Recent awards in dance

>> by Cynthia Brett
From the Toronto Arts Foundation, Miriam Adams received the Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leadership Award and Christopher House won the Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance ... Sara Coffin received The Dance Centre's new Santa Aloi award ... Compagnie Marie Chouinard won a Gemini for Best Performance in a Performing Arts Series or Program ... Simon Fraser University Centre for dialogue honoured American choreographer Liz Lerman with the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue ... Erin Cowan won the Paula Citron Award at the Chimera Project's presentation of Fresh Blood.

Ukrainian dance companies collaborate on diverse show

>> by Brittany Duggan
The Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company of Edmonton, the Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Calgary and the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Winnipeg recently collaborated to present “Razom: A Fusion of Ukrainian Dance”. The evening-length performance featured nearly 100 dancers and was the result of discussions among the companies' artistic directors to deliver a show that highlighted the different Ukrainian theatrical dance styles that are evolving across the Canadian prairies. “Western Canada is home to a number of the largest and well-established Ukrainian dance organizations in Canada – so it seemed a perfect fit to join forces to develop this fusion of dance. This is the first time ever, that three major Ukrainian dance companies have come together under one banner to present such a diverse program,” said Senior Producer Lawrence Prout in a press release. Starting in Edmonton on September 26th, the third and final show was held on November 1st in Winnipeg.

Study groups and roundtables: they're talking about dance

>> by Naomi Brand
This fall has seen a number of initiatives aimed at facilitating discussion about dance. The Toronto Dance Theatre is presenting a series of lecture discussions entitled "Contemporary Dance 101: Enrich your viewing experience". The first installment will take place on November 9th at 7pm at the Winchester Street Theatre in Toronto. The session will be hosted by Bridget Cauthery, Ph.D in Dance Studies, and will provide an overview of key concepts and dance artists from the past century (www.tdt.org). Another initiative is the Toronto Thinking Out Loud Study Group presented by The Dancemakers Centre for Creation and The Dance Current. The monthly meetings facilitated by Jacob Zimmer and Megan Andrews aim to deepen thinking about dance (www.readingwritingdancing.blogspot.com). In Montréal, the Department of Dance at the Université du Québec à Montréal is hosting Tribune 840, a series of round-table discussions looking at issues surrounding creation and interpretation in dance. The second in their series is entitled "Quelle préparation pour une danse de création?" and will be hosted on November 4th with panelists Lucie Boissinot, Sylvain Lafortune, Nina Dipla, Johanna Bienaise and Sarah Dell'Ava (www.danse.uqam.ca).

Cas Public appoints assistant to the artistic director

>> by Jaimée Horn
Pierre Lecours has been appointed assistant to Hélène Blackburn, choreographer and artistic director of the Montréal company Cas Public. He will assume several of the many responsibilities related to running the company. Lecours graduated from LADMMI in 1999 and has since distinguished himself as a dancer and choreographer. Within the last ten years, he has created fifteen pieces and has performed with several companies including La Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault, Cas Public, Whatwhatiwhat, Le Carré des Lombes and O Vertigo. Lecours’s presence will allow Blackburn to better respond to directorial demands and other projects of interest. Blackburn believes the new position also addresses the need to transfer the experience and artistic expertise required to run a company to the next generation of choreographers. This skill set is rarely part of dance trainees’ curricula; however, it is an important element of their professional reality. In Lecours’s upcoming work Les Steppes, Blackburn will take the stage again, alongside the dancers. She is pleased to be alleviated of some decision making, and to be working with the company members on a different level. Les Steppes, co-produced by Cas Public, opens in January 2010 at l’Agora de la danse in Montréal.

Peter Chin work travels to Southeast Asia

>> by Cynthia Brett

Following its successful cross-country Canadian tour, Tribal Crackling Wind took Peter Chin's Transmission of the Invisible to Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, and Singapore's Da:ns Festival in October 2009. Transmission of the Invisible, which premiered February 2008 at Toronto's Enwave Theatre, explores Cambodia's efforts to renew and preserve its dance culture after 90 percent of the country's artists were killed during the Cambodian genocide of the Khmer Rouge era. The piece was created in collaboration with both Canadian and Cambodian artists over more than three years of research and in June 2009 it appeared at the Canada Dance Festival as part of "Dancing Through Cultures".

Goulish dancers deliver "Thriller-Grams" in St. John's

>> by Cynthia Brett
From October 26-30, 2009, St. John's contemporary dancers delivered live presentations of the famous Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance for a Neighbourhood Dance Works fundraiser. The "Thriller-Grams" cost $25 to order for friends and family and all proceeds will be used to provide programs for the local dance community and to fund the 20th annual Festival of New Dance in 2010. Neighbourhood Dance Works is Newfoundland's primary source of contemporary dance and production.

Cirque du Soleil performer succumbs to injuries

>> by Cynthia Brett
On October 17, 2009 Cirque du Soleil performer Oleksandr Zhurov (Sacha) died of injuries suffered after a fall from the Russian swing during a regular training exercise. The twenty-four-year-old Ukranian artist was immediately taken to hospital following the accident where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. Cirque du Soleil issued a press release in which CEO Guy Laliberté said, "Today, it is all of Cirque that is in mourning ... An incident like this reminds us of the courage and determination displayed by our artists each and every day. They are exceptional human beings who share their talents with great generosity."