Celebrating Mimi Beck

Photo by Kendra Epik

After 40+ years of devoted service, our Founding Dance Curator Mimi Beck, retired in September 2023.

Under Mimi’s creative direction, DanceWorks became a leading presenter of dance in Canada. In addition to her incredible curatorial accomplishments, Mimi has been a guiding friend and mentor to artists, staff, patrons and community members.

Thank you to those who were able to join us on November 16, 2023 to celebrate Mimi’s retirement!

Mimi Beck dedicated her career to advancing and promoting dance in all forms through presentation, commissioning, advocacy and research. As founding Dance Curator of the DanceWorks series in Toronto, she encouraged dance literacy among adults and youth. Beck served as Executive Director of the Canadian Network of Dance Presenters, CanDance, as well as Dance Ontario. She was inducted into the Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame in 2023, receiving the William J.S. Boyle Dance Luminary Award. From 1990 – 1994, Beck was Canadian director of a bi-lateral touring exchange with Dance Theatre Workshop (NY) and the U.S. National Performance Network. An active choreographer and performer in Toronto’s independent dance movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s, she received the first Canada Council grant awarded to a dance curator for professional development.
Beck currently enjoys her roles as mentor, consultant and facilitator.