5 dancers, 2 choreographers, 2 musicians, 1 costume designer and 1 lighting designer, have created 2 world premieres dance works for Stages, a compelling evening of dance with world class artists.
About Stages
Kemi
Contemporary Dance Projects (Kemi) is a not-for-profit dance company with Jennifer
Dallas, founder and artistic director, at the helm.
September
18-21, 2013 at the Winchester Street Theatre in Toronto, Canada Kemi presents its
third full-length evening of dance entitled Stages. The production includes 2 premieres: Time Now, a trio for 3 women by Jennifer Dallas, and Thirst by Tedd Robinson, a duet for
Michael Caldwell and Jennifer Dallas.
The seed for Time Now came from Jennifer’s interest in Duke Ellington’s Big
Band music and in women of the 1920s. The work has evolved as a broad study of women.
Empowerment, feminine unity, women’s place in social structure, the female
silhouette, sexuality and language were all of interest to Jennifer in the
creation of Time Now. Ultimately in Time Now the relationships between the 3 dancers reveal feminine power. The dance is set to an
original score by three-time Canadian Juno nominee Elizabeth Shepherd and recorded
at the Glenn Gould Studio by renowned recording engineer John MacLean.
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Photo of Time Now in rehearsal by Omer Yukseker
Thirst brings together seasoned and celebrated artist Tedd Robinson as choreographer, mid-career artists Michael Caldwell and Jennifer Dallas as dancers, and Quebec sensation Charles Quevillon as composer. Tedd Robinson’s work is challenging for the performer and inviting to the audience; it reveals truths of humanity though candour and humour.
Thirst is a work that flowed out of us naturally, with the weight of a desert dune. – Tedd Robinson
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Photo of Thirst at Centre Q by Tedd Robinson
What We Need and What You Get
The Impact
Stages celebrates the work of emerging
and established dance artists and musicians. For the artists involved it has been an
opportunity to create, connect and learn with some of Canada’s most inquisitive
and compelling performing artists. For the audience that fills the seats Stages it is an opportunity to see the
fruits of artistic labour, to be transported through the imagination,
questioned, challenged, touched and inspired.
"An increasingly virtual
culture has altered our understanding of ourselves, our bodies, our
relationships and our responsibilities. Dance helps to remind, reflect and
reconnect audiences by engaging the shared vessel of the human
body. For Kemi, the dance studio/stage is where human interaction can enjoy the
beauty and freedom of transcending age, race and experience.” – Jennifer
Dallas
We are 4-weeks away from opening night! Arts funding has been decided and while we are so grateful for the creation funding received from the Toronto Arts Council in 2011 for Time Now, the fact remains that we have not received any funding for the production of Stages.
Dear friends, admirers and wonderers, we need your help.
Funds from this campaign will first and foremost go to THE ARTISTS, fees for their time, expertise and brilliant work. The expenses of self-presented dance are vast and include the following: rehearsal studio space, theatre rental, lighting design, costuming and set design, materials and construction, technical staff, publicity, documentation (video and photography) and administrative staff.
If we don’t reach our goal we will have to cut back on production expenses and artists will receive a less than ideal fee. If we EXCEED our goal, however, we'll be able to more fairly compensate our team AND increase our marketing and audience reach, bringing Stages to even more people!
By contributing to Stages, in addition to the warm satisfaction of supporting dance art, you will receive a unique perk from Kemi. Among other things we have a collection of cloth from West Africa, music from the show, photographs from the studio, and knitted wear to keep your ankles cozy among other charming things. Check out your choices in the column on the right!
Other Ways You Can Help
Come to the show!
Most
importantly we want our work to be seen! Come see Stages and tell your friends and community
about it. Bring someone who adores contemporary dance or jazz music, or someone who has never been to dance show before – take a chance!
Tweet/Blog/Facebook
Give us a
shout on your favorite social media platform. Ask us for an interview or tell someone who
might be interested in learning more about us. Success comes with the backing
of community, help grow our web of supporters, and of course share this
campaign through the indiegogo share tools.
Volunteer
Many hands
makes light work, we are looking for people in Toronto to support Stages by
offering their time.
For more
information on Stages visit: www.kemiprojects.ca
If you’re
interested in getting in touch with us with questions or to volunteer: info@kemiprojects.ca
About the Artists:
Jennifer Dallas, Artistic Director of Kemi, Choreographer for Time Now, dancer for Thirst
Jennifer Dallas is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer,
teacher and costume designer. In 2010, Dallas was the Metcalf Foundation-funded intern for
10 Gates Dancing under the direction of Tedd Robinson. She was also a K.M.
Hunter award nominee that year. In 2005, Dallas received a DanceWEB scholarship
for study at ImPuls Tanz in Vienna, Austria. She currently sits on the board of
directors for the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – Ontario Chapter.
Dallas is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Her work has been presented in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Toronto. She has created
commissioned works for the Scream Literary Festival, The Crazyfish Collective
and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Dallas has performed in works by Tedd
Robinson, Marc Boivin, Susie Burpee and Adedayo Liadi. She has an ongoing
collaborative partnership with Bienvenue Bazié of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
In July 2012 Dallas was a guest teacher and
artist-in-residence in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso as part of the project Engagement Féminin. In August 2012 she was artist-in-residence at Kolban Dance
in Jerusalem, Israel.
Joanie Audet, Dancer for Time Now
Upon
her graduation from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, she has been working
with Kemi on Jennifer Dallas' new creation Time
Now. She has also danced in work by Susanna Hood, Leslie-Ann Glen, Amy
Hampton, Andrew Hartley, and Keiko Ninomiya.
In
July 2012, Audet was invited by Jennifer Dallas to take part in Projet
Engagement Féminin, an initiative to engage women in dance in Africa. While
travelling, she taught and performed in several Moroccan cities as part of Festival Action Danse 5.
Emma Kerson, Dancer for Time Now
Kerson
graduated The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 2011. She is a recipient of a
Millennium Excellence Award, the Kathryn Ash Leadership Award, and a Metcalf
Foundation Performing Arts Internship grant. Independently, Kerson has had the
pleasure of working with artists such as Sharon B. Moore, Patricia Beatty, Elizabeth Chitty, Jennifer Dallas, and Mary Jo
Mullins, and she continues to work with Kemi and Niagara Dance Company.
Ana
Claudette Groppler, Dancer for Time Now
Ana
Claudette Groppler Graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 2011.
Since graduating Groppler has danced for; Toronto Heritage Dance in David
Earle’s Miserere, Kemi, for Nancy Latoszewski’s, Signal Theatre, Parahumans,
and as a rehearsal assistant for Michael Caldwell’s Ash Unravel presented by Dance: Made in Canada.
Elizabeth Shepherd, Musical
Director/Musician for Time Now
www.elizabethshepherd.com
Elizabeth
Shepherd is a singer/songwriter pianist, combining elements of jazz, soul and
world rhythms. Her music has garnered the attention of both jazz aficionados
and pop critics alike with three vocal jazz JUNO nominations (2007, 2009, 2013)
and a nomination to the Polaris Prize long-list (2010).
John MacLean, Recording Engineer/Musician for Time Now
Saxophone, composition and audio production have taken Ottawa native John MacLean great distances. His collected technical and artistic experience attracts international recording artists to his studio in Toronto as well as to the Glenn Gould Studio where he is a Recording Engineer and Broadcast Technician.
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Photo of Time Now by Omer Yukseker | Dancers Joanie, Emma, Ana
Tedd Robinson, Choreographer for Thirst
www.tengatesdancing.ca
Robinson first rose to prominence as Artistic Director of Contemporary Dancers in Winnipeg, Canada (1984-1990). Having returned to Ottawa in 1990 to pursue a solo career, he is now firmly established as a choreographer, educator and solo artist whose critically acclaimed, award-winning works have won him a multitude of commissions and an international schedule of touring and teaching.
Robinson is Artistic Director of 10 Gates Dancing Inc, formed in 1998 His work is influenced by his 6 years of study as a monk in the Hakukaze soto zen monastery, Ottawa. He now lives and works from le Centre Q: a centre for questioning near Quyon Québec, a renovated 3300 square foot building devoted to residencies for dance artists and artists in related fields.
Michael Caldwell, Dancer for Thirst
Michael Caldwell is a Toronto-based choreographer/performer. A graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, he has interpreted roles for esteemed dance creators, including Peggy Baker, Sylvie Bouchard, Danny Grossman, Guillaume Côté, Maxine Heppner, Sasha Ivanochko, James Kudelka, Louis Laberge-Côté, Tedd Robinson, William Yong, Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, Corpus Dance Projects, Kaeja d’Dance and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, among others. Michael was an interpreter at Le Groupe Dance Lab, studying with Peter Boneham.
Charles Quevillon, Composer/Musician
for Thirst
www.charlesquevillon.wordpress.com
Charles
Quevillon completed his studies in classical guitar and composition at Cégep de
St-Laurent in 2008. Since then, he has concentrated on electroacoustic and
instrumental composition under the guidance of Yves Daoust and Serge Provost at
the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.
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Photo of Tedd Robinson and Charles Quevillon at Centre Q by Michael Caldwell
Ron Snippe, Lighting Designer
Roelof Peter Snippe began his
professional lighting design career with Toronto Workshop Productions under the
direction of George Luscombe. In 1973, he began a long working relationship
with Toronto Dance Theatre, creating designs for over 150 works in the
repertoire. Mr. Snippe has worked with major dance, theatre and opera companies
across Canada and abroad. In 2010, Mr. Snippe was awarded the Dance Ontario
Lifetime Achievement Award.
