Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists

Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists
Name	Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists
Founded	1980s
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Contents

History

Founded in the late 20th century amid dialogues involving Yvonne Rainer, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor (choreographer), Pina Bausch, and Canadian figures such as Karen Kain, Maggie Teyte, Eleanor Worthington, the organization emerged alongside institutions like Dance Umbrella, Canada Dance Festival, Media Arts Network, and training centers including Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec, and School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Its development intersected with policy debates involving Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage, Statistics Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and labour discussions referencing Canadian Labour Congress and union models like Actors’ Equity Association and American Guild of Musical Artists.

The mission aligns with advocacy models from American Dance Therapy Association, Dance/USA, International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, and arts-service organizations such as ProArts Collective and Association of Canadian Publishers. Activities include professional development in collaboration with National Arts Centre, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Juilliard School, Banff Centre, and residency partnerships with venues like Harbourfront Centre, National Ballet School of Canada, Sadler's Wells Theatre, and Tarragon Theatre.

Programmatically the alliance has run mentorship schemes inspired by Canada Dance Festival, exchange programs with Cultural Olympiad, touring initiatives modelled on Theatre Passe Muraille and National Arts Centre Touring, symposiums akin to Dance Summit, workshops paralleling Dancing on the Edge Festival and collaborations with educational partners like Ryerson University, University of Toronto, York University, Concordia University, and Simon Fraser University.

Advocacy efforts mirrored campaigns by Council of Canadians with Disabilities and policy interventions similar to those advanced by Canadian Alliance for Arts and Culture, with lobbying addressed to bodies like Parliament of Canada committees, Senate of Canada cultural caucuses, and municipal councils including City of Toronto and City of Montreal. Impact includes contributions to funding frameworks influenced by Canada Council for the Arts, labour standards comparable to Employment Standards Act (Ontario), and intellectual property debates referencing Canadian Intellectual Property Office and international agreements such as North American Free Trade Agreement and Berne Convention.

The alliance has produced newsletters, position papers, and curated media reminiscent of publications from Dance Magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Parterre Box, The Globe and Mail, and CBC Arts, and has been featured in broadcast and print outlets like Radio-Canada, CTV Television Network, Citytv, The Toronto Star, and Le Devoir.

The organization has participated in award networks and juries associated with Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Siminovitch Prize, Betty Oliphant Award, Bessie Awards, and regional honours such as Lieutenant Governor's Awards. Its members and affiliates have been recognized alongside recipients from Order of Canada, Canada's Walk of Fame, Fringe Festival distinctions, and provincial medals.

Category:Canadian dance organizations Category:Arts organizations based in Toronto