will have an historic

impact on our sector. Be it the increase in the Canada Council budget, the removal of political barriers from

funding programs at the Department of Canadian Heritage or the implementation of a performing arts exemption

in the Temporary Foreign Workers Program – clearly the advocacy agenda from the Canadian Dance Assembly and the messaging delivered collectively with our sister arts service organizations has been heard.

The CDA continues to play an important role at the national table through Kate Cornell’s leadership as Co-Chair of

the Canadian Arts Coalition, her participation in the Arts Summit, and her ongoing interactions with policy makers

and bureaucrats in Ottawa. The dance community and issues important to the sector are more well represented

now than ever before in Ottawa and this is thanks to you, our members, who have continued to support the CDA

and recognize its crucial role in ensuring a healthy future for dance in Canada. As members, we each have a role

to play in bringing our colleagues around the CDA table so that dance can continue to have a strong national presence.

On behalf of my National Council colleagues, I wish to offer a sincere thank you to the CDA staff, especially Kate

and Aviva who, in an under-resourced environment continue to ensure the success of the CDA and to tirelessly represent the interests of our members.

We owe a ton of gratitude to Amy Bowring and Alain Dancyger who led our advocacy efforts in such a skillful and

proficient manner. Thanks also to all of my colleagues on the National Council who represented our membership for the 2015-16 year.

Respectfully submitted,

Jason Dubois, President



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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The CDA advocates for and supports the dance sector – I am proud to stand as its national spokesperson.

In my third year as Executive Director, I have consulted with the members and non-members, ended the fiscal year

with another surplus, led advocacy related to the federal election (2015), and witnessed the implementation of the performing arts exemption for temporary foreign workers in dance. It has been a very rewarding year.

1. Advocacy

Federal advocacy work, valued by members, enhances the political currency of dance across the country. This past year our advocacy work resulted in positive change in federal policy.

In May, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage studied Dance in Canada for three days. I worked closely

with Lorraine Hébert of the RQD to develop a list of recommended speakers from the dance sector. Twenty-five

dedicated representatives of the dance sector were chosen by the Standing Committee and spoke eloquently

about dance in Canada. The focus of my speech was advocating for a policy change in the Temporary Foreign

Workers Program. In June, the Standing Committee published a report including their seven recommendations for

the previous government. These seven recommendations will inform the CDA’s advocacy work for the next ten years.

Successful advocacy, that began in 2014, resulted in the Performing Arts Exemption from the LMIA process; the

exemption was implemented in February 2016. The exemption will save the dance sector more than $100,000 in

fees and hopefully even more in bureaucratic red-tape. This exemption was the result of a concerted effort by the CDA, Orchestras Canada, PACT, Canadian Actors Equity and others.

As Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition and English-language spokesperson, I played a large role in the non-

partisan advocacy throughout the federal election. The media coverage was substantial and culminated in my

interview with Eli Glasner on CBC’s The National in the first weeks of the new government. Advocacy for the

doubling of the operating budget of the Canada Council began in earnest once the new government was in place.

The federal budget was presented in March 2016 and included a remarkable $1.87 billion in funding for the arts

over five years. Most notably, the 2016 federal budget included $35 million for Canada Arts Abroad, $168 million

for Cultural Spaces, and the doubling of the budget of the Canada Council by 2021. The change in government has brought greater access and opportunity to build relationships.

2. Deficit Reduction and the CDA’s new office

The 2015-16 fiscal year ended with another surplus, which moves the organization closer to realizing the Financial

Recovery Plan. The CDA’s cash flow continues to be difficult at year-end, although we can see the steady

improvement year to year. Conquering this deficit is essential for the organization and, along with the Finance Committee, we adjust programming and planning in order to keep in alignment with our financial goals.

The CDA moved offices in May 2015 from the Distillery District to the Dance Umbrella of Ontario’s space (DUO) on

Parliament Street. The Financial Committee is grateful to DUO for the stability the new space has provided the

organization; through these new shared resources CDA is able to reduce some of its operations costs moving

forward. The CDA is also pleased to develop relationships with other tenants: CADA Ontario and Acting Up Stage which have resulted in fruitful partnerships and further collaboration.



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3. Communications – National Conference and Regional engagement

The CDA had its largest and best attended National Conference to date in September 2015. The national dance

sector came together in Toronto to discuss success stories from throughout the community. The positive tone of

the conference was infectious and was a great way to start Toronto Dance Week which concluded with the

inaugural Fall for Dance North festival. CDA’s presence as a respected leader and reliable partner in the sector was clearly established at this event.

In addition to CDA’s National Conference, regional outreach is an essential activity for the CDA. In 2015/16, the

CDA had a presence and networked at the Canada Dance Festival (Ottawa), the FLUX dance festival (London), the

National Symposium on South Asian Dance (Mississauga), and Fluid Festival (Calgary). Regional travel ensures that our members know that we are there to help.

In conclusion, the CDA is vital organization that contributes to the health of the dance sector. Together we are stronger.

Respectfully submitted,

Kate Cornell

Executive Director, Canadian Dance Assembly



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TREASURER’S REPORT

Overall results for the year are:

Revenues of $196,423

Expenses of $193,526

Operating surplus of $2,897

Accumulated deficit (22,995)

Revenue Analysis

Grants - Grants continue to represent the largest contributor at 70%

Canada Council for the Arts – CDA received a $2,500 increase to our operating funding taking us to $82,400

for the 2015-16 year. CDA also received some project funding to bring the Service Organizations together for

the first time during the National Conference. (Note that in the current 2016-2017 year we were put on multi-year funding and received a further increase to $85,000).

Ontario Arts Council - CDA’s operating funding was cut 15% from $26,100 to $22,315. Concern was expressed around the deficit as well as a perceived duplication of services.

Canadian Heritage – The organization did not receive Heritage funding for translation services as we are only eligible every 2 years.

City of Toronto – Continue to receive funding through the City of Toronto towards contracting one-year employment positions within the organization.

Membership – Membership revenues are the highest to date and grew 9% over the last year.

Conferences – Conference registration revenue exceeded targets.

Fundraising – Fundraising targets exceeded budget.

Other Earned Revenues – This represents some new revenue streams including: Conference programme ads, fee for job posting listings, advocacy travel support.



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Comparison of revenues: 2015 & 2016 Actuals, Budget, and comparison to the

2014/15 year

Expense Analysis

Operations and Staff remain the largest expense items. CDA continues to experience a Human Resource deficit and therefore reduced the hours of our administrative staff position in order to ensure a surplus.

Membership Services include advocacy and other meetings. Actuals show higher than budget as received advocacy travel support on the revenue side to help cover these additional costs.

Conference Expenses were on target this year, worked with various partners in order to keep costs down.

Communications and profile expenses were kept on budget.

Operations and Staff Expenses are lower this year due to the reduction in staff hours for the administrative position. Additionally, there was a gap in between hiring for the City of Toronto contract position.

Cashflow continues to be an issue towards year-end as we work on eliminating the deficit. We do however see it

improving year to year as we continue to report a surplus. This year, CDA received a Leadership for Change grant and the timing of receiving those funds assisted in this tight cash flow period.



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Comparison of expenses: 2015 & 2016 Actuals, Budget, and comparison to the

2014/15 year

In the 2015/16 fiscal year, staff and finance committee closely monitored the financial health of the organization

to ensure that a surplus position, in alignment with the financial recovery plan, was met. This can be particularly

challenging in a conference planning year. Conference revenue targets were exceeded which helped the

organization secure this surplus. The Finance Committee meets regularly via conference calls and is sent monthly

cash flow and forecast updates from the General Manager. Corrective actions are identified and implemented if objectives are not being met. The financial recovery plan aims to see CDA out of its deficit by the year 2021.

I would like to thank my colleagues on the Finance Committee for their work and diligence in continuing to ensure

a surplus: Jason Dubois, Jane Marsland, Aviva Fleising, and Kate Cornell. Also thank you to our bookkeeper Natalia Volyev and auditors Marinucci & Company for their services.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Edworthy, Treasurer



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ADVOCACY COMMITTEE REPORT

The 2015/16 advocacy year was monumental and historic.

In May, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage studied Dance in Canada for three days. Preparing for this

significant study took months of work. Cornell consulted regularly with Lorraine Hébert of RQD to develop a list of

recommended speakers from the dance sector. Twenty-five dedicated representatives of the dance sector were

chosen by the Standing Committee and spoke eloquently about dance in Canada. The Advocacy Committee

worked closely with Cornell on the speech from CDA. The focus of Cornell’s speech was advocating for a policy

change for temporary foreign workers in dance. In June, the Standing Committee published a report1 on their

seven recommendations for the previous government. Here are the Standing Committee’s recommendations:

Recommendation 1: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada partner with

provincial authorities and agencies that promote physical activity, and health and wellness in Canada to support and encourage Canadians’ involvement in dancing.

Recommendation 2: The Committee recommends that the Department of Canadian Heritage ensure that

the Canada Arts Training Fund continue to respond to the need for career transition for professional dancers in an efficient and effective way.

Recommendation 3: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada look at ways to

reduce the obstacles faced by dance companies in Canada to hire foreign dance professionals through other programs.

Recommendation 4: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada cooperate with the

various stakeholders in the dance sector to integrate activities associated with this discipline into the programming for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

Recommendation 5: The Committee recommends continued support for dance in Canada to help

preserve the expression of various cultures, further nurturing dance as a cultural industry in our local and

national economies and development of physical and musical skills, as well as transferable skills amongst Canada’s youth.

Recommendation 6: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada, in coordination with

the various public donors and stakeholders of the dance sector, give special attention to the development

of new markets both locally and internationally, including international tours, in the elaboration of public policy concerning this artistic sector.

Recommendation 7: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada in cooperation with provincial counterparts and relative stakeholders look at ways to better support injured dancers.

Not since the Applebaum-Hébert Report of 1983, has dance captured the attention of parliamentarians for this

focused period of time. These seven recommendations will certainly inform the CDA’s advocacy work for the next ten years.

As a direct result of the CDA’s advocacy, the Performing Arts Exemption from the LMIA process2 was first

introduced in July 2015; after the federal election, the exemption was formally announced in December 2015 and

officially implemented in February 2016. This exemption means that most dance organizations can now apply

under the International Mobility Program; CDA continues to advocate for the training institutes and companies

not currently covered by the new policy. Notably, the exemption will save the dance sector more than $100,000 in

1 The Review of Dance in Canada can be found at:

www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=e&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=2&DocId=8025301 2 Please note the Exemption only currently applies to operating clients of the Canada Council.



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fees and administrative burden. This policy change was the result of a concerted effort by the CDA, Orchestras Canada, PACT, Canadian Actors Equity and others.

Throughout the year, Cornell met and consulted with Members of Parliament to move issues forward. The 2015/16 meetings included: Stéphane Dion, Mélanie Joly, Randy Boissonault, Adam Vaughan, and Julie Dabrusin.

As Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition and English-language spokesperson, Cornell played a large role in the

non-partisan advocacy throughout the 2015 federal election. The media coverage was substantial culminated in

Cornell’s interview with Eli Glasner on CBC’s The National in the first weeks of the new government. Advocacy for

the doubling of the operating budget of the Canada Council began in earnest once the new government was in place.

The federal budget was presented in March 2016 and included a remarkable $1.87 billion in funding for the arts

over five years. Most notably, the 2016 federal budget included $35 million for Canada Arts Abroad, $168 million

for Cultural Spaces, and the doubling of the budget of the Canada Council by 2021. The Canadian Dance

Assembly has been advocating for increased support of touring and for new taxation regulations for foreign

touring companies. The change in government has brought greater access for arts advocates and opportunity to build relationships.

Respectfully submitted by the Advocacy Committee Co-chairs,

Amy Bowring and Alain Dancyger



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NOMINATING REPORT

The National Council consists of between 3 and 17 members. One Director representative of each of the Standing

Councils in existence, and not to exceed ten (10) representatives, each of whom are to be elected by the

membership of his or her respective Standing Council. Additionally, a maximum of seven (7) additional Directors

are elected, each of whom shall be elected by the membership of the Corporation at the AGM. Members shall

elect Directors to hold office for such terms as proposed by the Board. Each Director must be a Member of the Corporation or an individual of a Member organization.

The terms for the Chairs of Standing Councils are three years, unless a Council has to fill a position that has been

vacated during that term’s cycle. The Members at Large serve for terms of one year, which may be renewed, to

ensure flexibility in representation. The maximum term of service for a National Council member is six consecutive years.

The Canadian Dance Assembly proposes the following National Council slate for 2016-17:

Standing Council Positions (Up to 10 standing council positions) Candice Pike (NL) Chair of the Service and Support Standing Council (2018)

Kevin Ormsby (ON) Chair of the Dance Companies Standing Council (2018)

Calla Lachance (NL) Chair of the Dance Presenters Standing Council (2019)

Sue Edworthy (ON) Chair of the Freelancers and Consultants Standing Council (2017)

Louis Laberge-Côté (ON) Chair of the Independent Artists Standing Council (2017)

Branislav Henselmann (BC) Chair of the Ballet Companies Standing Council (2018)

Ann Kipling Brown (SK) Chair of the Research & Writing / Training & Education Standing Council (2017)

Members at Large (Up to 7 Member at Large positions) Jeff Herd (MB)

Jason Dubois (ON)

Peggy Reddin (PEI)

Soraya Peerbaye (ON)

Barry Hughson (ON)

Margaret Grenier (BC)

Cliff Le Jeune (NS)

Officers of the National Council The Officers of the National Council are appointed by the National Council following the Annual General Meeting.

Committees CDA manages various committees that work alongside the National Council and staff to maintain the activities of

the organization. The committees for the 2016/17 year are as follows: Advocacy, Pluralism, Finance, and

Membership. If a member wishes to join any of these committees for the upcoming year they should express their interest to the office at 416-515-8444 or email [email protected].

Respectfully Submitted,

Nominating Committee, Canadian Dance Assembly

June 6, 2016 | Ottawa, ON Kit_Print_FINAL.pdf · 2016 Annual General Meeting of Members June 6,...

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