Sweet Ephemera
presented by
only child by Calder White
Brief Pause
Sometimes the Sex is so Good by Tavia Christina
Welcome and Thank You for Joining Us!
DanceWorks is based in what is colonially known as the City of Toronto; a place that has been the site of human activity for over 15,000 years. Toronto is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Anishinaabe, Chippewa, and the Wendat. We are grateful to live, work and dance on this territory. We also acknowledge that Tkaronto/Toronto, the place where the trees meet the water, is subject to The Dish with One Spoon covenant, and covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams treaties signed by several Chippewa and Mississauga Anishinaabe First Nations.
Program Notes for only child
A solo that's at times a duet and occasionally a trio, only child places courtship, reproduction, and romance on a pedestal and under a microscope. Fantasy becomes reality in a series of vignettes that draw from queer intimacy and kink practices, conjuring the simultaneous danger and care that exists in these marginal spaces.
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Choreography and Performance by Calder White
Scenography and Rehearsal Direction by Steph Cyr
Creative Assistance, Lighting Design and Stage Management by Zaya Sawchyn
Props by Chris White
Costume Design by Maria Kofman
Music by Jeremy O’Neill and Stefan Nazarevich
Outside Eyes: Anais West and Marisa Christogeorge
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only child has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Odd Meridian Arts, DanceWorks and The Dance Centre BC.
Calder White is a freelance dance artist based on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. He is an alumnus of Tkaronto's Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre and holds a BFA in Dance from the Ohio State University. He has originated roles in work by Shay Kuebler, Joshua Beamish, Wen Wei Wang, Ziyian Kwan, and Rachel Meyer, amongst others. His own choreography has been presented by institutions across North America, including Ohio Dance Festival, Dancing on the Edge (Vancouver), The School of Dance (Ottawa), and Odd Meridian Arts. Calder is also a floorwork teacher, regularly sharing his workshops in cities and towns across North America. He is the proud recipient of the 2022 Hnatyshyn Foundation's Ukraine - Heritage, Spirit, and Future award for Exceptional Talent in Contemporary Dance.
Headshot by Kendra Epik.
If you have friends or family in Vancouver, please encourage them to check out performances of only child as part of Odd Meridian Arts’ Bring Your Own Body series between July 9-13, 2025. Click here to learn more!
Program Notes for Sometimes the Sex is so Good
How can we work through disaster together? Do we? Amid the ruins of our choices, we confront the ease of staying. Sometimes the Sex is so Good, challenges our sense of autonomy. Tavia Christina, Artistic Director of Near & Far Projects, has crafted a world that confronts our ongoing destruction and admits to an upheaval of civilization.
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Directed and Choreographed by Tavia Christina
Performed by Eleanor van Veen and Katie Adams-Gossage
Dramaturgy by August Winter
Outside Mentorship by Heidi Strauss
Costume Design by Angela Cabrera
Projection Design by KLSR
Original Score by Luke Gruntz & Dæm
Original Lighting Design by Mathilda Kane, Adaptation by Emilie Trimbee
Prop Build by Jarrett Siddall
Stage Management by Helin Gungoren
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This project has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Dance Theatre "Plug N' Play" Residency and Woodland Farm Residency.
Sometimes the Sex is so Good was developed in part through Arts Orillia's Dance&Design residency.
Choreographer’s Note:
Change, change, change. Be soft and malleable for our hardened world.
Thank you to my support + lifelines during this process, my friends and family, Alex, Audri, Bri, Chris, Daniel, Fran, Heidi, Jocelyn and Krista. To the folks who inspired the title of the work, thank you, you know who you are!
Love always,
Tavia
Tavia Christina (Choreographer) is a multi-hyphenate artist who embraces their ethereal nature as a driving force in artistic expression and research. Their work seamlessly blends genres across dance, theatre, and performance art. Their practice is rooted in somatic movement and spiritual endurance. With a background spanning Western contemporary dance, street dance, and classical ballet, Tavia also holds interests in various other art forms, including curation, music, acting, poetry, film, and death work. In their freelance career, they have been nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore award, and are interning as an artistic director at adelheid facilitated through The Metcalf Foundation.
Headshot by Colin Medley.
Katie Adams-Gossage (Performer) (she/her) is a dance artist from Montreal, currently living and creating in Toronto. She has worked with notable choreographers and presenters including Heidi Strauss, Toronto Dance Theatre, Darryl Tracy, Maxine Heppner, Jenn Goodwin, Pulga Muchochoma, Katherine Semchuk, and Tavia Christina. Upon graduation from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Katie received the Winchester Prize for choreographic distinction. Since then, her choreographic work has been presented by Nuit Blanche, SummerWorks, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Katie is invested in dance education and has shared her knowledge at Dance Arts Institute, Canada’s National Ballet School, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Toronto Metropolitan University, among others. She hones her teaching practice as class demonstrator to Peggy Baker and Rosemary James, and recently published an essay unpacking normalised studio practices as a 2024 artist researcher with Dancemakers.
Headshot by Aidan Tooth.
Eleanor van Veen (Performer) is a dance artist from Cape Breton Island, now based in Toronto, where she performs, choreographs, collaborates, and teaches dance and Pilates. Rooted in a desire for intuitive movement, her practice is an ever-evolving exploration of flow, feeling, and ferocity. She has performed works by Alysa Pires, Hanna Kiel, Jera Wolfe, Lesley Telford, Meghann Michalsky, Naishi Wang, Nicole von Arx, Syreeta Hector, and others, and has worked with Edmonton Opera, Human Body Expression, Metamorphosis Dance, Near & Far Projects, Nostos Collectives, ProArteDanza, and Project InTandem. As a creator, Eleanor has developed and shared her work in diverse settings, including Woodland Farm’s Artist Residency, Kinetic’s Open Studio Series, Art & Water’s Dockside Dance, St. Elizabeth’s Regional Arts Program, and ProArteDanza's Summer Intensive Program.
Headshot by Aidan Tooth.
Additional Credits for Sweet Ephemera
Dedra McDermott, Curator and Lead Producer
Brayden Jamil Cairns, Sweet Ephemera Host
Stone Fruit Studio, Lobby Flower Arrangements
Pumpernickel’s, Catering for Reception (June 24)
On Third Thought, Gelato for Reception (June 26)
Special thanks to the incredible staff at Young People’s Theatre for their support and dedication! Gratitude shout-outs to Derek, Zach, Sophia, Ash, and the entire technical, front-of-house, box office and facility teams!
On June 25, interpretation is provided by an ASL-English Interpreter (Hearing) & Deaf Performer.
Learn more about DanceWorks
DanceWorks connects audience members with artists and their work—inviting the public to encounter new ideas and necessary questions. We support choreographers, dancers, and interdisciplinary artists in the development and presentation of bold, thoughtful, relevant performance events. DanceWorks programming also includes artist residencies, open rehearsals, workshops, artist talks, and community conversations.
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Dedra McDermott, Curator and Lead Producer for Sweet Ephemera
Dedra McDermott and David Norsworthy, Co-Executive Artistic Producers
Neetika Sharma, General Manager
Catherine Romano, Education and Outreach Manager
Kaylee McCullough, Digital Content and Social Media Coordinator
Remington North, Production Manager
Mario Fasce, Jennifer Wan, Belinda Ngai, and Alex Hsiao, Board of Directors
SAVE THE DATES! Next up, DanceWorks is co-presenting a shared-space-separate-stage double bill with SummerWorks between August 15-17, 2025.
Floral artistry found where alternative edginess meets juicy fun.
Stone Fruit Studio is a floral design studio in Toronto. We believe in uniqueness and vibrancy, with designs as fun and bold as the people we design for. Our passions lie in elevating, shaping, and bringing to life the essence of an event, photoshoot, or space through floral artistry, and bringing joy to our clients - celebrating love in all its forms.
