The right to dance.

"What kind of village do we create in the naaking" of art, asked dance critic and filmaker Philip Szporer at the 2005 International Conference on Dance and Human Rights. Indeed, can dance even contribute to the flourishing of human rights? And just what rights issues exist within the dance community itself? These were just a few of the urgent questions posed by over 300 attendees last November at L'Universite du Quebec a Montreal.

The 37th annual CORD conference was the brainchild of Arizona State University's Naomi M. Jackson. The Canadian-born dance scholar felt that the appropriate site for this first, in-depth look at the subject should be Montreal. Unlike fire U.S., Canada is a member of UNESCO, an international body that regards the right to culture as an essential human right. Locally, the conference was organized by Dena Davida, director of Tangente, a dance sponsorship agency which has imported unusual fare for 25 years.

Over four days, in more than 30 panels and lecture/demonstrations, CORD participants considered how dance really does matter for both good (as therapy for war-affected refugee children), or for ill (as a propaganda tool for oppressive regimes). Poignant stories emerged. In Cambodia under the genocidal Khmer Rouge, an estimated 80 percent of the country's professional dancers perished and their classical dances were banned. Yet, in secret, those dances sustained the survivors and refugees.

And what about the rights of North American dancers? On her panel, scholar Robin Lakes explored how choreographers who create anti-authoritarian works can be authoritarian in their treatment of dancers. Bullying and humiliation are among the deplorable practices she found in her study. If life in the studio can be difficult, respect for dancers outside it isn't much better--nor is the pay. The prevailing attitude, as one participant said, is, "Either you dance or eat. You don't do both." As for senior dancers, burdened as members of a profession that venerates youth, a panel was devoted to their concerns, on and off the stage.

For all the words, CORD was not short on action. Hands on workshops were held on several topics, including dance as therapy and, for the children who participated, dance as a means to explore diversity and encourage acceptance of others. Performances timed to coincide with the conference included Newfoundlander Sarah Joy Stoker's Le Bordel, a response to the U.S. war on terror; Zimbabwean Nora Chipaumire's solo Pungwe, a reflection on the land bloodily contested in her native country; and Iroquois-Mohawk Quebecker Gaetan Gingras' Manitowapan, a tribute to the healing rituals of First Nations (aboriginal) peoples. Dance was even brought out to the streets, thanks to Grasshoppa Dance Exchange.

CORD also honored pioneering choreographer Anna Halprin and critic Marcia B. Siegel, and paid tribute to the late Iro Tembeck, a Montreal dance historian.

With its emphasis on promoting dignity, identity, and freedom of expression, CORD 2005 was a consciousness-raising event. What the conference showed, as Davida put it, is that, "Dance actually means something in this world." Consider that a call to action.

The 38th annual CORD Conference runs November 2-5, 2006, in Tempe, AZ. For more information visit www.cordance.org.