Canadian Heritage committee  Is that question for everyone?

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. You were asking about being able to have more international presence.

Canadian Heritage committee  We create so much international work here in Canada that we need to get abroad. That could actually be helped through the touring initiatives. We need more money put into touring so that we can be ambassadors of Canadian art abroad. We need that both federally and from the provin

Canadian Heritage committee  We were invited to go to New York City and we didn't actually have the funding, and the National Ballet of Canada tried to go to New York City and they had to do the funding privately through their donors. That just shouldn't happen. We should be able to do those tours because w

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm a professional ballet company, which means means that once dancers start to work with me, they've finished their professional training.

Canadian Heritage committee  They're already done it, but we as a company support pre-professional training projects to make sure that we are participating and getting talent for the company. But we are not essentially a school; we are a professional company.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  At the time there were many dance schools across the country in various provinces. We're very lucky. But when I was 10 in Regina, Saskatchewan, if I wanted to be a classical ballet dancer, which I did, there were not very many options there. There are probably many more now, but

Canadian Heritage committee  No, I didn't hear you. I'm sorry.

Canadian Heritage committee  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 actuall

Canadian Heritage committee  Can I add one...?

Canadian Heritage committee  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 Res

Canadian Heritage committee  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

Canadian Heritage committee  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.

Canadian Heritage committee  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.