Andrea Nann is a Toronto based contemporary dance choreographer, performer, teacher and artistic director of Dreamwalker Dance Company.

Following her graduation from York University’s Department of Fine Arts in 1988, she became a full-time member of the Danny Grossman Dance Company (DGDC) where she created, performed and taught major roles from the works of Mr. Grossman and guest choreographers, until 2003. During her fifteen years with the DGDC Ms. Nann was featured in works by Paul Taylor, Anna Sokolow, Rachel Browne, Patricia Beatty, Robert Desrosiers, David Earle, Lester Horton, Lawrence Gradus, The Clichettes, Peter Randazzo, Judy Jarvis, David Earle, and Charles Weidman. During her years working with DGDC, Ms. Nann began to explore her own choreographic talent and began to perform her work independently. Although Ms. Nann continues to appear as a guest artist with the DGDC, in 2003, she resigned from her position as a senior dancer in order to pursue an independent career as a choreographer, performer and teacher of her own repertoire.

Ms. Nann’s artistic vision is to create, perform and present eloquent honestly spoken work reflecting a humanistic, expressive, and intelligent world. She is concerned with issues of humanity and by the choices that people make in response or reaction to the events around them. As an independent choreographer, performer and producer Ms. Nann has collaborated with author/poet Michael Ondaatje, poet/musician Gordon Downie (The Tragically Hip), visual artists Wayne Ngan, Michael Caines and Janet Morton, composer/cellist/vocalist Anne Bourne, composer John Gzowski, erhu master/composer George Gao, pianist Andrew Burashko, designers Aisling Sampson, Cheryl Lalonde, Peter Chin, Arun Srinivasan, Glenn Davidson, musical groups The Skydiggers and Double Wind Cello Trios, guitarist Peter Elkas, musician Andrew Cash, poet Chris Chambers, video artist Samm Higgison, filmmakers Peter Mettler, Nick Depencier, Nicole Mion, Brian Johnson, Lisa Hayes and Veronica Tennant, and dance/literature choreographer Sarah Chase.

Ms. Nann’s dances have been presented in Ottawa by The Canada Dance Festival; in St. John’s by the Sound Symposium; in Hamilton at Theatre Aquarius by Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts; in Vancouver at The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, The Roundhouse Community Centre by Dance Allsorts, by The Dance Centre, by MovEnt - Dances for a Small Stage and by Dancing on the Edge Festival; in Montreal at Centaur Theatre by Acces Asie; in Burnaby by Shadbolt Centre for the Arts; in Moncton by DancEast; in St. Catharine’s by Brock Centre for the Arts; in Courtenay by Karuna Dance; in Sudbury by White Water Gallery; in Victoria by Suddenly Dance; in Nepean at Centennial Theatre; on Hornby Island by Hornby Festival Society; in Gibsons by Sunshine Coast Dance Society; by Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival; and at Toronto’s Premiere Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Betty Oliphant Theatre, Winchester Street Theatre, and by DanceWorks Mainstage, CanAsian Dance Festival, dance - made in Canada, Spring Rites, Damn Straight, Harbourfront Centre, York University, Dusk Dances, WellWorld Gala, Artefect Gallery, Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, Debutante Ball, Cabbagetown Festival, Dances for a Small Stage, Series 808, The Theatre Centre, Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Stardust Picnic, The Concert Hall; and on stage with rock group The Skydiggers.

Ms. Nann also produces The Whole Shebang, a critically acclaimed live multi-arts program which brings together and features exciting and diverse artists for performances and workshops in celebration of cultural and artistic diversity in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Along with Ms. Nann’s collaborators, other artists whom she has brought to the dance stage include writers Dionne Brand, Stan Dragland, Linda Spalding, Michael Winter and Souvankham Thammavongsa, musicians Margo and Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies), and singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards, Oh Susanna, Andy Maize, Josh Finlayson and Mary Margaret O’Hara.

In 2003, Veronica Tennant O.C. created Shadow Pleasures an award winning film that features two dances Ms. Nann created with Michael Ondaatje, Cato and Alice and Meditation #5 – On Loss and Desire. In May 2005 Shadow Pleasures won a record breaking seven Golden Sheaf awards at the prestigious Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival including an award for Best of the Festival.

As an independent dancer Ms. Nann has created over forty original roles for a long list of Canadian choreographers including Peter Chin, Susan McKenzie, Bill James, Holly Small, Emmanuel Jouthe, Patricia Beatty, Michelle Silagy, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbek, Kate Alton, Terrill Maguire, Juan Antonio, Denise Duric, Janet Johnson, Joe Laughlin, Joan Phillips, Susan Cash, Nenagh Leigh, and Alvin Tolentino. Ms. Nann has performed as a guest artist with many illustrious dance companies including Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Corpus, Proartedanza, Co. ERASGA, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers and DanceTheatre David Earle.

Ms. Nann leads community workshops and educational projects for the Toronto District School Board and for National Asian Heritage Month. She as been commissioned to create new works for Toronto Dance Theatre, Art of Time Ensemble, CanAsian Dance Festival, Ryerson University, the York University Dance Ensemble and Cawthra Park Secondary School.

Ms Nann has twice been nominated the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performances in SOURCE and in Peter Chin’s Language.

For more information, please contact Dance Umbrella of Ontario (416) 504-6429 ext. 22 or duo@danceumbrella.net