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Written by Deanne Kearney.

As the curtain falls on the dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival, it’s time to debrief another season of great performances, workshops, and dance exhibits. Spanning five days, the festival showcased the rich diversity of Canadian dance and its artists, and it was wonderful to be a part of it. In this final piece of the series, let’s retrace and relive some of the festival’s most memorable moments.

The Binet Series: A Burst of Individuality and Expression

My journey started with the Binet Series, where Hanna Kiel’s mesmerising piece BODY emerged as an unforgettable highlight. Dancers channelled their distinct personalities through captivating movement and facial expressions. This colourful and dynamic piece earned its well-deserved Audience Choice Award, showcasing the power of diverse movement qualities converging on a single stage.

This series also unveiled three different solo works, such as Water Study, a beautiful dialogue between dancer and musician that harnessed the sounds of water in a metal bowl to evoke movement. Two solos were co-choreographed by Peggy Baker, including Derek Souvannavong’s this identity: woven which explored his intricate tapestry of personal identity, and Vania Dodoo-Beals’s Unfold Attachments, which brought forward personal ideas of betrayal and heartbreak.

The Smith Series: A Fusion of Styles and Stories

I loved that in the Smith Series, performers drew on diverse training techniques and personal narratives. Alexis Fletcher, long time principal dancer with Ballet BC and now working independently, brought Altar’d to the stage, to invite audiences to explore uncomfortable moments that we all have that trigger intense personal growth . ReAWaken, a trio by Meghann Michalsky, fused krump and contemporary dance to conjure a post-apocalyptic world. Michalsky used krump movements to show tremors and freezes within unearthly imaginary environments. Last but not least, a solo created and performed by Liliona Quarmyne titled Resonances of a Warrior Boy questioned ancestral stories and the body, bringing forward movement from her homes of Ghana and the Philippines.

The Morrison Series: Unveiling Rituals and Humanity

My favourite of all the series, the Morrison Series, presented two captivating works from Vancouver and Quebec. An incredible duet by Emmalena Fredriksson and Arash Khakpour, titled You Touch Me (an excerpt), invited the audience to explore race, gender, and identity through their playful interplay of movement and text. I could have watched these two for hours on stage. 

Yet, I am happy to also have gotten the chance to see L’ENCRE NOIRE by La Tresse, composed of Geneviève Boulet, Laura Toma, and Erin O’Loughlin, which focused on ritual and combined folklore, fantasy, and the sacred. This gorgeous, occasionally eerie and unsettling work, was complemented by perfect lighting and costuming.

WYSIWYG Series: A Showcase of Innovation and Creativity

Closest to my heart, as I led the post-show chat for this series and worked closely with the Dance Stewards performing as a part of it, is the WYSIWYG series. This performance brought together a treasure trove of unique pieces and performances.

Also winning the Audience Choice Award, Lukas Malkowski’s Microphone Controller brought a high-energy solo work inspired by different musical performers like Prince and Ozzy Osbourne, with a twist of maintaining an open relationship with the audience and their voice. Slip Away by Samantha Sutherland, a solo work, interestingly incorporated audio recordings of her learning an endangered indigenous language called Ktunaxa from her family. Corps/Objet (Body/Object), choreographed by Marie Lambin-Gagnon, brought forward sculptural movements investigating how shape and movements relate to living and non-living matter, with dancer Megumi Kokuba. Sun Bleached Keith, a duet choreographed by Bryce Taylor, delved into the death of his father, exploring the experience of his mother learning to cope with his absence and connecting with someone not there. Lastly, Djata : Conversations du Manden, created and performed by Aly Keita, blended percussive and acrobatic movement to tell a story from his Guinean roots.

Dance on Film: An Excitedly Growing Medium

A major highlight of the festival was the dance on film segment. I have written much in the past about how pleased I am that Canada’s dance on film community seems to be growing, and this festival showcases that clearly with its incredible breadth. The festival offered three live screenings of dance films, as well as online showcases and a workshop led by Marlene Millar.

The first and most memorable film presented at the festival was a 48-minute-long documentary about Montréal-based dancer, choreographer, and philosopher Zab Maboungou titled MABOUNGOU: Being in the World. The documentary showcased her thirty-year career in the contemporary dance scene and her pioneering research of rhythm-cultures as acts of empowerment that have created a sense of place for other African dance artists in Canada and abroad. A beautiful documentary that I recommend watching.

Workshops and Exhibitions: Learning and Appreciation

I adored Marlene Millar’s Exploring Collaborative Models of Screendance Creation workshop, which opened doors to collaborative creativity in dance film making. In the workshop, we looked at some of her films, were able to ask any questions we had, and also worked on our own short films under her kind and open guidance.

In the welcoming lobby space were a few photography exhibitions, my favourite being the work of Drew Barry. Her photo book titled 21 Hard Drives felt like a flashback and behind-the-scenes book of the dance shows in Toronto that I had seen over the last year or so.

Thank You to d:mic

As the festival concludes, I want to take a moment to thank the dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival team. A special thank you to artistic director Yvonne Ng for orchestrating an exceptional event and letting me dive into the festival as much as I could and supporting dance writing in the process. From familiar faces to newfound talents, it was an incredible festival for Canadian dancers and artists!  I eagerly await the next biennial season in 2024.

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Keep in touch with d:mic/fac:

www.dancemadeincanada.ca @dancemadeincanada @dmicfac 

Written by Deanne Kearney. DeanneKearney.com

Written by Deanne Kearney.

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with two of the Dance Stewards from this year’s dance: made in canada Festival, Micaela Janse van Rensburg and Frédérique Perron. Our conversation unravelled their unique dance journeys, insights into the festival, and their reasons for joining the Dance Steward program this year.

Micaela, a 27-year-old born in South Africa, now based in Toronto, is entering her third year of study at the Dance Arts Institute. Her journey began as a figure skater before training in dance in Nanaimo, BC. After a brief hiatus from dancing to studying biology in university, Micaela found her way back to the stage and is embarking on a journey towards dancing professionally in Toronto.

Frédérique, commonly referred to as Fred, is a 24-year-old graduate from the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (STDT, now the Dance Arts Institute). She hails from Northern Quebec and now calls Toronto home, yet has aspirations to work in the Canadian dance hubs of both Toronto and Montreal. Frédérique’s dance trajectory led her to choose dance over a potential career in the health sciences, and she is now continuing to work in dance following her graduation just last year.

With that said, let’s dive right into the interview!

How does it feel to be selected as a Dance Steward for the dance: made in canada Festival?

Micaela: I was really excited to be selected. At first, I was nervous, knowing I was the only non-graduated dancer. But I was happy for the opportunity to meet emerging artists, to collaborate with them, and to engage with the audience about why I love dance.

Frédérique: It feels really nice because it’s such a great opportunity to collaborate with other emerging artists. I didn’t get to do this kind of collaboration in my last year of school, so that’s one of the main reasons why I applied. The festival is really special, too. I saw it first in High Park two years ago, and it was beautiful. I love that it’s oriented to not only the dance community but also to a broader audience, which I think is so important for dance.

Can you talk about your experience in rehearsals for the Dance Steward commissioned piece so far?

Frédérique: It’s been great, though I was a little nervous at first to be honest. What’s been wonderful is how organic it feels. Everybody is able to listen and propose things, and it flows easily. We’ve been supporting each other through the process. We had an initial Zoom meeting before rehearsal to help us get connected early in the process. I know everyone’s goals, and we’re working together to achieve them. It’s really beautiful to be a part of that, and I’m glad with how it’s all going and how everyone seems to be finding their way into the process.

Micaela: It’s been similar to the type of process I had when I was on a dance team at university, where everyone’s throwing out ideas, finding what lands and what we are commonly interested in. It’s been really fun with this group; everyone’s really supportive and ready to explore different ideas coming from our collective consciousness. It hasn’t felt like an immense pressure to create; we’ve just been enjoying ourselves and having fun with the five-minute piece we’re creating.

How do you see your role as a Dance Steward in the festival?

Micaela: Since I took some time away from dance, I’m redefining what dance means to me, and I feel I’ll be able to relate to audience members on how to take in what they are seeing and share my own insights into contemporary dance. I feel my role will be someone they see on stage and then can approach to ask questions. Canada’s dance scene is also new to me since I have been gone for so long, but I want to share feelings and perspectives and get people talking and interested in dance, maybe even encouraging them to see more.

Frédérique: I see the role as a beautiful balance, helping with something that’s been happening for years. It’s a wonderful invitation to view every aspect of the festival, from performance to production, and connect with other performers. I see Dance Stewards as open to connections both inside and outside of the festival. Personally, I’m going to try to experience as much as I can, learn, connect with people, and exchange with the audience. It’s a big role, and I’m excited about it.

The festival celebrates Canadian choreography. Can you share your thoughts on the significance of promoting and supporting homegrown dance talent? 

Frédérique: The festival provides such great support to Canadian artists. Not all festivals prioritize presenting works by local talent, so this is special. It’s about keeping this evolution happening, and connecting with other artists that you may relate to in Canada. The festival brings together many people and works that you might only hear about. Seeing artists I’ve worked with or heard about in the program is exciting. It helps us connect and brings us all closer, which is vital in our community.

Micaela: Reading through the program, I’ve noticed a lot of diversity in the people and what they’re sharing. Canada is multicultural, multi-racial, multi-everything, and it’s really important to highlight that. The festival has taken care to allow different perspectives, and I’m interested to see how it all comes together over the week. It’s about recognizing how similar yet different we are, and how we can share our varied views and experiences in Canada.

What excites you the most about the dance performances and workshops featured in the festival this year?

Micaela: For me, it’s the hands-on experience. Watching a festival is great, but to really get in there and try on some of the movement, like we’re going to do with the La Tresse workshop, is exciting. I’m looking forward to embodying some of the dance, trying to create some dance films in the dance film workshop, and learning from the professionals who do it. These workshops allow for a deeper connection to the art.

Frédérique:  What excites me is the discovery of new works and artists. There’s Marie Lambin-Gagnon, for example, who I’ve been following on Instagram. I don’t know much about her work, but it seems to be about the visual experience. I’m interested in the costumes, visuals, sensations, and different ways to present dance, not just traditional movement. I’m really looking forward to discovering what these artists do, and I’m particularly excited about meeting some of them in person and perhaps even connecting outside of the festival setting.

Can you highlight one particular workshop or moment thus far that has been an eye-opening experience or had a significant impact on you?

Frédérique: I think it was the first rehearsal with the Dance Stewards. There was a softening and wanting to enjoy the experience and creation more than being too attached to our own individual ideas for the piece. It is really interesting to see from the start how we were all super available to each other. I felt like that’s a really special thing for me.

Micaela: I think our first rehearsal with the Dance Steward group was special. Just seeing everyone’s movement research and the collaborative energy that was there. They were so generous and vulnerable to just jump in. It was really cool for us all to do so without really knowing each other. The group was willing to take risks and explore new ideas together.

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Thank you so much to Frédérique and Micaela for sharing your insights on the festival and your own dance journeys! You can catch these and all the Dance Stewards in their performance in the WYSIWYG program, in their titled ‘Ball Pit.’ In sitting in on rehearsals for the work, it is a unique and fun piece that I highly recommend catching.

You can also find Dance Stewards in the lobby ready to talk about all things dance before and after every show in the festival. They are joined by Dance Ambassadors, past festival artists also interested in engaging with audiences before and after the show.

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For more information: 

Check out: www.dancemadeincanada.ca/festival/2023-dmic

The festival is running from August 16th to 20th, 2023, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre (404 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G6). Tickets are available online here.

@dancemadeincanada @dmicfac

Written by Deanne Kearney.

As the countdown to the d:mic/fac festival narrows to a single week, our spotlight turns to the diverse group of Dance Stewards as part of this year’s event. These emerging dance artists, hailing from various backgrounds and training, come together to create a piece for the WYSIWYG series and have also been provided professional development workshops and events, such as a brilliant workshop led by the esteemed Peggy Baker.

Allow me to introduce you to some of the Dance Stewards a part of this year’s festival:

• Alli Carry is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary dance artist who recently completed a residency at The Garage and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from TMU (2022).
• Sophia Hassenstein, an alumna of Alberta Ballet School, School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and York University, has performed in festivals like Luminato, Fringe, and SummerWorks.
• Micaela Janse van Rensburg is in her final year at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and was awarded the First Year Excellence in Performance Prize. She has worked with Movement Market Collective and performed in Toronto Summer Works.
• Aryana Malekzadeh is an Iranian Canadian dance artist and arts educator. She graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University.
• Frédérique Perron is a dance artist from Abitibi-Ouest QC, based in Tkaronto. She graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and explores human sensations and instinctive movements.
• Zuri Skeete, an emerging dance artist in Toronto, is a recent graduate from York University‘s Choreography/Performance Specialized Honours BFA in Dance.
• Logan Whyte is an emerging queer dancer and choreographer from Brockville, Ontario, and a recent Dance Program graduate at TMU.

Workshop with Peggy Baker

The steward’s creative journey kicked off with an inspiring workshop led by Peggy Baker. A luminary in the Canadian dance world, Peggy Baker’s contributions are exceptional as a choreographer, dancer, and educator. For this year’s festival, she has worked with some of the artists from the Binet series and shared her knowledge with the dance stewards in a three-hour workshop.

The workshop began with a sit-down dialogue where Peggy shared her dance journey. She talked about some history of Toronto’s vibrant dance scene and reminisced about everything from the beginnings of Toronto Dance Theatre, the inception of York University’s dance program to working with luminary figures such as Lar Lubovitch. Peggy has a beautiful openness and genuine willingness to share about her practice, meet artists where they are, and generously impart her experience.

Peggy shared that Toronto’s early dance scene was marked by a fervent love for dance.

Despite the financial constraints that are always present in dance, a thirst for knowledge propelled the community forward. It was a time of reciprocal learning. Study grants paved the way for dancers to explore, learn, and bring their newfound knowledge back to the city.

Peggy explained that in her time training in Toronto, there were no formal dance programs —a stark contrast to the roomful of emerging dancers, recent graduates or nearing the completion of their training in different dance programs, in turn representing a vibrant spectrum of Canadian dance education today.

Then they began to move!

Under Peggy’s guidance, the stewards immersed themselves in movement exercises, embracing a language steeped in physicality. Her approach was to meet the participants at their individual points of growth and movement journeys. Drawing on a creative process influenced by a list of words outlined by Richard Serra, an American artist known for his large-scale sculptures, the group created material. They were asked to trust their intuition. Peggy advised them to be reflective of their processes and intentions in their creations. She reminded them not to be critical of themselves, but to analyse how and why they were working in the way they were, as a means of understanding their own artistic choices.

Reflecting on Peggy’s words, one sentiment that reverberates with me is the empowerment to craft one’s dance empire, a sentiment echoed by Peggy’s career and the essence of the d:mic/fac festival itself. d:mic/fac was created from the ground up based on the passion and necessity seen by its artistic director Yvonne Ng and festival co-directors, Jeff Morris and Janelle Rainville.

Rehearsals for their Performance in the WYSIWYG Series 

The next event provided to the Stewards was a networking lunch that I was unable to attend. Yet, I was able to participate in their most recent rehearsal, as they now channel their energies into their final performance for the WYSIWYG program.

Over 20 hours of rehearsal time, the group will make a five-minute work as part of the series. Their rehearsals occur all over the city, booked everywhere from Toronto Dance Theatre, the Citadel, Meridian Hall and the Windborne Studio.

You can feel the camaraderie in their rehearsals, as they talk not only about the project they are working on, but share about the different performances and intensives they are also a part of this summer, as well as their personal life stories.

In the last rehearsal, there was lots of setting of material that they have been working on in past creative building rehearsals. You can catch glimpses of their rehearsals on the d:mic social media. You might notice a fun little prop being played with – foam balls, used to play, inform and obstruct their movement. I cannot wait to see where the piece leads!

Next week, I will catch up with dance stewards Frédérique Perron and Micaela Janse van Rensburg as they share their journeys through the program.

See you at the festival next week!

For more information: 

Check out: www.dancemadeincanada.ca/festival/2023-dmic

The festival will take place from August 16th to 20th, 2023, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre (404 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G6). Tickets are available online here.

@dancemadeincanada @dmicfac

Written by Deanne Kearney.

Welcome to the comprehensive guide to the dance: made in canada/fait au canada Festival. This guide walks you through the many different aspects of the festival, from what is happening in the mainstage performances to workshops, dance films and more! I have bolded the different locals of Canadians involved to see the breadth of what’s going on and from where in Canada.

A note about the 2023 festival: When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the festival’s curators had to make a difficult decision. Despite the uncertainties brought by the pandemic, the team decided to honour their previous commitments. This move underscored their belief in curation as a form of guardianship rather than just selection, preserving the festival’s commitment to extending the life of Canadian choreography.

MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES

There are three curated Mainstage performances this year:

The Morrison Series, alongside 2023 Guest Curators, Santee Smith (The Smith Series) and Robert Binet (The Binet Series)

What is in The Morrison Series

The Morrison series is curated by Artistic Director and Festival Co-director Yvonne Ng. It is named after the late David Morrison, a lighting designer, production manager, technical director and friend of Ng. It presents two pieces:

• You Touch Me: A Toronto premiere, this duet unfolds the narratives of Emmalena Fredriksson and Arash Khakpour from Vancouver, British Columbia. The duo uses dance and text to probe into concepts like the self, the other, cultural identity, race, and gender as they entertain, inquire, and challenge each other.
• L’ENCRE NOIRE: Another Toronto premiere that emerged from the mystical landscapes of Ireland. Created by Geneviève Boulet, Laura Toma, Erin O’Loughlin from Montréal, Québec, this piece delves into rituals drawn from their cultural origins, invoking folklore, fantasy, and the sacred, providing a window into the narratives of women through the ages.

WHEN: 

• Wednesday, August 16 at 9:00 pm
• Saturday, August 19 at 7:00 pm (with post-show chat) 
• Sunday, August 20 at 7:00 pm.

Tickets for this series are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

What is in The Smith Series

Guest Curator, Santee Smith, is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, who masterfully bridges the gap between traditional indigenous narratives and contemporary dance. Her long-standing dedication to dance as both an art form and a means of communication is vividly reflected in the works she curates. Santee’s artistic genius, coupled with her exceptional ability to share her knowledge through teaching and community engagement, brings an inspiring and captivating presence to the festival’s stage.

Santee Smith has chosen pieces that highlight feminine-centred storytelling, primordial themes, and internal transformations conveyed through intense physical language. There are three pieces in this series

• Resonances of a Warrior Boy: Presented by Liliona Quarmyne from Halifax, Nova Scotia, this piece is an exploration of ancestral memory, and dialogue between the past and the present.
• ReAWaken: A Toronto premiere by Meghann Michalsky from Calgary, Alberta, it takes place in an apocalyptic universe, drawing parallels between the raw power of a female body and a volcanic eruption.
• Altar’d: A solo piece by Alexis Fletcher from Vancouver, British Columbia, “Altar’d” explores the transformative potential of fear and difficulty, often triggered by an unexpected life event.

WHEN: 

• Thursday, August 17 at 7:00 pm
• Saturday, August 19 at 9:00 pm
• Sunday, August 20, at 4:00pm (with post-show chat)

Tickets for this series are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

What is in The Binet Series

Guest Curator, Robert Binet, a choreographer and Curator and Producer with The National Ballet of Canada, infuses the festival with his innovative perspective on dance. Renowned for his exceptional talent for creating original and immersive ballets, Binet’s contribution promises to be a riveting journey into the world of contemporary ballet. His passion for fostering creativity in the dance community further bolsters the festival’s vision.

This series presents works by artists known for their unique and sensitive approach to dance. There are four pieces in this series:

• BODY: Presented by Hanna Kiel of Human Body Expression, Toronto, Ontario, is an exploration of self-expression through physicality, with each dancer bringing their unique styles and organic rhythms to the stage.
• Solo (not solo) Water Study: Presented by Meryem Alaoui of Jasad Dance Projects, Toronto, Ontario, presents an intimate work that is a celebration of creative expression. It plays with the idea of sound and movement synchronicity.
• Unfold Attachments: Choreographed by Vania Dodoo-Beals from Toronto, Ontario, is a journey through various emotional stages, reflecting on the experience of loss, betrayal, and heartbreak.
• this identity: woven: Presented by Derek Souvannavong from Toronto, Ontario, is an exploration of self-identity, language, and culture. It delves into the concept of mixed identities and the interaction of different languages within the body.

WHEN:

• Wednesday, August 16 at 7:00 pm
• Friday, August 18 at 7:00 pm (with post-show chat)
• Saturday, August 19 at 4:00 pm

Tickets for this series are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)

The WYSIWYG programme for the dance: made in canada/fait au canada Festival is a tribute to the elements of chance and creativity. Its selection is determined by lottery (subject to minimum professional requirements), reflecting the power of serendipity and the inherent value of artistic spontaneity. This program presents five artists from different backgrounds and practices, all eager to share their perspectives and experiences along with this year’s dance stewards, also performing a work they have created for this year’s festival.

• Djata: Conversations du Manden by Aly Keita, Montreal, Quebec – An embodiment of ancestral stories and griot accounts, Aly Keita’s piece is a mix of dance, acrobatics, and percussion. Drawing strength and vulnerability from his personal journey, Keita aims to showcase the roots of his home country, Guinea.
• Sun Bleached Keith’s by Bryce Taylor, Winnipeg, Manitoba – Bryce Taylor’s Sun Bleached Keith’s is a two-part piece exploring the depth of shared existence and the struggle of moving forward in absence. The intimate portrayal of a couple’s life reveals the joy of togetherness and the harsh reality of loss.
• Microphone Controller by Lukas Malkowski, Toronto, Ontario – Through Lukas Malkowski’s Microphone Controller, he explores the interconnectedness of voice, movement, feelings, and self-expression. The piece is a celebration of individuality and communal experiences.
• Corps/Objet (Body/Object) by Marie Lambin-Gagnon, Montreal, Quebec/Toronto, Ontario – Marie Lambin-Gagnon’s Corps/Objet is part of the larger project, “Still Life”, which marries dance with large-scale photography. Drawing from classical still life painting, this piece prompts contemplation of the relationship between bodies, objects, and the spaces they inhabit.
• slip away by Samantha Sutherland, Toronto, Ontario – In slip away, Samantha Sutherland delves into themes of loss and hope, centring around the endangered state of the Ktunaxa Language. The piece navigates the terrain of fear, community mobilisation, and the struggle for language preservation, articulating dreams and desires for the future.

• The Dance Steward Piece – An additional work of three to four minutes will be part of this series, as choreographed and created by this year’s Dance Stewards.

WHEN: 

• Friday, August 18 at 9:00 pm
• Saturday, August 19 at 2:00 pm (with post-show chat)

Tickets for this series are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

Arts Encounters

Arts Encounters, the multi-arts component of the d:mic/fac Festival, brings a plethora of engagement activities by dance professionals working across multiple disciplines. The Art Encounters program has been around since the beginning of the festival’s creation and has always aimed to join dance artists with artists of other forms.

Dance on Film – Kathleen Smith, Arts Encounters dance on film & video programmer, presents a six part series as part of this year’s d: mic film program, honouring the past and looking to the future. The first three series are in-person at the Betty Oliphant theatre, the rest are to be enjoyed online.

Series one: The series opens with “MABOUNGOU: Being in the World,” a 48-minute documentary delving into the life and work of Montréal-based dancer, choreographer, and philosopher Zab Maboungou.

• Thursday, Aug 17, at  9:00 pm with a 8:30 pm
• Pre-Screening Chat with filmmakers Marlene Millar & Philip Szporer

Series two: in dreams I walk with you

• In person – Saturday August 19, at 12:30 pm,
• Running time: 47:12 min (approx)

Series three: curious schools of theatrical dancing

• In person – Sunday August 20, 2:00 pm
• Running time: 48:52 min (approx)

Series four: landscapes, hard and soft

• Online Release: Fri Aug 18, 12:00 pm
• Running time: 61:22 min (approx)

Series five: staging area

• Online Release: Sat Aug 19, 12:00 pm
• Running time: 49:58 min (approx)

Series six: choreo poetic license

• Online Release: Sun Aug 20, 12:00 pm
• Running time: 47:19 min (approx)

Tickets for all of the film series are by donation.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

Workshops

Exploring Collaborative Models of Screendance Creation with Marlene Millar

Friday, August 18th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Workshop led by Marlene Millar will focus on collaboration in creation between choreographers and filmmakers. This workshop is tailored to artists (students and professionals) involved in dance or cinema who are interested in exploring collaborative models of screendance creation. The workshop will explore the connection between the filmic space and the performance space, including influences and inspiration between the environment, the body, and the camera. Participants will work with their own cameras (smartphones or video cameras).

Tickets for this workshop are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

Workshop with La Tresse

Friday, August 19th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

With this playful workshop, Geneviève Boulet, Erin O’Loughlin, and Laura Toma (choreographer-performers), invite you into the universe of LA TRESSE, sharing their method of collective creation and fluid transfer of lead. Participants will first be led through a 30-minute Gaga warmup given by certified Gaga teacher Laura Toma, which will stimulate the imagination and senses. Throughout the workshop, dancers will be encouraged to access pleasure as a motivator for movement and to personify their fantasies while discovering a new world. They will be introduced to some of LA TRESSE’s choreographic systems as well as phrasework drawn from their repertoire. Participants will be asked to tune into their curiosites and desires individually and collectively during both the open-ended and more structured approaches.

Experience in dance (of any style) is recommended. Observation will not be permitted for the Gaga warmup but the rest of the workshop is more fluid in terms of active participation.

Tickets for this workshop are $15.00.

Get your tickets by clicking here.

The Danny Grossman Dance Company: An Oral History – ​​Mairéad Filgate, a member of the Danny Grossman Dance Company from 2003-2008, presents an intimate portrait of the company’s 30-year history in “The Danny Grossman Dance Company: An Oral History.”

This rich history is explored through photographs, audio recordings, and live collective memory sessions with company alumni, including dancers, directors, managers, stage managers, funders, designers, and audience members.

• Saturday, August 19 at 3:10 pm–3:35 pm and 6:10 pm–6:35 pm
• Sunday, August 20 at 6:10 pm–6:35 pm

Photography Exhibition – The lobby of the Betty Oliphant Theatre will host a photography exhibition throughout the festival, showcasing the work of Drew Berry, Kendra Epik, and Marlowe Porter. Each of these artists carries a unique perspective and style:

• Drew Berry is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist and educator, well-known for her dance photography and videography, documenting artistic processes and on-stage moments with a profound passion.

• Kendra Epik is a multidisciplinary artist focusing on movement and portrait photography, filmmaker and musician, who has worked with numerous Toronto-based companies. Her film “Sunglow Gecko” has garnered multiple awards and international recognition.

• Marlowe Porter uses photography to explore bodies in motion and their relationship with space. Her work combines elements of water, wind, and earth, inviting the viewer into a world full of texture, colour, and movement.

Dance in the Sunroom – Flamenco dancer Kiyo Asaoka introduces flamenco’s beautiful art form through her performance in the Conservatory Room.

The ‘D’ Word Podcast – Returning for its third season, The ‘D’ Word podcast, hosted by Aria Evans, and produced by Grace Wells-Smith, explores the influences of curiosity, embodied physics, and shifting trauma through movement in dance. You can find the podcast linked here.

The entire schedule for the festival can be found here on their website.

I will be attending the entire festival and would love to see as many dance faces as possible. I will also be leading the post-show chat on August 19th, 2023, for the WYSIWYG program for those who want to dive deeper into the artist’s work with me.

Three weeks till the festival begins!

Written by Deanne Kearney.

dance: made in canada/fait au canada (d:mic/fac) isn’t just a dance festival—it’s an important tribute to the Canadian dance community, showcasing choreographers, dancers and creators from all across the country. The d:mic/fac is back for its 2023 festival from August 16th to 20th this summer.

The festival’s programming this year will feature many different performances over five days, from the MainStage curated series to the lottery-drawn What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) series. An Arts Encounters program will also highlight many multi-faceted dance artists in Canada through various mediums such as photography, film, podcasts, and education through workshops and talks. Next week, I will break down all the festival’s programming, yet right now, I want to focus on d:mic/fac history and how I am involved this year.

About d:mic/fac

The mission of d:mic/fac is to showcase the vibrant and diverse voices of Canadian contemporary choreographers. The festival involves and supports artists in all different stages of their careers (including myself as a dance writer). It focuses on experimentation, collaboration and the breaking down of barriers of different Canadian geographies.

The d:mic/fac festival’s inception dates back to 2001, with its very first editions taking place at the old Dancemakers’ Studio from 2001 to 2004. It then moved to the Winchester Street Theatre until 2008, finally settling at its current home, the Betty Oliphant Theatre, in 2009 where it will be held again this year. It was initially a dance series that moved into a repertory festival format to include guest curators and to platform more artists. Since its early days, the festival has grown exponentially. It has seen twenty-four Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, and seven Dora Award wins. It was also voted the Top Best Dance Series by NOW magazine and is seen as a staple of the Toronto and Canadian dance scene.

The festival is led by Artistic Director Yvonne Ng, a Singapore-born, Canada-based artist. Yvonne is a dancer, choreographer, presenter, producer, curator and arts educator. She is the Artistic Director of tiger princess dance projects, which has been in operation since 1996. Yvonne founded the presentation series dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival in 2001. She was joined by festival co-directors Janelle Rainville and Jeff Morris in 2011 and continues to be today. The expansion of d:mic/fac was initially suggested by the late David Morrison, who was a lighting designer, production manager, technical director and friend of Rainville, Morris and Ng. Now the mainstage series, curated by Ng is named after him.

The Arts Encounters program was initiated at the start of the festival as, as Ng would invite select artists to suggest other artists’ works that influenced their dance-making. This continued for years, eventually becoming more of a blind date between artists as Ng would pair mainstage dance artists with an artist of another form. I.e. dance artist Hanna Kiel with textile artist Susan Kendal or dance artist Sasha Zarif with writer Lindsay Zier-Vogel.

The Dance Steward Program

Within each festival, eight emerging artists are selected to be Dance Stewards. These emerging artists delve into all aspects of the festival, and are provided with an array of incredible learning and networking experiences as supported by the festival. The program also culminates in the creation and performance of a new choreographic work offering these emerging artists a paid opportunity to showcase their talents on a national stage. As part of the 2023 festival, the Dance Stewards will co-create and perform a three-to-four-minute choreographic work as part of the WYSIWYG program and be aided by rehearsal director and outside eye, Bonnie Kim. 

As representatives of d:mic/fac, Dance Stewards also engage with audiences and interact with festival artists alongside dance ambassadors (past festival artists). Keep an eye out in the lobby for dance stewards, as they are there to talk with and interact with the audience on all things dance.

Why and how am I involved this year?

When I saw the call for Dance Stewards, I reached out to Yvonne to ask if there was any room to create a different kind of opportunity missing from the Canadian dance community – a focus on dance writing and chronicling for the festival as a mid-career dance writer in Canada. I wanted to be as involved in the festival as the Stewards, but long ago hung up my dancing shoes and switched to a dance writing role.

So this year, I will be joining the Stewards as the Dance Chronicler and will be covering all events and their process throughout the festival. I am incredibly excited about this festival and have attended many in the past, as an audience member and as a volunteer (which you can still do, check out this call for volunteers here).

Mark your calendars for August 16th to 20th, 2023!

dance: made in canada/fait au canada Festival is not merely a showcase of dance; it’s an essential platform for artists and audiences in Canada alike to engage with and celebrate the diversity of contemporary dance. This festival truly breathes life into the Canadian dance scene! Next Wednesday, July 26th, 2023, I will break down this year’s programming and what I am looking forward to!

Continued Coverage of the dance: made in canada/fait au canada Festival coming every week!