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Conrad Alexandrowicz
In 1966 Jeanne Renaud invited dancer Peter Boneham to join her as one of the founding Co-Artistic Directors of Le Groupe de la Place Royale. He danced with the company from its founding until 1974. From 1972 he was Le Groupe's Co-Director, with Jean-Pierre Perreault; under their direction the company moved from Montreal to Ottawa. In 1981 Peter Boneham became Le Groupe's sole Artistic Director. A number of very prominent choreographers have emerged from Le Groupe, including Jean-Pierre Perreault, Bill James and Michael Montanaro.
In 1988, Boneham transformed Le Groupe from a touring dance company to Canada's first research and development centre for contemporary dance: the Dance Lab was launched. He became the Lab's first choreographic mentor, guiding and facilitating choreographers' experiments in new creative practices.
In 1992 Boneham collaborated with Bob Lockyer, the British Broadcasting Corporation's Dance Producer, to run "Dance and the Camera", the country's first intensive workshop for dance and video artists, at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts.
Many senior dance artists have served as mentors at Le Groupe's Dance Lab; pairs of choreographers and their mentors often approach the Lab to propose a collaboration. The Lab has become an indispensable centre on the Canadian dance landscape, fostering the creative growth of numerous choreographers, including Ontario-based artists Tedd Robinson,Yvonne Coutts and Kim Frank.
Peter Boneham maintains a busy teaching schedule in Canada and abroad. He brings the expertise he has gained at "the Lab" to centres of choreographic research in Europe. In the last few years a number of creative processes have involved British and European dance artists.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lai-Ling Lee. "Peter Boneham," 101 from the Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatrical Dance, edited by Susan Macpherson. Dance Collection Danse Press/es: Toronto, 1997.
Monk, Davida. "Agent Provocateur: Peter Boneham," This Passion: for the love of dance, edited by Carol Anderson. Dance Collection Danse Press/es: Toronto, 1998.
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Photo: Peter Boneham
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