Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Fall For Dance North (FFDN), Toronto’s Premier International Dance Festival, proudly presents an eclectic and acclaimed line-up of world-class companies and artists as part of its highly anticipated 2018 festival from Oct. 2 to 6, 2018 at festival co-presenter Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and, FFDN’s newest venue, Ryerson Theatre, in partnership with Ryerson School of Performance. Each evening, kaleidoscopic programming will take audiences on a journey, showcasing works from four companies who represent diversity in geography, from Toronto’s own Red Sky Performance to the Netherlands’ Introdans; diversity in style, from the polished precision of The National Ballet of Canada to the uninhibited street dance of Soweto Skeleton Movers; coupled with diversity in generation, from rising star Emma Portner to living legend Jiří Kylián.
Founded on the value that dance is one of humanity’s most universal art forms, Fall For Dance North manifests this belief and ensures accessibility by offering all festival tickets for only $15. The full festival line-up can be found online at ffdnorth.com.
This year also marks the expansion of FFDN’s public programming at Union Station, which will count down the final 10 days to the festival opening. From Sept. 22 to Oct. 4, four free presentations will be hosted in Union Station’s West Wing, including: In Museum, an interactive work performed by the dancers of the acclaimed Compagnie Marie Chouinard; a tap performance by Toronto-based Toffan Rhythm Projects; a tango milonga with live accompaniment; and the return of the two-day Open Studio featuring sneak peeks of rehearsals by local and festival artists.
“Last year, with the our addition of free Union Station programming, we brought dance into the lives of more citizens than ever before. This year we will do so again, adding Ryerson Theatre to our list of venues and welcoming thousands more into the FFDN community,” says Ilter Ibrahimof, FFDN Artistic Director. “While we are a young organization, we are immensely proud of the support, trust, and following we have built with our patrons to date. This year, new and returning audiences will be treated to a host of milestone firsts for the festival: a spectacular contribution from New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer Justin Peck; a world premiere commissioned by FFDN from Anne Plamondon and Emma Portner; and an endless array of evocative, engaging, and exquisite artistic surprises.”
The Fall For Dance North 2018 Programs include:
MAINSTAGE at SONY CENTRE
Program 1: Oct. 3 (official festival opening) & 4 at 7:30pm
Opening with an electro-acoustic, symphonic epic and closing with pulsing house beats, this program will transport audiences across landscapes, borders, and cultures, speaking to the universal connections artists make with the world around them.
Red Sky Performance (Toronto): A special edition of Adizokan with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra
At its 2017 premiere, this genre-defying work was heralded for its artful integration of dance, film, and musical elements including Indigenous vocals, and electro-acoustic and orchestral music by Canadian composer Eliot Britton. This special FFDN edition focuses on contemporary and traditional Indigenous dance components choreographed by Jera Wolfe, Sandra Laronde, and Michel Bruyere, using movement to mount a fascinating exploration of Indigenous connections to ancestral origins.
Compagnie Marie Chouinard (Montreal): Radical Vitality, Solos and Duets (excerpts) by Marie Chouinard
In this Toronto premiere, the legendary creator revisits her extensive four decades of repertoire with fresh eyes and inspiration, including excerpts from a full-length piece that just had its world premiere at the Venice Biennale Danza 2018, where Chouinard was this season’s director. Her view of dance as a sacred art will be manifest in every motion of her profoundly expressive company as they make their FFDN debut.
Los Hijos Del Director/George Céspedes (Cuba): La Tribulación De Anaximandro (Hombre, Arche, Apeiron) (excerpts)
Directed and choreographed by award-winning George Céspedes, this ebullient and energetic Havana-based company make their Canadian debut with a strikingly beautiful contemporary work set to a driving techno disco score. The piece explores the answer to a burning question: How do we dance in an undefined and unlimited way in a world of precision and limits?
Soweto Skeleton Movers (South Africa): Seven
After amazing international audiences at UK’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre and local crowds at Breakin’ Convention Toronto 2017, this high-energy crew returns to astound and amaze with comedic contortionism, frenetic footwork, and their unique brand of Pantsula: a dance form that originated in the black townships of South Africa during the Apartheid era.
MAINSTAGE at SONY CENTRE
Program 2: Oct. 5 at 7:30pm & Oct. 6 at 2pm
The festival continues with artistic fireworks; a collection of companies representing technical mastery and inspired creation.
Introdans (The Netherlands): Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen (Songs Of A Wayfarer) by Jiří Kylián
with musicians from The Glenn Gould School
The company shares an elegant, fluid, and seemingly effortless series of duets by world-renowned choreographer Jiří Kylián, former artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater for nearly a quarter century. This iconic work translates a composition of the same name by Gustav Mahler into a beautiful choreographic score, which will be played live by 10 musicians and a soloist from The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory.
Obeah Opera 2019 (Toronto): An a cappella musical dance odyssey
The vision of Nicole Brooks (Music & Libretto) with choreography by Anthony “Prime” Guerra, Obeah Opera retells the narrative of the Salem witch trials through the eyes of Caribbean slave women. Performed by a powerful all-female cast with a live a cappella score, this special showcase shares new choreography developed for an upcoming 2019 reiteration of this one of a kind production, which originally premiered during the Pan Am Games in 2015.
The National Ballet of Canada (Toronto): Paz de la Jolla by Justin Peck with The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra
The subject of the celebrated documentary Ballet 422, New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s creation is a buoyant and beachy tribute to his home state of California. This large ensemble work exquisitely embodies the thrills and fears of coming of age; and the heedless sugar rush of young summer love.
Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (France): What the Day Owes to the Night (excerpts) by Hervé Koubi
Created with and for a company of 14 Algerian and Burkina Faso dancers, mostly originating from street dance and hip-hop, the Toronto premiere of this contemporary dance work takes its name from Algerian author Yasmina Khadra’s 2008 novel. In it, Koubi explores his own Algerian origins and journey through a combination of capoeira, martial arts, urban, and contemporary dance tinged with evocative Islamic imagery.
FFDN at RYERSON THEATRE
Program 3: Oct. 2 & 4 at 7:30pm
The festival’s newest venue, Ryerson Theatre hosts the final program of FFDN 2018 and celebrates the voices of emerging and established female leaders in dance, highlighting works by female artists, choreographers, and artistic directors.
La Otra Orilla (Montreal): RITE / a flamenco ceremony by Myriam Allard
These radical flamenco innovators re-invent the tradition-filled form with a trans-disciplinary vision of its percussive dance and keening song. Making its Toronto premiere, this cabaret-style work offers spontaneous, intimate conversations between musicians and a solo dancer, exploring numerous styles born from this powerful and passionate art form.
Introdans (The Netherlands): Canto Ostinato by Lucinda Childs
This Canadian premiere was created specifically for Introdans by iconic septuagenarian choreographer Lucinda Childs, whose Einstein on the Beach appeared at Luminato in 2012. One of two contributions from the company at FFDN 2018, this beautiful minimalist work is abundant with clean lines, tight formations, and understated elegance.
Anne Plamondon (Montreal) + Emma Portner (USA): Counter Cantor – FFDN Commission
An international dance fixture for more than 25 years, Anne Plamondon has performed with Netherlands Dans Theatre 2, Kidd Pivot, and Les Grands Ballets Canadian, and performed at FFDN 2016 in Crystal Pite’s A Picture of You Falling. The 23-year-old Canadian-born Portner is a rising choreographic star and social media sensation, creating work for Justin Bieber’s world tours, New York City Ballet, and her own L.A-based company, Emma Portner & Artists. This FFDN commissioned world premiere will see the two women meld their unique voices in a thrilling collaboration.
Ballet Kelowna (Kelowna): MAMBO by Alysa Pires
The evening ends with an east coast premiere and a homecoming, as Ryerson graduate Alysa Pires shares work on her alma mater’s stage. Her zany, tongue-in-cheek creation allows Ballet Kelowna’s technically-skilled artists to unleash their playful side to infectious jazz tunes by Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como, and more.
In addition to its Mainstage Programs, FFDN features an extensive variety of ancillary events and programming that seek to introduce dance to public life, enrich audience appreciation for the form, and offer dance practitioners opportunities to enhance their craft and career. Activities in 2018 include:
•FREE Programming at Union Station, as part of Union Dance, from Sept. 22 – Oct. 4, including dance performances, Open Studio’s behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, and more.
•Complimentary master classes and workshops for dance artists and non-dancers.
•The return of its popular Artist Talks prior to every performance, both at Sony and Ryerson.
•Complimentary master classes and workshops for dance artists and non-dancers.
•An International Presenters Program that connects local artists and companies with a network of international programmers, producers, and presenters.
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Fall For Dance North gratefully acknowledges the generous support and vision of the following individuals, supporters, and partners:
Board of Directors: Joan Lozinski (Chair), Julia Blackburn, Cara Grant, Laura Hage, Gerry Hannochko, Heather Ogden, Sonia Rodriguez, Gretchen Ross
Presenting Partners: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Ryerson School of Performance, Union Station
About Fall For Dance North (ffdnorth.com)
Fall For Dance North is Toronto’s premier dance festival and an Ontario not-for-profit organization and registered charity. Founded in response to the crucial need to fortify the dance audience of the future, FFDN has been attracting new audiences to experience a diversity of the best established and emerging dance happening in Toronto, across Canada and around the world since the first season in 2015. The festival’s mandate is to reflect Toronto’s multiculturalism, create an atmosphere of shared discovery, and entice people to attend live dance performance throughout the year. The fourth edition of FFDN takes place Oct. 2–6, 2018, with three unique programs across six performances running at festival co-presenter Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and — FFDN’s newest venue — Ryerson Theatre, in partnership with Ryerson School of Performance. To make dance accessible to all, tickets for any seat are available for only $15. Additional free programming at Toronto’s Union Station also runs from Sept. 22 – Oct. 4.
Fall For Dance North was inspired by New York City Center’s Fall For Dance Festival.
Fall For Dance North 2018
Dates: October 2 to 6, 2018
Venues: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
1 Front Street East, Toronto, ON
-AND-
Ryerson Theatre
43 Gerrard St. East, Toronto, ON
Ticket Prices:
Single Tickets: $15
Festival Passes: $45
Tickets and Info: ffdnorth.com
2018-08-14
Toronto: "Fall for Dance North" presents its largest ever line-up October 2-6