Writers & Readers
Writers & Readers
Lights, Curtain, Music
By Anaïs Loewen-YoungFor Robert McQueen, one of the most important aspects of a musical is its use of composition; the role of music can make or break a production. “The music isn’t just providing a nice melody,” he states.
Posted September 18, 2018
Writers & Readers
Who Tells and Cries Our Freedom?
By Collette MurrayA student-choreographed routine included dancers wearing slave and master outfits and an attempted tribal dance in dashikis and coloured “Afro” wigs to disco movements. This was April 2018, and the performance held in Barrie, Ontario, sparked a controversial social media reaction on cultural ethics.
Posted September 4, 2018
Writers & Readers
Canadian Dancers Across the Pond
By Rachel LevittFresh out of high school, two friends from “Cowtown” (Calgary, Alberta) upped sticks and made a bold move across the pond to London, England.
Posted August 31, 2018
Writers & Readers
Shawn Hounsell is Always Crossing Boundaries
By Lori StrausShawn Hounsell, the choreographer of CBC’s Off Kilter, talks about the business of making dance for TV.
Posted August 23, 2018
Writers & Readers
Diving Deeper
By Jennifer BoltIn The Dance Current’s July/August 2018 issue Jennifer Bolt wrote about designing a feminist dance pedagogy (“Diving In”). As a continuation of this article, here are some practical tips for how to enact these principles in your teaching practice.
Posted July 31, 2018
Writers & Readers
The Bechdel Checklist
By Grace Wells-SmithWould Giselle, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty pass the Bechdel Test?
Posted June 13, 2018
Writers & Readers
A Broad Reach
By Holly HarrisIn just five short years, the now fifteen-year-old NAfro Dance Productions has made another leap in its own evolution as Western Canada’s African contemporary dance company. The second international Moving Inspirations Dance Festival once again brought the world to Winnipeg, while also proudly celebrating local dance artists who call the Prairie province home.
Posted March 19, 2018
Writers & Readers
Remembering Martine Époque
By Daniel LéveilléOn January 18, 2018 dance communities across Canada lost a founding member – Martine Époque. With a background from the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Époque was integral in developing dance courses at the Université de Montréal after arriving in Canada in 1967.
Posted February 8, 2018
Writers & Readers
A Handbook for Ecstatic Survival
By James Reid, Susan Marie TurnerDavid Earle’s latest book is unusual and utterly engaging. A selection and compilation of David Earle’s notebooks, it features abundant photographs, handwritten notes and deeply moving memories.
Posted February 6, 2018
Writers & Readers
Poetry in Motion
By Nicole HamiltonBRODSKY / BARYSHNIKOV, presented solely in Russian, began with the faint playing of music and had an almost haunting air as Baryshnikov entered the stage through a large gazebo set piece. His presence, although strong, was beautifully presented as a man seemingly pensive, withered and engrossed in contemplation as he quietly whispered to himself while carrying his briefcase.
Posted February 2, 2018
Writers & Readers
A Contemporary “Kitchen Party”
By Grace Wells-SmithThe Dance Current sat down to speak with Caroline Niklas-Gordon at The Gladstone Café in Toronto about her show Words & Motion: an evening of dance and readings and was immediately met with a storm of conversation and a pot of tea – just like walking into a relative’s house back home, where people always have a story to tell and a knack for telling it.
Posted January 19, 2018
Writers & Readers
Reworking a Holiday Favourite
By Sarah LochheadIn 2016, in celebration of Xing Dance Theatre’s thirtieth anniversary and an eight-year sabbatical from their previous production of The Nutcracker, choreographer Xing Bang Fu and French Canadian professional ballet dancer Simon Sylvain Lalonde presented a new interpretation of the classic holiday tale with the intention of exploring the boundaries of gender and identity entitled The Nutcracker Doll. This year’s production of the work focuses on the central theme of parenting, exploring how a parent can guide a child to confront personal challenges and realize their own ways to express themselves.
Posted December 21, 2017
Writers & Readers
With a Little Help From My Alien Friends
By Jennifer EssexWhat happens when you create a performance in collaboration with children? Jennifer Essex, co-founder of Fully Booked Theatre, explores this question in relation to her work.
Posted December 15, 2017
Writers & Readers
Cultural Diversity or Orchestrated Insensitivity to the Other
By Zab MaboungouRead Canadian dance pioneer Zab Maboungou’s response to the current dialogue around pluralism in the arts.
Posted October 17, 2017
Writers & Readers
Making the Leap
By Rachel Silver MaddockIn light of her recent emerging artist award, Vancouver-based dance artist Lexi Vajda talks about her journey and what she would recommend for someone just starting out.
Posted October 28, 2016
Writers & Readers
There’s Someone Else in the Room
My mother, Phyllis Margolick, dance accompanist extraordinaire, recently passed away at the age of ninety-six. Her deep musicianship and understanding of dance inspired generations of professional and aspiring dancers in Canada and the United States.
Posted July 29, 2016
Writers & Readers
Eat, Post, Stretch, Like, Dance, Share, Repeat: A Rough Guide to Social Media for Dance
By Jillian GroeningRegardless of whether you’re an independent artist, artistic director of a company, head of a training institution or manager of a performance venue, the constant hum of social media banter continues to get louder. Learn how to share, connect, create and, most importantly, have fun in the Internet abyss.
Posted May 23, 2016
Writers & Readers
How Juan Carlos Lérida Saved My Flamenco Life
By Rosanna TerraccianoMy artistic trajectory has always been fueled by a persistent curiosity for rethinking flamenco’s place within the world of dance. Or possibly just trying to understand flamenco’s place within the world of dance, especially within the Canadian landscape. And then I recently had a eureka moment.
Posted September 10, 2015
Writers & Readers
Tried-and-True
A selection of playlists to inspire dance (the kind in the studio as well as the kind in your living room) all summer long.
Posted June 19, 2015Writers & Readers
Bgirl-inspired Playlists
“Breaking Bad: The New Bgirls” by Mary Fogarty in the March/April 2015 issue featured a range of major players in Canada’s bgirl community. These women are fighting for space and changing the status quo of bgirls in Canadian hip hop cultures. We’re inspired by them and wondered, what inspires them? Among other things, music.
Posted March 30, 2015
