Rita Taylor
This past October, DanceWorks opened the Mainstage season with the Toronto premiere of Mînowin, a multimedia work by Dancers of Damelahamid, a celebrated Indigenous dance company from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Here we look back at the work through photographs and an interview with choreographer Margaret Grenier. Margaret Grenier shares, “Mînowin translates to the …
Continue reading “Looking Back: Dancers of Damelahamid’s Mînowin”
JOB DESCRIPTION – DANCEWORKS GENERAL MANAGER (Part-time) – 20 hrs/week, salaried position Closing date for applications: June 8, 2020 Start date: July 6, 2020 Salaried position – $21,000 – $23,000, annually, commensurate with experience Be part of the team that manages today, and builds a future for DanceWorks, Toronto’s leading presenter of independent dance. Strong …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Is Looking For A General Manager”
In September 2019, DanceWorks opened the season with Human Body Expression’s Resonance, a CoWorks performance at the Sts. Cyril and Methody Church Hall. Resonance evokes the power of evolution, inspired by the recent political movement in South Korea – the impeachment of now former president Park Geun-Hye in 2016. Choreographer Hanna Keil shares her inspiration for …
Continue reading “Moving Online: Human Body Expression’s Resonance”
This past November, we presented JDdance‘s InAbsentia. The work celebrated the unexpected beauty that blossoms in the aftermath of calamity. Here, we look back at the world premiere performance at the Harboufront Centre Theatre. Choreography Direction: Sharon B Moore Dancers: Jordana Deveau, Jesse Dell, Noah Blatt, Yiming Cai, Hilary Knee, Jake Ramos, Kathia Wittenborn Photographer: Edwin …
Integrated dance company, Propeller Dance, premiered Flesh and Spokes and Spasticus in Toronto in mid-March. The works celebrated differences and challenged perceived notions of dance artists and performance. Here we look back at Flesh and Spokes, choreographed by Propeller Dance co-director Renata Soutter. Photographs by Omer Yukseker.
AS COVID-19 shuts down performances, we hope to share some of DanceWorks recent presentations online. The first is Zata Omm’s Eden Planted, presented by DanceWorks in February 2020 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Eden Planted is an exercise in futurology, a reversal of the fall of humanity and restoration of Eden in our technological age. …
Continue reading “Moving Online: Zata Omm’s Eden Planted Full Length Video”
Zata Omm’s Eden Planted premiered in early February, a work inspired by both the benefits and detriments that impact humanity caught between the press of technological and social change. Here, we re-visit the work in a series of beautiful photographs by David Hou.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS CO-PRESENTATION WITH TO LIVE WILL BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND PURCHASERS WILL BE ADVISED OF NEW DATES ASAP. OPTIONS REGARDING REFUNDS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
Renata Soutter, Artistic Co-Director and Choreographer at Propeller Dance, is on a mission is to create meaningful art that has an impact on social change. Here, we talk to Renata about her goal and the ground-breaking work happening with with mixed-abilities artists. DanceWorks: Can you tell us about the name Propeller Dance? Who came up …
Continue reading “Propeller Dance’s Renata Soutter on Dance and Social Change”
Join us for a Workshop with Propeller Dance! Open to artists of all abilities and free to participate. WORKSHOP #1 Creation Methods with Propeller Dance – Two day workshop series open to artists When? Tuesday March 3rd, 1-4pm and Wednesday March 4th, 1-4pm Where? Community Room, 150 Dan Leckie Way (but arrive and …
Choreographer and artistic director William Yong brings his unique approach to dancemaking in Eden Planted. Rooted in original movement and new media experimentation, this much anticipated creation contemplates the reconstruction of paradise in an age of rapid scientific and technological developments. Here, we speak with William about the upcoming world premiere. DanceWorks: Can you tell …
DanceWorks upcoming CoWorks show 8 minutes 17 seconds is created and conceived by Lucy Rupert/Blue Ceiling dance with additional choreography by Karen Kaeja, Emma Kerson, Jane Alison McKinney, and Michael Caldwell. Here, we ask Lucy to share more about the upcoming world premiere. 8 minutes 17 seconds is the length of time it takes light …
DanceWorks presents IN ABSENTIA, created by Sharon B. Moore for JDdance. The world premiere interweaves dance, puppetry, and live action video design. Here, we talk to choreographer Sharon B. Moore and learn more about her inspiration and collaborative process with artists Jordana Deveau and Jesse Dell. DanceWorks: The title, IN ABSENTIA, can you tell us …
Continue reading “Sharon B. Moore on Creation and Collaboration with JDdance”
DanceWorks presents Mînowin, a multimedia work by Dancers of Damelahamid, a celebrated Indigenous dance company from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Here we speak with choreographer Margaret Grenier about the upcoming Toronto premiere of Mînowin. DanceWorks: Can you tell us about the title of the work? How does it connect to the movement, narrative and themes …
Continue reading “Margaret Grenier Shares Insight About New Work, Mînowin”
Human Body Expression’s Resonance opens the DanceWorks CoWorks season. Choreographed by Hanna Kiel and the dancers, performed by live musicians, Resonance evokes the power of evolution. Here, DanceWorks speaks with Hanna about the show. DanceWorks: Resonance is inspired by the recent political movement in South Korea – the impeachment of now former president Park Geun-Hye in 2016. …
Patrons please note that there are three errors re performance dates on the schedule on the back of our brochure. Mar 13-14, 2020 Propeller Dance 7:30 pm @ Fleck Dance Theatre May 7-10, 2020 Sara Porter @ The Theatre Centre June 4-6, 2020 Nina Milanovski @ Artscape Youngplace Dates in the body of the brochure …
DanceWorks congratulates the extraordinary artists who received a total of 13 Dora Mavor Moore nominations from the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) for our 2018/19 Mainstage Series. Outstanding Production DanceWorks/Jaberi Dance Theatre – No Woman’s Land DanceWorks/Kaha:wi Dance Theatre – Blood Tides DanceWorks/Louis Laberge Côté – The art of degeneration Outstanding Original Choreography Louis …
Continue reading “13 Dora Mavor Moore Nominations for 2018-19 Mainstage Series Artists”
DanceWorks’ final mainstage presentation of the season is the world premiere of adelheid’s LOT X. We asked adelheid artistic director Heidi Strauss about her creation process, working beyond a conventional theatre space, and how the work looks to connect with new audiences. DANCEWORKS: LOT X is a site specific work taking place inside and outside …
Dance Curator Mimi Beck announces DanceWorks’ five Mainstage Series events for the 2019/20 season. High quality, culturally pluralistic dance programming will immerse audiences in moments of connection, understanding and renewal. Contemporary reflections of Indigenous identity and historically significant dance, music and media, placed in today’s context, will encourage empathy across cultures and abilities. Touring companies …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Announces 2019-20 Mainstage Series”
DanceWorks’ upcoming CoWorks show Mirrors created by Lucy Rupert and Paulina Derbez runs April 25-27 at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. In this second interview (the first was with Lucy Rupert), we talk to creator/performer Paulina Derbez. Paulina Derbez is an award winning classical and avant-garde violinist, a Tedx speaker, and author of The Conscious …
DanceWorks’ upcoming CoWorks show Mirrors created by Lucy Rupert and Paulina Derbez opens this month. In a set of two interviews we talk to the creators/performers to learn more about their collaboration and exploration of the connections between music, movement, and text. First up is Lucy Rupert, the artistic director of Blue Ceiling dance (celebrating 15 …
Nostos Collectives celebrates their fifth season with Hinterland, a double bill exploring safe spaces in works by choreographers Emily Spearing and Naishi Wang. Emily is from London, Ontario and a graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Naishi was born in Changchun, China and moved to Canada to attend The School of Toronto Dance …
DanceWorks’ upcoming CoWorks presentation Possibilities of Dialogue explores the parallels between making dance and having a conversation. Created by Marielis Garcia, a native New Yorker and director of MG DanceArts, and David Norsworthy, a Toronto-based dance artist who works internationally as a performer, choreographer and educator, the world premiere work opens in April. Here, we …
Continue reading “Possibilities of Dialogue with Marielis Garcia and David Norsworthy”
Newton Moraes Dance Theatre celebrates their 20th anniversary season with a world premiere of WIRED LOVE, a DanceWorks CoWorks presentation that explores cultural trends in love and friendship. Here we talk to Artistic Director and choreographer Newton Moraes about the landmark anniversary and new work. DANCEWORKS: This is the 20th anniversary season of Newton Moraes …
Continue reading “Newton Moraes Dance Theatre’s 20th Anniversary”
Conceived and directed by Roshanak Jaberi and created with a powerhouse artistic team and ensemble of seven performers, No Woman’s Land is an interdisciplinary production that reveals the plight and resistance of refugee women. Here, we talk to Roshanak Jaberi about the Toronto premiere. DANCEWORKS: No Woman’s Land has been developed in collaboration with Doris Rajan of …
Continue reading “Jaberi Dance Theatre Explores Experience of Refugee Women”
Saturday February 16 Presentation of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Blood Tides Pre Show Viewing with Post Show Reception Auction items include tickets to Toronto’s most sought-after events, wines and spirits, group tours, products for personal pampering, tech goodies and much more! Fleck Dance Theatre Harbourfront Centre 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto For underground parking at the …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Fabulous (and affordable) Silent Auction”
The first show in our CoWorks Series is SaMel Tanz’s Mind-ful(l). Here we talk to founders Samantha Schleese and Melissa Hart. DANCEWORKS: Can you tell us about your company SaMel Tanz? When did you start working together? SAMEL: SaMel Tanz is a Toronto dance company known for powerful performances that fuse urban and Latin movement …
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s latest performance, Blood Tides, is an innovative work that takes the creation inherent in women’s bodies and uses it to celebrate what Artistic Director Santee Smith calls “the house of humanity: the womb.” Four Indigenous performers take on four different roles in the piece: The Protector, who is a warrior and huntress, …
Continue reading “Guest Writer Alicia Elliott On Blood Tides”
DanceWorks’ presents Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Blood Tides in February. The work is a visual feast with imagery that spans the wide range of what is women: warrior, leader, mother, divine goddess, creator, thresholder of life and death, and huntress. Here, artistic director and dancer, Santee Smith speaks about her creative process and collaborating with international …
Continue reading “Santee Smith On Research, Collaboration, and Creation”
DanceWorks presents acclaimed Toronto choreographer/dancerLouis Laberge-Côté in the world premiere of his full-length solo The art of degeneration It’s all make believe, isn’t it?” – Marilyn Monroe TORONTO, October 4, 2018: DanceWorks is pleased to present the world premiere of The art of degeneration, choreographed and performed by the award-winning Toronto-based dancer/choreographer Louis Laberge-Côté. Multidisciplinary …
DanceWorks upcoming show The art of degeneration by Louis Laberge-Côté runs Oct. 31 – Nov. 3, 2018 at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. Multidisciplinary and thought-provoking, this world premiere work aspires to initiate discussions on human and social issues that include decay, aging, mental illness, celebrity, excess, and performance. Here, we interview choreographer …
Continue reading “Louis Laberge-Côté on Research and Reflection, Excess and Extravagance”
RUBBERBANDance’s Ever So Slightly runs October 11-12, 2018 at the Fleck Dance Theatre, preceding the premiere in Montreal. Here, we speak with the production’s dramaturge, Mathieu Leroux, on his creative process and working with choreographer Victor Quijada. DANCEWORKS: Can you talk about your role as dramaturge in Ever So Slightly? How do you approach a …
Continue reading “Dramaturge, Mathieu Leroux, Talks About Ever So Slightly”
MEDIA RELEASE: For Immediate Release Contact: Dianne Weinrib, dw@dwcommunications.net DanceWorks presents RUBBERBANDance Group’s Ever So Slightly – A production on steroids! – September 25, 2018: DanceWorks opens its 2018-19 season with a new work from Montreal’s acclaimed RUBBERBANDance Group, choreographed by its Artistic Director, Victor Quijada. With Ever So Slightly, Quijada delves into new territory …
Continue reading “Media Release: DanceWorks Presents Avant Premiere of RBDG’s Every So Slightly”
DanceWorks’ season opener Ever So Slightly by RUBBERBANDance Group runs October 11-12, 2018 at the Fleck Dance Theatre. Directed by choreographer Victor Quijada, whose mastery combines delicacy and finesse with high-voltage movement, Ever So Slightly explores change, the many elements that lead to it, and the breaking point. Here we talk to Victor about the …
Continue reading “Interview with RUBBERBANDance Group’s Victor Quijada”
Toronto, (September 10, 2018) – DanceWorks, Toronto’s longest running contemporary dance series, is delighted to announce that TD Bank will be premier sponsor for the 2018/19 Mainstage Series. DanceWorks’ five Mainstage productions emerge from the keen choreographic imaginations of dance artists confronting today’s socio-political reality. Topics range from the politics of aging, to Indigenous re-matriation, …
Every season, DanceWorks presents Student Matinees and Workshops to Toronto and surrounding area students and teachers. Here is the line-up for DanceWorks 2018/19 season: Thursday, October 11, 2018 @ 12:30pm @ Fleck Dance Theatre RUBBERBANDance Group’s Ever So Slightly Thursday, February 14, 2019 @ 12:30pm @ Fleck Dance Theatre Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Blood Tides Matinees …
Our sincere congratulations to Hanna Kiel who received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Choreography at last night’s Awards Gala for her work Chasing The Path!
14 June, 2018: After the celebratory 40th Anniversary Season, Mimi Beck, Dance Curator of acclaimed presenter DanceWorks announces the 2018-19 season with four world premieres and one Toronto premiere featuring artists/companies from Toronto, Montreal, Six Nations, Mexico and New Zealand. Curator’s statement: Key artistic themes of the Mainstage Series emerge from today’s socio-political environment. Five …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Announces the 2018-19 Mainstage Series – building momentum!”
Congratulations to DanceWorks’ 40th Anniversary season artists who have been nominated for a total of eight (8) Dora Mavor Moore Awards in the Dance Division! Outstanding Production Human Body Expression for Chasing The Path Outstanding Original Choreography Alyssa Martin for string quartet no.14 in g major (Rock Bottom Movement/CoWorks) Hanna Kiel for Chasing The Path …
Continue reading “DanceWorks 40th Anniversary Season Artists Garner 8 Dora Mavor Moore Nominations!”
We would like to thank our artists and audiences for a record breaking season! DanceWorks presented six world premieres, a 40th anniversary celebration, and the Mainstage debut of Dancers of Damelahamid, a Vancouver-based Indigenous dance company directed by Margaret Grenier. Congratulations to Mainstage and CoWorks artists: Dreamwalker Dance Company, Esmeralda Enrique, Joanna de Souza, Holly …
DanceWorks’ final mainstage show of the season is Gadfly’s UNBXBL II, choreographed by Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Sinbadinho. The program is a mixed bill featuring ANOMYKZ 2.0 and KLOROFYL 3.0, and two world premieres, FENOMENA and DESPITEBECAUSE. Here, we talk to Ofilio Sinbadinho to learn more about Gadfly’s creative process and upcoming show. DANCEWORKS: Can you …
Continue reading “Interview with Gadfly’s Ofilio Sinbadinho”
On Saturday May 5, 2018, DanceWorks will hold our Fabulous (and affordable) Silent Auction and patron appreciation night at Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Be sure to arrive around 7 pm to view the items before our presentation of Toronto’s dance phenomenon, Gadfly, beginning in all three the lobbies at 7:45 pm. Then stay for a scrumptious …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Fabulous (and affordable) Silent Auction”
Upcoming CoWorks’ artist Tracey Norman is a driving force in her community, spending her time as a choreographer, teacher, performer, researcher, and mother. Tracey has been on faculty in the Department of Dance at York University since 2010, following the completion of her MFA in Choreography and Dramaturgy. She is an active member of the …
Continue reading “Tracey Norman On The Walls We Build And Take Down”
Gadfly will be presenting short excerpts from UNBXBL 2 as well as DNA Decoded: a live creation in front of your eyes. Arrive early, these performances always sell out (seating is on a first-come first-served basis, no reservations). Info: http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/FreeConcertSeries/April.aspx
TORONTO (April 12, 2018) – DanceWorks, Toronto’s acclaimed and longest running contemporary dance series, is proud to present Toronto’s award-winning urban dance phenomenon Gadfly who perform a mixed bill entitled UNBXBL 2 that features two world premieres and two completely reworked versions of acclaimed works. Under the co-artistic direction of Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Sinbadinho, the program …
This past weekend, DanceWorks presented the world premiere of Chasing the Path by Human Body Expression. Here are some of the dress rehearsal photographs featuring choreography by Hanna Kiel and dancers Kelly Show, David Norsworthy, Ryan Lee, and Luke Garwood. Photos by Sam So. Looking for a review of Chasing the Path? Here is an …
Hanna Kiel is from Seoul, South Korea. After leaving South Korea in 1996, Hanna spent time in Vancouver presenting her work at festivals and theatres, and then moved to Toronto in 2008. She is the artistic director of Human Body Expression and one of the founders of The Garage, a dance development and exchange collective. …
Lilia Leon is a Mexican-Canadian performing artist with Mestizo heritage. Lilia’s versatile career as a dancer, actor, choreographer and arts educator, has led to collaborations with Indigenous, Canadian, and Latin American artists, who have left an imprint on her artistic practice. Lilia holds a B.A. in dance from York University and is a graduate of the …
Continue reading “Lilia Leon Explores Identity and Ancestry”
Aria Evans is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist working in film, dance creation, and performance. She draws on her experiences as a woman of mixed race, Mi’kmaq/Black/settler heritage, and her B.F.A in dance from York University to capture meaningful social and cultural themes through interactive art. Aria has presented her work alongside a number of Canada’s leading …
Continue reading “Aria Evans Asks ‘What Is My Generation Fighting For Or Against?’”
Flicker, directed by choreographer and performer Margaret Grenier, is a multi-media dance piece performed by Vancouver-based Indigenous dance company, Dancers of Damelahamid of the Gitxsan Nation. The Gitxsan, “people of the river of mists”, are part of the coastal group of cultures renowned for their history of masked dance. Here, Margaret Grenier talks about her …
Continue reading “Interview with Choreographer and Performer Margaret Grenier”
DanceWorks kicks off the new year with a CoWorks presentation of Dance Ontario’s DanceWeekend’18. Founded in 1976 to support the advancement of the discipline, Dance Ontario is a dynamic cross-section of the dance sector with a membership that reflects the province’s diversity through internationally renowned companies, emerging collectives, teachers, studios, choreographers, dancers, and production specialists. …
Rock Bottom Movement’s string quartet no. 14 in g major is a dance theatre work about moving on and dreaming big, characterized as “A Chorus Line meets Big Brother Canada”. A creation myth about Rock Bottom Movement’s next step after losing a cherished company member to the lure of musical theatre, choreographer Alyssa Martin creates …
Continue reading “Rock Bottom Movement’s A Chorus Line meets Big Brother”
The first CoWorks of the season is CORPUS’ House Guests. The work invites twenty guests to discover the mysterious and enchanting content of 8, Baden Street (CORPUS’ Artistic Director’s own house). Remodeled as a museum of contemporary performances, this private dwelling features fourteen spaces ranging from a bedroom to a parking spot, all transformed with …
In anticipation of our 40th Anniversary show, we spoke to Johanna Householder, co-founder of DanceWorks, performance artist, and professor at OCAD University. Johanna reflects on DanceWorks’ early days, memorable performances, and the Toronto dance scene. DanceWorks: Can you talk about how DanceWorks came about? What was the initial impulse for the development of DanceWorks? Johanna: …
Continue reading “Interview with Johanna Householder, Co-Founder of DanceWorks”
DanceWorks first presented Holly Small’s Cheap Sunglasses in 1981. Composer Robert W. Stevenson took a line from a Z Z Top song as his point of departure and commissioned choreographer Holly Small to create an accompanying solo dance. Responding to the rhythmic challenge of Stevenson’s score, Small explored the singular movement style of an earlier …
– a thrilling mix of new works and past favourites from stellar artists -November 16-18 at Harbourfront Centre Theatre TORONTO (October 31, 2017) – DanceWorks, Toronto’s acclaimed and longest running contemporary dance series, is proud to present its 40th Anniversary Celebration, a stellar evening of world premieres and past favourites reflecting its inspired presentations over …
Continue reading “DanceWorks presents 40TH Anniversary Celebration show!”
Written by Carol Anderson, Carol’s Dance Notes are commissioned by DanceWorks and published by Dance Collection Danse. Here, Carol reflects on DanceWorks’ presentation of Dreamwalker Dance Company’s, Dual Light. The world premiere runs Thursday, October 19 – Saturday, October 21 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. *For easier reading, here is PDF of Carol’s Dance Notes …
In Dual Light, Dreamwalker Dance Company’s Artistic Director, Andrea Nann, invites us into the space between things familiar and situations unknown, within shifting environments of light, sound, story and memory. Here, we speak with Andrea about Dual Light. DanceWorks: Can you talk about the title of the new work? How did you decide on Dual …
Continue reading “Andrea Nann Shares Insight on New Work, Dual Light”
DanceWorks is thrilled to present the world premiere of Dreamwalker Dance Company’s Dual Light on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8pm at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Dual Light is conceived, written, and directed by artistic director Andrea Nann, in creation with dance artists and fellow performers, Brendan Wyatt, Yuichiro Inoue, Kristy Kennedy, and designers Simon …
Continue reading “Behind the Scenes with Dreamwalker Dance Company”
TORONTO (September 20, 2017) – DanceWorks, Toronto’s longest running contemporary dance series, now celebrating its 40th Anniversary, proudly presents Toronto-based Dreamwalker Dance Company with the world premiere of its dance-theatre work Dual Light. Described by Dreamwalker Dance Artistic Director Andrea Nann as a ‘moving concept album,’ Dual Light highlights the moments and stories in the …
Toronto, (July 15, 2017) – DanceWorks, Toronto’s longest running contemporary dance series, is delighted to announce that TD Bank Group will be sponsoring the presenter’s upcoming matinee and workshop activities for young audiences at Harbourfront Centre Theatre as part of Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps Series. This funding will allow DanceWorks to create opportunities for young people …
At the Dora Mavor Moore Awards gala which took place on June 26, 2017, the following recipients who were featured on DanceWorks 2016/17 Season were announced: Ylem (3 Eggs Ago) Outstanding Original Choreography Lina Cruz (DanceWorks / Throwdown Collective / Lina Cruz | Fila 13 Productions) Kittly-Bender Outstanding Performance – Female Jennifer Dallas. (DanceWorks CoWorks). …
Continue reading “Congratulations To Dora Mavor Moore Recipients”
June 14, 2017: Mimi Beck, Dance Curator of acclaimed presenter DanceWorks announces the 2017-18 season featuring eight Toronto-based artists/companies and one Indigenous company from Vancouver. From Flamenco, Kathak, Indigenous and Hip-Hop, world premieres and re-mounts from our storied past, it will be a season of surprises and surreal experiences. Curator’s Statement: Highlights of the DanceWorks …
Continue reading “DanceWorks Announces 40th Anniversary Mainstage Series”
Congratulations to artists presented on our 2016/17 season who are nominated for Dora Mavor Moore Awards in the Dance Division. They are:- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DanceWorks/tiger princess productions In Search Of The Holy Chop Suey DanceWorks CoWorks/Kemi Dance Projects Kittly Bender OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY Jennifer Dallas/CoWorks Kittly Bender Yvonne Ng In Search Of The Holy Chop …
Continue reading “Congratulations to DanceWorks’ Dora Mavor Moore Awards Nominees”
This season we presented commissions and co-productions from artists whose work emerges from diverse points of view. Our Mainstage season included Toronto based companies tiger princess dance projects, Throwdown Collective, and inDANCE, and from Vancouver Wen Wei Dance and Shay Kuebler. Our CoWorks presentations included Joshua Beamish, Kẹmi Projects, Form Contemporary Dance Theatre, and a …
Radical System Art’s Artistic Director, Shay Kuebler, explores the glorification of violence in media culture for his new work, Glory. The piece includes a versatile performance language of martial arts, street dance, and contemporary choreography, while integrating film clips, gaming battles, and even lighting tricks. We spoke to Shay about the inspiration for the work. …
As part of the upcoming Indigenous Dance Double Bill, our CoWorks series will present Brian Solomon’s the NDN way. Here, we ask Brian about story telling and re-imagining in his new work. DANCEWORKS: the NDN way is inspired by an original recording of Cree storyteller Ron Evans. Can you tell us more about this inspiration? …
DanceWorks upcoming CoWorks, light breaking broken, is the personal journey of two artists reconnecting with language, culture, and identity. With different cultural perspectives and individual histories, Margaret Grenier and Karen Jamieson use their distinct dance styles to push each other’s boundaries. Here, we interview Margaret and Karen and learn more about their creation process. DANCEWORKS: …
Continue reading “Interview with Margaret Grenier and Karen Jamieson”
Hari Krishnan, Artistic Director of inDANCE, talks South Asian dance, cultural appropriation, collaboration, and Big Macs in this candid interview*. DANCEWORKS: The title of the show is Holy Cow(s)! Can you tell us more about this compelling title? HARI: In an oblique way, I’m a Holy Cow myself. I am a brown, gay Singaporean by …
We are looking ahead to March with inDANCE’s world premiere of Holy Cow(s)!, choreographed by Artistic Director Hari Krishnan. Holy Cow(s)! runs March 23 through March 25 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. A highly personal work from Hari Krishnan, Holy Cow(s)! is a subversive and physically complex full-length dance production, toppling South Asian-dance related taboos …
Montreal choreographer and Fila 13 Productions founder, Lina Cruz, brings her work to Toronto in a collaboration with Throwdown Collective. The piece, Ylem (3 Eggs Ago), opens February 9 -11, 2017 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Here, we ask Lina about her creative process. DANCEWORKS: Can you tell us about how and when you began …
Mairéad Filgate, choreographer and dancer with Throwdown Collective, tells us about her teen dancing days, a stint as a Moldovan acrobatic, and the upcoming Throwdown Collective show. DANCEWORKS: Can you talk about your early professional dancing days? Who were some of the choreographers you first worked with? What kind of work were you doing? MAIRÉAD: …
Continue reading “Mairéad Filgate on Early Infuencers and Acrobatics”
Brodie Stevenson, dancer and member of Throwdown Collective, found his way from the central coast of BC to Toronto via an interest in contact improvisation. Here, he tells us about his childhood, current challenges of being a dancer, and a Dora victory. DANCEWORKS: Can you tell us about your hometown of Wuikinuxv? How did you make …
Continue reading “Brodie Stevenson Looking Back & Moving Forward”
Zhenya Cerneacov, tells us about his journey from ballroom dancing in Chisinau to co-founder of The School of Cadence Ballet and Throwdown Collective, in Toronto. DANCEWORKS: Can you tell us about your home in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. How did you spend your early dancing days? ZHENYA: I was born in the Republic of Moldova …
Continue reading “Zhenya Cerneacov, From The Ballroom To The Contemporary Stage”
DanceWorks presented Yvonne Ng/tiger princess dance projects’ In Search of the Holy Chop Suey and Zhong Xin this past weekend. The work asked, “In what location, time, or space, does identity reside?” through a solo danced by Yvonne Ng, and a trio with dancers Mairéad Filgate, Irvin Chow, and Luke Garwood. Here are some powerful …
DanceWorks presents Yvonne Ng/tiger princess dance projects’s In Search of the Holy Chop Suey and Zhong Xin on November 24 -26 at 8pm. We spoke with choreographer Yvonne Ng about the upcoming world premieres and her creative process, which included working with the dancers in isolation from each other for the past year. DANCEWORKS: In …
Continue reading “Yvonne Ng Choreographs Two World Premieres”
Designing for Dance (#DesignforDance #danceTO) is a collaborative project between TOES FOR DANCE and DanceWorks, funded by the Metcalf Foundation. Designing for Dance explores how Design Thinking approaches can activate new possibilities for public engagement with Toronto’s professional dance community. The project will focus on ways that co-designing with stakeholders can benefit long-term engagement, organizational …
LONE WOLF is an evening of solos, each exploring facets of Joshua’s persona, both public and private. We sat down with Joshua to learn more about the work and his process, and soon discovered that there was a time, when he almost stopped performing. Here is an expert of our conversation. DANCEWORKS: Can you tell us …
Qiu Xia He, musician and collaborator on the work, Made in ChinaMade in China, tells DanceWorks about her early musical influences and experience working with artists from different genres. DANCEWORKS: Can you talk about how you began your music career? QIU XIA HE: When I grew up in China, during the end of Chinese Cultural …
DanceWorks kicks off the season with Wen Wei Dance’s Made in China – an interdisciplinary performance uniting the talents of four creators whose art practices have been influenced by China’s Cultural Revolution. Three of the artists, Wen Wei Wang (Artistic Director, Wen Wei Dance); Yanjinzi Gao (Artistic Director, Beijing Modern Dance Company); and Qiu Xia …
We are about to kick off our season with Wen Wei Dance, but just before the dancers take the stage, we wanted to share some details about our Student Matinees. Did you know that DanceWorks presents Student Matinees to schools in the greater-Toronto area from October 2016 to April 2017? Check it out. DanceWorks’ Matinees …
DanceWorks’ new season has been announced. Curator, Mimi Beck, shares: “The 2016-17 Mainstage Series is ablaze with artistic collaborations! Commissions and co-productions are a vital part of the season, with dances created by professional dance artists whose work emerges from diverse points of view. The Mainstage offers five programs of contemporary dance, curated to communicate …
We wrapped our 2015/16 season! Here is a collection of photographs featuring Tribal Crackling Wind, Daniel Léveillé Danse, Julia Sasso dances, Hoskins/Baskerville, 605 Collective, TOES for dance, Tom Brouillette, Blue Ceiling dance/Lucy Rupert, Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, and Native Earth Performing Arts.
As Company 605 makes their way across Canada, Vital Few performance photographs have offered a peek at what Toronto audiences can expect on May 7. The work features six dancers who share in the creative process and push the company to further explore the essence of unison and togetherness, negotiation of group dynamics, and …
Josh Martin, co-artistic director of Company 605, tells us about his work as both choreographer and dancer, and the influence of urban dance. DanceWorks: Vital Few includes a cast of six dancers, including you. Can you talk about the challenges you have experienced as co-choreographer and performer in the piece? Josh Martin: It is definitely …
Company 605 co-artistic director, Lisa Gelley Martin, talks name change from collective to company, the concept of connectedness, and how the title of the new work, Vital Few, relates to the Pareto Principle. DanceWorks: Company 605 recently had a name change. Can you explain why? Lisa Gelley Martin: We were ‘605 Collective’ because we originally …
Continue reading “Lisa Gelley Martin on Working In New Ways”