Clash of ‘vision’ shutters dance program

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This article was published 01/12/2022 (1132 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The shuttering of Youth for Christ Winnipeg’s longtime Masterworks dance program has left former students and parents with many questions — and former staff locked into non-disclosure agreements, unable to answer.

Started in 1993 as an independent studio that used biblical values to encourage a life of “purpose, generosity and gratitude,” the program had been part of YFC since 2007.

With more than 200 participants, it had grown to be one of YFC’s largest programs.

After it came to a surprising end Aug. 12, one parent, who requested anonymity, wrote he was “disappointed and angry” at the decision.

Masterworks programs, the parent said, “have provided a safe, supportive, caring and God-centred environment for young girls and boys from all levels socio-economic strata and from all over Winnipeg.”

Another parent, Catherine Harder, said she was in “utter shock” when she heard the news: “I was very upset by what they did to the kids.”

The whole experience still leaves her in tears. “It’s still such a raw thing. I thought we all had one goal to do it for the kids, to create an inclusive space where they could express who and what they are. At least, I thought that’s what YFC wanted.”

In response, YFC apologized on its website for the abruptness of the cancellation, acknowledging the impact on staff, students and parents.

The Masterworks program — which it still owns — was “one of our biggest and most impactful ministries,” it stated, adding YFC saw “immense value” in having a ministry for youth to “engage in faith through the beauty of the arts.”

However, it said, the vision promoted by Masterworks staff could not be accommodated by YFC, adding it went beyond the scope of the organization.

Because they were required to sign NDAs in order to get their severance, former leadership staff of Masterworks were unable to comment.

One person close to the former studio, who requested anonymity, said Masterworks was not trying to go beyond YFC’s scope, but rather trying to preserve its “historic mission and vision” for pursuing excellence in dance and the arts — something YFC had agreed to in the 2007 merger.

When differences of opinion about its vision arose in 2021, Masterworks staff initiated a conversation about how it could continue to fit within YFC, the source said.

During those discussions, YFC leadership indicated the pursuit of excellence in the arts was “secondary to the goal of evangelizing youth,” the source said.

For YFC, dance was seen as a way to get youth to the organization so they could hear the Christian message; Masterworks saw dance as a ministry and way to glorify God in and of itself.

Another sticking point was YFC’s requirement that Masterworks stop hiring non-Christian instructors, the source said. This was something the studio had historically done, since there aren’t enough Christian dance instructors in Winnipeg to run what it wanted: an excellence-focused dance program.

YFC began to require Masterworks instructors, who were contracted to work a couple of hours a week, to sign its faith statement: something non-Christians couldn’t do and a requirement some Christians who weren’t part of evangelical congregations had trouble with, the source said.

The YFC faith statement includes a provision about marriage being only between a man and a woman.

At a reported impasse, Masterworks proposed a process for the two to separate by December. Those plans were upended when YFC suddenly closed the studio in August, dismissing Masterworks staff.

“We don’t know why YFC felt the need to abruptly shut down programming,” the source said, adding, however: “It was a workplace that was toxic, in terms of the way power was being used to control. For this, YFC needs to be held accountable.”

Soon after, former Masterworks staff founded a new studio, Genesis School of Dance, which is associated with the Point Douglas Gospel Choir.

Kim Hildebrand was a student and staffer at Masterworks, and also served as director from 2019-21.

“It was a good fit for many years,” she said of the relationship with YFC, noting Masterworks merged with YFC in 2007 because it needed a good organizational home to provide financial security and YFC wanted more programming for girls.

The issue of LGBTTQ+ inclusion was not a major issue, she said, but it was a topic of conversation, since Masterworks did not want to make its part-time instructors sign the YFC statement of faith that includes the man-woman marriage provision.

“We couldn’t hire a queer woman, even if she was a committed Christian and passionate and skilled,” she said. “It was against the rules.”

In response, Cliff Heide said YFC values the dance program — and has not officially closed it.

“Rather, we have needed to increase staffing for it, and to manage that it meant we put a pause on programming for it in this current dance season,” he said. “It was not our desire to do this, but without staff resources we were not able to continue to offer Masterworks programming this season.”

YFC could not accommodate the vision of the former staff as it went beyond the its primary focus on youth, Heide said, adding the organization asked for NDAs based on “good governance on employment law and staff privacy.”

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