TRIP dance company announces closure

>> by Cynthia Brett

After twelve seasons and nineteen original works, TRIP dance company is closing its doors. Choreographer/Artistic Director Karen Kuzak and her partner, Dancer/General Manager Randy Joynt, founded the Winnipeg-based company in 1997. On July 26th they announced its closure in a press release in which Kuzak commented that "... we made this decision in order to pursue the next phase of our lives outside of an organizational structure." Throughout her career Kuzak has created over fifty choreographies, including nine full-evening works and many shorter pieces for TRIP. "With such a rich and rewarding experience to inform us, we look forward to an exciting future. Randy, in his role of executive director of Artspace Inc., and positions on the boards of the Winnipeg Arts Council and the Canadian Dance Assembly will continue to support the arts and cultural community. Karen remains passionately curious with being human in motion/stillness. After a brief pause to reflect on her work thus far, she plans to continue to create as an independent artist," the pair told The Dance Currrent. Dance Collection Danse, Canada's national dance archives, now holds the company's materials.

SFU's School for Contemporary Arts moves downtown

Photo credit: Dale Northey/SFU

>> by Naomi Brand
On August 9th the entire School for Contemporary Arts (SCA) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) moved from Burnaby Mountain to its new home at the historic Woodward's site in downtown Vancouver. The 125,000 sq. ft. facility on West Hastings St. will house the programs of music film, theatre, visual arts and dance with teaching studios, performance venues and a lab for new media. The dance program has acquired three spacious studios, an experimental performance theatre and two studio theatres all with sprung floors and high ceilings. "Between the quality of the building and its location, this move is huge for the dance area of the SCA," says Rob Kitsos, a professor in the dance program. "I think the big effect of being at Woodward's will be our visibility. We will be in the heart of downtown Vancouver – a very different kind of environment than the far away hills of Burnaby. I'm really excited for more people to see and get involved with what we do." By combining public events with interdisciplinary training, SFU Woodward's hopes to attract art scholars, students and enthusiasts from around the world and to be a new artistic hub for the City of Vancouver.
www.sfuwoodwards.ca

Nathalie Fave appointed executive director of CDA

Nathalie Fave / Photo by Susan Kendal

>> by Cynthia Brett

The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) recently appointed Nathalie Fave as its new executive director. Parisian-born Fave brings a diverse background to her new role at CDA. A writer who has published several works of literature and poetry, Fave lived in Africa for eighteen years where she founded a cultural venue in Senegal as well as a communications corporation that provided consultations to the Ministry of Culture. She has worked in Canada's community development and social sector since 2006. CDA President Michael Trent commented in a press release that, "As an artist and social advocate she brings to the role a potent world view that is passionate, inclusive and forward thinking. Nathalie's multi-facted experience and exemplary leadership skills will serve Canada's dance community in all its diversity." Of her thoughts on leading CDA into the future, Fave told The Dance Current: "I will do my best to lead the Canadian Dance Assembly into the next stage of development in order to support and link with the dance community to the best of my abilities. There is a tremendous amount of potential in our sector and I enjoy working among you!"

Victor Quijada wins 2010 Princess Grace Award

>> by Cynthia Brett

Victor Quijada, founder of RUBBERBANDance Group, has won a 2010 Princess Grace Award. As part of this award Quijada will create a new work on Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to premiere at the company's fall series, September 30th through October 3rd at the Harris Street Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago. The Princess Grace Foundation-USA supports emerging artists with scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships in memory of Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco.
www.pgfusa.org
www.hubbardstreetdance.com
www.rubberbandance.com

Philip Szporer awarded Jacqueline Lemieux Prize

>> by Brittany Duggan

The Canada Council for the Arts recently announced Philip Szporer as the recipient of the 2010 Jacqueline Lemieux Prize. A Montréal-based dance writer, filmmaker and lecturer, Szporer has been an active member in the Canadian dance scene for over thirty years. A former dance columnist for Radio-Canada's cultural magazine, Aux arts, etc., Szporer’s work has been published in Hour, ballettanz and The Dance Current, among others. In 2001 he co-founded, with artist Marlene Miller, Mouvement Perpétuel, a video production company specializing in arts documentaries. Together, they have co-directed and produced several projects including Moments in Motion, Byron Chief-Moon: Grey Horse Rider and Butte, a Bravo!FACT film that was screened in the Canadian Pavilion during the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Szporer is currently a Scholar-in-Residence at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, a lecturer in the Contemporary Dance department at Concordia University and is collaborating with Miller and Crystal Pite on a 3D dance film at the National Film Board of Canada. Valued at $6,000, the Jacqueline Lemieuz Prize has been awarded annually since 1980 to applicants of the Canada Council Grants to Dance Professionals program. Past recipients have included Robert Desrosiers (1980), Marie Chouinard (1986), David Earle (2001) and Judith Marcuse (2009).

Compagnie Marie Chouinard receives Arts Achievement Award

>> by Samantha Mehra
La Compagnie Marie Chouinard is the 2010 recipient of The Imperial Tobacco Canada Foundation's Arts Achievement Award. The award recognizes the company's originality, innovation, critical acclaim and continued growth. Established in 2009, the award was designed to acknowledge innovations and excellence among Canadian arts organizations. Recipients are awarded on a rotational basis among various arts disciplines, beginning with the visual arts in 2009, and dance in 2010. The recipient, who receives $75,000, is selected by three peer nominators who are experts in the required discipline. Other nominees this year included The National Ballet of Canada (Toronto), The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (Winnipeg), and La La La Human Steps (Montréal).

Chan Hon Goh new director of Goh Ballet Academy

>> by Samantha Mehra
Chan Hon Goh, former principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, has been appointed the new director of Vancouver's Goh Ballet Academy and Goh Ballet Youth Company. As the new director, Goh plans to establish a Chan Hon Goh scholarship Fund of $100,000 for selected students to encourage their professional development. Goh trained at the Goh Ballet Academy beginning at age nine. Her parents, Choo Chiat and Lin Yee Goh, formerly principal dancers with the National Ballet of China, co-founded the academy in 1978, and the youth company in 1979. Chan Hon Goh will take on the position effective September 1, 2010.

Ontario Dance Platform 2010

>> by Samantha Mehra
Community Cultural Impresarios (CCI), Ontario's Presenting Network, recently announced its Ontario Dance Platform project, a curated program of dance events featuring performances and presentations that showcase the diversity of professional dance in Ontario. Canadian and international presenters are invited to attend performances and artist-pitch sessions in order to assist Ontario dance artists in reaching new markets. The program will take place September 23rd through 25th at Dancemakers Centre for Creation (Main Studio) and the Winchester Street Theatre.