Fabulous Article! I really appreciate everything you have said- similar to our brief discussion in Winnipeg at the Manitoba Dance Festival.

Congrats on your new position at Harbour Dance… I really look forward to working with you and supporting this awesome community.

Cheers
Andrea

1) A government grant. It is given to you. You don’t waltz right in there and steal it, you can’t just take tax payer’s money for kicks. There is a system where people decide what to do with the money and who it goes to. It is democratic, it is as fair as it can be. This money was put into a little pile called “Arts Funding” and these people chose to give substantial amount of money to our Canadian modern dance icon. Hardly any of that money goes to the actual recipient of the grant. It goes into renting theatres, paying staff for the venues, paying set designers, hiring lighting and sound technicians, printing flyers/posters, paying other dancers in the company, and so much more.

2) Sacrifices. Dancers especially make them. We never get paid enough money and we sacrifice a lot for our art. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to miss dinners, parties, events, school, etc for dance. Dance isn’t a hobby, it’s a life style. However, it is not fair to compare the sacrifice an artist makes to that of the soldiers in Afghanistan. They sacrifice their lives for peace and we can never compare to that.

3) Compassion. I agree with Margie, our society doesn’t have enough compassion. Sure, we all rally when it comes to a major disaster but soon the hype dies out and the money stops flowing. We are compassionate when it suits us, but most people are much happier hoarding their belongings and never giving back. Society as a whole is very self-centered, which is natural to some degree, but we’re too far gone. It’s time for everyone to take a hard look at how we treat others, especially our artists. As a whole, it is extremely hard for a dancer to earn recognition and respect for our art. Many people throw us off and believe we do nothing for the world. Society needs to respect every member of it’s community, no matter how small their contribution is.

I am asking that CRTC remove Sun TV from basic cable programming.

- Kyra Jacques, Vancouver

http://www.thecoast.ca/ArtAttack/archives/2011/06/10/sun-news-margie-gillis-and-misinformation

Funny that host Krista Erickson is SO opposed to the funding of the arts when she herself is in the television industry. Without the arts and arts funding, she wouldn’t have a job. Idiot. Perhaps she should be educated in politics before she starts hatefully voicing opinions about politics. Shitty journalist. You can see the hate oozing out of her, it’s nauseating.

Not to mention, hypocrite. Krista Erickson doesn’t support government funding to the arts but she does indeed support taxpayer’s money paying for her cheesy spray tan as well as the numerous flights and accommodations to a variety of locations so that she can meet up with her 63-year-old politician “boyfriend”. Client might be a more appropriate term. Taxpayer’s dollars haven’t bought them a little romp pad yet so that’s why she feels that 1.2 million could’ve been better spent. GROSS. Krista Erickson SUCKS.

Go Margie Gillis! What an angel!<3