MANDATE & VISION

Dancemakers is undergoing a major organizational transition precipitated by broad community calls to reverse the previous leadership’s decision to permanently cease operations. In February 2021, a new Artist-Board was elected with a community mandate to re-envision the company for a sustainable and inclusive future.

The following Vision and Values are based on the community mandate aimed to heal and transform Dancemakers, ensuring that it remains relevant to Ontario’s broader dance community. We will honour Dancemakers’ past contributions while aspirationally addressing the critical need for change. The Vision and Values will guide future transformation and community input.

Dancemakers is a decentralized community-led dance organization that focuses on the research and development of dance makers to deepen, revitalize, or transform their practice and form. Through residencies and partnerships with other dance organizations, Dancemakers provides a range of resources to creators, working across genres of dance, seeking innovation in their practice towards the development of new performance works. Curatorial decisions are made by a rotating committee of dance practitioners to ensure that the broadest community of dancers and choreographers are being served. Dancemakers engages with the public through a variety of activities aimed at illuminating dance practice and form through the creative process of the dance maker.

Values of Transformation

  • Decentralized, transparent, collaborative, and committee-based decision making.

  • Actively inclusive with particular care towards reconciling the historic harms and exclusion faced by Black, Indigenous, and POC artists at Dancemakers.

  • Participatory community involvement and accountability.

  • Artist and dance community centered.

  • Bold, outside-the-box thinking to challenge the status quo.

  • Dancemakers will be a “centre” for creation without a physical base. We will continue to explore what this means.

Note

In an important directional shift, Dancemakers will distance itself from the word “contemporary” and its Euro-centric implications of form - we’re interested in a broadly defined exploration of form and practice that focuses on innovation and deep inquiry across diverse communities of practice and genre.

History

In 1974, a group of independent dancers led by Andraya Smith and Marcy Radler came together to create, commission and perform new choreography. In its early years, Dancemakers worked collaboratively, forming commissions and creative relationships with choreographers from many styles and associations. Dancemakers has a history as a centre for multiple voices, perspectives, and collective decision-making processes. Artistic Directors have included Anna Blewchamp, Carol Anderson, Patricia Miner, Peggy Baker, Patricia Fraser, Bill James, Serge Bennathan and Michael Trent.

In 2014, Dancemakers launched the Incubation Production House model, a re-framing of the company. This model shifted the focus to intensive three-year residencies for local, national, and international dance artists. The new position of Curator replaced the traditional role of Artistic Director, and Amelia Ehrhardt was hired in September 2015.

However, the company faced internal and external challenges. Dancemakers’ profile in the dance community declined with a perceived lack of transparency. Rising occupancy costs of studio space in Artscape Distillery and the departure of artistic leadership in late 2019 were compounded by the impact of the global pandemic. In reaction, the serving Board of Directors made plans to permanently shutter operations. When announced in November 2019, broad community outcry led to a complete Board turnover and the appointment of five artists from the community in February 2021.

This new Artist-Board is tasked with ensuring the resources invested in the organization remain dedicated to the Ontario dance milieu, and facilitating a re-birth of Dancemakers with an inclusive, community-focused, and sustainable future.

From the Archives: Amanda Acorn, Ann Trépanier, and Mary-Dora Bloch-Hansen in Acorn's work "Leisure Palace" at Artspin's in/Future event. Photo by Andrew Williamson.