OCTOBER 4–6, 2017 Co-presented with the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts FFDNORTH.COM 1 Connect with Us national.ballet.ca Sign up for Ballet News Follow us 16 to 29? Register for DanceBreak and enjoy great discounts day of show. Selene Guerrero-Trujillo. Photo by Karolina Kuras. NB1718_Fall For Dance Print Ad_7x8.5_B.indd 1 2017-07-31 3:46 PM A new and exclusive dance creation featuring the rich and profound musical work of Leonard Cohen. BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal DANCE ME/ LEONARD COHEN December 15, 2017 | 8PM Toronto Premiere CÉLINE CASSONE AND ARTISTS OF BJM — LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL DANCE ME/LEONARD COHEN © MARC MONTPLAISIR “ A gorgeously “ entertaining and A tremendously captivating witty tribute evening that inspires a to the classic childlike wonder!” Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Beatles album.” – Daily Express Antony Gormley with monks – The Guardian from the Shaolin Temple SUTRA February 24, 2018 | 8PM May 12, 2018 | 8PM Canadian Premiere Toronto Premiere Co-commissioned with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP PEPPERLAND © GARETH JONES SADLER’S WELLS LONDON SUTRA © ANDRÉE LANTHIER SONY CENTRE DANCE COLLECTION 2017-2018 TICKETS ON SALE NOW! SAVE 30% WHEN YOU PURCHASE ALL 3 SHOWS PRESENTING PARTNER 3-SHOWS FROM $115.50 | 2-SHOWS FROM $82.50 | CHOOSE ANY ONE SHOW FROM $55.00 MEDIA PARTNERS Proud to support Fall for Dance North. We are working together to make a difference in our communities. ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. M05234 (0816) CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE Dances for a Sacred Season Celebrating 30 Years of Illuminating the Solstice through Dance December 08 at 8pm December 09 at 2pm Fleck Dance Theatre Harbourfront Centre - 207 Queens Quay W. “CCDT can take its place 416-973-4000 / harbourfharbourfrontcentre.com among the ranks of Toronto's top dance companies.” Tickets $22.50 - $38.00 Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail photo: David Hou | graphic design: jcbowmanDESIGN.com est. 1980 ...where aspiring young artists come to perform CCDT tours are made possible by a grant from Ontario Arts Council’s Ontario Touring Program FFDNORTH.COM 5 ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Ilter Ibrahimof Welcome! We are so happy to see you again, or for the very first time. In today’s world we all have thousands of ways to enrich our lives and, among all the options available, you have chosen to come into this theatre for a live dance performance. Amazing! In an increasingly digitized world, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that the experience of live performance is one that cannot be replaced by any technology. I’d like to salute and celebrate each and every artist who is featured at this year’s event, including the choreographers, musicians, designers and, especially, the dancers, who I often think of as modern-day superheroes. Dancers are dedicated to perfecting their art form and have the ability to transform themselves onstage into fantastical creatures. They can soar, bound and even fight evil with their beautiful kicks, slicing turns and powerful gestures. They are somehow both revelatory and reassuring. Thanks to the passion of our supporters, partners and, most importantly, our audience, the activities and ambitions of Fall for Dance North have grown quickly. This year we added a new element to the festival – FFDN at UNION. We are filling the gorgeous West Wing of Union Station, the busiest transit hub in Canada, with free dance and music programming of all kinds. We sincerely appreciate the Union team and Osmington Inc. for their inspiring and creative partnership. I’d like to thank Fall for Dance North’s outgoing Executive Director Madeleine Skoggard for having the bravery and vision to co-found the festival with me. We look forward to working with her as she steps into the role of director of programming for Civic Theatres Toronto. On behalf of everyone at Fall for Dance North, I’d also like to express our gratitude to the entire team at the Sony Centre, our co-presenter, for helping make the festival come to life. Last, but certainly not least, my sincere thanks to Fall for Dance North’s tireless team, including our exceptional new Board Chair Joan Lozinski and our Artistic Producer Michael Caldwell, for putting every single detail together to make sure we have a smooth ride. It truly takes a village! We are thrilled to bring the very best to right where it belongs, here in the vibrant heart of Toronto. Have a great time! 6 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Joan Lozinski Good Evening! Following the immense popularity of its first two seasons, Fall for Dance North 2017 celebrates Canada 150 with a focus on Canadian dance companies, dancers and choreographers – those having created and performed successfully on stages across Canada, and others returning home after receiving much distinction at important international venues. Fall for Dance North presents unique opportunities for artists and audiences alike. What better way to learn about dance than to take advantage of our affordable tickets and special programming throughout the festival? We invite our Toronto community to attend and experience a variety of dance forms, all with the aim of building the loyal dance audiences of the future. Fall for Dance North relies on the generosity of like-minded individuals, companies and organizations. The Sony Centre has been an enthusiastic partner of Fall for Dance North in the presentation of this new dance festival. The board of directors thanks the Sony Centre for their support and we look forward to continuing this valuable relationship. In the lead-up to this year’s festival, we created a Patrons’ Circle program to which so many of you have responded positively. Our government grantors have recognized the importance of the Fall for Dance North initiative, and we are building important connections in the corporate world. We thank all of you for your confidence and belief in Fall for Dance North and in what we hope to achieve. Your ongoing support allows us to continue this valuable work by expanding existing programs and introducing new initiatives, all while maintaining affordable tickets. The board of directors thanks Ilter Ibrahimof and Madeleine Skoggard for their dynamic vision and astute leadership, and our staff and volunteers for their ongoing dedication. Innumerable hours have been spent to bring you “three evenings of exceptional dance.” Congratulations to all involved. Thank you for joining us this evening. Enjoy! FFDNORTH.COM 7 TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT e acknowledge this sacred land on which the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts operates and the Fall for Dance North festival W takes place. It has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory. We recognize that there are many complexities involved in the processes of reconciliation. We believe that arts experiences, such as this festival, help us listen to and learn from each other. Through dance, let’s celebrate our differences and strive to live better together. 8 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 WELCOME ARTISTS of the Festival 26 Mix Mix Dance Collective | Follow Me 12 TALKS, Master Classes & Workshops 27 Robert Binet | Children of Chaos 14 ABOUT Fall for Dance North 28 Zata Omm Dance Projects | The Four Heavenly Kings 29 Michaela Hinds | Reflections of an Irish Journey FFDN at UNION 16 30 BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal | O Balcao Our new partnership presents FREE dance and music de Amor & Kosmos programming in Union Station’s West Wing – including our partnership with Canada’s National Ballet School’s 32 Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Sharing Dance program. Stuttgart | Violoncello, Pacopepepluto, Ballet 102 & ConrazonCorazon 18 Dancers: Always Moving Whether it’s downtown, across the country or 34 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 perhaps somewhere in Europe, dancers go where the Programs at a Glance opportunities are. So, it’s not unusual for a Canadian to be in, say, Amsterdam dancing alongside a guy from ARTISTS of the Festival Brazil and a gal from Japan. That’s the nature of the 36 work. Dancers are nomadic by necessity. BY BONNIE KIM Dong Mei Dance | A Blossoming Apricot Branch 37 Guangzhou Ballet | Memory on Water 47 Canadian Connections at 38 Citadel + Compagnie | Fifteen Heterosexual Duets Fall for Dance North 2017 There are only six degrees of separation, so they say. 39 Charles Moulton | 72-Person Ball Passing In dance, maybe just four, or sometimes less! Artists at this festival have certainly crossed paths, as our 57 DANCE LIVES HERE: map of interconnections shows. Guide to Upcoming Performances MAPPING AND DESIGN BY MEGAN ANDREWS AND LOIS KIM Inspired by what you’re seeing at Fall for Dance North? Find more dance performances throughout 50 Dancers Describing Dance the coming season. In partnership with The Dance Dance is a living form, steeped in history, responsive Current magazine. to the now and deeply influenced by the humans who dream it into being. As such, attempts to define the aesthetics of dance rarely reveal its essence, but uncovering the heartbeat behind it gets us close to the true intent of the form.