Dancing Across the Land: A Report on the Dance Mapping Inventory

One of the first research initiatives of the Canada Dance Mapping Study was an inventory of membership-based dance associations across the country. The primary goal of the inventory was to create an extensive list of contacts where we had few before. Since its completion we have used the inventory as a starting point for two further initiatives: the interactive, searchable map of dance in Canada and the ‘Yes I Dance’ survey. Although the inventory was not originally intended as a document, it does contain data, observations and qualitative findings that we want to share with the public. To this end, the Canada Council for the Arts, in collaboration with the Ontario Arts Council, hired independent consultant Lys Stevens to transform the inventory from a set of data and information on membership-based dance organizations into a standalone report.

The inventory report highlights our efforts to capture all dance genres practiced in Canada today and in all contexts (professional, social, recreational, spiritual, competitive, participatory, educational, etc.). The report outlines the considerations and logic behind how genres were grouped. It highlights findings, tabulates some of the genres and associations discovered, and provides observations learned from the process. The report should also convey that the scope of the Canada Dance Mapping Study is indeed broad and inclusive, encompassing far more than the professional dance sector.

Research and Evaluation, Canada Council for the Arts, July 2013