International Dance Day 2009
DANCE IN DUNDAS SQUARE!
Drop in and join us for a lively celebration of

Toronto’s diverse and inclusive dance community.
Sunday, April 26th, 1pm to 5pm, Yonge-Dundas Square
(corner of Yonge & Dundas across from the Eaton Centre)

FREE to the public

In celebration of International Dance Day 2009, the Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO) is proud to present an afternoon of FREE dance activities at Yonge-Dundas Square, featuring a variety of dance forms and Toronto-based performers. On stage and off the stage, the square will be alive with assorted performances, interactive dance presentations, open classes and information on an array of dance styles & traditions. We are excited to share the news that Natalli Reznik and Lisa Auguste of the inaugural season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada will be joining us on Sunday afternoon.

Our artists include: Supernaturalz, Capoeira Malês, Thrill the World, Mi Young Kim Dance Company, Gadfly, Vivace Studios, Jennifer Hicks, AKA Dance, Blue Ceiling Dance, Spirit Synott & Aaron Piepszny, Cadence Progressive Contemporary Ballet, Aya Dance Collective, PushPull Dance, Collective Heat, Artists’ Play Dance Theatre, Sanskriti Arts Dance Company, Conkrete Styles, Lady Janitor, Kay-Ann Ward, Jay 9 Dance Projects, and more. The Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists will also have stationed their recruitment office for The Ministry of Silly Walks Walk-A-Thon, which will begin its absurd Toronto parade on Wednesday April 29th.

We are excited to feature Bboy Cyphers, Capoeira Matches, Nia Demonstrations, Contemporary Choreography, Belly Dancing, Thriller Workshops, Bollywood Lessons, Hip Hop Routines, Dance-Theatre Shows, African Dance, TDSB Students, and more. Situated in the open heart of Toronto, this special public event offers an eye-opening and interactive experience, highlighting Toronto’s rich, diverse and inclusive dance community. This event is fun for all and we encourage all of Toronto to join us and participate in the Dance Day festivities!

The 28th annual International Dance Day is a UNESCO designated day for celebrating dance and dance artists. London-based dance/choreographer Akram Khan has written the official 2009 message from UNESCO:

“This very special day is dedicated to the one language that everybody in this world can speak, the inherent language of our bodies and our souls, of our ancestors and of our children. This day is dedicated to every god, guru and grandparent that ever taught and inspired us, to every song and impulse and moment that’s ever moved us to move. It is dedicated to the little child that wishes it could move like its star, and to the mother who says, “you already can”. This day is dedicated to every body of every creed, colour and culture that carries the traditions of its past into stories of the present and dreams of the future. This day is dedicated to Dance, to its myriad dialects and its immense power to express, transform, unite and delight.”

Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO) is a not-for-profit arts administration organization. DUO would like to thank the support of the Toronto Dance Day Committee: Rosslyn Jacob-Edwards, Alexis Da Silva-Powell, Robin Dutt, and Heather Saum in their assistance in organizing this event.

International Dance Day 2009
DANCE IN DUNDAS SQUARE!
April 26, 1pm to 5pm
Yonge-Dundas Square

(corner of Yonge and Dundas, across from the Eaton Centre)
FREE to the public
www.danceumbrella.net/idd

Media Contact: Julye Huggins, 416.504.6429 x 23 (office), julye@danceumbrella.net

Schedule

Off stage entertainment by Jay 9 Dance Projects and the Ministry of Silly Walks recruitment office.

Artist Information

AKA Dance

AKA Dance is a fresh new dance company with a distinctive voice and a unique aesthetic. The company was founded in 2007 by dance Artists Amy Hampton and Keiko Ninomiya with the purpose of creating and presenting contemporary dance works that blend Japanese and Canadian traditions to a broad audience. Drawing from diverse dance forms, from butoh to ballet, AKA’s pieces are physically exciting and visually stimulating. The company is known for its ability to create and perform accessible dance that resonates with children and broad multicultural audiences. Collaboration and education are important values that the company promotes in both traditional and nontraditional settings: from the street to the stage to the classroom.

Gadfly

Combining street and conventional dances, Gadfly demonstrates that there are no limits to their visual language. Bringing together an impressive lineup of artists from different dance scenes, Gadfly’s uniqueness resides mainly in its dancers. This passionate and skilled mix brings on stage the distinct artistry and skillfulness behind both conventional and street dances.

Jennifer Hicks

Jennifer Hicks has danced Nia for the last seven years and has been teaching since 2006. She has taught at various community centres and dance and joya studios across Toronto, Bangalore, India and Hvar, Croatia.

Vivace Studios

Joanne Camilleri, founder and Artistic Director of Vivace Studios, is an accomplished performer whose passion for dance has been a life-long journey. Her extensive dance training started at the age of five in ballet, jazz and different styles of modern dance techniques. She has worked with file and TV groups across Canada and the US, has participated in numberous charity galas, and has traveled across Europe and the US as a performer and to instruct workshops. She has participated in festivals across Ontario and has recently issued an instructional DVD for belly dancing. Throughout her training, Joanne has experienced many other forms f dance styles including Latin, Kattach and Bharatnatium.

Cadence Progressive Contemporary Ballet

As a professional Toronto-based dance company, Cadence’s mission is to develop, create and produce compelling dance works to be presented throughout Canada and abroad. Through innovative interdisciplinary collaborations, we aim to represent a new generation of Canadian artists who reflect the social undercurrent of today.

Mi Young Kim Dance Company

The Mi Young Kim Dance Company promotes Korean traditional dance and music throughout Canada for both native-born Koreans, as well as for all other Canadians in order to enrich Canada’s culture and community. The company creates and produces dance works to be performed in events and festivals and provides instructions and workshops of Korean traditional dance and music/rhythm (drums) to the general public as well as professionals-in-training.

Kay-Ann Ward

As a dancer, choreographer, performer, instructor and writer, Kay-Ann Ward brings diversity and passion to her work to create pieces that are innovative, entertaining, thrilling, exciting and touching. She is a true perfectionist and visualizes her pieces before she meticulously puts them together to tell a story through movement. Those who have seen Kay-Ann dance can testfy that she does not hold back. Those who have seen her choreography know it is not just movements but also a story, creativity, a visual picture to connect to, and feeling.

Blue Ceiling dance

Blue Ceiling dance is a vehicle for the choreographic and interpretive work of dance artist Lucy Rupert. The repertoire includes original works, collaborations and commissioned dance works, all with the aim of transforming emotion into a dream-like experience. Blue Ceiling’s work is passionate, fierce and intelligent, with great respect for individuality and physical virtuosity born of the imagination. Blue Ceiling is a metaphor for imagination that seems to be trapped within the body…much like the sky, the blue ceiling seems trapped within a spectrum of light…yet somehow the expanse and possibilities of the sky and the mind are endless. the company is driven by Lucy’s expansive imagination, noted by critics and friends alike.

PushPULL Dance

PushPULL Dance is a non-profit community-based dance company catering to people with dance training who have pursued careers in other fields, such as law, teaching, and engineering. Our members want to learn about and have the opportunity to perform dance from a wide variety of styles.

We try to incorporate jazz, modern, tap, ballet, swing & salsa through classes and choreography building a repertoire for performance opportunities and company shows.

Aya Dance Collective

Aya performs dances based upon traditional African and contemporary dance with a central focus on social change. “Aya” is an African Adinkra symbol which signifies strength and resilience to overcome adversities. It is a name that reflects the company’s drive and dedication. Since its inception in the Fall of 2006, the collective has choreographed and performed at Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Dance Immersion In-studio Presentation, Series 8:08 and Duck Dances. Aya is a driven group of artists on a collective journey of exploration through movement. The company’s work is a natural evolution of the emotional and spiritual development of its members, fueled by their desire for social change. In recognizing the values of research, collaboration and cultural exchange, they aim to create work that will educate and inspire their audience and the community.

Collective Heat

Collective HEAT represents a group of local dance artists who have come together to explore and create new works in their community. These works showcase the artistry of powerful individuals who aim to inspire others and ignite the senses. Heather Saum started the collective to showcase the talents of artists working in the Toronto arts community. The collective’s main strength is dance but is interested in creating multi-disciplinary collaborations with others in community.

Supernaturalz

Internationally known Supernaturalz crew is one of the elite top crews in the competitive world bboy scene. After winning multiple world titles and national championships in 2008, the Supernaturalz started off 2009 by winning Floor Wars in Denmark against the some of the toughest competition in the world. They went on to win Master of the Art in Virginia and were semi-finalists in Hip-Opsession France; one of the worlds largest events. Dyzee and Puzzles, members of Supernaturalz crew frequently judge on the bboy world bboy circuit. Locally, members Drops and Lethal dedicate their time to a bboy not-for-profit called Break It Down. The whole crew is dedicated to growing and supporting their culture through hosting events, workshops and ground breaking youth programs that ensure that positive bboy culture is passed on to tomorrows dancers.

Thrill the World

In 2008, Thrill The World, under the leadership of Ines Markeljevic, set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Simultaneous Dance by performing Michael Jackson’s Thriller worldwide from Toronto to Thailand. 4,172 people in 72 cities around the world learned and performed Thriller. Thrill the World wants to bring dance to people all over the world. We want to remind everyone that before you believed you couldn’t (dance) you did. We want to connect the world, in fun, celebration and dance. And to show that it CAN be done. It’s not impossible. It just hasn’t been done yet. “Thriller” is the best way to reach the most number of people.

Artists’ Play Dance Theatre

Artists’ Play Dance Theatre creates emotionally engaging and unpredictable performance. Under the direction of the widely versatile and dynamic dancer, choreographer and educator Elizabeth Dawn Snell, the company works in many styles of dance with equal emphasis on expression and pure physicality, the beauty and the absurdity of reality. Artists’ Play has appeared on many stages around Toronto and across Canada. What came from a largely improvisation based collective, has now grown into a company which produces short and full-length works. Artists’ Play Dance Theatre has many moods. Movement styles range from modern, jazz, ballet and tango, while performance styles lend from silent films, physical theatre and real life.

Capoeira Malês

Grupo Capoeira Malês was founded by Mestre Curisco and Contra Mestre Lua Branca with the mission of disseminating our culture both within and outside Brazil and teaching our students better techniques. This will develop qualified professionals committed to the preservation and values of capoeira as an art, and create educators attuned to the needs and reality of their people, as well as students who are able to contribute to the growth of our community. In addition, we also welcome those who come our way just looking to socialize or for some physical education so they can fulfill their expectations and take away a knowledge and respect for capoeira and our culture.

Lady Janitor

Eroca Nicols is the founder and artistic director of the dance company Lady Janior, with choreography that incorporates theatrical elements, absurdity, humour, and a strong sense of visual design.

Sanskriti Arts Dance Company

Sanskriti means Culture. As the name suggests, Sanskriti Arts has been working to spread the Indian culture and ethnicity with the enticing fusions and tunes of today, not only in India but also all around the world. Its work enriches contemporary dance by taking its full-bodied movement and infusing it with the complex expressions of South Asian Kathak Dance. The company also performs Bollywood, Hip- hop, Jazz and Pure Indian folk routines.

Spirit Synott & Aaron Piepszny

As a professional dancer, Spirit Synott has performed across Canada, including the World Dance Alliance Global Assembly, Dusk Dances, Ffida - Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, as well as at the Hot and Spicy Festival at Harbourfront, and Tango Fest. A multi-disciplinary artist, Spirit has collaborated in cross-cultural creation work with De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group on Manitoulin Island. She has a broad and extensive arts training background from visual to performance arts, including a diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design, and workshops and classes with Actors Equity Showcase, Toronto Theatre Alliance, Actors Co-op, and Sears and Switzer.

Aaron Piepszny started dancing when he was 18 or so and after about a decade, he started dancing ballet in 2005, after beginning a parallel journey into b-boying and hip hop funk style dances, including waving, boogaloo. tutting, & popping. He spent two years on and off the road in someone else’s one-man mime show, performing for youngsters of different sizes, and dancing in university studios, parking lots, parks and Art Galleries.

One of the most recent self-descriptions reads: “post-modern balletic hip hop mime- abstraction and representation.”

Jay9 Dance Projects

Jannine Saarinen created Jay9 Dance Projects to choreograph/produce dance that is versatile and expressive. She collaborates with different artists on a piece by piece basis. Various talented performers perform her work in shows such as Artists' Play, In a White Room, Talent Defined, and the 2008 Junction Arts Festival. She is also a regular guest in the bi-monthly cabaret series Eros, Thanatos, and the Avant-garde.

Conkrete Stylez

Conkrete Stylez is a b-boy crew that have been street performing at Yonge and Dundas since 2005. Co-founders StuntZ, Tracer 1 and Troublez have crafted themselves a popular grassroots street show complete with boombox, portable dancefloor, busker hat, and city permits. Members have come and gone over the years, and in this time they have received sponsorship from Nike, appeared in music videos & Save the Last Dance 2 movie, been featured on Breakfast Television, and performed at several Buskerfests & corporate events - including the Sean John fragrance promotion Unforgivable.