Propeller Dance

Huge thanks to the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario Touring and Circulation Projects and Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canadal Arts Across Canada Travel grant for helping us get on the road to Toronto! 🚄

Come watch Propeller Dance unlock the power of possibility in ‘Waiting in the Wings No More’ from October 4-6 at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto.

Tickets are Pay What You Can🤩 https://www.ffdnorth.com/waiting-in-the-wings-no-more

We couldn't do it without the incredible support of these funders! 🙏 Ontario Government Joel Harden

🌸 A huge thank you to the Ottawa Community Foundation for their generous Community Grant, supporting the development of our upcoming show So it turns, we bloom, premiering at Centrepointe Theatre in April 2025!

🌿✨ We are thrilled to highlight So it turns, we bloom as part of the Propeller Dance 2024-25 season!

📅 Dates: April 25 & 26, 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets: $20
👶 Ages: All ages (4+)

These funds have been vital in developing this two-part meditation on resilience and community, symbolized by plants — from seed to bloom, each playing a vital role in our interconnected world. 🌾🌸

We can't wait to share this transformative work as Propeller continues to challenge perceptions about what dance can be and reimagines community through inclusive art. 💫

✨ Discover the joy of dance with our Inclusive Dance Classes for Adults! ✨

🗓️ Classes start this Fall with ongoing registration!

➡️ In-Person:
Monday at Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre from 6:30 to 8 pm
Wednesday at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers from 6:30 to 8 pm

➡️ Online:
Tuesday Digital Class on Zoom – 6:30 to 7:45 pm

Get ready to move, connect, and have fun in a welcoming environment!

Our classes:
🎶 Provide quality training across various dance genres
🤝 Foster creativity and social skills 💪 Improve your physical and mental health
🎤 Are taught by a diverse team with live musicians

Inclusive dance is for everyone – whether you're a beginner or seasoned dancer!

📝 Sign up today and be part of the Propeller community!

👉 For more details, visit propellerdance.com or contact us at [email protected] | 613-236-5192 ext 314



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🌿✨ We are thrilled to highlight "So it turns, we bloom" as part of the Propeller Dance 2024-25 season! With hearts full of anticipation, we invite you to experience this beautiful blend of art and nature, presented by Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe. 🌱

📅 Dates: April 25 & 26, 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Venue: Les Lye Studio Theatre
🎟️ Tickets: $20
👶 Ages: All ages (4+)
All performances will be relaxed performances
Standby for more accessible elements

This is an exciting time at Propeller Dance, filled with new beginnings and transformation. A season that underscores the powerful impact of dance as a force for positive change.

Join us for this unique mainstage show, featuring the talents of our professional Company dancers, combined with the beauty of our Education class participants. It’s a two-part meditation on the resilience and continuity of our community represented by plants; reflecting how each plant from seed to flower contributes to the vibrant whole, and represents ongoing interconnectedness. 🌾🌸

Don’t miss this chance to be part of our 2024-25 season and experience the magic of community and connection through dance.
🎟️ Grab your tickets now and help us celebrate this exciting chapter!

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🌟We are delighted to unveil our upcoming 2024-2025 performance season, presenting new and returning work exploring powerful growth and transformation themes.

✨ Headlining our season is the much-anticipated premiere of "Waiting in the Wings No More." Leave your preconceptions about dance behind and enter the innovative world of Propeller Dance, leading inclusive dance company celebrating dance, and Disability Pride, joy, and culture. ‘Waiting in the Wings No More’ will premiere in Toronto at FfDN, featuring two unique yet interconnected pieces choreographed by acclaimed inclusive dance choreographers Lucy Bennett, Artistic Director at , and Propeller Dance's outgoing Artistic and Executive Director Renata Soutter. These works have been delicately reworked by Interim Artistic Director Amelia Rose Griffin and Rehearsal Director and company dancer Elizabeth Emond-Stevenson in collaboration with the Company dancers.

Join us at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in Toronto for an unforgettable experience! 🎭

🎟️ Get your tickets now! https://am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/ffdn2024-waitinginthewingsnomore
All tickets are Pay What You Can starting at $5
📍 404 Jarvis Street, Toronto - Betty Oliphant Theatre
🗓️ Performance Schedule:
➡️ Friday, Oct 4 - 2:00 PM
➡️ Saturday, Oct 5 - 7:30 PM (ASL Interpretation)
➡️ Sunday, Oct 6 - 2:00 PM (Audio Description)
All performances will be relaxed performances

⏱️ Running Time: 80 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

This performance has been made possible with the support of wonderful presenters The Disability Collective and Fall for Dance North Festival

This season is full of vibrant performances and groundbreaking collaborations, there is so much to look forward to!
We can’t wait to share these experiences with you and celebrate the incredible power of dance together. 💖🌍

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✨ Unleash your little one's creativity with our Children's Dance Classes! ✨

🗓️ Dates: September 24 to December 7, 2024
➡️Class 1: 10:00 am-10:45 am (suggested ages 4-7)
➡️Class 2: 11:00 am-12:00 pm (suggested ages 8-12)
📍Saturdays at National Arts Centre, Ottawa

➡️ Registration is now open! 👉 https://propellerdance.com/education/events/

This Fall, ignite your child's passion for dance with our fun and engaging classes! They'll:
🎨 Unleash their creativity through movement
💃 Discover their own unique dance style
💪 Develop essential dance skills like musicality, extension, and repetition

Our inclusive classes foster a supportive and fun atmosphere with live music, a diverse team of professional teachers, and opportunities to perform.

LES FRANCOPHONES SONT LES BIENVENUS! Des instructions peuvent être données en français. Francophones are welcome! Some instructions can be given in French.

Propeller Dance class programming offers subsidies to anyone who has a financial barrier to participating. There is no formal application process and we offer these subsidized fees on a no questions asked basis. In addition to offering ongoing subsidies to any participant in need, we partnered in 2024 with the Vanier Social Pediatric Hub to offer free classes for up to 6 children and youth a year as part of their Social Prescription initiative. Subsidies are an incredibly valuable part of our commitment to accessibility, but in order for this to happen, we still need to cover the costs to run the classes.

This , we want to thank The Crayon Fund and its community of Jesters for their generous support towards our subsidy program. Artinjest

You can connect with them at Twitch.tv/artinjest

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The image features the text "FUNDER FRIDAY*" in large, bold, purple letters at the top. The word "THANK YOU!" is handwritten in black to the right of the text. Below this, there is a playful cartoon character: a small green creature with pointy ears, big eyes, and two small fangs. The creature is wearing a golden crown, a blue belt, and mismatched boots—one pink and the other yellow. The character is set against a bright blue circle. At the bottom of the circle, the website "artinjest.com" is written in pink. In the bottom right corner, there is a logo for "Propeller Dance," which features a stylized drawing of two figures dancing.

Check out and share this incredible learning opportunity for ASL and Deaf interpreters through our friends at GCTC!

Seeking ASL and Deaf interpreters who are interested in joining a free and supported professional development program to learn and grow their skills for interpretation for the stage.

Interpreters will have the mentorship of two leading ASL interpreters, Carmelle Cachero and Elizabeth Morris, to grow their skills in interpretation for performance. Interpreters selected for this program will observe and shadow the mentors during two GCTC productions. Then, during a third production, mentees will interpret a section of the show in front of a live audience and receive feedback from Deaf audience members.

This opportunity will give interpreters a chance to learn and grow their ASL skills from a culturally informed Deaf perspective, from ASL interpreter leaders in the National Capital Region and meet industry professionals in the performing arts.

Applications are due September 2nd 11:59 PM EST. More information about this program is available on our website, at gctc.ca/asl-training-arts.

[Image Description: Text reads “GCTC seeking Applications: ASL Interpreter Training Program for the Performing Arts. Applications due September 2nd, 11:59 EST.” Background image from the production "The First Stone" (2023). Three performers are onstage wearing a mix of African wax printed fabric, cotton t-shirts, and jean shorts. Behind them, a Deaf performer dressed in white is projected on a larger screen as they use ASL.]

Photo by Curtis Perry.

🎉 Today, we want to recognize an important organization in Ottawa's arts community! 🌟

Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD) Ottawa Dance Directive / Centre de danse contemporaine is a hub for professional dance, providing a space where contemporary dance can thrive. 🩰✨ It's a place for artists to create, perform, and build a community together. ODD not only nurtures local talent but also supports the growth of dance beyond Ottawa. 🏙️💃

This year, don't miss their exciting season with Compagnie ODD and the Series Dance 10 presentation series! 🎭 Propeller Dance is thrilled to rehearse at ODD's accessible studios during our upcoming 2024-2025 season! 🦽🕺

Thank you, ODD, for all you do for the dance community and its artists. 🙏💖
_________________________________________

Aujourd'hui, nous souhaitons rendre hommage à une organisation importante de la communauté artistique d'Ottawa! 🇨🇦

Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD) est un centre de danse professionnelle, offrant un espace où la danse contemporaine peut vivre et respirer. 💫 Les artistes y créent, se produisent, et travaillent ensemble. ODD aide ses artistes et la communauté locale à se développer, tout en soutenant la danse au-delà d'Ottawa. 🌍👯‍♀️

Ne manquez pas leur saison avec la Compagnie ODD et la série Séries Danse 10 cette année! 🎟️Propeller Dance est ravie de répéter dans les studios accessibles de l'ODD au cours de notre saison 2024-2025! 🎉
Merci, ODD, pour tout ce que vous faites pour la communauté de la danse et ses artistes. 💐🤗

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We're thrilled to announce that Propeller Dance has been awarded a generous grant of CA$12,000 from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation! 🙌

✨ This incredible support will fuel our "Empowering Youth through Dance Training" program, enabling us to inspire, educate, and transform the lives of young dancers. Stay tuned to witness the amazing impact this funding will bring! 💃🕺

Thank You TELUS TELUS Friendly Future Foundation

The Disability Collective Presents 'Waiting In the Wings No More’ by Propeller Dance

Supported by Fall for Dance North Festival , this is a groundbreaking moment in the Canadian dance landscape. Witness reflections on the beauty of disabled bodyminds taking space, Disability Pride, joy, and culture.

Combining two distinct but connected works created by internationally recognized inclusive dance choreographers, 'Stage Door' created by Lucy Bennett with Hannah Sampson of Stopgap Dance Company, and 'Living the u̶n̶Desireable Life' by outgoing Executive and Artistic Director of Propeller Dance, J Renata Soutter; a powerful commentary in two parts on why artists with disabilities are still waiting in the wings.

From October 4-6 at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto

🎟️ Pay What You Can tickets are ON SALE NOW for ‘Waiting in the Wings No More’! 🔗 https://am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/ffdn2024-waitinginthewingsnomore

ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:

• ASL Interpretation and Audio Description will be provided for one performance each. The specific performance dates for these access measures will be announced soon.

• The venue is fully accessible. A venue guide will be released on the The Disability Collective website closer to the show.

• An access guide will be released on the The Disability Collective website closer to the show.

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July is Disability Pride Month! A huge thank you to everyone who supports the important work we do all year long highlighting the beauty of diverse bodies and minds. We celebrate the artists, administrators, teachers, and volunteers with disabilities (and their allies) that make Propeller Dance the vibrant community that it is.

[Image Description] Red, yellow, green, white and red hand prints border the top and bottom of the image. A male dancer using a motorized wheelchair has his arms up near his face. He's looking at the other dancers, one woman kneels in the middle looking at the other woman who crouches with one hand to her mouth, the other outstretched behind her. The dancers all wear light shades of pink. They dance on white flooring with a black curtain backdrop decorated with white flowers.
the text reads: July is Disability Pride Month

🌟 Calling Ottawa Dancers, Disability artists, Dance Teachers and folks interested in collaborating with Propeller Dance! 🌟

Fill out the form below and let us know how you’d like to connect with us!

We are looking to collaborate with new folks for workshops, dance opportunities and more for next season! The form will remain open to applications and responses will be sent out on a rolling basis in preparation for collaborations between Fall 2024-Spring 2025!

Connect with us here: https://forms.gle/PriVGS4MZo3k4tZr5

[Image description] Graphic of 3 dancers, one uses a wheelchair to lean against the ground, another has one leg and uses crutches to do the splits, and the third uses their one arm to do an arm stand. The text reads: Connect with us. Interested in dancing, teaching, or working with Propeller Dance? We are seeking new artist connections for our upcoming 2024-2025 season! Click link to fill out form.

Join Propeller Dance,, and Grant Warren in an informal talk & presentation as part of Cross-Pollination: Sharing Practice in Inclusive Dance and Disability Arts.

Join us at the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts for lunch break Talk + Presentation from 12PM-1PM on Friday July 12th!

🎟 Tickets for the free event and more info: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cross-pollination-creative-exchange-lecture-demonstration-tickets-940537863067?aff=oddtdtcreator

[Image Description] Teal background with text reading: "Cross-Pollination: Sharing Practice in Inclusive Dance and Disability Arts."
Images are featured from Propeller Dance (Ottawa), All Bodies Dance Project (Vancouver), and Adam Grant Warren (Vancouver). Logos from The National Arts Centre, CanDance Network, Canadian Government, Canada Council for the Arts, and Propeller Dance line the top and bottom of the image.

Propeller Dance is hiring a new Artistic Director!

Learn more about this exciting opportunity to join Propeller Dance and be part of creating a more inclusive dance environment in Ottawa and beyond! Deadline for applications is August 30th 2024.

If you have any questions reach out to us at [email protected]

All job information can be found here + in our bio: https://propellerdance.com/propeller-dance-is-seeking-a-new-artistic-director/



[image Description] Yellow background, text reads: "We're Hiring, Join our Team." The words are outlined in colour blocks and abstract shapes.

It is with both pride and nostalgia that J Renata Soutter, the longtime (co-) Artistic and Executive Director of Propeller Dance, will be stepping down in mid-June. The board and team at Propeller are incredibly grateful for her extraordinary leadership, talent, and dedication since she co-founded Propeller Dance over 16 years ago.
We wish Renata good luck as she joins the Canada Council for the Arts to support the arts in new ways.
During her time at Propeller Dance, Renata’s career as a choreographer thrived. In addition to her artistic accomplishments, Renata also forged partnerships with international and national organizations. Her impact as a performer, teacher, mentor, visionary arts manager, and creator has undeniably brought about positive change in the Canadian arts landscape.
Read the full announcement here 🔗.
https://propellerdance.com/celebrating-renata-soutters-legacy-on-her-departure-from-propeller-dance-after-16-years-of-exceptional-leadership/

Image descriptions:
1. A headshot of Renata Soutter, outgoing Artistic and Executive Director. She is smiling and wears a green top, her hair is mid-length and light brown.
Behind the head shot is a patterned background of spirals in fuschia.
Beside Renata, is the quote "The arts world is richer with works of dance that highlight artists with disability from a place of power and beauty. I wish Propeller continued success".
2. Another collage of 4 photos, this time focused on shots of dancers in choreographic works created by Renata, including Flesh & Spokes and Living the Desirable Life. The caption reads "A few of Renata's acclaimed choreopgrahic works"
3. A collage of 5 photos of different sizes on a fuschia background. The photos are a mix of candid and posed shots of Renata dancing or with Company members and co-leaders. "Thank you Renata -Propeller Dance Board & Team" is at the top of the collage

As National AccessAbility Week approaches, we remind you that PAL Place is a space and home for artists and arts, including those with disabilities. We are thrilled to be able to provide to the wider arts community through PAL Place.

Please share this post and help us in spreading the word to potential applicants!

For more information and to apply, visit palottawa.org.

Yesterday, some of the Propeller team and community were thrilled to attend Ottawa Arts Council Arts Awards, where co-founder and current Artistic Associate and Outreach Coordinator Shara Weaver was honoured!

Shara received the 2024 Community Arts Educator Award, which "recognizes excellence in community arts education and the accomplishments of Ottawa-based artists who provide unique and creative learning experiences that inspire future generations and community art projects that engage Ottawa residents". The award jury highlighted the depth of Shara's reach and commitment to inclusivity in her arts practice. If you know Propeller, you know that Shara's passion for teaching dance and building community has been integral in shaping Propeller into what it is today.

Congratulations Shara!

[Image Description] Image 1: Shara Weaver stands on stage with the announcers for the Ottawa Arts Council Awards. The set behind them is a brightly lit kitchen, and a projection screen above shows a picture of Shara with her name underneath and the title of the award.

Image 2: Shara Weaver stands in a blue dress smiling, holding a yellow rose next to a framed print by Geraldine Taylor from her “Ode to the Experimental Farm.” Behind her is the set of a kitchen. Company member Bella and former chair Bob Bowes stand on the opposite side looking at the print.

Have you shared your thoughts in our strategic planning survey?

We would love to hear your insights as we embark on this planning process!

Below, we have two versions of a survey for you to fill out. Please choose the one that works best for you.

1) This survey has seven (7) questions:

https://tinyurl.com/PropellerCommunitySurvey

2) This survey is shorter and has three (3) questions:

https://tinyurl.com/PropellerDanceClientSurvey

We would be grateful if you could share your thoughts with us by Friday, May 24th. If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Manal Sayid at [email protected]

Thanks again for your time and support!

[Image Description] graphic paper background with paper clip, text on the red square reads: 'Reminder!
We want to hear from you
Share your thoughts in our strategic planning survey by May 24!'

💐Congratulations to all the education class students, teachers, musicians, volunteers and supports on a wonderful end to the season! 💐

Please enjoy some photo highlights from the Spring Sharing performances from each class.

We hope to see you again for the education classes in the Fall!



[Image Description] There are two images. Each one is arranged into a collage with 6 images. Each image in the collage is of a group of dancers from one of the education classes Spring Sharing events, which took place both in person and on Zoom.

We want your input!

Led by the experts at Sayid Consulting, Propeller Dance is embarking on a new 5-year strategic planning process, and we want to hear your voice. Your insights are invaluable to us as we shape our future direction. We deeply appreciate your input and would love to include your perspective in our planning process.

Below, we have two versions of a survey for you to fill out. Please choose the one that works best for you.

1) This survey has seven (7) questions:

https://tinyurl.com/PropellerCommunitySurvey

2) This survey is shorter and has three (3) questions:

https://tinyurl.com/PropellerDanceClientSurvey

We would be grateful if you could share your thoughts with us by Friday, May 24th. If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Manal Sayid at [email protected]

Thank you so much for your time and support!

[Image description: A graphic that shows four people with no faces, each with an empty speech bubble above their heads. At the top it says: We want to hear from you!]

It’s and Propeller Dance is thrilled to announce funding from TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment over the next three years! This funding will be supporting our efforts towards strengthening inclusion as we formalize a multi-level Company structure, and ensuring we provide artist fees that are professionally aligned with industry standards. Thank you, TD!