Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It is my great pleasure to present to you the work that the Canada Council for the Arts is doing in the area of dance. I would like to thank the committee for giving us this opportunity.
The mandate of the Canada Council for the Arts is to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. In the area of dance, the Canada Council for the Arts supports professional dance in Canada, in all of its forms and expressions, through policies, programs and initiatives that contribute to the development of a healthy ecology of this art form and fosters a strong presence of Canadian artists in dance across the country and abroad. The Canada Council for the Arts shares with Canadian Heritage in supporting the various stakeholders in the area of dance. The council supports artists and dance companies in their research, creation, production, performance and touring process.
The programs of the Canada Council for the Arts are currently undergoing an extensive review. The design of the programs is based on the council's convictions and core values, including respect for diversity in expression. What comes to mind is Canada's regional diversity, the contemporary practices of aboriginal peoples, as well as the diversity of cultural and racial origins and traditions.
The council supports all stages in the creation of a choreographed work, from the concept to its performance before an audience, in a way that fosters the creation of quality works so that the interaction with the audience is as rich as possible. In terms of the working conditions of dance artists, it is important to know that adequate compensation of artists is one of the evaluation criteria for files submitted to the council.
To illustrate this support, let me share a few numbers from 2014-15: 64 dance companies — professional, of course — spread out across the country, from east to west, received recurring support. We have also supported 68 projects to produce choreographed work, 40 research projects and 28 professional development projects, all led by artists who have shown excellence in their approach and artistic merit in their projects.
Few dance companies have been established in the regions. So it is important that the Canada Council for the Arts support the spread of choreographed works so that audiences from all regions across Canada has access to professional dance productions. Through the council's support for dance tours, it extends the lifespan of dance works and, in so doing, prolongs and increases job opportunities for dancers.
National tours promote access to dance across Canada and increase the knowledge and appreciation of different forms of dance by Canadian audiences. Last week, several stakeholders highlighted the importance of developing dance audiences in Canada.
Through its support for international tours, the council develops the knowledge and appreciation of dance in Canada beyond our borders and encourages a dialogue and exchanges between artists from Canada and other countries. In 2014-15, the Canada Council for the Arts supported 27 national tours and 23 international tours.
Let me give you a few national examples: the Marie Chouinard Company in Montreal toured five cities, which provided employment for 20 days to 16 dance professionals. Kaha:wi, an aboriginal dance company from Toronto, did a tour of western Canada for a families and schools and provided jobs to 10 people for 37 days.
Internationally, the National Ballet of Canada shone in New York City, the dance Mecca, for six shows. Two companies distinguished themselves in China: the Royal Winnipeg Ballet — and Jeff Herd will be able to tell you about that — and Sherbrooke's Sursaut, a dance company for young audiences. Sursaut also did a two-week tour in Mexico, providing a tour contract of 15 days to 10 dance professionals.
To facilitate tours of shows throughout our very large country, to build stronger and more efficient tours, the presenters formed a pan-Canadian network and a number of regional networks. We recognize the importance of these networks and support their projects regularly.
Over the years, to make up for a lack of resources, the dance community has created and equipped itself with some remarkable tools.
Dancers are champions of sharing resources, including human resources, equipment, studios and choreography centres. Their inventiveness knows no bounds.
The council recognizes the need for organizations and support projects in the community and provides these organizations financial support within its means.
This is a very broad overview of the support that the Canada Council for the Arts gives to professional dance in Canada, but the council's actions extend beyond the professional reality of dance and covers the entire ecosystem, as my colleague, Alexis, will tell you about.