Dancemakers

Are you curious about applying for Dancemakers’ 2024/2025 Call for Guest Curators? Are you interested in learning more about what’s happening at Dancemakers? Bring your questions and curiosity to a coffee hour with Interim Artistic Producer Christina at the Slanted Door in the Annex!

🗓️Thursday, August 15th
⏰Drop by any time from 5-7pm
📍The Slanted Door 442 Bloor St W
☕️ One free beverage per attendee

See you on Thursday!

As part of our 2023/2024 co-production series, Dancemakers has partnered with SummerWorks Performance Festival to co-present four works: Wheezy Breezy, Slug Meal, SUBJECT TO / خضوع & slip away

As we navigate what it means to be a spaceless organization, we continue to pursue exciting partnerships with artists and organizations who reflect shared values in their own spaces.

Check out our other posts for more info on these amazing shows and artists!

Last week, Sarah Wong and jes sachse began their time in residence with the Dancemakers at the Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance to develop their work Wheezy Breezy. We are excited to announce that Summerworks will be presenting three showings of Wheezy Breezy on August 2, 3 & 4! More details on these performances (including access measures) will be released soon. Stay tuned for snippets of jes and Sarah in process in the coming days!

Wheezy Breezy was originally curated by Arts Assembly, through an open call for curatorial projects, initiated by Dancemakers.

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🌳DANCING IN DUFFERIN GROVE WITH SANJUKTA🍃
🗓️July 13
⏰3pm
💲Free!

Join Dancemakers Guest Curator .bj for a conversation introducing the themes and styles of her upcoming residency Embodiment of Tagore’s Poetic Vision.

Are you curious about dance styles with diasporic lineages? Does the intersection of poetry, theatre and dance interest you? Do you enjoy snacks in the park on a Saturday? Then this event is for you!

Sanjukta will share more about Tagore’s vision of Fusion dance which is loosely coined as “Rabindra Nritya” with a short demonstration at the end.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or whatever might make sitting in the grass comfortable

Light snacks and beverages will be offered

There will be a chance to participate at the end of the demonstration, so wear comfortable clothing if you’re interested!

Register at the link in bio to attend!

✨INTRODUCING GUEST CURATOR SANJUKTA BANERJEE ✨

Sanjukta joins Dancemakers as Guest Curator for the 2023-2024 season, where she will shape a residency in Fall 2024 with both local and international collaborators that will culminate in a final showing at the York Woods Library theatre.

“Embodiment of Tagore’s Poetic Vision” are explorations taking place in the genre of fusion dance choreographed to Rabindranth Tagore’s poetic resources. The process of dance making as visualized by Tagore is inspired from the vocabulary of Indian classical dance forms (Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam) and dance theatre form (Kathakali). The residency explores the question of how Bengali dancers are choreographing and constructing the soulful rendition of Tagore’s poetic compositions with their knowledge of the vocabulary acquired from specific dance genres.

We’re so excited to watch Sanjukta’s process unfold! To learn more about “Embodiment of Tagore’s Poetic Vision”, visit www.dancemakers.org/guestcuratorsanjuktabanerjee




Photo Credit: Dibyajyoti Giri

See pinned comment for image description.

The artist researchers of the Artist Research Project are covering a large scope of different topics, from focusing on set design, to highlighting the behind the scenes production staff. We are so lucky to have Lucy Rupert revisiting one of Dancemakers’ most well-documented works: Serge Bennathan’s “Chronicles of a Simple Life”.

Serge Bennathan served as Artistic Director for Dancemakers from 1990-2006. Many of his works like Quand les grand-mères s’envolent, and the Satie Project went on to receive wide acclaim, and are still considered some of the company’s most important works.

Visit https://dancemakers.org/archivalproject to learn more about Lucy’s work!

Are you a dancer, choreographer, producer or multidisciplinary artist who is curious about “curating” dance?

Join us on June 21st at 12pm EST for the Why Curate Dance panel!

In anticipation of Dancemakers 2024/2025 call for Guest curators, we’re hosting 4 Canadian artist curators in a conversation about curating dance.

As Dancemakers continues its mission to incubate dance curators at every step in their career, we present an opportunity to learn what the practice of curating can offer dance through the eyes of these bright and adventurous curators.

We think this panel would be great for:
🔀Dance artists who are innovating the way dance is presented
🏖️Folks interested in showing dance outside of traditional environments
🧐Curious thinkers with a desire to be in residence to explore dance related questions
💃🏾Choreographers practicing forms that have not been traditionally shown in « black box theatres »
🙋🏻Artists considering applying to the Dancemakers Guest Curator call for the first time!

Click the link in our bio to register now!

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ARTIST RESEARCHER FEATURE: TAMARA JONES

The Dancemakers Archival Research Project is well underway, and our 10 artist researchers have been busy exploring 50 years of archival Dancemakers materials. Our friends over at have been generously hosting and guiding their journeys through the extensive archive, pulling information and inspiration from artifacts like programs, pictures and written/oral histories.

Today, we’d like to feature the insightful and timely work of Tamara Jones! Swipe for some of their thoughts as they develop their project that focuses on Dancemakers’ 1976 tour of performances at prisons and youth detainment facilities.

Visit https://dancemakers.org/archivalproject to learn more about Tamara’s work!

📣COMMUNITY NEWS✨

A workshop with Uppercut Dance Theater expresses the style of the company, which is uniquely shaped by the individual dancers’ style. It is a fusion between the dancers’ approach to method and movement, drawing on inspiration from capoeira, break, contemporary dance, hip hop and acro-dance.

Though fluent in the same movement language, the dancers each represent their unique history and heritage, bringing it together through the dynamism of floorwork and fluidity of contemporary dance.



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✨Dancemakers is proud to be a co-production partner of SAMAH: A celebration of Kathak dance offerings!✨

This captivating one-night-only dance event features a triple bill of Kathak choreographic works. This special evening brings together three different lineages, practices, and approaches to the Kathak form, with all artists working from a diasporic context. Samah aims to showcase the rich investment of the diaspora to continue to evolve and build classical Kathak repertoire. Featuring performances by Tanveer Alam, Sukriti Sharma , and guest artist Barkha Patel (USA).

Last season’s Tanveer Alam and curated the curious and unique residency “Engaging in Repertoire”. We are committed to maintaining relationships with our artists beyond their terms with us, and so we are so delighted to be supporting Tanveer as he collaborates with exciting performers to bring you Samah. We hope to see you there!

Follow Dancemakers as we continue to explore what it means to be a spaceless organization and find alternative ways to support dance artists doing important work that aligns with our mission and values.

Please join us for the 🌀Pushmakers Townhall🌀

🗓️ May 31st, 2024

Cost: Free!

REGISTER AT THE LINK IN BIO

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When we put out a call in November 2023 for manual wheelchair dancers to be part of a residency for Shay Erlich’s Guest Curatorship, we didn’t know what to expect. Since then– we’ve learned so much! Join us for a discussion about manual wheelchair dance in Canada, dance sector needs, and how organizations like Dancemakers are learning to take cues from disability artists to build a strong and inclusive dance sector. 

The zoom meeting will have ASL interpretation, simultaneous French Language interpretation, and CART. If you have access requests to attend this webinar, please email [email protected] for more information.

We encourage artists and arts professionals of all styles and stages to attend!

📣COMMUNITY NEWS📣

Returning live to , Night Shift is seeking dance works by professional dance artists for its sixth annual late-night event taking place October 3-4-5, 2024.Application Deadline: Thursday, April 25 @ 11:59PM EDTNight Shift is a late-night event that showcases innovative and thought-provoking dance by today’s dynamic movement makers. Working in partnership with , Night Shift will present 3 individuals, collectives, or companies per night, providing a total of 9 unique performance opportunities. For more information on eligibility and to apply, head to

We are thrilled to be welcoming Noor into the Dancemakers family as our new Marketing Coordinator.

Noor is a multidisciplinary artist who enjoys working within community led and non-profit arts spaces. She is an avid cinema goer, tea enthusiast and loves everything dance! 

We are so excited for the ways Noor will be connecting Dancemakers with the broader dance community and dance lovers online and in person. Keep your eyes peeled for some fresh new content coming soon!

Learn more about Noor here: .gatih ✨

I.D: an image of Noor standing in front of a mirror wearing a long black skirt and purple sleeveless top.

Huge congrats to Lamont and the self checkout team for a wonderful week of programming and an energetic finale event! We sent out our fellow friend-of-Dancemakers out to support the closing night!

submitted an exciting proposal to the Guest Curatorship call in 2023 to remount : a Spring Break intensive for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their allies (ages 14-18) to explore their artistic curiosities as the collaboratively cultivate a safer space within this creative environment. We are happy to be partnering with them in a different way, as a co-production partner. As Dancemakers explores what it means to be a spaceless organization, we are finding alternative ways to support dance artists doing important work that aligns with our mission and values.

Stay tuned for more information on our co-production partners and how Dancemakers is uplifting and amplifying diverse forms of dance programming!

Image 1: a wall containing 8 Self Checkout posters.

Image 2: 14 performers and artists pose on stage in front of audience members who are seated.

Image 3: two artists smile and pose for the camera.

📣COMMUNITY NEWS📣

UNCLEARING: A Double Bill by   💫

🗓️ April 5th at 7:30pm l April 6th at 1:30pm & 7:30pm
📍 Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W
🎟️ https://my.harbourfrontcentre.com/overview/40417/ - link can be found in their bio!

Co-created by choreographer Sophie Dow, and composer and musician Laura Reznek, Agrimony walks the edge between evocative live concert and embodied contemporary dance. Agrimony examines our desperate search for authenticity within a society that masks our truest selves.

Choreographed by Chimera founding Artistic Director Malgorzata Nowacka-May, Soft is an athletically-charged collision between the dissonance of life’s mundane, daily tasks and instinctual fear. Soft features an original score by composer Eric Cadesky.

Unclearing is performed by: Tavia Christina, Louis Laberge-Côte, Sophie Dow, Amy Hampton, Sebastian Hirtenstein, Ryan Kostyniuk, Dana Macdonald, Christian Lavigne, Jonah Ocean, Mohammed Rashead, Laura Reznek, Mio Sakamoto, Amanda Testini (Apr 5), Charlotte Telfer-Wan (Apr 6)

If the price of the tickets is a financial barrier for you, please reach out to [email protected] and they will happily accommodate you.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TO A SUCCESSFUL PHOTO IDENT-A-THON!

We are so grateful for everyone who turned up last Saturday! The afternoon was spent reminiscing on some of Dancemakers most important contributors and works. We are so grateful for the opportunity to name and acknowledge the work of these pioneers of Canadian dance!

Thank you to for hosting and facilitating the experience, and for taking such diligent care of the Dancemakers archive. Amy, Beth, Michael, Luke and Nick, we appreciate you!

Thank you to the folks at for the space and technical support! Katherine and Frankie, you’re the best!

Finally, to all the *dance makers* who showed up: it is an honour to continue the legacies you started in 1974. We hold this privilege with gratitude and care.

Stay tuned for more news and events around the Dancemakers 50th anniversary and our archival research project!

Image 1: 12 individuals sit on a set of stairs smiling at the camera.

Image 2: an individual points at a projection of 3 dancers in a studio.

Image 3: audience members sit on chairs, watching the screen.

Image 4: an image of a projection of a dancer doing a ballet pose.

Image 5: 12 individuals sit on a set of stairs, smiling at the camera.

Dancemakers alumni (artistic directors, dancers, choreographers, designers, production staff, managers, etc), particularly from the first 30 years of the company’s history, as well as the public, are invited to help complete identification of the Dancemakers photographic collection in the archives. Images will be projected and notetakers will record information. The event will also be video recorded for DCD’s collection.
Where: Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St., Toronto
When: Saturday, March 23 at 11am
We are also arranging for live digital access.
RSVP for the event at [email protected]
Please let us know if you require live digital access.

[ID: A black and white image of 5 dancers posing with their right hand on their chins. Their faces are marked with 5 red question marks. The top right of the image is in red letters reads: Dancemakers. Bottom Center reads: PHOTO IDENT-A-THON in white letters.]

So glad to have Same As Sister back in action this February with a workshop series hosted by our friends at Workman arts!

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We invite you to register for our course, REIMAGINING MADNESS THROUGH REENACTMENT!

The deadline to register is next Tuesday, January 16th, 11:59 PM. To register, please find the **link in our bio**.

Co-facilitated by  (S.A.S.)/Briana Brown-Tipley + Hilary Brown-Istrefi and  in partnership with 

Saturday and Sunday, February 10-11 & 17-18, 2024
1-5 PM daily with a 30-minute break

CAMH Auditorium
1025 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1H4

• •

REIMAGINING MADNESS THROUGH REENACTMENT is an exploratory choreographic intensive co-facilitated by interdisciplinary performance collective Same As Sister and disability arts advisor Rachel da Silveira Gorman to introduce participants to their shared research on the deconstruction and reimagining of representations of race and madness from popular cinema and television.

This intensive is open to BIPOC participants with a lived-experience of madness/mental illness. No prior dance or choreographic training is required, only a committed interest in learning more about practices rooted in these disciplines.

Selected participants must be available to attend all four (4) sessions due to the intimate nature of the subject matter and discussion being shared.

An active listener will be present throughout the intensive.

Writing and other creative research materials will be provided, in addition to snacks and beverages during break periods.

• •

Photo Credit: 

Image Description: In front of a white wall with wooden dance barre and doors, Same As Sister, biracial black and white twin sisters, mirror one another’s hair
fixing gestures while standing side by side. Separated by a line of red tap on a gray floor, the sister to the left wears a brunette afro wig and bright red sweater, with the sister to the right dressed all in black.

CALL FOR ARTIST RESEARCHERS:
Dancers, writers, photographers, writers who dance, dancers who take photos, artists who have seen a Dancemakers show, dance makers who research
⬇️⬇️⬇️

In the summer of 2024, Dancemakers will turn 50.

In a time of crucial and critical looking back, Dancemakers will work with 5-10 dancers/researchers to engage with our archive, which is housed at located at 2 Carlton St Unit 1303 in Tkaranto.

It is intended that each dancer/researcher will create at least one piece of writing, a photo essay and/or video compilation that will permanently live on Dancemakers’ new website (set to launch summer 2024).

LEARN MORE AND APPLY AT dancemakers.org/archival-project

🌀🌀🌀🌀

[Image Description: Blue and orange swirling lines faintly suggest the figure of a person reclining. On top of this graphic is the text: “The first performing company to be created by York University Dance Department graduates has been formed by Andrea Smith and Marcy Sadler. The company, called Dancemakers, will give a week of performances in Toronto in early September.”]

CALL FOR WHEELCHAIR DANCERS!!

READ DETAILS BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️

As one of Dancemakers’ 2023/2024 guest curators, Shay Erlich will be holding a residency for manual wheelchair dancers in July/August of 2024. This program will be an opportunity for wheelchair users interested in developing movement vocabulary for dance to develop and document wheelchair dance vocabulary for the broader contemporary dance community. 

Four (4) artists will be selected through this open call to work closely with Shay and artistic collaborators.
The residency will culminate in a virtual community sharing which will be open to the public. 

——————

[Image Description: Flyer for Pushmakers’ Residency has black text is layered on a background of orange, yellow and peach shapes saying the following: »Calling all wheelchair dancers: With the support of Dancemakers, Guest Curator Shay Erlich will be facilitating The Pushmakers Residency lab. What: A residency for manual wheelchair dancers to develop  and document movement vocabulary in wheelchair dance. When: July and August 2024 (3 weeks, total of 40 hours of work). Who: Seeking manual wheelchair dancers who have some previous experience of dance training or performance. Multiply marginalized wheelchair dancers will be prioritized for this opportunity. How: Visit www.dancemakers.org/pushmakers for application details!” Dancemakers logo of black and grey text reading “DANCEMAKERS CENTRE FOR CREATION” is at the bottom of the flyer.]

Dancemakers is happy to share with our community the culmination of the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence’s 18-month research period in the final report titled Reimagining an Institution: Dancemakers and Beyond.

Dancemakers is grateful for the space that made for important questions, deep conversations and future imaginings, and to for the feat that was synthesizing many rich findings into one report. Thank you to those who took part in the leadership residency and our curators-in-residency who contributed to the report. Huge thanks to the artist-researchers:






And to everyone in the community who came out to participate in their workshops.

We hope that artists, collectives and organizations alike read this report— as a way of getting to know Dancemakers but also as an instrument for strategizing change.

Visit www.dancemakers.org/organizational-change to access Reimagining an Institution: Dancemakers and Beyond

Announcing Arts Assembly & Upcoming artist talk and demonstration with Same As Sister - https://mailchi.mp/dancemakers/artistic-producer-announced-16894750

Announcing programming for 2023/24! - https://mailchi.mp/dancemakers/artistic-producer-announced-16892630

ANNOUNCING GUEST-CURATORS Same As Sister

We have completed our guest curator selection process, and we are happy to announce our first guest curators, Same As Sister (S.A.S.)/Briana Brown-Tipley + Hilary Brown-Istrefi! We will be supporting a month-long development residency with Same As Sister at the Dance Arts Institute () with a culminating artist-talk/demonstration at Rendezvous with Madness () on Sat Oct 28 at the CAMH Auditorium.

Upstairs, In Our Bedroom is an interdisciplinary performance that places Same As Sister’s experiences as female identical twins of color next to the real-life story of outsider authors June & Jennifer Gibbons (a.k.a. The Silent Twins (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/12/04/we-two-made-one)). Utilizing dance, text, mobile VR technology, and puppetry they will reveal the dual struggles to be recognized as individuals within a pairing and within a racist and patriarchal society.

Upstairs, In Our Bedroom is being commissioned and developed through the HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP) NYC, with additional support from Dancemakers (Toronto). The project was developed in part during a 2022-2023 Plug-N-Play Residency at Toronto Dance Theatre ()

[Image Description: Same As Sister who are biracial black and white twin sisters, rehearse in a dance studio with a red brick wall. Briana standing (left) adjusts two rainbow children's sweaters worn as puppets on Hilary's legs and arms (right), who is laying on top of a hanging black fabric. A small bundle of cotton stuffing is on the floor next to them.]

Photo credit: Emma Joy/Toronto Dance Theatre

As the seasons change, we'd like to announce a shift in the Dancemakers' staff for the 2023-2024 programming year. Cara is preparing to start a one-year maternity leave and we are thrilled to welcome Christina to the Dancemakers' team during this time!

Christina will be producing the upcoming programming (which will be announced shortly!) as well as further implement the culmination of the past two years of research done by the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence as our company continues to shift, grow, change and evolve.

Christina’s artistic practice is the result of over a decade of commercial work in both Los Angeles and Toronto, community arts education through the Cabbagetown Youth Centre and years of personal research around diasporic dance forms and the ethics of curation.

After engaging with Dancemakers as a spectator and performer many times over the years, Christina is excited to work and think with the organization to care for dance makers and audiences during the upcoming 2023-2024 programming season.

Feel free to reach out to Christina at
[email protected] if you'd like to connect!

As the seasons change, we'd like to announce a shift in the Dancemakers' staff for the 2023-2024 programming year. Cara is preparing to start a one-year maternity leave and we are thrilled to welcome Christina to the Dancemakers' team during this time!

Christina will be producing the upcoming programming (which will be announced shortly!) as well as further implement the culmination of the past two years of research done by the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence as our company continues to shift, grow, change and evolve.

My name is Christina de la Cruz and I am humbled to be filling Cara’s shoes for the year.

My personal artistic practice is the result of over a decade of commercial work in both Los Angeles and Toronto, community arts education through the Cabbagetown Youth Centre, and years of personal research around diasporic dance forms and the ethics of curation.

Last year, I narrowed my focus on dance research more formally at McMaster University, culminating in a Master's degree in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. It was through this platform that I studied the history of Black dance in Toronto closely, all the while nurturing inquiries around how to care for and archive important Canadian dance production.
After engaging with Dancemakers as a spectator and performer many times over the years, I am excited to work and think with them to care for dance makers and audiences during the upcoming 2023-2024 programming season.

Present Artistic Producer Cara Spooner and Christina de la Cruz will be working closely together over the month of September to ensure a smooth transfer of duties and responsibilities.

Read a review by Christina in the Dance Current here: https://thedancecurrent.com/review/two-performances-that-create-clear-and-hold-space/

Feel free to reach out to Christina at [email protected] if you'd like to connect!

Photo by Anthony Gebrehiwot

[Image description: Black and white image of Christina, sitting with legs folded, hand under chin, looking to the distance]

Guest Curators will select, support and contextualize programming for artistic development and public sharing.

Guest Curators are encouraged to dream projects into being that may not be feasibly supported in more traditional performance venues, companies or festivals. Site-specific projects, projects outside of the downtown core, projects that engage with and integrate communities/audiences, projects that deeply consider the curatorial context of the work and that engage with a range of dance forms will be prioritized.

Link to application in bio!

Current Artistic Producer, Cara Spooner will be starting a one-year maternity leave on October 1 2023 with the intention of having an overlap with an Interim Artistic Producer for the month of September 2023.

The Interim Artistic Producer will be pivotal in continuing to shape the organization as Dancemeakers continues to evolve. They will spearhead the implementation of the community-informed recommendations (from the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence) as well as support innovative programming by a range of Guest Curators and dance artists.

We invite all who are interested in the role of Interim Artistic Producer to share an Expression of Interest with the board. Please include a resume and cover letter outlining your experience, in either running an arts organization, or related experience, and your relationship with Dancemakers’ current transformation.

Please email expressions of interest to [email protected]

Experience being considered:

-Producing experience (for supporting Guest Curator projects for the 2023/24 year)
-Financial experience (with granting bodies, operational funding cycles, managing an audit, day to day banking and CADAC)
-Visioning experience (for integrating recommendations from the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence, developing a 3-year strategic plan in collaboration with the board and an external consultant and continuing the momentum to re-imagine the company as it is still transforming)
-Governance support (working with the board and support staff on compliance and ONCA bylaws)
We invite you to share this with your networks and ask you to encourage those who you know to submit!

Friday August 11
Deadline to express interest

More details about the position will be shared directly with candidates during meetings with the board of directors and the current Artistic Producer.

Midway through our first week of Reimagining an Institution offerings!

Still spots available for tomorrow & Friday! Sign up link in bio

Photo by Henry Chan from Monday's in person / online session

We are thrilled to be partnering with Summerworks for the Reading Room Aug 3-8 2023!!

Grab a drink and read up on diverse performance-making practices and processes, in this intentional yet relaxed space. A broad selection of books and articles about theatre, dance, and performance are available for you to enjoy onsite.

Feel free to find a cozy nook to experience a piece of writing on your own or connect with someone else in the Room and engage in conversation about what you’re reading.

Learn more about how various performance works are (devised/designed/constructed) and what kinds of (practices/research/inspiration) inform the types of artistic work you will see at the Festival.

Expand your knowledge to think more (critically/poetically) and deepen your awareness to (understand/sense) more about the world around you.

The Reading Room is an emergent project drawing shape from an ongoing conversation with Dance Arts Institute (formerly The School of Toronto Dance Theatre).

Presented in partnership with Citadel + Compagnie and Dancemakers.

Part of the SummerWorks Exchange programming – a series of events to facilitate artist and community growth, to strengthen the ecology of live performance in Canada, and expand our dialogue and collaboration with the international arts community.

Accessibility Information

- Accessible Transit: The Citadel is located near accessible transit stops at Parliament Street at Dundas Street East. There is currently construction at Castle Frank Station that began in late Fall 2021 and will be completed in 2024. Please visit the TTC website for current updates.

- Closest Accessible Parking: There is a wheelchair accessible parking garage at Parliament and Dundas located at 1 Cole St.

- Location Access: Both Studio A and Studio B are accessible by a two-person elevator located at the lobby level. Community members using mobility devices can use the elevator to access these spaces, however, it requires a staff member’s assistance to operate. We regret this obstacle to greater accessibility. 

- Location Washrooms: The Citadel has an accessible washroom located in the lobby at street level.