Evidence of meeting #48 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was training.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Are you referring to federal or provincial assistance?
Artistic Director, École supérieure de ballet du Québec
Companies are doing their best, but there isn't any funding specifically for apprentices. I think Emily may be able elaborate on that.
Liberal
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
Our apprentice program actually has a sponsor, and it would be ideal. I know the BC Arts Council has made some headway into having funding specifically for apprentice-level companies or junior companies attached to larger companies, so that we can take that next level of training, and so that once they get into having to deal with being in the line of fire by being a major member in a large company, they are ready. That's really done in an apprentice situation, and we don't have proper funding right now for that level. That will actually ensure that more Canadian dancers can actually stay in this country, because then they won't have to go and look for other companies that are in Europe and beyond to hire them.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Is it your sense that it should be provincial? Or do you care whether it's provincial or federal as long as it's done?
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
We need both. I know right now that the BC Arts Council cannot support that entire endeavour, not even for Ballet BC, not for the entire province. We actually would need a partnership, and if the federal government would be....it would be wonderful.
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
Our province has the lowest provincial funding at the moment, and we are not seeing that it's going to change in the near future, so we've had to go to private donors to make it happen.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Okay.
You mentioned also that the temporary foreign worker program used to be an open bar, and now it's very difficult to access. What should be the right balance?
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
The right balance is that we always work towards hiring Canadians, without a doubt. As I said, if there's a Canadian, we take the Canadian first.
Really I'm concerned that if we cannot consider that it's about excellence first and not about whether someone's Canadian, we are no longer going to have the standard of dance making in this country that we want. For instance, this year I needed two male dancers, and I had almost 300 American and foreign dancers audition and I had about 50 Canadian male dancers audition—no, not even 50, maybe 20 or 25. But they were not at a level where I could consider them, because I was trying to replace senior dancers. So I was in a situation where I had no choice but to hire a foreign dancer, and that's so hard to do that I almost got into a situation where I couldn't even bring someone across the border, which means I wouldn't have a company, which means I couldn't put on a show, which means...you can do the math. It actually becomes a very large problem.
It's not just Ballet BC. I can speak on behalf of the National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, all of the major large companies that are bringing in choreographers and dancers to create an international conversation. We are having a major problem bringing people across the border.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you.
I'd like to discuss an issue that concerns me, injuries. Being a dancer is wonderful, but it does have risks. Dancers are athletes. We often hear it said that dancing is a very tough profession and that many dancers put themselves at risk by dancing, even when injured, so as not to lose an opportunity to make a bit of money, practice their art and be seen by audiences.
In Quebec, the CSST provides some coverage, but is it enough? In other words, do dancers have adequate coverage in Quebec?
Artistic Director, École supérieure de ballet du Québec
More and more, schools are teaching students how to take care of their bodies. At the ESBQ, we have physiotherapists and doctors. There are hospitals where we can send our dancers. As I mentioned, training never stops, so safeguarding your health is even more important. Our teachers have the training to teach students how to take care of their bodies and prevent injuries. I think we have made huge strides in that regard.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
In British Columbia, what kind of protection do you have when injuries happen?
Madam Molnar, can you hear me?
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I was speaking about injuries and the fact that in Quebec this is partly protected by the provincial government. Is that the case in British Columbia or not at all?
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
We have workers' compensation that the dancers put money towards for each weekly salary. The company also puts money into that program, so they benefit from that.
But I would add to Anik's comment that it's part of the professional training of all the institutions. They actually address proper injury prevention and psychological awareness of dance in the training system. Sports medicine in dance is a very big component of training right now in the professional schools. Anik's École supérieure, the National Ballet School, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School are all schools that have been doing an incredible amount of studying towards this, so that dancers are much more prepared when they enter a company.
Also, as a director, I continue to work with our dancers and a health team to develop prevention—and also, when they are injured, on how they are rehabilitated. It is a part of our ongoing daily practice in a company to also service that question.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
In other words, you don't have any recommendations for the federal government in that area.
Artistic Director, Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata
I would just add that the field of contemporary dance has undergone some tremendous changes, well after classical dance. In contemporary dance, old methods and the way dancers were trained were called into question. How the field views the relationship between health and the body has undergone a fundamental revolution.
In our school, we can't afford to have massage therapists. Instead, it is usually osteopaths sending their clients to me. My teaching method is always based on the presence of rhythm, meaning a drum. And, to some extent, that corresponds to a biorhythm linked directly to the body, protecting it. I always tell dancers that they have to listen to the drum before listening to me.
A significant therapeutic consideration is coming into play, and it is revolutionizing the very notion of dance, the art of dance and education. And this is something I'd like to stress. UNESCO is in the process of rethinking its approaches to education and learning, re-examining the very concept of education around the world. The organization has realized that focusing solely on the intellectual dimension, which prevents the body from playing a role in the learning process, is problematic. And for that reason, we are seeing a shift towards educational approaches that take into account physicality around learning. That's fundamental.
I think contemporary dance is truly at the forefront of this change in terms of the individual's health.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gord Brown
Very good. Thank you.
We will now go to Mr. Hillyer for seven minutes.
Conservative
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
If you want to, Emily, feel free to add your comment now. I'll give you some of my time.
Artistic Director, Ballet BC
Thank you.
Is there something we can do to actually help with injury prevention? Yes.
For instance, our health team actually does it for free. We need government funding to pay for a health team in our company, and so that we can also continue to have the Dancer Transition Research Centre, so we can continue to transition dancers once they are injured and can no longer dance. We need funding for that.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Ms. Maboungou, is your school for adults, children or young adults?
Artistic Director, Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata
It's for young dancers in training, meaning those already following an artistic path and working towards becoming professionals. So they already have training. The students who come to us aren't 14 or 15 years old but, rather, in their 20s. They have a genuine desire to specialize their skills and engage in artistic and professional development. That's what we work on with students.
Our approach is somewhat of an alternative to traditional instruction in that it incorporates the transfer of cultural knowledge and skills. The focus, obviously, is on diversity. Without us— We are the only school, in Quebec and in Canada, to provide training, as well as professional and artistic development that incorporates a variety of cultural skills and knowledge.