Dancemakers Announces 2008/2009 Season

’Äú[Michael] Trent is blessed’Ķ. His dancers are strong individuals, and display’Ķdominant traits that add to the mystique of their interactions.’Äù Paula Citron, Globe and Mail

Other (brutal) responses:

Dancemakers announces its 2008/2009 season

September 8, 2008 ’Ķ Dancemakers and The Centre for Creation’Äôs 2008/2009 season -- under the leadership of artistic director Michael Trent -- focuses on brutality in the world and our responses to it. The season includes the indispensable series Dancemakers Presents, the Home Season with guest choreographer Tony Chong and the annual Choreographic Lab with choreographer Valerie Calam. Dancemakers’Äô main-stage presentation, 60 dances in 60 minutes (working title) by Michael Trent, is part of Harbourfront’Äôs NextSteps Series. The coming season also reunites the 2007/2008 dance ensemble of: Kate Hilliard, Kate Holden, Benjamin Kamino and Steeve Paquet and introduces new ensemble member Robert Abubo to form the 2008/2009 Dancemakers company. Also, Alanna Kraaijeveld will be joining the company as guest artist on several projects. The season also includes master classes with the iconic Peggy Baker and renowned Toronto dance artist Susie Burpee.

Subscription packages are available for the season; visit dancemakers.org for more information.

2008/2009 marks Michael Trent’Äôs third year as Artistic Director of Dancemakers. Trent says, ’ÄúI insist on surrounding myself with people who inspire me because simply, it makes the work better.’Äù In thinking about the season’Äôs programming, he adds, ’ÄúChong will challenge the collaborative team to go as deeply as possible in the creation of bold new work. The Dancemakers Presents artists are inspired and inspiring and I am proud to present them to our public.’Äù

Resident Dramaturge and Animateur Jacob Zimmer adds, ’ÄúThe world can be a brutal place. And so too our responses. Even in the privilege of a wealthy city in a wealthy and reportedly polite country, the daily grinding and banal cruelty wears its way into our bodies. Emotionally and physically we feel the impact, even when the source is almost too subtle to name.’Äù

How then might we respond? Road rage, trips ’Äúout of the city’Äù, anonymous online rants, good food and good wine could be included in list of responses to such everyday brutality. And we would also add ’Äúdance’Äù to any such list.

In the 2008/09 season, Dancemakers brings five other (brutal) responses from five Canadian choreographers to the Toronto public. All five reply explicitly and with great force to the world around them. Personal and particular, these five works offer a reflection and a re-imagining of how we might respond.

The 2008/2009 season will include two world premieres created with the Dancemakers’Äô company: The Home Season: Bloodletting and Other Pleasant Things (October 22, 23, 24, 25, October 28, 29, 30, 31, November 1, 2008 at 8 p.m., October 26 and November 2 at 4 p.m.) choreographed by Tony Chong and with a soundscape by Kevin Young. Invited to create a new work for the coveted Dancemakers’Äô Home Season -- a rare opportunity for contemporary dance to deepen over an extended two-week run -- Ottawa choreographer and Artistic Director of Le Groupe Dance Lab, Chong returns with his unique physical and imagistic language. Inspired by powerful images of anger and violence, so readily seen in our popular culture, Chong was initially struck by the malicious and often decisively negative intent of online forums and postings.

The second world premiere will be 60 dances in 60 minutes (working title) (February 11, 12, 13, 14, 2009 at 8 p.m. and February 14 at 3 p.m.). This new work from Michael Trent continues the drive towards bold contemporary, collaborative and cross-disciplinary work. Following the success of 2007-2008's things in between and Double Bill #1, Artistic Director Michael Trent and five extraordinary performers unveil a world premiere specifically created for the Enwave Theatre at Harbourfront Centre.

Trent wonders, ’ÄúIf time is neither slow nor fast ’Äì just slower or faster, how long is a minute? What makes it go by in a flash or last forever?’Äù Building from 60 things lasting precisely one minute, Trent is curious about how they overlap, interrelate and run-up against each other. About how we respect or defy our limitations.

Go to dancemakers.org to follow the work's development.

In September, Artistic Director Michael Trent participates in one of two residencies through Rural Retreats. He is one of seven aspiring leaders of dance from around the world who have been selected for international placements with Rural Retreats, a think tank for current and future leaders of the dance world.

The successful candidates were identified, selected and funded by DanceEast (danceeast.co.uk) Each participant will spend up to three months shadowing a leading dance director with unprecedented access to meetings and rehearsals, learning about all aspects of running a top international dance organization and experiencing the work of various departments such as sponsorship, marketing, public relations, production, programming and touring.

The Centre for Creation’Äôs Dancemakers Presents series has become one of Toronto’Äôs most important platforms for revealing contemporary Canadian choreography. The series is aimed at providing opportunities for Canadian choreographers with little or no access to the Toronto public.

Dancemakers Presents Series opens with Montreal choreographer George Stamos’Äô reservoir-pneumatic (September 25, 26, 27, 2008 at 8 p.m.). The Dancemakers’Äô Presents series continues to build its tradition of bringing in contemporary choreographers, including George Stamos, an artist known for creating bold, sophisticated dances developed around ideas of sexuality, gender and class politics. Exploring the importance of connections in the face of brutal circumstances, reservoir-pneumatic stars some of Montreal’Äôs finest performances.

Next in the series will be Toronto artist Sasha Ivanochko’Äôs world premiere of her new solo (December 11, 12, 13, 2008 at 8 p.m.) with her long time composer Katherine Thompson. An intense and intuitive performer, she has charmed audiences and critics with her explosive physicality and dramatic presence. "Sasha Ivanochko is so damned expressive; you could sell tickets to watch her cross the street." NOW Magazine - June, 2005.

The series concludes with Antonija Livingstone (February 26, 27, 28, 2009 at 8 p.m.). In The Part choreographer and performer Livingstone examines social roles and performative ’Äòroles’Äô and the many similar traits they share and fascinations they hold. There are ways you behave at work and ways you behave at a party, just as there are ways you behave in ballet and ways you behave in conceptual dance. After success in Vancouver, Montreal and Europe, this marks the first Toronto presentation of this important and iconoclastic artist.

Each performance series will once again be accompanied by Dancemakers pre-show conversation series, Thinking Out Loud: a conversation about art and ideas. Resident Dramaturge/Animateur Jacob Zimmer and Artistic Director Michael Trent invite the public to join them in an open discussion about an idea or curiosity the choreographer of the work has identified as integral to their work or processes. These conversations are less about the particular work and more about issues that surround, or come through, their practice.

The 2009 Choreographic Lab (public showings: March 21, 22, 2009) welcomes one choreographer to spend three luxurious weeks with the company dancers on research devoted to curiosities and new ideas in art making.

Applauded across Canada and Europe for her phenomenally articulate and witty performances with Toronto Dance Theatre, Valerie Calam is bursting onto the choreographic scene with a potent mix of extreme physical daring and irrefutable relevance. Her 2007 work Parliament was recognized with a Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography.

And in the final preparation for the world premiere of Accidents for Every Occasion, Toronto choreographer Jenn Goodwin takes over the Centre for Creation as artist-in-residence. This project provides her with 24/7 access to our fully equipped and state of the art theatre as she finesses all the creative elements before DanceWorks premieres the work from April 30 to May 2, 2009 as part of Harbourfront Centre’Äôs NextSteps series.

And in its continued commitment to bringing contemporary dance to young people, Dancemakers will undertake two youth initiatives. The Company will deliver a series of workshops with students from performing arts high schools (Cawthra, Etobicoke, Unionville and Rosedale High Schools) that provide insights into Dancemakers’Äô creative process. The day starts with a class with the Company performers. Following the performance, students are led through a workshop to deepen their experience of the form and content of the show they have just witnessed.

Dancemakers 2008/2009 season in chronological order:

Unless otherwise noted, all performances take place at Dancemakers Centre for

Creation, The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street, The Cannery, Bldg. 58, Suite 313.

Call/Click: 416.367.1800 or info@dancemakers.org; dancemakers.org

A limited number of tickets for students with valid ID will be made available through hipTIX throughout the season. Visit totix.ca for updates. Save from 10% to ¬‚¬‚15% with subscription packages ranging from $48 to $61 for all performances at the Centre for Creation.

Sept. 8-19 Michael Trent in residency in France, with choreographer Maguy Marin at the Centre chorˆ©graphique national in Lyon

Sept 8 - 12 Skinner Release Technique with Toronto-based artist and former Assistant Artistic Director of Dancemakers Julia Sasso Sold-out!

Sept. 25 - 27, 8 p.m. Dancemakers Presents: George Stamos

reservoir-pneumatic (please note: intended to be in lower case)

Sept. 26, 7 p.m. Thinking Out Loud: a conversation about art and ideas

Tickets: Regular $22; Students/Seniors/CADA $18

Oct. 22-25, The Home Season: Bloodletting and Other Pleasant Things

Oct. 28 ’Äì Nov. 1, 8 p.m. by Tony Chong

Oct. 26 & Nov. 2, 4 p.m. Tickets: Regular $22; Students/Seniors/CADA $18

Nov. 10 - 14, 1-5 p.m. Improvisation with Toronto-based teacher Misha Glouberman

Dec. 11 - 13, 8 p.m. Dancemakers Presents: Sasha Ivanochko

untitled (a world premiere)

Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Thinking Out Loud: a conversation about art and ideas

Tickets: Regular $22; Students/Seniors/CADA $18

Dec. 1 - 5 Master Teacher Series with Peggy Baker

Pre-registration required. Please contact Dancemakers for more information about the Master Teacher Series.

Feb. 11 - 14, 8 p.m. Dancemakers @ Harbourfront: 60 dances in 60 minutes (working title)

Feb. 14, 3 p.m. NextSteps Series

All performances at the Enwave Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 207 Queens Quay West Tickets: Regular: $22-$38; Students/Seniors/CADA:$20-$33

Call/Click: 416.973.4000 or www.harbourfrontcentre.com

Feb. 26 - 28, 8 p.m. Dancemakers Presents: Antonija Livingstone

The Part

Feb. 27, 7 p.m. Thinking out Loud: a conversation about art and ideas

Mar. 9 - 13 Master Teacher Series with Susie Burpee

Please contact Dancemakers for more information about the Master Teacher Series.

Mar 21 & 22 at 8 p.m. Choreographic Lab Public Presentation

Invited Choreographer: Valerie Calam,

Lab monitor: Michael Trent

Tickets: Regular $10; Students/Seniors/CADA $8

Spring 2009 Michael Trent in residency in France with Mathilde Monnier at the Centre chorˆ©graphique national in Montpellier

April 20 - 26 Centre for Creation Production Residency

Choreographer: Jenn Goodwin

April 24, 7 p.m. Thinking Out Loud: a conversation about art and ideas