About Dance Ontario

DANCE ONTARIO Association was founded in 1976 as the regional arm of Dance In Canada Association (DICA), and incorporated not-for-profit in 1985. Since the demise of DICA, our membership-based association has developed into a dynamic cross-section of all areas of the dance sector from internationally renowned companies to local dance clubs, technicians and agents.

DANCE ONTARIO is key to Ontario's dance milieu and central to the diverse sector's communications and networking, providing management training, advice and industry information. We interact with the general public on a daily basis promoting members' services and events.

MISSION

  • To promote and support the advancement of all forms of dance in Canada, and in particular, dance in the Province of Ontario, and create a unified voice on regional and Canadian dance issues;
  • To serve the needs and interests of the Ontario regional dance community;
  • To aid in communication amongst the Ontario dance community, between it and other regional dance communities in Canada, and throughout the dance community worldwide;
  • To promote the development of performance facilities in Ontario;
  • To generate funding through contributions, fundraising activities and donations, the said funds to be used to achieve the objectives of the Corporation;
  • To act as a producer of dance programs, and/or conferences, educational seminars etc;
  • To engage in any lawful activities necessary to carry out its purposes as a non-profit service organization.

We are an active and thriving force in the dance community with over 600 members across Ontario including 74 professional companies, independent dancers, choreographers and teachers, over 120 schools, as well as writers, administrators, technicians and other members of Ontario's dance industry.

Image: MOTUS O Dance Theatre


- an exceptionally inspiring and motivating three days! Delegates identified nine priority areas over three sub-sectors (Education/Artists & Venues/Studios) and then broke down needs across the regions.

We selected locations for Connecting The Dots support over the next two years. They are London/Orangeville & Barrie/Orillia with the possible inclusion of an exchange project; Sudbury/North Bay; and Halton, Milton, Burlington, Hamilton. These communities will develop partnerships across the sub-sectors and bring enhanced or new activities to broader markets within their regions.

For dance education in the school system, we will work with CODE advocating to Principals, Faculties of Education and the Ministry of Education to support dance educators' needs throughout the school systems with the support of all service organizations and the dance sector as a whole.
Advocacy at the grass roots level will be undertaken with the CDA under their I Love Dance initiative.
Other longterm projects might include a touring circuit for regional artists and a teachers touring group to service northern studios.

The conference was shaped by staff and board over a period of 18 months and funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Our sincere thanks go to all who attended for their honesty and passion,as well as those who performed from young dancers to professional companies who thrilled us with their artistry.
A report will be made available within a few weeks.
Image by Jennifer Watkins: Peter Ryan, Sanjay Shahani (Ontario Trillium Foundation), Debbie Kapp & Lola Rasminsky (Ontario Trillium Foundation


Dance Ontario is generously funded by