Safe Spaces refers to policy changes made in all areas of business and public life that aim to make the ‘spaces’ in which we work and learn and socialize, ‘safer’ for everyone in a variety of ways. Not only in terms of physical safety, where there may be hazards or physical contact, but notably in terms of inclusivity, consent, and anti-harassment.

For more information on Safe Spaces please visit our “Safe Spaces in Dance” webpage to read our Statement on Safe Spaces and view resources and examples of Safe Space policy and procedure in place in Alberta and abroad.

In Alberta, as in the other provinces and territories of Canada, the playing of music for the purpose of Physical Exercises and Dance instruction requires the employer licenses the playback of music through the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) under Tariff 19.

If you are employed as a dance educator, confirm that your employer has obtained a SOCAN license for their business and if they have not then you can contact SOCAN for information about the steps required to ensure that the music in your class is being used legally and ethically.

In conversation with SOCAN (June 2019) the Alberta Dance Alliance learned that with upcoming changes to SOCAN licensing, dance educators will no longer have the option to carry a license as an individual. Instead, it is always, and 100% the responsibility of employers of dance educators using music in their classes to license the location(s) in which music playback occurs. Further, coming in 2019/2020, there will no longer be any 3rd party options for employers to obtain their SOCAN license by holding a membership with another organization. In fact, this process is being transitioned (July 2019) into a new form amalgamating the concerns of SOCAN and Re:Sound into a new initiative called Entandem music licensing. In the near future, licensing music for the purpose of Physical Exercises and Dance instruction in Canada will be handled by Entandem. Until then, follow these three steps, to apply for your SOCAN license:

  1. Read the Tariff 19 info sheet,
  2. Use this calculator to establish your fees,
  3. Fill in and submit the application form.

The money paid to play music, through SOCAN licenses, is used to compensate music creators, whose music is used to make your business better and more successful. All employers of dance educators must join SOCAN to use music legally and ethically, and support songwriters, composers and music publishers that create and nurture it.

SOCAN specifically told ADA that “Alberta’s dance educator employers cannot wait until the end of their year to determine their participant numbers.” This has been an ongoing issue and must stop. By analogy, “this would be like a liquor store applying for a license after they have been selling liquor for a year.” If you are unsure of what your participant numbers will be for the coming year, SOCAN is happy to take an estimate that is based on the number of participants that an employer requires to be financially viable during a year, based on operating expenses. This applies primarily to new employers who do not yet have other means of estimating the number of participants that they can expect. For those employers who have data from years past, the participant numbers from previous years, adjusted for anticipated growth or decline, can be used as a baseline for participant numbers. Either way, if you are playing music for the purposes of physical exercises and dance instruction, you need to contact SOCAN to ensure you obtain a license BEFORE you begin employing educators in carrying out these activities. Retroactive licensing is not a thing.

“The best, and most reasonable place to get a permit to play music at the studio,” is, therefore and only, through SOCAN/Entandem itself, by way of the employers obtaining a license for their operations that include playing music for the purpose of physical exercise and dance instruction.

One of the best ways to advertise is to become a member of the Alberta Dance Alliance and take full advantage of hosting a profile in the Alberta Dance Directory, posting events in our DanceLink Calendar, and any upcoming bulletins or job postings, as well.

ADA Digital ad space is a monthly service at competitive rates, giving you exposure to thousands of Albertans already invested in the dance sector.

Members and non-members can advertise on the ADA website with hyperlinked Billboard and Small Rectangle spaces on our homepage! Contact us to reserve the month for your ad, ASAP. Pairing a Billboard Ad with a listing in the DanceLink Calendar is the best way to maximize your exposure on our site.

For rates and sizes, download the Spec Sheet and contact us ASAP to reserve your month.

You can cancel automatic renewals anytime by logging into your account and navigating to Edit Membership. After cancelling automatic renewals, your membership and all related services will expire on the anniversary of your original registration date. You will receive reminder emails in the weeks prior to expiration to allow you to make a single payment for the next year. If you try to access member services after your membership has expired you will be asked to renew to regain access to member services.

Website photography features members and partners in dance in Alberta, at the discretion of the Alberta Dance Alliance. If you would like to be seen on our website, please contact our office and request inclusion in the rotating gallery. Inclusion in the ADA website photo gallery is never guaranteed, and priority is given to ADA members with high-resolution images that will display well given the cropping aspect ratio on our site.

Remember that all members can upload media materials, including images, videos, and CVs, etc. to their profile page in the AB Dance Directory. To ensure your materials are available to be seen, complete the necessary sections in your profile. Although adding photographic material to your profile does not automatically add that material to the ADA banner gallery, your profile picture will be displayed on our homepage if you are selected as a featured member, and we do occasionally search the dance directory for images to add to the banner gallery.

If you think you have a great photo and it needs to be part of our banner gallery, then the best thing to do is to contact our office and we can proceed from there.

Consult our DanceLink Calendar and do not double-book dates. If you double-book dates in your region then you are competing with other groups for an audience! As soon as you have your dates selected, please add/update your event listing on DanceLink so that others can ensure that they do not double-book over you!

Anyone can become a member of the Alberta Dance Alliance by registering online. On the left of the Login/Registration page, under “Become an ADA member…” you can learn more about which membership type is right for you or your organization and what services are offered to members. If you are not comfortable with registering online or are having technical difficulties, please contact our office.

  1. Fill in the Purchase a Membership form.
  2. (Un)check the box for automatic renewals.
  3. Click the PayPal icon to proceed to the checkout.
    1. If you select Automatic Renewals, you will need a PayPal account. ADA does not store your payment information.
    2. If you do not select Automatic Renewals, payment may be made with or without a PayPal account.
  4. Once you are a member you can:
    1. View your AB Dance Directory Profile.
    2. Complete your AB Dance Directory Profile.
    3. Add Events
    4. Add Bulletins
    5. Add Jobs