Tré Armstrong gives back

Tré Armstrong teaching Hip Hop during The Give Back

>> by Jaimée Horn
Tré Armstrong, choreographer, dancer and judge on CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada, is giving back to the dance community. Her company, A New D.A.E.I., recently hosted The Give Back on July 10th, 2011 at Canada’s National Ballet School. The day’s purpose was to provide youth, teenagers and adults the opportunity to be a part of the dance world at no cost. More than twenty teachers offered workshops in various disciplines including Salsa, Contemporary and Bollywood, while Armstrong taught both basic and master hip hop classes. The Tré Armstrong Give Back Foundation was officially launched on August 15th, 2011.
http://anewdaei.com/and/

Good Women hosts second "What's Cooking?" event

Alida Nyquist Schultz (back) and Ainsley Hillyard (front)/ Photo by Tracy Kolenchuk

>> by Cynthia Brett
To celebrate International Dance Day on April 29th, Good Women Dance Collective hosted its second annual "What's Cooking?" event at Transalta Arts Barns in Edmonton. The evening included a buffet-style dinner as well as a casual atmosphere for artists to share works-in-progress and receive feedback from the audience. Collective member Ainsley Hillyard commented in a press release that, "It seems, sometimes, that we don't want to talk about our art ... This is a barrier we wanted to break down."

TUDS: Toronto Urban Dance Symposium

ShoTyme and Dancers / Photo by Anige Choi
>> by Jacqueline Hansen
Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Sinbadinho Portillo, directors of urban dance company Gadfly, presented the first “TUDS: Toronto Urban Dance Symposium” on September 12th in Toronto. Velasquez described its purpose: “We wanted to raise the standards for urban dancers. It’s a community that’s not very aware of all the resources available; we wanted to share how we can improve the quality of our life and of our career.” Representatives from several dance service organizations as well as the DaCosta Talent Agency and professional dancers and choreographers were invited to join discussions, panels and workshops. Velasquez said many of the participants, nearly 100 dancers aged sixteen to thirty, had never before considered seeking help from arts organizations. Also discussed was how to further the professional image of street dancing. When addressing the stereotypes of street dance, Velasquez insisted that “there is art [in street dance], there is technique, there is history; people should respect it as much as any other dance, it has the same value.” But she thinks the lack of recognition is half the fault of street dancers: “Street dancers aren’t taking the next step, they aren’t applying, they aren’t trying to get that support … they have to be active, and work for it.”

Danny Grossman receives tribute and launches choreographic intensive

>> by Cynthia Brett

Dance Adelphi of Adelphi University's Dance Department, where former National Ballet dancer Frank Augustyn is chair, is performing repertoire from Danny Grossman Dance Company this spring. The program, A Tribute to Danny Grossman, will feature several of Grossman's signature pieces including his first work, Higher (1975), plus Ecce Homo (1977), Endangered Species (1981) and Human Form Divine (1992). The performances will take place April 22nd through 25th, 2010 at the Olmsted Theatre in Garden City, New York. Later this spring Danny Grossman Dance Company and Patricia (Trish) Beatty will launch a three-week choreographic initative designed for eight to twelve aspiring choreographers. "The Choreographic Intensive" will be held May 3rd through 21st at York University, where Grossman is an adjunct professor. Danny Grossman Dance Company began in Toronto in 1977. In 2005 it began its transition from a performance company to an institute for licensing and teaching Grossman repertoire.

Scotiabank Dance Centre news

>> by Samantha Mehra
Mirna Zagar, executive director of Vancouver's Scotiabank Dance Centre, was presented a medallion in recognition of her work in developing cultural relations between Canada and Croatia. Canadian Governor General Michaëlle Jean presented the award in late October in Zagar's hometown of Zagreb, Croatia, during Her Excellency's visit to the area. The Dance Centre says goodbye to Member Services Co-ordinator Leah Rae, who has been on staff for the last two years. As such, all membership inquiries should be directed to members@thedancecentre.ca and will be addressed as soon as possible. In November, the Centre offered several diverse workshops, including classes with Nadia Cusimano, a Body-Mind Centering instructor practicing in Berlin, London and Australia, November 23rd through 27th and November 30th through December 4th. On November 15th, Belly Dance Vancouver hosted "Geisha Mystique: Introduction to Classical Japanese Dance", a one-day workshop with Colleen Lanki of Vancouver's TomoeArts. On November 22nd, Vancouver's Julia Cha held an "Oriental Flamenco Fusion" workshop exploring movement vocabulary derived from flamenco and bellydance.