Dear editor,
Having been involved in the contemporary dance community in Nova Scotia for 30 years as a performer, producer, publicist, writer, editor and administrator, I have to congratulate Sue Carter Flinn on her piece, “Dreaming, desperate, devoted to dance��� (Feb. 19, Feature). In an era of superficial, quick and dirty, poorly researched journalism, it’s a great pleasure to read an article which is none of the above. Her piece reflects a broad insight into the dance community and its circumstances, and is refreshingly accurate and incisive. It’s a credit to both her and The Coast.
It also illustrates a community of Halifax artists who (like so many others) are talented, intelligent, articulate, devoted to their craft and committed to working here despite the paltry financial support they receive.
Imagine the world-class work these dancers and choreographers could produce if their funding was in any way commensurate with their abilities and quality of their work.
It’s time governments at all levels recognized the value of this resource (dance is green: environmentally friendly with a miniscule carbon footprint) and invested money in the cultural infrastructure of our province. This is the talent that Nova Scotia needs to weather the ongoing economic recession and transition to a 21st century knowledge- and culture-based economy.
---Christopher Majka, Halifax
