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Rebecca Todd
Since the phenomenon of the independent (freelance) artist emerged in the 1970s, growing numbers of independents have fought an ongoing battle for recognition by funders and audiences.
In the beginning were Lawrence and Miriam Adams. The Adams founded 15 Dance Lab, Toronto's first "alternative" dance space, in 1974, fostering an explosion of radical and democratic innovation. When the space closed in 1980 they had presented 135 artists, including Margaret Dragu, Judy Jarvis, Lily Eng, Anna Blewchamp, Joan Phillips and Elizabeth Chitty, who set up Café Soho in 1977 to further support the booming dance community.
By the early 1980s the independent dance artist (a term invented by Lawrence Adams) was a recognizable new phenomenon, but the community was fragmented, with few support structures or opportunities. There was, however, the Pavlychenko Studio, which became an unofficial independent centre, seeding experimental interdisciplinary collaborations with classes, workshops, and a series of bimonthly performances. In 1985 Terrill Maguire directed the first of four bi-annual INDE Festivals, which featured works by Holly Small and John Oswald, Susan Cash and Peter Chin, among others, and encouraged ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations.
In the 1990s, many independent initiatives were aimed at building audiences. In 1991 Laura Taler initiated Dances for a Small Stage, and, inspired by the fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists/fFIDA (1990), Mitch Kirsch and Jane Townsend ran the artist-driven Human Lingo Danseries from 1994-1996. In 1995 Claudia Moore's Physical Feast expanded dance audiences by offering theatre lovers a taste of independent dance work, and in 1993 Sylvie Bouchard and David Danzon founded Dusk Dances, a continuing summer festival that takes dance into Toronto parks.
At the same time, a whole new generation of independents began opening studios for classes, rehearsals and performances. Learie McNicolls ran Myth Productions from 1992-1998. In 1993 Eryn Dace Trudell and Sharon DiGenova opened Damn Straight Studio to produce full-length finished works and the annual Downtown Dance Series. They also co-produced the 1996 Estrogen Festival - the brainchild of Karen Kaeja and Sylvie Bouchard. Soon after Damn Straight closed in 1998, Holly Treddenick and Sally Morgan opened the Launch Pad to provide the same services to yet another generation. Unfortunately, it closed in 1999, a casualty of rising rents and gentrification.
Although many studios and series have come and gone, Toronto independents continue to support dance creation. Through its administrative support and services, the Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO), under Executive Director Myles Warren, has helped strengthen the place of the independent in Ontario's dance landscape. In addition, Mimi Beck, through DanceWorks, has been tirelessly producing independent work with high production values since 1977, while choreographer Nenagh Leigh has held her annual mixed concert, Spring Rites, since 1990. Peggy Baker, through her teaching, generosity and artistry, continues to mentor and support young dance artists. Kate Alton's Overall Dance, a dancers' company geared toward exposing audiences to choreographers from Toronto and further afield, launched its first season in 1998. Not all presenters focus on finished works. The Field, Toronto, directed by Allison Ulan and Mary-Lu Spinney, offers ongoing peer feedback for works in creation. 8:08 series, currently run by Jessica Runge, Susan Lee and Yvonne Ng, has been presenting monthly works-in-progress for audience feedback since 1993. Other monthly showcases include Yasmina Ramzy's Dancenet, an uncurated showcase of multicultural dance, and Joanna Powell's Residance, where artists try out new ideas in her friendly loft.
Independent initiatives have flourished outside of Toronto as well. Bill Kimball has been running Peterborough New Dance since 1994; Janet Johnson and Catrina von Radecki co-founded the annual Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in 1998. In Kingston, Dawn Sadler has been running the annual Dance and Song Festival, showcasing local talent, since 1993.
RESOURCES
Anderson, Carol. "15 Years in 15 Minutes with Lawrence and Miriam Adams," Dance Collection Danse, The News, 1998, No. 45, pp. 8-10.
Anderson, Carol. "Judy Jarvis," The International Encyclopedia of Modern Dance, edited by Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf. St. James Press: Illinois, 1998.
Anderson, Carol. Judy Jarvis, Dance Artist: A Portrait. Dance Collection Danse Press/es: Toronto, 1993.
Chitty, Elizabeth. "Lately, I've Been Thinking Again about 15, " Dance Collection Danse, The News 1993, No. 35, pp. 4-5.
Citron, Paula, review of Human Lingo Dance Series, in Dance Connection, October, 1995.
Kaeja, Allen. "Emergence of the Independent Dance Artist in Toronto, 1974-1980."
Maguire, Terrill. "Choreography and Music," Dance in Canada, Summer 1976, No. 9, pp. 14-16.
O'Connell, Mary. "A Chance to Take Risks: Terrill Maguire and Inde '88," Dance in Canada, Summer 1988, No. 56, p. 28.
O'Connell, Mary. "Claudia Moore: Finding the Right Balance," Dance In Canada, Winter 1986, No. 50, p. 15.
Strauss, Heidi. "Art, Family, and a Piece of History: Larissa Pavlychenko in Profile," The Dance Current, Vol. 2 #5. October 1999, p. 6.
Swan, Susan. "15: Brass Foundry to Dance Lab," Dance in Canada, Spring 1976. No. 8, pp 2 -3.
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