Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today on behalf of the professional dance community in Quebec. The Regroupement québécois de la danse is the only professional association representing all practice sectors, that is to say teaching, research, performance and choreography.

Canadian Heritage committee  I just want to explain the impact of cancelling the PromArt Program. I am referring here to page 6, the introduction. Through PromArt, federal government support for touring projects undertaken by a dance company would represent 10 per cent of their operating budget. Investments

Canadian Heritage committee  I just want to make one request. It is urgent to resto—

Canadian Heritage committee  Fine, thank you.

Canadian Heritage committee  Our domestic market does not provide the opportunity to give enough performances to earn the minimal amount of income that is required to ensure a company's survival. That is why companies began to actively pursue international markets in the late 1970s. We experienced a boom st

Canadian Heritage committee  It certainly is; it has no financial flexibility. It's a very fragile economy: very well managed, but very fragile. The difference between touring expenses and revenues is calculated over a two-, three- or four-year period. That is why dance companies operate on a three- or four

Canadian Heritage committee  …and they have to be the best.

Canadian Heritage committee  There is also support for development officers. For example, Paul Tanguay of the Marie Chouinard Company received money to go to Asia to develop the next tour and find co-producers. That is very important. Also, it made it possible to host programmers of festivals or for differen

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, that's right.

Canadian Heritage committee  No, they were commercial officers. I suggest you put this question to Alain Paré from Cinar, who will be appearing on the 9th. He will explain exactly what those officers did. They were commercial officers working in the field. What we don't know is whether they were doing a good

Canadian Heritage committee  As long as we don't know what were the actual results of the work these people were doing, we cannot say whether it was effective or not. Based on the salary you receive, are you effective, or not? I hope you are.

Canadian Heritage committee  We conducted a survey of dance companies, and particularly the Grands Ballets Canadiens. Already this year, they have had to consider reducing by six the number of guaranteed weeks in next year's annual contract for a certain number of dancers. In addition to that, they are chan

Canadian Heritage committee  The funding has to be restored. It's urgent. In April, people have to be able to file their applications in order to save what they can for next year and two years from now. We are talking of about $3 or $4 million. A transfer of $4 million for the performing arts must be made t

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. My colleague, Harold Rhéaume, and I represent the Regroupement québécois de la danse. Harold is its president. I am going to speak to you about the realities of the sector we represent. Essentially, it is made up of dance companies that focus on research a

Canadian Heritage committee  The vitality is still there. Dance audiences in Quebec represent 4% of all performing arts audiences. But even though it is only a small proportion, that audience is growing. What is it that helps to make dance and the audience for dance grow? Among other things, it takes promo