Dance Nova Scotia is pleased to announce the appointment of Kenney Fitzpatrick as Executive Director. Fitzpatrick will take up the position in July 2022 to replace retiring Executive Director, Cliff Le Jeune.
“After 8+ years of serving the dance community, I feel it is time to hand over the reins”, said Le Jeune. “It has been challenging to represent and keep the dance community informed over the past two years of COVID and that has taken a toll on the entire cultural sector. I will be leaving the organization with a new framework and am confident that the Board of Directors, working with the new Executive Director, will be able to build an exciting path forward.”
Kenney describes himself as an avid music lover, comic book geek, sci-fi devourer, wine and craft beer “enthusiast”, husband and crazy cat dad. He is also an educator and dedicated practitioner of community service, youth advocacy and lifelong learning.
Having previously spent 25+ years working with students in the post-secondary education service sector, Kenney used his time during the COVID pandemic to combine his love of music and the arts with his work in education and advocacy to create new projects of support for LGBTQ creatives around the world. Working with the distinct needs and challenges of the LGBTQ community at the forefront, he made it his mission to support queer artists by advocating for stronger, more accurate representation within industry as well as creating media outlets (Digital/Print/Radio/Video/Podcast) to provide a platform for them to be heard and seen through his online platform The Q LGBTQ Creative Network.
As a management professional, practitioner of lifelong learning, advocate, educator and long-time community builder, Kenney has taken aim to create spaces where artists can be welcomed, share their stories and reach larger audiences. Alongside this mission is the undertaking of educating queer youth and community on the incredibly rich and diverse talent that exists within the global LGBTQ+ landscape.
Now Kenney has brought his artistic appreciation to Dance Nova Scotia. A devoted fan, dance has been another long standing area of artistic love in his life. For Kenney, dance has always been a source of action and exercise. But it is the connection to positive mental health and self care where dance has truly been a connection in his life. Embracing one of his life’s mottos, “When in doubt, dance it out”, Kenney has turned to dance in his life to find his way through challenges and combat times of stress. Seeing the limitless potential of the Nova Scotia dance community, Kenney looks to introduce the diverse cultural and artistic expanse of Nova Scotia dance to new audiences and build an even brighter community of dance.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am very excited to welcome Kenney as the new Executive Director of Dance Nova Scotia,” says Cynthia Vokey, Chair of the Dance Nova Scotia Board of Directors. “Kenney’s leadership skillset will aid in creating, implementing and sustaining new practices for Dance Nova Scotia, all while creating meaningful community connections.”
For further information, please contact:
Dance Nova Scotia
office@dancens.ca
1113 Marginal Road
Halifax, NS, B3H 4P7
(902) 422-1749
www.dancens.ca