OCTOBER 4–6, 2017

Co-presented with the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

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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

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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. BY MOLLY JOHNSON

Program booklet cover graphic by RedBrick Rooster Inc. FFDNORTH.COM 9 Fall for Dance North gratefully acknowledges the members of the Fall for Dance North Patrons’ Circle without whose support this festival would not be possible.

Presenting Partners ($25,000+) The McLean Foundation Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté Sony Centre for the Performing Arts Jack Wiseman Juta Reed Hal Jackman Foundation Stephanie Roberts and Joan and Jerry Lozinski Patrons ($1,000 – $2,499) Kevin Hamilton Gretchen Ross and Donald Ross, O.C. Julia Blackburn and David Briskin Sonia Rodriguez Andrea Burridge and Andrew Sipes Benefactors ($10,000 – $24,999) Jordan Applebaum Ken and Deb Snider The Renette and David Berman Monica Calzaretto Irina Sorokina and Scott Wilson Family Foundation Jane Campbell Karen Sparks Delaney Family Foundation Tania and Christopher Carnegie Noreen Taylor Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Jodi Chapnik and Calla Chapnik Craig and Cynthia Thorburn Linda Frum and Howard Sokolowski Neera Chopra Sousie Tsotskos and Galen Weston Foundation Earlaine Collins Jon Voigt Vivian E. Pilar Judi Conacher Lenore Walters Sandra Pitblado and Jim Pitblado, C.M. Jeanie Davis Wendy Zatylny Sandra Simpson Jeffrey Douglas and Steve Yeates Anonymous Anonymous Dean and Rosemary Dover Michelle Eaton Fall For Dance North also wishes Major Patrons ($2,500 – $9,999) Eileen Farrow to acknowledge the following Susanne Boyce and Supporters and Friends for their Marilyn and David Gluskin Fund at generosity: Brendan Mullen Toronto Foundation Frederick and Anne Conlin Karen Green Supporters ($500 – $999) Gail Drummond and Bob Dorrance Louise and Mark Golding Judith Gelber Melissa Forstner and Mary and Robert Gore Steven Schwartz Hank Latner Avril and Bob Higgins Maxine and George Goldberg Nancy Pencer Ronald Holbrook Phyllis and Lou Gordon Robin Vaile Robinson Gerry Hannochko and The Lindy Green Family Cecelia Paolucci Elaine Solway Charitable Foundation Denise Ireland and Harry Hon. Paul and Sandra Hellyer Underwood Friends (up to $499) Ilter Ibrahimof Lucille Joseph and Urban Joseph, Dana Glassman and IATSE O.C. Zack Fuerstenberg Anna McCowan-Johnson and Krista Kerr Kevin Law and Jenny Kropac Donald K. Johnson, O.C. Dr. Calvin Lei Phillip Roh Michelle Koerner Ned and Georgina McLennan Joysanne Sidimus Elliot Kornhauser Julie Medland Carole Tanenbaum The Honorable Margaret Norrie Linda Nagel Anonymous McCain

10 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Presenting Partners Fall for Dance North gratefully acknowledges the support of the following organizations and individuals:

Clyde Wagner, Civic Theatres Toronto Mark Hammond & Madeleine Skoggard, and the entire team at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts Syma Shah, and the special events team at Union Station Public Partners McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Megan Andrews, and the team at The Dance Current Kate Cornell, Canadian Dance Assembly

Canada’s National Ballet School Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre

an Ontario government agency Barreworks un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Body Mason Pilates

Our master class and workshop studios and partners Our generous donors, funders and sponsors Our dedicated Board of Directors and Patrons’ Circle Committee

Our opening night party planning committee: Nicole Crozier, Barbara Frum, Varun Kadle, Lucas Kilravey and Samyuktha Punthambekar

Live Music Sponsor For their time, generosity, encouragement, advice and support, we would like to thank the following:

Martin Abel, Emma Alderman, Susanne Boyce, Andrea Burridge, Monica Calzaretto, Tania Carnegie, Zhenya Cerneacov, Councillor John Filion, Marilyn Fourie, Maxine Goldberg, Mary and Bob Gore, Media Partners Peter Herrndorf, Louis Laberge-Côté, Cheryl Lalonde, Lauren Pietrowski, Diana Reitberger, Matthew Sima, Karen Sparks, Vicki St. Denys, Mavis Staines

Fall for Dance North especially wishes to thank our incredible team of volunteers. SUPPORT Fall for Dance North Fall for Dance North is a not-for-profit organization and Donate online at ffdnorth.com/support registered charity. We rely on the incredible and continued generosity of our donors to bring the best dance, from Please contact Development Executive Melissa Forstner, across Canada and around the world, to Toronto and [email protected], for more information about how to make it accessible to everyone. Our affordable tickets, support Fall for Dance North, including donations by cheque our free Master Class Series, our Artist Talks and our or securities. new free programming at Toronto’s Union Station are all made possible because people like you have chosen Thank you for your support! to make their mark with us. Gifts of any amount are truly appreciated. Your generosity will make a difference and help us create the dance audiences of the future. Registered Charitable Number: 84270 1179 RR0001

FFDNORTH.COM 11 ARTIST TALKS SONY CENTRE LOWER LOBBY, 6:30-7:00pm

For the team at Fall for Dance North, OCTOBER 4 OCTOBER 5 OCTOBER 6 it’s very important that you have the opportunity to make a more meaningful ROBERT BINET PETER QUANZ ERIC GAUTHIER Choreographer Choreographer Artistic Director/Choreographer connection with the artists we present. for Guangzhou Ballet Gauthier Dance//Dance Pre-show artist talks deepen the EMILY LAW Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart Co-Artistic Director/ DAN DAN ZHANG discussion of dance and give you Choreographer/Performer Artistic Director LAURENCE LEMIEUX direct access to the processes, voices Mix Mix Dance Collective Guangzhou Ballet Artistic Director/Performer and insights that inform the dance Citadel + Compagnie ASHLEY PEREZ DONG MEI HUANG you’ll be seeing. Co-Artistic Director/ Artistic Director/ ANDREW BURASHKO Choreographer/Performer Choreographer/Performer Musician The conversations will be moderated by Mix Mix Dance Collective Dong Mei Dance for Citadel + Compagnie Megan Andrews, artist/scholar, educator WILLIAM YONG YZANNE NOONE And special guest and founding editor of The Dance Artistic Director/Choreographer Choreographer ILTER IBRAHIMOF Zata Omm Dance Projects for Michaela Hinds Artistic Director Current – Canada’s dance magazine. Fall for Dance North LOUIS ROBITAILLE CHARLES MOULTON Artistic Director Choreographer BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal *Subject to change

Stay inspired and informed between performances

Support our dedicated coverage of dance in Canada

@thedancecurrent | thedancecurrent.com/subscribe

on newsstands now 12 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2016 MASTER CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Fall for Dance North is pleased to offer complimentary master classes and workshops, designed for dancers and non-dancers alike. Our roster of master classes/workshops, offered by our world-class festival artists, are available at no cost across Toronto. By bringing diverse dance directly to diverse communities, it’s our mission to expand access to and engagement with the art form for both practitioners and the public. In fact, some select master classes/workshops are open to spectators, when possible.

For more information about skill level, appropriate attire and dancer/spectator registration (required), please visit our website – ffdnorth.com – and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Open to beginners Spectators are LEGEND and/or non-dancers welcome to attend

Imaginative Bodies with William Yong Master Class with Kennedy Kraeling Master Class with Laurence Lemieux Artistic Director, Zata Omm Dance Projects Dancer, BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal Artistic Director, Citadel + Compagnie October 1, 2-4pm October 5, 10:15-11:45am October 21, 10-11:30am Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre Ryerson School of Performance The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance In partnership with Canadian Contemporary In partnership with Ryerson School In partnership with Citadel + Compagnie Dance Theatre of Performance citadelcie.com ccdt.org ryersonperformance.ca Imaginative Bodies is a registered event *Details subject to change with Culture Days Contemporary Dance Workshop with Peter Quanz Irish Dance Master Class/Artist Talk Choreographer for Guangzhou Ballet with Michaela Hinds & Yzanne Noone October 6, 11-12:30pm Dancer & Choreographer 918 Bathurst Centre *Hosted/moderated by Michael Caldwell In partnership with 918 Bathurst Centre for (Artistic Producer, Fall for Dance North) Culture, Arts, Media and Education October 3, 6:30-8pm 918bathurst.com Winchester Street Theatre Dance for All with Eric Gauthier Chinese Dance Master Class with Artistic Director, Gauthier Dance//Dance Dong Mei Huang Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart Artistic Director, Dong Mei Dance October 6, 3-4:30pm October 4, 11-12:30pm Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre Toronto Centre for the Arts, Upper Gallery In partnership with Canadian Contemporary In partnership with Little Pear Garden Dance Theatre Dance Company ccdt.org littlepeargarden.com

Street Dance Master Class with Yzanne Noone and Michaela Hinds in studio | Photo by Zhenya Cerneacov Ballet Master Class with Emily Law & Ashley Perez Patrick Frenette* Co-Artistic Directors, Mix Mix Dance Collective Dancer, American Ballet Theatre October 15, 1-3pm *featured in Robert Binet’s Children of Chaos Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Rehearsal Hall October 4, 2-3:30pm In partnership with the Sony Centre for the Dance Teq Centre Performing Arts In partnership with Dance Teq Centre sonycentre.ca danceteq.com

FFDNORTH.COM 13 ABOUT FALL FOR DANCE NORTH

WHO WHERE & WITH welcoming you at Toronto’s iconic Sony Centre’s nearby The curious, the fan, the aficionado, Sony Centre for the neighbour Union Station, the participant, the professional, Performing Arts Canada’s busiest transit hub the passerby … Established in 1960, the city-owned A new partnership between Fall Sony Centre theatre is renowned for Dance North and Union Station for its arts and culture programming presents unique programming – from musicals to rock concerts, in Union Station’s West Wing. WHAT theatre, dance, comedy and opera. Experience FREE dance and a dance festival with In fact, the Sony Centre has a long music programming at peak times a democratic ethos history supporting and presenting throughout the day. Observe how Fall for Dance North is inspired by dance. Countless dance artists dancers and choreographers work the internationally acclaimed Fall have graced its stage over the as the West Wing turns into an for Dance™ festival, established by years. And back after last year’s Open Dance Studio, where Fall for New York City Center in 2004. A successful, sold-out season … catch Dance North hosts rehearsals and democratic ethos underpins the the Sony Centre’s Dance Collection, classes by festival artists and invited festival concept, with the goal of including BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de guests. And don’t miss the bonus inviting audiences to experience – Montréal, who appear in the festival performance of 72-Person Ball and to ultimately fall for – dance at the on Programs 1 and 2. Passing on October 7! wonderfully low price of $15 per ticket for a full-evening, mixed program.

over 16,000 people 94% attended Fall for Dance FELT INSPIRED TO SEE MORE DANCE WOW North 2015 and 2016 AFTER ATTENDING FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2016 Many audience members experienced an art form they had 72% only dreamed of seeing live, and OF PEOPLE PURSUED MORE DANCE *Statistics obtained their enthusiasm encouraged PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR from FFDN 2015 and AFTER ATTENDING FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2015. 2016 post-festival experienced patrons to see dance audience surveys with fresh eyes. 76% ATTENDED FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2016 BECAUSE OF OUR SIGNATURE AFFORDABLE TICKET PRICE

14 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 WHEN HOW WHY back to work, back to exceptional performances a dynamic and diverse class, back to the studio in a multitude of cosmopolitan city should and on stage now! dance forms definitely be dancing Aligned with the start of the fall Fall for Dance North programs Toronto is a city of movers and performance season, Fall for Dance a wide range of dance forms shakers in all walks of life. Of North aims to whet Toronto’s dance from Canadian and international course it should have a dedicated appetite and inspire audiences to artists and companies, offering dance festival with world-class seek out more dance through the encounters with both the familiar performances that reflect year. In the centre of this program and the unfamiliar, for the the diversity and dynamism booklet, you’ll find the festival newcomer and the enthusiast alike. of its population. And those performances at a glance. On Workshops in partnership with performances should be available our website, you’ll find theDance various local dance companies and to as many people as possible. Lives Here guide to festivals and studios, pre-show conversations Fall for Dance North offers the presenters in Toronto and across with festival artists hosted by The city’s audiences and artists Ontario. Follow us on social media Dance Current magazine and greater exposure to domestic to discover more dance. And sign participatory events – like this and international dance and the up for FOXTROT, the official Fall for year’s Sharing Dance partnership opportunity to explore perspectives Dance North newsletter, to receive with Canada’s National Ballet and preferences. updates about our festival activities School – enhance the experience. and dance in Toronto, early access to tickets and more!

NEW YORK CITY CENTER Fall for Dance North is proudly inspired by New York dance programs, including the acclaimed Fall for Dance™ City Center’s renowned international dance festival, festival, remain central to City Center’s identity. City Center Fall for Dance™. brings performing arts to over 9000 New York City students each year through its robust education program, and other New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has learning opportunities are offered to seniors, families and played a defining role in the cultural life of the city since 1943. the general public. City Center is committed to expanding its It was Manhattan’s first performing arts centre, dedicated by programming beyond the proscenium with pre-show talks, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia with a mission to make the best in master classes and exhibitions of visual art, showcasing the music, theatre and dance accessible to all audiences. Dance best artists of our time. has been integral to the theatre’s mission from the start and nycitycenter.org

FFDNORTH.COM 15 FFDN at UNION

Illustration by Nicole Crozier

SEPTEMBER 16 – OCTOBER 7 FREE programming at Union Station, Canada’s busiest transit hub

Our new partnership, FFDN at UNION, About Union Station With over 250,000 daily visitors, Union Station is presents unique programming in Union Canada’s busiest transit hub. Through the curation of Station’s West Wing, where the public can retail and culinary tenants, cultural programming and experience and participate in FREE dance partnership activations, Union strives to be one of the world’s most engaging civic experiences. and music programming at peak times throughout the day. The West Wing is located immediately west of The Great Hall, Union Station, 65 Front Street West, Toronto. It is accessible by TTC via the Union Station subway terminal on Line 1 and torontounion.ca wheelchair accessible from the Front Street entrance. @torontounion #FFDNatUNION

16 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 UPCOMING EVENTS

Don’t miss these FREE FFDN at UNION events on Oct. 7!

3:00–4:00PM Canada’s National Ballet School’s Sharing Dance Workshop with Roger Sinha + Sharing Dance Canada 2017 Performance

4:15–4:30PM Canada’s National Ballet Encore performance of world record–breaking School’s Sharing Dance 2017 | Photo by Stoo Metz 72-Person Ball Passing by Charles Moulton, featuring an all-Toronto cast! Canada’s National Ballet School’s Sharing Dance Learn more: ffdnorth.com aims to bring Canadians and their communities together by empowering them to enjoy the physical, social, emotional and cultural benefits of dance. As part of FFDN at UNION, Sharing Dance will host a workshop, led by Canadian choreographer Roger Sinha, as well as a community performance of the

Illustration by Nicole Crozier PAST EVENTS Sharing Dance Canada 2017 choreography. This choreography was created by four Canadian choreographers – Kimberley Fôrdlandia by Robert Binet* for his project- Cooper (Calgary), Eugene Baffoe (Winnipeg), Tracee Smith based company, Wild Space (Toronto) and Roger Sinha (Montréal) – each representing distinct styles of dance, cultural backgrounds and geographic locations. In June, thousands of participants performed at Open Dance Studio featuring festival artists Sharing Dance Day events across the country, in celebration and guests in rehearsal of Canada’s 150th anniversary. For information about Sharing Dance Day 2018, visit sharingdance.ca. House Dance Workshop with Mix Mix Dance Collective About Sharing Dance Sharing Dance is Canada’s National Ballet School’s flagship community outreach initiative, offering opportunities for Canadians Canadian composer John Kameel Farah* – of all ages and abilities – to participate in FREE, healthy, fun and in concert creative dance activities. Featuring multifaceted programming and supported through a collection of online resources, Sharing Dance breaks down barriers to access by offering free, high- quality, culturally inclusive dance activities. To learn more * Robert Binet presents Children of Chaos with live music performed by composer John Kameel Farah on Oct. 4 at about Canada’s National Ballet School, visit nbs-enb.ca. Fall for Dance North 2017 @sharing_dance #SharingDance

FFDNORTH.COM 17 They walk among us. In cities and countries throughout the world. You’ll spot one on the subway – oversized bag slung across the body, unusually good posture, scarfing down a banana and walking, ever so slightly, like a duck. The dancer.

Dancers are nomadic by necessity. Whether it’s downtown, across the country or perhaps somewhere in Europe, dancers go where the opportunities are. So, it’s not unusual for a Canadian to be in, say, Amsterdam dancing alongside a guy from Brazil and a gal from Japan, (and likely apologizing every time someone bumps into them). That’s the nature of the work. Dancers adapt to the people, the situation, the community they’re in. The impact of arts and artists on communities is immeasurable. And the impact of Canadian artists on global communities is something to celebrate, especially in this, Canada’s 150th, year. But we don’t often hear about the impact of communities on artists. How does the mobile lifestyle and interaction with diverse communities influence these Fall for Dance North artists’ practice and work?

By Bonnie Kim Dancers: alwaysmovingalwaysmovingalways Dancers: alwaysmovingalwaysmovingalways Céline Cassone and Alexander Hille of BJM in O Balcao de Amor | Photo by Svetla Atanasova Torontonian David Norsworthy, dancing in Zata The relentless momentum of New York City is both Omm Dance Projects’ The Four Heavenly Kings, was that inspiring and intimidating, not to mention competitive. Now dancer on the subway. As a then Juilliard graduate and dancing with BJM in Montréal, Minnesota-born Alexander emerging dancer, he hustled from gig to gig in “the Big Hille recalls living in New York and describes the energy Apple,” ate en route and tried to survive on $5 to $11 per as addictive. “I feel a very deep and primal passion from hour. After a few months, this frenetic but necessary pace New York artists,” Hille says. “I managed to acquire this took its toll on his body and motivation. “I couldn’t stay same base instinct at a very pivotal moment in my training, present in rehearsals,” Norsworthy says. “The short time an underlying driving voice telling me to ‘keep moving slots were hardly enough to dive in, so I stayed on the forward.’” New York dancers are fiercely determined to surface and went on autopilot. It was difficult to honour succeed, which seems to be the only way to survive in such the specificity of each choreographer’s work. There was a competitive and expensive city. Norsworthy says, “It was no time for the inquiry or contemplation necessary for simply too difficult for anyone who didn’t really want it. As real artistic development.” much as we were struggling, most of us were ‘living our dream,’ and that’s what kept us going.” While “community” can refer to the network of artists with whom dancers collaborate, it also refers to a society at large and its point of view about the arts. There seems to be a correlation between the cultural history of a place, the way the average person relates to the arts and the way artists approach their creative processes. Toronto’s Robert Binet, who is a choreographic associate of The National Ballet of Canada and is presenting Children of Chaos, says, “Some cultures promote a more collaborative working environment and some are still steeped in a hierarchical working structure. I think ballet dancers

“… most of us were ‘living our dream’ and that’s what kept us going.” – David Norsworthy

David Norsworthy | Photo by Alvin Collantes

20 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 “It became clear that part of my work in China was to support the dancers as they learned to have a voice and agency within the choreographic process.” – Peter Quanz

Guangzhou Ballet | Photo by Hou Yang

are accustomed to working more collaboratively where much information and emotion could be translated without ballet is still a young art form (e.g. Canada) or where words was a useful exercise.” contemporary dance is held in as high regard as ballet Born in Baden, Ontario, and now based in Winnipeg, (most European countries).” choreographer Peter Quanz had a similar experience The ability to adapt is especially crucial when working when creating Memory on Water on the Guangzhou Ballet in different languages and with cultures less familiar with in China. “On the first day of choreographing, the dancers unconventional approaches. In classical ballet, dancers are seemed very uncomfortable and remote,” Quanz says. generally directed what to do, how to do it and not likely “It became clear that part of my work in China was to encouraged to voice their opinions about it. Binet, on the support the dancers as they learned to have a voice and other hand, usually choreographs movement in dialogue agency within the choreographic process.” In one duet, with dancers. Their physical and verbal feedback helps the dancers were having difficulty connecting with each him direct the trajectory of his work. A recent stint in other, and Quanz could not find the words to help them. Moscow, historically known more for classical ballet than He found two pieces of cloth in the studio, blindfolded the contemporary dance, required a change in strategy. “I had dancers and asked them to perform the duet relying only to just teach the movement,” Binet says, “demonstrating on their other senses. “It was a magical transformation!” with my own body and then trying to develop it through a Quanz says. “Suddenly, they became lost together and translator. It was hugely challenging, but figuring out how developed trust. In five minutes, they discovered more

FFDNORTH.COM 21 John Kameel Farah | Photo by Jamie Day Fleck Robert Binet in rehearsal | Photo by Karolina Kuras

“… the quality of music, art and A curious and knowledgeable audience base plays a huge role in the arts ecology of a community and dance in Canada is, in my opinion, that, in turn, impacts the artist. How can it not? The more enthusiastic an audience, the more demand for maybe consistently higher than engagement, the more opportunities for artists to create, any other place I’ve travelled to.” perform, evolve and on and on. Brampton-born musician and composer John Kameel Farah, performing in Binet’s – John Kameel Farah work, divides his time between Toronto and Berlin. Comparing audiences in Canada and Germany, he says, “I find in Berlin, most people are generally more active in the arts scenes, going out often to new exhibitions, concerts and about themselves as artists than they had in a month of so on. It is fertile ground for people to also become interested rehearsal. It was a moment that I will never forget.” in your work. Toronto and Canada are overflowing with Adaptation was something classical Chinese dancer talented artists of all sorts. It’s really a treasure trove, but Dong Mei Huang had to embrace when she moved from one often goes to concerts of superb musicians that can China to Vancouver for family reasons at the height of be very poorly attended. I think this is a shame, especially her dance career. “All my recognition meant nothing because the quality of music, art and dance in Canada is, here,” she says. “I had to start from zero again in a foreign in my opinion, maybe consistently higher than any other country. In the past, I focused too heavily on my artistic place I’ve travelled to. I wonder if it has something to do with goals, and the results didn’t lead to where I was hoping. Canada being so geographically spread out.” Living and working in Canada, I found a balance between Distance is also a factor when it comes to artistic my work and private lives. I am now able to create and collaboration. Consider, for example, that Canada is only a perform from a more rational perspective.” titch smaller than Europe, where it can be just a few hours’

22 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 travel between major city centres and countries. By contrast, it’s a hell of a commute between Canadian communities. The old “Hey kids, let’s put on a show!” enthusiasm of smaller towns and cities may be reflective of more isolated markets relying on their own artists for inspiration and partnerships. Calgarian Ashley Perez, co-artistic director for Toronto’s Mix Mix Dance Collective, says, “Out west in Alberta and BC, there are such small communities, you’re interacting with more than just dance artists – painters, DJs, fashion designers. Everyone bands together to create something magical. I find in Toronto, there’s so much dance that you can stay in your little bubble. Even within street dance and hip hop culture, it’s still a bit fragmented here.” Tyler Gledhill | Photo by Ted Belton

“The hustle is real. Because we have to work so hard for support, we don’t waste any time” – Tyler Gledhill

Ashley Perez | Photo by Emily Law

FFDNORTH.COM 23 Yzanne Noone, choreographer for Michaela Hinds | Photo by Zhenya Cerneacov

financial support encourage more artistic risk. However, time is perhaps one of the most valuable commodities for an artist. Ottawa-born Tyler Gledhill, dancing in Fifteen Heterosexual Duets with Citadel + Compagnie says, “For the six years I worked in Europe, I never took for granted how we always had money to create and produce shows at any scale, and exercise any idea we had.” Now in his tenth year as a freelance dance artist in Canada, he says, “I’ve seen the other side – grant writing, wooing patrons,

Michaela Hinds | Photo by Zhenya Cerneacov social media promotion and maximizing rehearsal hours and space. The hustle is real. Because we have to work so hard for support, we don’t waste any time.” Originally from Massachusetts, Nora Brown of While working with Skånes Dansteater in Sweden, Stuttgart’s Gauthier Dance, describes her experiences following a year freelancing in New York, Norsworthy dancing in Montréal, the United States and Europe as realized, “The work of an artist is more than simply similar, except when it comes to the “variety and volume survival.” With all his expenses paid, per diem, daily warm- of performances.” With an abundance of companies up classes and an in-house massage therapist, his body working in government-funded theatres in Germany, and mind felt settled and healed. He could constructively performances in opera, theatre and dance are offered attend to the work and details in a way that he couldn’t every night during the season, usually September through in a more chaotic community. “To be fully invested in one July. She says, “Each week, you may perform one of four thing yields greater reward,” he says. “But that requires or five different programs, over an extended period a very particular combination of well-designed working of time. In North America, you may perform the same conditions. I was afforded an opportunity to uncover number of programs over the course of the season, but the real work – doing, thinking and feeling – without each has a limited time in the theatre and is finished after unnecessary distraction or hesitation.” a week or two of shows.” Everyone has a different path and every story is More opportunities to create and perform and more unique. Like the one about Brampton’s own Michaela

24 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Hinds, the young Canadian dancer who travelled the on building trust with communities, through direct and world and became the most awarded North American honest communication. This gives us the best shot at Irish dancer in history. Though her story and recent arriving at the truth together, which is the measure of any retirement at age twenty-two may be an exceptional successful work of art. In Ball Passing, I am concerned example, a dancer’s career, depending on the style with cooperation and communication, universal ideas and genre, is limited. They need to maximize their that inform any healthy community.” experiences, exposure and opportunities while they can. Though artistic conditions and perspectives differ Hence the nomadic lifestyle. from one community to the next, dance artists find a way In addition to a shared love of dance, what other to navigate through it all. In many ways, they are like our commonality enables dancers to move so fluidly among cultural ambassadors. They adapt, negotiate, challenge, diverse communities? According to Minneapolis-born respond to and reflect the dynamics of the global Charles Moulton, choreographer of 72-Person Ball communities through which they so readily travel. Passing, it’s trust. Whether he’s working with dancers or They “keep moving forward,” because that’s what people with no dance experience, he says, “I’ve found dancers do. that every culture has a different understanding of what it is to be an artist, a performer and a community Bonnie Kim is a Toronto-based dance professional and writer. member. Because of these differences, I learned to focus emmandbee.wordpress.com PERFORMANCE

Two World Premieres Adizokan Backbone PERFORMANCE Adizokan is a new genre-defying Backbone is a cutting-edge dance creation that explores a potent creation inspired by the ‘spine’ of experience of Indigenous, the continents, charting the vast electro-acoustic and orchestral and rocky terrain of our human music, with live dance and landscape. Through contemporary video. In partnership with the Indigenous dance and raw Toronto Symphony Orchestra, athleticism, eight dancers bring to Adizokan features 75 musicians life the electricity and impulses of with guest vocalists and dancers. our rocky mountainous backbone. October 7, 2017 at 7:30 pm November 2 – 12, 2017 Roy Thomson Hall Canadian Stage

Box Office:416 598-3375 Box Office: 416 368-3110 online: tso.ca online: canadianstage.com redskyperformance.com

an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario TORONTO

MIX MIX DANCE “The choreography is fantastic and compels you to dance … It is wonderful to see so much COLLECTIVE talent on one stage …” Emily Law and Ashley Perez, Co-Artistic Directors – mooney on theatre

Mix Mix Dance Collective | Photo by Sam So

Mix Mix Dance Collective is outrageous, fierce and thoughtful in Follow Me their investigation of diversity in movement, music and art practice. With a current Canadian take on street dance, the collective Choreography by Emily Law and Ashley Perez with contributions from the performers represents their forte in the clubs and on the stage. Mix Mix Dance With live music by DJ Classic Roots Collective gathered a strong cast to represent Canada at the 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Because some of this work was created while in Abidjan, the collective’s DANCERS Kristine Flores, Caroline Fraser, Emily Law, Ashley Perez, Sarah Tumaliuan experiences at the games have seeped into the work. The artists of the collective have been extensively training, performing, LIGHTING teaching and competing in various street dance forms for over ten Simon Rossiter years. Individually, each dancer radiates strength and freedom of

COSTUMES movement in both choreography and freestyle/battle contexts. As By the performers women of multi-ethnic backgrounds, their work explores issues that affect women in modern-day culture. They premiered their latest work, Lipstique, at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2017.

Upcoming Performance Through December 2017 Mix Mix Dance Collective in residence at York Woods Library mixmixdancecollective.weebly.com Toronto Arts Council’s Artists in the Library program @mixmixdance

26 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 TORONTO ROBERT BINET

“Binet moves powerfully against the grain of expectation.” – the financial times

Children of Chaos | Photos courtesy of the artists; Robert Binet | Photo courtesy of Rick Guest and Olivia Pomp

Children of Chaos brings together a group of Canadian dancers with exciting international careers to perform in Toronto, many of Children of Chaos them for the first time. The ballet is set to a suite drawn from pianist Choreography by Robert Binet and composer John Kameel Farah’s Time Sketches, which veers With live music by composer/performer John Kameel Farah from the beauty of simple repetition to passages that are completely free of recognizable structure. The music is performed live onstage with the dancers; together the music and dance create a landscape DANCERS Alexander Bozinoff, Frances Chung, Patrick Frenette, Martin ten Kortenaar, of parallel lives and worlds that collide and illuminate one another. Liam Redhead, Joseph Walsh, Jessica Xuan Choreographer Robert Binet has created works for renowned companies including The National Ballet of Canada, The Royal LIGHTING COSTUMES Ballet, New York City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and Company Simon Rossiter Robyn Clarke

Wayne McGregor. He was the first Royal Ballet Choreographic A Fall for Dance North 2017 festival commission and a world premiere Apprentice at The Royal Opera House from 2012 to 2013 and was appointed choreographic associate with The National Ballet of GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY LEAD SUPPORTERS Canada in 2013. Binet has choreographed music videos for Owen SANDRA FAIRE AND IVAN FECAN, WITH ADDITIONAL Pallett and Belle and Sebastian, and his work has been presented SUPPORT FROM MICHELLE KOERNER AND NOREEN TAYLOR by the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Thank you to the following individuals for their generous donation of Aeroplan Miles to support the performers’ travel: Rob Lawrie, Joan Lozinski, Brad McCamus, Joyce Rankin, Gretchen Ross, Anonymous Upcoming Performance October 11–13, 2017 Special thank you to Dutch National Ballet (Martin ten Kortenaar, Jessica Xuan), Royal The Dreamers Ever Leave You Danish Ballet (Alexander Bozinoff, Liam Redhead), San Francisco Ballet (Frances The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet robertbinet.net Chung, Joseph Walsh) and American Ballet Theatre (Patrick Frenette) for generously Printworks, London, UK @robertbinet supporting this project and allowing the dancers to appear in this performance.

FFDNORTH.COM 27 TORONTO ZATA OMM DANCE PROJECTS William Yong, Artistic Director

“… athletically charged, energetic and extremely creative and innovative … Yong is on his way to redefining contemporary dance.” – the strand

Andrew Taylor and Michael Caldwell | Photo by David Hou

In the Buddhist tradition, the four heavenly kings are guardian The Four gods who reside at the foot of Mount Sumeru, each of whom is responsible for one cardinal direction. They are the protectors of Heavenly Kings the world and fighters of evil. The dance provides a compelling twist of modernity on the fables of the mythical kings. Choreographer Choreography by William Yong William Yong trained at the London Contemporary Dance School in With live music by Nagata Shachu the UK. Yong’s professional dance and theatre career spans more than twenty-three years since starting with Wayne McGregor’s DANCERS Random Dance in 1994. He has performed in seventy-five cities Lukas Malkowski, David Norsworthy, Jake Ramos, Jarrett Siddall in fifteen countries and has created over seventy-two dance and

MUSICIANS theatre works worldwide. Zata Omm is ‘Zen And The Actualization Kiyoshi Nagata, Aki Takahashi, Tony Nguyen, Heidi Chan (guest artist) Of Modern Movement’, an award-winning organization founded in 2005 by Artistic Director William Yong. Zata Omm has spent the The Hunted by Bill Laswell past decade breaking new ground by collaborating with scientists, Nanafushi by The Kodō Yosare by Aki Takahashi artists and engineers in bold and innovative ways to reimagine Itsuki no Komoriuta, rearranged by Heidi Chan and Aki Takahashi dance for our technological age and to provide an alternative way of seeing our world and understanding the human condition. LIGHTING COSTUMES Simon Rossiter Nina Okens

WORLD PREMIERE ORIGINAL CAST IN 2007 Upcoming Performance January 13, 2007 Michael Caldwell, Ryan Lee, January 2018 Dance Ontario Dance Weekend Sean Smith, Andrew Taylor STEER Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto, Ontario FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario, Special thanks to Dance Ontario, Mimi Beck and Rosslyn Jacob Edwards for supporting Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, zataomm.org the original production. Oakville, Ontario @zataommdance

28 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 BRAMPTON MICHAELA HINDS

“Her dominance over a form long ruled by dancers from Ireland is indicative of the increasingly global popularity of Irish dance. … ‘Michaela’s success has proven not just what Canadians can do, but what one human individual can do.’” – cbc news, cbc.ca

Michaela Hinds | Photo by Zhenya Cerneacov

This piece is a celebration of Hinds’ outstanding career as an Irish dancer and is the culmination of years of dedication. Through the Reflections of an use of soft and hard shoe, Hinds steps her way through the past and into the future. Born in 1995 in Brampton, Ontario, Michaela Hinds Irish Journey took up Irish dancing at age three. In her dance career, Hinds has achieved more than any other Canadian to date as a multiple-time Choreography by Yzanne Noone (and Rose Fearon) With live music by Pat King and Brian Grant champion at Canadian, North American, Great Britain, All-Ireland and All-Scotland competitions. She is the reigning Senior Ladies World Champion and has won the World Championships seven DANCER times. She is currently studying kinesiology and health promotion Michaela Hinds at Sheridan College. Choreographer Yzanne Noone danced for the COSTUME Cunniffe Gillan School of Dance in Ireland and was a competitive Gavin Doherty champion and medal holder. Noone toured internationally with Riverdance, The Show after which she was awarded a Fulbright A Fall for Dance North 2017 festival commission and a world premiere Scholarship in theatre and dance at Boston College, USA. Noone now teaches with the Butler Fearon O’Connor School of Irish Dance in Toronto, one of the top Irish dance schools in the world.

Upcoming Performance November 10–12, 2017 Eastern Canadian Oireachtas Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Ontario fearon-oconnor.com

FFDNORTH.COM 29 MONTRÉAL BJM – LES BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL Louis Robitaille, Artistic Director

“Virtuosity and endurance vie with spectacular beauty in a program that puts the company’s 14 dancers to the test.” – cowichan valley citizen

BJM in O Balcao de Amor | Photo by Jeremy Coachman

“Sometimes, as grown-ups, we encounter seemingly trivial details that bring us back to our youth and its hopes,” writes choreographer O Balcao de Amor Itzik Galili. “Pérez Prado’s music, with its lightness, gives me a deep Choreography by Itzik Galili sense of simple joy. It makes me happy to see how the young generation relates to it, and to see the different layers of feelings it awakens in them: joy, laughs, but also a profound smile …” Born in DANCERS Israel, Itzik Galili danced in Bat-Dor Dance Company, Batsheva II and Céline Cassone (main dancer), Alexander Hille (main dancer), Brandi Baker, Yosmell Calderón, Jeremy Coachman, Kennedy Henry, Kennedy Kraeling, in Batsheva Dance Company, where he started choreographing. In Pier-Loup Lacour, Andrew Mikhaiel, Benjamin Mitchell, Saskya Pauzé-Bégin, 1991, Galili moved to the Netherlands and formed his own project- Mark Sampson, Izabela Szylinska, Ashley Werhun based company in Amsterdam. His controversial piece The Butterfly Effect won the Public Prize at the International Competition for MUSIC Pérez Prado Choreographers in Groningen. Since 2011, Galili has been a guest choreographer on the international dance scene. He combines LIGHTING CONCEPT expressive movements with powerful or poetic images, often Itzik Galili created by his own lighting designs, to transform his experience and LIGHTING perception of the world into performance. Daniel Ranger

Founded in 1972, BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal is an COSTUMES internationally renowned contemporary dance company that Anne-Marie Veevaete

presents a hybrid form of dance combining the aesthetics of classical WORLD PREMIERE ballet with many other styles of dance. BJM performances are sexy, September 2016 explosive, original and accessible. Its pieces are marked by dynamic Théâtre Hector-Charland, L’Assomption, Québec physicality, virtuosity and the strong personalities of its performers, all of which contribute to the company’s signature style.

30 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 BJM in Kosmos | Photo by Pascal Duchesne, Cosmos Image by Thierry Duchesne

Kosmos was inspired by the movements of crowds, moments of Kosmos agitation and the hustle and bustle of everyday urban life. The work also offers a counterbalance, bringing beauty to the fore and Choreography by Andonis Foniadakis Excerpt from Kosmos turning frenetic movement into a dance that brings people together in a joyous, liberating fashion. Born in Crete, Andonis Foniadakis studied classical and contemporary dance at the National School of DANCERS Dance in Athens. In 1992 he received the prestigious Maria Callas Céline Cassone (main dancer), Alexander Hille (main dancer), Brandi Baker, Yosmell Calderón, Jeremy Coachman, Kennedy Henry, Kennedy Kraeling, scholarship and pursued his training at the Rudra Béjart School in Pier-Loup Lacour, Andrew Mikhaiel, Benjamin Mitchell, Saskya Pauzé-Bégin, Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1996, Foniadakis joined the Ballet de Mark Sampson, Izabela Szylinska, Ashley Werhun l’Opéra National in Lyon, and also danced for Saburo Teshigawara / Karas Co. In parallel with his career as a dancer, he also established MUSIC Julien Tarride a reputation as a choreographer. Foniadakis created his own dance company, Apotosoma, in Lyon, France, in 2003. In 2012 he received LIGHTING DESIGN the Danza e Danza Award for the “Best Choreographer” in Italy for James Proudfoot the creation Les Noces for Maggio Danza. LIGHTING Daniel Ranger

COSTUMES Philippe Dubuc Upcoming Performance December 15, 2017 WORLD PREMIERE Dance Me/Leonard Cohen October 2014 Sony Centre for the Performing Arts bjmdanse.ca Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood, USA Toronto, Ontario @bjmdanse

FFDNORTH.COM 31 “Wonderful dancers perform eclectic, entertaining dances with technical precision, theatrical charisma, and absolute commitment …” – boston globe

STUTTGART, GERMANY GAUTHIER DANCE// DANCE COMPANY THEATERHAUS STUTTGART Eric Gauthier, Artistic Director

Gauthier Dance in ConrazonCorazon | Photo by Regina Brocke

ConrazonCorazon melds three Spanish words into one: con (with), ConrazonCorazon razon (reason) and corazon (heart). The piece moves between the Choreography by Cayetano Soto two poles of feeling and understanding: a rapid interplay with the – sometimes competitive, sometimes collaborative – forces that govern our lives: emotion and rationality, heart and mind. After training at the DANCERS Institut del Teatre in Barcelona and the Royal Conservatory in The Sandra Bourdais, Anneleen Dedroog, Anna Harms, Maurus Gauthier, Alessio Marchini, Barbara Melo Freire, Garazi Perez Oloriz, Luke Prunty, Hague, Cayetano Soto danced with the Munich Ballet Theater (State David RodrÍguez, Jonathan dos Santos Theater at Gärtnerplatz) from 1998 to 2005. In 2006 Soto was invited to choreograph for the Royal Ballet of Flanders, where he won the MUSIC first Hapag-Lloyd Prize for his piece 24FPS. Soto has been resident Rina Ketty, Michel Legrand, Jack Costanzo, Toña la Negra, Los Panchos choreographer for Ballet BC in Vancouver since 2016. ASSISTANT TO THE CHOREOGRAPHER Mikiko Arai

LIGHTING Cayetano Soto

STAGE AND COSTUMES Cayetano Soto, Gudrun Schretzmeier

COSTUME SUPERVISOR FALL FOR DANCE NORTH PERFORMANCES GENEROUSLY Gudrun Schretzmeier SPONSORED BY JOAN AND JERRY LOZINSKI

WORLD PREMIERE Upcoming Performance April 30, 2015 Oct 11–12, 2017 Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany Fall for Dance™ gauthierdance.com A Theaterhaus Stuttgart Production New York, USA @gauthierdance

32 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Theophilus Vesely and Barbara Melo Freire in Ballet 102 | Photo Maurus Gauthier and Sandra Bourdais in Violoncello | Photo by by Regina Brocke Regina Brocke Ballet 102 Violoncello Choreography by Eric Gauthier Choreography by Nacho Duato Excerpt from Multiplicity. Forms of Silence and Emptiness DANCERS Luke Prunty in Pacopepepluto | Photo by Regina Brocke Barbara Melo Freire and Theophilus Vesely DANCERS SOUND COLLAGE Sandra Bourdais and Maurus Gauthier Jens-Peter Abele, Eric Gauthier Pacopepepluto MUSIC SET LIGHTING AND COSTUMES Johann Sebastian Bach Jaafar Chalabi Eric Gauthier Choreography by Alejandro Cerrudo LIGHTING COSTUMES WORLD PREMIERE Brad Fields Nacho Duato March 1, 2017 DANCERS Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany Maurus Gauthier, Alessio Marchini, David RodrÍguez STAGING A Theaterhaus Stuttgart Production Thomas Klein MUSIC LIGHTING Ballet 102 is a cheeky satire of the 102 positions Dean Martin, Joe Scalissi Matt Miller WORLD PREMIERE of the classical pas de deux. Although the April 23, 1999 STAGE AND COSTUMES Weimar at the Viehauktionshalle in co-production with choreography was freely invented, the Alejandro Cerrudo Weimar 1999, Cultural European Capital similarities with movements from the real A Theaterhaus Stuttgart Production ballets of famous choreographers, from WORLD PREMIERE Marius Petipa and Vaslav Nijinsky to John June 24, 2011 Nacho Duato’s full-length ballet Multiplicity. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago, USA Cranko and Mats Ek to John Neumeier and A Theaterhaus Stuttgart Production Forms of Silence and Emptiness is a Mauro Bigonzetti, are neither coincidential choreographic reflection on the life and work nor unintended. “Ballet 102 harks back to one What effect does a man’s body exert when of Johann Sebastian Bach. In the excerpted of my earliest choreographies: a solo piece he dances naked? This was choreographer pas de deux Violoncello, the dancer (Bach) titled Ballet 101 (2006) …. At the time, I was still Alejandro Cerrudo’s question when he strokes his partner with a bow as if playing a a dancer with the Stuttgart Ballet and was very created Pacopepepluto at Hubbard Street cello, while she in turn surrenders completely proud of my first success as a choreographer, Dance Chicago in 2011. The work comprises to his control. Duato received the renowned which encouraged me to risk a new artistic a series of solos by three male dancers Benois de la Danse for the full-length work. beginning with my own company,” says Eric – clad only in flesh-coloured dance belts. Born in Spain, Nacho Duato began his Gauthier. He soon became head of Gauthier Paco, Pepe and Pluto seem to dance in dance career in 1980 with the Cullberg Ballet Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus their own world to songs crooned by the in Stockholm. In 1986 he was appointed Stuttgart. The company presents pieces by “King of Cool,” Dean Martin. Born in Madrid, resident choreographer at Nederlands Dans choreographers such as Mauro Bigonzetti, Spain, Alejandro Cerrudo trained at the Theater alongside Hans van Manen and Jiří William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián and Itzik Galili, Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Kylián. In 1990 Duato returned to Spain and along with Gauthier’s own critically acclaimed de Madrid. His career has been shaped by spent ten years as artistic director of the creations. His original, humorous and companies including the Stuttgart Ballet, Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid. accessible pieces have won a new young Nederlands Dans Theater 2 and Hubbard Since 2014/15 he has been artistic director of audience for contemporary dance, and top Street Dance Chicago, where he was the Staatsballett Berlin. companies worldwide perform his works. appointed resident choreographer in 2009.

FFDNORTH.COM 33 PROGRAM 1 OCTOBER 4, 2017 7:30PM

Follow Me Presented by Mix Mix Dance Collective Choreographed by Emily Law and Ashley Perez With live music by DJ Classic Roots

Please join us in the Sony Centre lower lobby Children of Chaos Choreographed by Robert Binet from 6:30 to 7:00pm With live music by John Kameel Farah each evening for pre- show conversations with A Fall for Dance North commission and a world premiere artists and company representatives, hosted by O Balcao de Amor Presented by BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal Megan Andrews, founding Choreographed by Itzik Galili editor of The Dance Current magazine. INTERMISSION

The Four Heavenly Kings Presented by Zata Omm Dance Projects Choreographed by William Yong With live music by Nagata Shachu

Violoncello Presented by Gauthier Dance// Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart Choreographed by Nacho Duato

72-Person Ball Passing Choreographed by Charles Moulton

A Fall for Dance North commission

Live Music Sponsor TD Bank Group PROGRAM 2 PROGRAM 3 OCTOBER 5, 2017 OCTOBER 6, 2017 7:30PM 7:30PM

Reflections of an Irish Journey Ballet 102 Performed by Michaela Hinds Presented by Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Choreographed by Yzanne Noone (and Rose Fearon) Theaterhaus Stuttgart With live music by Brian Grant and Pat King Choreographed by Eric Gauthier

A Fall for Dance North commission and a world premiere Fifteen Heterosexual Duets Presented by Citadel + Compagnie Kosmos Choreographed by James Kudelka Presented by BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal With live music by Andrew Burashko and Sheila Jaffé Choreographed by Andonis Foniadakis

INTERMISSION Pacopepepluto Presented by Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart ConrazonCorazon Choreographed by Alejandro Cerrudo Presented by Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart Choreographed by Cayetano Soto INTERMISSION 72-Person Ball Passing A Blossoming Apricot Branch Choreographed by Charles Moulton 一枝紅杏 Presented by Dong Mei Dance A Fall for Dance North commission Choreographed by Xiao Mei Zhang and Dong Mei Huang

Memory on Water Presented by Guangzhou Ballet Choreographed by Peter Quanz

72-Person Ball Passing Choreographed by Charles Moulton

A Fall for Dance North commission VANCOUVER DONG MEI DANCE Dong Mei Huang, Artistic Director

“Stunning performance! A rare opportunity for a Canadian audience to experience authentic Chinese Folk Dance.” – lahoo.ca

Dong Mei Huang | Photo by Roy Hoh

“The apricot tree makes its presence felt by extending a bough of A Blossoming blossoming flowers over the top of the wall. Unbeknownst to those who live behind the wall.” This is a line from a poem by an ancient Apricot Branch Chinese poet, Ye Shaoweng. In ancient Chinese culture, a blossoming apricot branch is a metaphor for a married woman – reaching its 一枝紅杏 blossoming branch over the wall, curious about the world outside. It depicts the conflicting and ambivalent emotions of a woman who Choreography by Xiao Mei Zhang and Dong Mei Huang craves for freedom but is constrained by traditional doctrines and ethics. Choreographer Xiao Mei Zhang is the vice director of the department of folk dance at Beijing Dance Academy. Her works have DANCER Dong Mei Huang earned many awards and she is accredited academically as a pioneer of Chinese folk dance. Established in 2014 in Vancouver, BC, Dong MUSIC SOUND DESIGN Mei Dance has a unique focus on the preservation of traditional Xi Gan Liu Sammy Chien Chinese culture through contemporary artistic expressions. Artistic LIGHTING COSTUMES Director Dong Mei Huang’s apprenticeship took place at the world- Jonathan Kim Lei Tao renowned Beijing Dance Academy, from where she obtained her Master of Fine Arts in dance. She has received China’s highest PRODUCTION COORDINATION honour in performing arts, the Wenhua Award. Sammy Chien

WORLD PREMIERE Upcoming Performance August 8, 2006 November 22, 2017 Beijing Exhibition Center, Beijing, China Flow(er) Co-creation with Sammy Chien Dance in Vancouver 2017 Scotiabank Dance Centre dongmeidance.com Vancouver, British Columbia @dongmeidance

36 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 GUANGZHOU, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GUANGZHOU BALLET Dan Dan Zhang, Artistic Director

“The Quanz piece, rich in insinuation, lush in semi-erotic movement, soars into the realm of art.” – ballet review

Guangzhou Ballet | Photo by Hou Yang

Memory on Water is a neoclassical balletic fantasy infused with poetic imagery of two lovers divided by a river. “The constant image Memory on Water of being separated or together allowed me to create a duet where Choreography by Peter Quanz the principal dancers don’t touch each other,” says choreographer Peter Quanz. Later, these same dancers connect through unusual partnering. Peter Quanz, artistic director of Q DANCE, is an award- DANCERS winning Canadian choreographer known for his collaborations in Shuainan Gao, Yue Gao, Baimao Huang, Haojia Huang, Ping Huang, Tao Hu, Dongbo Li, Jian Li, Xiaolong Li, Ge Liu , Guangyu Liu, Qi Liu, Zeyu Liu, Yaqi Lu, dance, music and visual art. His aesthetic encompasses classical Minghao Ma, Wenyu Mao, Jianyuan Ou, Nan Ren, Hong Wang, Qian Wu, Shiwen and contemporary ballet, contemporary dance/theatre and classical Xia, Chunzi Xiu, Jiayue Xu, Xiao Yu, Weiwei Zhang, Yang Zhang, Yi Zheng, Yu Zhou Chinese dance. He has created works for some of the world’s leading ballet companies including the Mariinsky Ballet, American MUSIC Violin Concerto by Du Mingxin Ballet Theatre, the Cuban National Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada. Guangzhou Ballet was founded in 1994 as a pilot LIGHTING organization appointed by the Guangzhou Municipal Government Liu Qing for comprehensive reform of professional art and performance COSTUMES organizations. The company is recognized for combining Chinese and Anne Armit western arts. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dan Dan Zhang, the company has mounted classical ballets, contemporary work by WORLD PREMIERE foreign choreographers and a number of popular Chinese ballets. September 2016 Guangzhou Ballet Theatre, Guangzhou, China

Upcoming Performance October 20-22, 2017 If I Were a Bird Guangzhou Ballet peterquanz.com Guangzhou, China @_QDance, @PeterQuanz

FFDNORTH.COM 37 “These are virtuoso duets, demanding rapid maneuvering to keep up with quick changes of mood. They could be glimpses of 15 different couples, or maybe just 15 moments in the life of one relationship.” – toronto star

TORONTO CITADEL + COMPAGNIE Laurence Lemieux, Artistic Director

Anik Bissonnette and Andrew Giday | Photo by Michael Slobodian, courtesy of Dance Collection Danse

It is unusual for an artist to proclaim his relationship to the content Fifteen of a work as emphatically as James Kudelka does with Fifteen Heterosexual Duets. The title, as Kudelka concedes, is an overtly Heterosexual Duets political declaration. While romance may exist, Kudelka’s perspective is glaringly unsentimental. Then there are the extraordinary mechanics Choreography by James Kudelka of the choreography – the lifts, the off-balance work, the speed – that in With live music by Andrew Burashko and Sheila Jaffé an analytical way illustrate what is happening between the participants. Fifteen remains a milestone in Kudelka’s choreographic evolution. DANCERS James Kudelka is widely acknowledged as one of North America’s Danielle Baskerville, Luke Garwood, Tyler Gledhill*, Laurence Lemieux, most innovative choreographers. His mastery of both classical ballet Daniel McArthur, Andrew McCormack, Philip McDermott, Victoria Mehaffey, Connor Mitton, Erin Poole, Kaitlin Standeven, Brodie Stevenson, Christianne Ullmark and modern/contemporary dance has earned him commissions from *Member of Equity many stylistically diverse companies. After nine distinguished years MUSIC as artistic director of The National Ballet of Canada (1996–2005), Beethoven, Kreutzer Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Opus 47 Kudelka continues to undertake collaborative projects that engage

LIGHTING COSTUMES and challenge him as a choreographer. In 2008, he became Citadel + Pierre Lavoie Denis Lavoie Compagnie’s resident choreographer. Citadel + Compagnie, formerly Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, was founded by Bill Coleman and STAGE MANAGER WORLD PREMIERE Laurence Lemieux in 2000. The company encompasses intimate, Marianna Rosato 1991 Toronto Dance Theatre emotionally honest productions and spectacular stage shows Theatre Centre, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario featuring some of Canada’s greatest dancers.

Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council Upcoming Performance November 15–25, 2017 Fifteen Heterosexual Duets was commissioned by David Earle for Toronto Jusqu’ à Vimy citadelcie.com Dance Theatre in 1991. The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, Toronto, Ontario @citadelcie

38 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 SAN FRANCISCO, USA CHARLES MOULTON

“Ball Passing opened Sunday’s program with a bang, and summed up the joys of collective endeavor and the wonder of simple gesture, organized into art.” – the new york times

Charles Moulton in rehearsal | Photo by Francesca Chudnoff

Ball Passing is part dance, part game and part living puzzle. The process of learning and performing Ball Passing engenders the 72-Person Ball Passing kind of experience that has become less and less available in our Choreography by Charles Moulton culture – a profound sense of connection and community. Because Featuring an all-Toronto cast! of the speed and complexity involved ‘mistakes’ are inevitable. Dropped balls are part of the game. Ball Passing is a constant PERFORMERS struggle between entropy and organization – a conundrum that See pages 40 and 41 can only be solved by all participants working as one integrated REHEARSAL DIRECTOR MUSIC unit. Charles Moulton is a choreographer and visual artist living Jordana Deveau Matthew Pierce in Oakland, California. He has created works on dance companies all over the world including The Joffrey Ballet, Gauthier Dance LIGHTING COSTUME COORDINATOR Simon Rossiter Jordana Deveau, Odessa Kelebay and Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project. He began his career dancing with Contemporary Dancers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in PROJECT MANAGER PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION 1972 and joined Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1973. Anisa Tejpar Production Canada Moulton is a co-founding director of Performance Space 122 in PHOTOGRAPHER New York and co-artistic director of Garrett + Moulton Productions Francesca Chudnoff in San Francisco. WORLD PREMIERE December 10, 1980 Merce Cunningham Studio, New York, USA

A Fall for Dance North 2017 festival commission

Upcoming Performance June 1-3, 2018 Parts of the movement vocabulary for this work were inspired by and adapted from Ball Passing Workshop at the Olga Children’s Hospital ballpassing.org dances created in collaboration with choreographer Janice Garrett, Moulton’s Stuttgart, Germany @charlesmoulton co-artistic director in Garrett + Moulton Productions.

FFDNORTH.COM 39 PERFORMERS 72-Person Ball Passing Subject to change.

Nicola Adilman Nicole Adjeleian Ayanna Allen Natalia Arancibia Lynn Arsenault Julie Bennett Alexandra Berry Sue Brown Jordan Campbell Melissa Chance Sophia Colucci Michael Costello Nicole Crozier Rebekah Cunningham Celina D’Orazio Kristin DeAmorim Haley Dimeck Mai Duong Leslie Dupuy Melanie Ebbett Kendra Epik Nicole Faull Alexandra Robinson Kéïta Fournier-Pelletier Kiah Francis Geoffrey Fulton Elissa Gallander Michelle Girardin Fawcett Cassandra Grose Sarah Hallman Grace Harvey Abby Hopper Kaelin Isserlin Lilly Giroux Nikaya Jageshar Aliyah Jackman

40 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Photos by Zhenya Cerneacov

Alison Keery Andrea Konarzewski Matthew Kwasnicki Margaux Labossière Kari Labrentz Emma Llewellyn Jia Yi Luo Cherokee-Rose Lynch Jocelyn Mah Aryana Malekzadeh Marina Mandic Amanda Martin Curtis Matysek Robin McPhail-Dempsey Shannon Micol Gwendolyn Mitchell Ben Mitchell Sarah Nelson Jianna Neufeld Ambre Orfao Samyuktha Mary Anne Quance Brianna Rennie Aiyana Ruel Maria Isabel Salgado Kiera Shaw Punthambekar Naomi Stasger Haneen Tamari Mateya Taylor Samantha Vu Nicola Wall Madeleine Shen Phyllis Whyte Tamara Woolman Angela Xu Andy Wang

FFDNORTH.COM 41 Thank you to the following individuals and organizations for their extraordinary support in helping to make 72-Person Ball Passing possible:

Jordana Deveau, Rehearsal Director | Photo Charles Moulton (inset, R) and participants in studio | Photos by by Zhenya Cerneacov Francesca Chudnoff

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts Patricia Fraser, Claudia Moore,

The School of Toronto Dance Theatre Moonhorse Dance Theatre Soulpepper Theatre Company Molly Gardner, Ken Purvis, Drew Berry Soulpepper Academy Montgomery’s Inn Nova Bhattacharya Karen Kaeja, Allen Kaeja & George Randolph & Elaine O’Neal, Clarke Blair Nadine Villasin, Randolph Academy Susie Burpee Kaeja d’Dance Sarah Robichaud, Gabriel Fain Laurence Lemieux & Portia Wade, Dancing with Parkinson’s Kate Franklin The Citadel Dance Program Barbara Frum Vicki St. Denys, Kyle Jeffery Judi Lopez, Ryerson School of Performance Andrew Leeke KeepRockinYou Derek Sangster, Shannon Litzenberger Deborah Lundmark & George Brown Dance Nikolaos Markakis Michael deConinck Smith, Heather Saum, Larry McPhail Canadian Contemporary Etobicoke School of the Arts Dance Theatre Patricia McPhail Margo Small, Robin McPhail-Dempsey Isorine Marc & Zoie Browne, Sick Kids Hospital Simon Rossiter Jamii Esplanade LJ Savage Mavis Staines & Ashleigh Powell, Maryanne Marsh, Canada’s National Ballet School Anuradha Sen Rosedale Heights School of the Arts Michelle Silagy Rose C. Stella & Mike Ball, Meredith Thompson Leslie McCue, Centre for Indigenous Theatre Paprika Festival Anna Sturino, St. Alban’s Boys & Girls Club

42 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 LIVING CANADIAN DANCE

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Photography: Heidi Latsky by Darial Snee, Evelyn Hart, Sashar Zarif by Shahrokh Saeedi. Design by Eve Schifman. Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company Academy of Spanish Dance In performance Director May 4-6, 2018 Esmeralda Fleck Dance Theatre Enrique Harbourfront Centre Specializing in adult Tickets on sale now! flamenco classes for all levels 416 973-4000 www.flamencos.net 416 595-5753 401 Richmond St.W. B104 [email protected] an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Photo by Hamid Karimi CANADIAN CONNECTIONS AT FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017

Mapping and design by Megan Andrews and Lois Kim

It’s a small world – and in dance, it’s even smaller!

In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, this year we decided to trace some of the Canadian connections among performers at Fall for Dance North 2017.

From across the vast geography of this country, dance people come from just about everywhere and tend to head in a few key directions for their training and professional opportunities. As Bonnie Kim notes in her article on page 18, dancers are indeed always moving.

On the next page, you’ll find a map showing some of the Canadian points of convergence among festival artists. We’ve created a legend to help you navigate the map. We hope it’ll spark your curiosity and perhaps you’ll find a Canadian connection in common with someone on the map as well!

* * *

Our data comes from a simple and voluntary survey sent to participants. Not everyone was able to respond; however, even so, the amount of information that came back was immense. We had to make some significant choices in order to present a map that was readable and not too dense to parse. In our presentation, we highlight individuals who have more than one point in common with other festival artists. We focus on three key connections: birthplace, current home and primary place of study. In their responses, many people provided more than one primary place of study. In those cases, we selected the first one listed. We also made sure to include at least one representative from each performance in the festival. All individuals presented on the map are also connected to the Fall for Dance North performance in which they appear. There are certainly many more festival participants and connections than we’ve been able to include here. We hope you enjoy this representative sample, offered in celebration of Canada 150. Have fun!

FFDNORTH.COM 47 Studied at Arts Umbrella, Vancouver

Born in Ottawa

Studied at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre

Studied at École Supérieur de Ballet du Studied at Goh Ballet Québec, Montréal Born in Edmonton Academy, Vancouver

Born in Vancouver

Memory on Water, Guangzhou Ballet Children of Chaos, Robert Binet

Reflections of an Irish Journey, Michaela Hinds BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal

Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart Fifteen Heterosexual Duets, Citadel + Compagnie

Follow Me, Mix Mix Dance Collective The Four Heavenly Kings, Zata Omm Dance Projects

72-Person Ball Passing, Charles Moulton A Blossoming Apricot Branch, Dong Mei Dance

48 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Studied at Canada’s National Ballet School, Toronto

Studied at the School of Performed in a PREVIOUS Toronto Dance Theatre version of Ball Passing

Studied at York University, Toronto

Currently lives in Montréal Born in Edmonton

Born in Mississauga Studied at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School

Studied at Ryerson University, Toronto

Birthplace Born in Toronto

Current home Currently lives in Toronto Primary place of study

Participant in previous version of Moulton’s Ball Passing Born and currently lives in Toronto

FFDNORTH.COM 49 Dancers Describing Dance By Molly Johnson

“What kind of dance do you do?”

This oft-asked question can give even the most seasoned dance artist pause. Understandably so: dance is a vast form and one in which style and aesthetics shift and reorganize in constant response to both tradition and new influence, making definition a decidedly complex task. And while an identifying label like ballet or bharatanatyam can help to narrow down a field wide with possibility, a multitude of elements inform a dance artist’s work, and how we understand it in turn. “In dance, we often discuss our work in terms of vocabulary or what movement tradition informs the work,” explains choreographer Peter Quanz. “While understanding the aesthetic underpinning of each choreography is important, it is of equal value to explore the ways in which a work develops throughout the creative process.” Created on the Guangzhou Ballet, Quanz’s Memory on Water depicts two lovers separated by a river. To evoke this imagery, he uses a corps de ballet to define the space and suggest images of separation

50 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Zhou Yu and Zhang Yang | Photo by Hou Yang

FFDNORTH.COM 51 BJM in Kosmos by Andonis Foniadakis | Photo by Pascal Duchesne

between the principal dancers. “A fluid use of the upper create while still having our own voice heard in it.” The bodies, movements close to the ground, arms moving softly collective is challenging the status quo in male-dominated in circular flow – these are some of the stylistic markers of street dance forms, which also typically have their this work,” describes Quanz. The aesthetics of the work deepest roots in the United States. Explains Perez: “We – neoclassical ballet influenced by classical Chinese don’t see a lot of house, waacking or voguing in Canada, dance – are reflective of both his background and the so we are excited to put our own spin on it — to present environment in which the work was made. it as Canadian women, women of colour, and show what As a form, dance is highly responsive to context, that looks like.” meaning styles develop with geographical, historical and Contemporary reflection on and reimagining of societal viewpoints embedded within them. For their new societal ideals was also a point of departure for A work, Follow Me, for Fall for Dance North, Mix Mix Dance Blossoming Apricot Branch, created by Xiao Mei Zhang Collective chose house dance, a form that emerged from for and with Dong Mei Huang. Set in the period of ancient the underground club culture in Chicago and New York. China when Fengjian ideology developed (1046 BC–256 “People have always taken street dance and performed BC), the work sources movement derived from Chinese it on stages,” relates Emily Law, co-artistic director for ethnic folk dance style, particularly the Han ethnic Mix Mix. “At the same time, street dance, and in this case group of Shandong province. “During this period of house dance, is also a lifestyle, and it’s important that we time, the politics and culture underwent complex new try to respect the origins of the style in all the dances we developments of morality and social structures,” Huang

52 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 “… street dance is also a lifestyle, and it’s important that we try to respect the origins of the style in all the dances we create while still having our own voice heard in it.” – Emily Law, Mix Mix Dance Collective

Emily Law | Photo by Leah Snyder

Dong Mei Huang | Photo by Xiao Long Xia recounts. She wanted to explore the female repression from the period, which the style of the work reflects: “The choreography incorporates certain circular movements – the shape of the number eight – from the Han traditional dance style to express the kind of entanglement and sentiments for women during that time.” If specific styles of dance embody a time and place, then choreography at its core takes an active approach to working and reworking these traditional and non- traditional forms, as Huang’s work demonstrates. Michaela Hinds, a seven-time world champion in competitive Irish dance, similarly relates: “Although Irish dancing requires very stiff upper bodies, turned out feet, crossed legs and many more strict traditions, the best choreographers are able to take these rules and turn them into passionate pieces of art.” Integrating soft and hard shoe styles, choreographer Yzanne Noone (and Rose Fearon) created the new work Reflections of an Irish Journey specifically for Hinds to perform at Fall for Dance North. Like a palette of paint is just the starting point for a painter, for a choreographer, the syllabus of a style is very often just the beginning. “I work with ballet technique but am interested in pushing the boundaries of how it is used, how it relates to music, how it relates to space and how the dancers relate to one another both in process and performance,” says Robert Binet, choreographic associate of The National Ballet of Canada. And because dance finds form on the human body, choreography takes many

FFDNORTH.COM 53 of its cues from the insights and abilities of the dancers in the room. Binet specifically looks to the artists he works with for this inspiration: “I approach making ballet from the basic starting point that dancers are people, and that is the most interesting thing about them. They have histories, experiences and a wealth of emotional depth that is so thrilling to be able to draw on.”

When James Kudelka made Fifteen Heterosexual Duets Theophilus Vesely and Barbara Melo Freire of Gauthier Dance | Photo by Regina Brocke in 1991, his ballet background collided with the Graham- based modern training of the Toronto Dance Theatre dancers with whom he was working. Kudelka embraced approach that resulted in one of his most iconic works. this collision to great effect, using a distinctive partnering “Understanding who initiates what, letting your weight create the lifts as opposed to your muscles, going until the end of each movement and showing the effort are some of the cardinal rules of the work that the dancers follow while executing it,” reveals Laurence Lemieux, artistic director of Citadel + Compagnie and an original dancer in the work. “In doing so, the audience sees the couples navigate through difficulties and challenges, and so, just like in life, the work speaks about relationships.” Choreography is both the key and the curveball when it comes to describing individual dance practices. Through choreography, dance artists carve teachable movement into ephemeral experiences. “I often use and explore modern neoclassical and release style and techniques in order to achieve my own perception of each specific choreography,” relates Andonis Foniadakis, guest choreographer for BJM. “For Kosmos, I have followed much more the modern dance principles in order to achieve this high pace and hyper-complex, structured piece of choreography.” At the same time as this structuring occurs though, the form is in a process of expansion and redefinition, or as Foniadakis describes it, “All references and techniques are reworked, reshaped and questioned, in order to fit and express my own vision and personal way of seeing movement and composition in dance.” While a company like Gauthier Dance is rooted in an aesthetic of contemporary ballet, the interests and instincts of choreographers can quickly lead the dancers

Laurence Lemieux and Victor Quijada | Photo by Michael Slobodian, down less easily defined paths. In his work Ballet 102, Eric courtesy of Dance Collection Danse Gauthier asks the dancers to achieve an absurdist form of pas de deux. He explains: “I wanted it to be tongue-in-

54 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Andrew Taylor, Ryan Lee and Michael Caldwell with Zata Omm Dance Projects | Photo by David Hou 48-Person Ball Passing | Photo by S. Berger

cheek, entertaining, with a clear storyline and at the same is a key influence on my dance company.” time technically demanding.” For him, fundamentally the Like Yong, many choreographers develop a distinct work must make a connection with the audience: “It’s very style over time. For others, inspiration strikes and they important that theatregoers get to share my love for dance. instinctively switch gears. The source for choreographer That’s my mission in a nutshell.” Itzik Galili’s nostalgic O Balcao de Amor came from the The aesthetics of dance always take shape in relation music he heard on a trip to Cuba. “Pérez Prado is a well- to the ideologies of the artists involved – and like all known Cuban composer in the USA and in the whole things involving humans, many influences coalesce. For world,” imparts Galili, guest choreographer for BJM. “We Charles Moulton, the impulse for Ball Passing came from all, grown-ups, teenagers, kids, have heard his music in his grandmother, a union organizer and founder of the malls, concert halls, supermarkets, airports. As a kid, I Democratic Farmers League in southern Minnesota. He heard this music at home, played on an old gramophone.” recalls: “She believed in our ability and responsibility to The influence of this music led Galili in new directions as work together towards the common good.” What began as a maker. “I started this work from the heart, and even if a three-person project has evolved to include casts of nine, this is not a typical work of mine, it came out as a work eighteen, twenty-five, forty-eight, sixty and now seventy-two that speaks about love.” performers, but the philosophy remains the same, remarks There are many ways to talk about the dance we do Moulton. “At its core, Ball Passing is community art that and those ways will continue to evolve. Dance is a living demonstrates the singular ability we have as human beings form, steeped in history, responsive to the now and deeply to solve highly complex puzzles through cooperation.” influenced by the humans who dream it into being. As In The Four Heavenly Kings, an early work by such, attempts to define the aesthetics of dance rarely Zata Omm Dance Projects, choreographer William reveal its essence, but uncovering the heartbeat behind Yong crafts a calming yet ominous mood, combining it gets us close to the true intent of the form. As Gauthier the internal and external forces of his choreographic puts it, “Describing dance isn’t about drawing neat lines style. “My work is characterized by its reflection on between the styles – it’s the passion inside of it that counts.” the conflicts between development, technology and humanity,” he describes. “Clarity and precision are Molly Johnson is a Dora Award–winning independent dance important to me in my vision; a Zen-inspired philosophy artist and a writer in the space between. thisismollyjohnson.com

FFDNORTH.COM 55 DANCE CELEBRATING 50 YEARS!

GLASS FIELDS TDT returns to the Fleck Dance Theatre with Glass Fields, an exhilarating program of premieres created in response to LIVES HERE Christopher House’s hyper-kinetic masterwork Glass Houses (1983). TDT’s fiftieth anniversary program kicks off with a performance of the original work followed by premieres by Amanda Acorn, Jasmyn Fyffe, Hanna Kiel, Tedd Robinson and Christopher House that refract its essence through a fascinating variety of contemporary lenses. Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre MARCH 20-24, 2018 Canada Dance Festival JUNE 2018

ON TOUR TDT showcases Christopher House’s unique contribution to Canadian dance with a mixed program of highlights from his career. House Mix celebrates the past, present and future of one of Canada’s “most enduringly inventive choreographers” (National Post).

Colombia NOVEMBER 2017 Eastern Canada JANUARY 2018 Western Canada FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018

an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario

THE PITBLADO FAMILY FOUNDATION

56 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 50Photo: Learie McNicolls and Suzette Sherman. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. Design: lightupthesky.ca DANCE LIVES HERE A partnership between Fall for Dance North and The Dance Current magazine.

Inspired by what you’re seeing at Fall for Dance North? Find more dance performances throughout the coming season.

Visit Fall for Dance North online to discover dance festivals and presenters in Toronto and across Ontario that regularly present live dance. Learn more about the dance activities these organizations offer throughout the year. ffdnorth.com

Visit The Dance Current online for searchable listings and details about dance performances in Toronto and across Canada. Choose your date, location, dance style or favourite artist and plan your dance night out! thedancecurrent.com Fall for Dance North Festival Inc. would like to thank the Sony Centre staff and IATSE Local 58 for their incredible support without which Fall for Dance North would not be possible:

CIVIC THEATRES Head Sound Operator Client Settlement Services FACILITY SERVICES TORONTO Ross Tuskey Manager Chief Operator STAFF & BOARD – Flyman John Kiggins Rocco Lippa Sony Centre Paul Archibold Box Office & Settlements Operators Assistant Carpenter Accounting Assistant Clemente Dalogo Steve McLean Judy Ann (Antonina) Lopez Evan Ramdin EXECUTIVE Ken Salazar Assistant Electrician Senior Accountant President & CEO Jason Urbanowicz Sabrina Li Stage Door Supervisor Clyde Wagner Omar Nurse Assistant Sound Operator HR Generalist Executive Assistant to the Zsolt Kota Christine Kelsey Stage Door President & CEO Payroll Managers Ryan Nerona Isabel Menanno Assistant Electrician - AV Scott Spence Chris Nadon Alice Lin Jennifer Oracion Maintenance Supervisor PROGRAMMING Accounting Assistants Mohamed Zuhair MARKETING & Nelum Dissanayake Maintenance Vice President of Programming COMMUNICATIONS Mark Hammond Fiona Liu (on leave) Roger Alves Vice President of Gladys Torres Robert Bischoff Director of Programming Marketing & Communications Sergio De Assis Madeleine Skoggard Office Clerk Mary Ann Farrell Charles Mayne Maria Fernandes Catherine Patrick Bookings Manager Advertising Manager Elsa Nealon INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Jose Rauda Young In Turner IT Managers Rosalina Silva Programming Coordinators Interactive Marketing Manager Peter Kincaid Josee Vaillencourt Caitlyn Clarke Roxana Rusowsky David McCracken Rosa Victoria Ariana Shaw Promotions Manager Bookings Coordinator Jessica Rashotte Jannelle Armorer OPERATIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marketing Coordinators Education & Engagement Vice President of Operations Chair Amanda Fleming Matthew Farrell Robert Foster Manager Emilia Gallo Rachel Robbins Director of Facilities Vice-Chair Content Creator & Jose (Jun) Concha Councillor John Filion Sales Managers Digital Assets Manager Carol Henderson Phoebe Sequino PATRON SERVICES Victor D’Souza Scott North Director of Patron Services Kevin Garland BOX OFFICE Sean Tasson Sandra Laronde Archives & Exhibit Coordinator Director of Ticketing Services Sarah Anderson Senior Manager of Patron Ira Levine Tom Kerr Steven Levitan PRODUCTION Services Box Office Assistant Manager – Warren Rudick Director of Production Samantha Berger Ticketmaster Kathleen Sharpe Kristopher Dell Sandie Chui Duty Managers Charles Smith Margaret de Gruchy Senior Production Managers Box Office Supervisor Seth Zuk Zoë Carpenter Harmonie Tower Fran Holywell Councillor Gary Crawford Anthony (TJ) Shamata EVENT MANAGEMENT Councillor Paula Fletcher DEVELOPMENT Event Managers Production Managers Senior Directors of Development Councillor Mary Fragedakis Alicia Ho Kassie Hudson Councillor Pam McConnell E.J. Alon Jeff Patterson Paul McKenna Martha Haldenby MERCHANDISE FOOD & BEVERAGE Merchandise Manager General Manager, Claudette Pitre FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Food & Beverage Lindsay Connor HOUSE STAGE CREW Vice President of Finance & IATSE Local 58 Administration Executive Chef William Milne Bruce Berga Head Carpenter Rupert de Gruchy Director of Finance Food & Beverage Supervisors Hayde Boccia Kevin Lajeunesse Head Electrician Rebecca Lamb Richard Karwat Controller Ryan Lambersky Michael Johnson Property Master Michael Guy

58 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH

Ilter Ibrahimof artistic director Board of Directors Patrons’ Circle Committee Michael Caldwell artistic producer Joan Lozinski (Chair) Karen Sparks (Chair) Melissa Forstner development executive Julia Blackburn Andrea Burridge Odessa Kelebay company manager Barbara Frum Joan Lozinski Nicole Crozier marketing coordinator Cara Grant Heather Ogden Christina Giannelia international presenters Gerry Hannochko Sonia Rodriguez program coordinator Heather Ogden Monica Calzaretto Sonia Rodriguez Arun Srinivasan production manager Gretchen Ross Janelle Rainville stage manager Seren Lannon assistant stage manager Michael Lewandowski assistant stage manager Simon Rossiter festival lighting designer ffdnorth.com Noah Feaver assistant lighting designer Find us. Follow us. Share your experiences. Jennifer Lennon assistant lighting designer @FFDNorth #FFDNorth Bruce Zinger festival photographer RedBrick Rooster Inc. graphic design Holmes PR publicity & communications Young Associates financial services

Original creative concept developed with Cosmic Design

The Fall for Dance North 2017 Program Booklet was planned, edited, designed and produced by a project team from The Dance Current, Canada’s dance magazine.

Megan Andrews, Founding Editor Cindy Brett, Copy Editor and Director: Education & Special Projects program booklet copy editor program booklet editor Emma Doran, Editor Lois Kim, Designer program booklet proof reader program booklet designer Bonnie Kim & Molly Johnson, Writers Sarah Lochhead, Director program booklet advertising manager thedancecurrent.com @thedancecurrent

Thank you to the Fall for Dance North team: Artistic Director Ilter Ibrahimof, Artistic Producer Michael Caldwell and Marketing Coordinator Nicole Crozier, who worked with us closely on the program booklet.

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Throwdown Collective photography: Jeremy Mimnagh choreography:64 FALL FOR Lina DANCE Cruz NORTH 2017 2017 | 2018 Mainstage Season

• Oct. 19-21, 2017: DW 222 - Dreamwalker Dance • Nov. 16-18, 2017: DW 223 - 40th Anniversary • Feb.9-10, 2018: DW 224 - Dancers of Damelahamid • March 15-17, 2018: DW 225 - Human Body Expression • May 3-5, 2018: DW 226 - Gadfly The 2017-18 series: dance creations – past, present and future

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Lindy Green & Registered as a private career college under Sam Chaiton the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. FFDNORTH.COM 65 ChinaTales of THE LITTLE PEAR GARDEN DANCE COMPANY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMILY CHEUNG NOV 17/18 2017, 8PM BETTY OLIPHANT THEATRE, 404 Jarvis St., Toronto

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66 FALL FOR DANCE NORTH 2017 Photos: Lisa Fleischmann

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