ANGELA BLUMBERG
Originally from Germany, Angela Blumberg obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in contemporary dance from the Laban Centre (London, 2006), and her Master’s Degree in choreography from York University (Toronto, 2011). Now based in Toronto, Angela founded Human Atoms Choreographies in 2011 and has presented work in Canada, the UK, Sweden, Taiwan and Germany. In 2011/12 Angela collaborated with gamUT, the University of Toronto’s contemporary music ensemble, performing and choreographing 20th century music. As a dancer, Angela performed in works by renowned choreographers Julia Sasso and Keiko Kitano. Angela is a certified as a GYROTONIC® instructor and currently works at GYROTONIC® Toronto and the THE LOFT- Spinal Health Specialist. She also has the pleasure of working as a guest artist at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts teaching contemporary dance and improvisation.
Jennifer Dallas is an established contemporary artist, hailing from the Canadian Rockies. With over 10 years of professional experience that stretches four continents. Dallas’ work as a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director reflects her belief in the connective potential of dance. The founder of, Toronto based, contemporary dance company Kẹmi, Jennifer’s work embodies diversity, collaboration, and play. She began her formal dance training in Ballet, graduating from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 2005. By 2010, Dallas was the Metcalf Intern for 10 Gates working with Tedd Robinson, and had received a K.M Hunter nomination. Dallas has proudly served on the Ontario board of directors for the Alliance of Dance Artists, and is a a regular guest at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Dallas’ work abroad (Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Africa, Russia, and Israel) has earned her critical acclaim, culminating in 2015 with a 7-city Canadian tour (Idiom) highlighting her intimate work with Burkinabe artist Bienvenue Bazié. Identified by Dance Current magazine as “someone on the Canadian dance scene to pay attention to” (2015), and having performed works by Susie Burpee, Marc Boivin, Adedayo Liadi, and Tedd Robinson early in her career, Dallas is an artistic visionary who brings a unique combination of technical skill and playful insight to her work. https://vimeo.com/kemiprojects.
Jessie Garon grew up on a cattle farm outside of Edmonton. Her grandparents are farmers and parents an engineer and an entrepreneur. This childhood instilled in her a love of creative problem solving and a drive to make something new. At twelve years old she moved to the city, there becoming a graduate of The Edmonton School of Ballet, and later to Toronto where she graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
In 2013, she interned with Danielle Agami’s Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY where she studied the Gaga movement language daily. These philosophies continue to play an integral role in her doctrine and work. As a performer, she has worked with Anandam Dance Theatre, Jennifer Dallas/Kemi Contemporary Dance Projects, Lemi Ponifasio/MAU (New Zealand), Little Pear Garden Collective, and Serge Bennathan, among others.
In 2014, Garon co-founded the multidisciplinary company ‘Vazari Dance Projects’ (Vazari) with Anastasia Shivrina. With Vazari she has since choreographed the works, #Hangman (co-creation with Anastasia Shivrina, 2014), [decoherence] (2015) and AS A BODY (2015). Her work with Vazari has been presented across Canada and garnered residency’s at The Winchester Street Theatre (Toronto), Dance Alberta (Edmonton), The Centre for Movement Arts (Calgary), and The Wilder Building (Montreal).
For more than a decade, Toronto-based dance artist Tracey Norman has been a driving force in her community, splitting her time between choreographing, teaching, performing and researching dance. Her choreography has been presented on stages across Canada with credits including, DanceWorks, Dance Ontario, Festival de Danse en l’Atlantique, Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival and Kinetic Studio. Her work has been described as “refreshing and original” (The Globe and Mail).
Currently on faculty in the Department of Dance at York University, Tracey received her MFA in Choreography and Dramaturgy in 2010. She teaches dance to children of all ages at Tandem Studios in Toronto, and workshops in public schools across Ontario. She is a member of the Intergalactic Arts Collective, an artist-run organization that focuses on the research and presentation of new performance work and is housed at Artscape Youngplace in Toronto. Tracey works often as an outside eye to other artists and served on the board of directors for the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists from 2008-11. Last season, she premiered what goes between for Forcier/Norman, a DanceWorks Mainstage performance at Harbourfront Centre Theatre, and is about to begin creation on a new group work.
SARA PORTER
Sara Porter is a multi-faceted dancer + performer, choreographer, vocalist and writer with a distinctive voice and a broad palette. Celebrated for her daring imagination and being wickedly funny, Sara’s recent one-woman show Sara does a Solo has toured coast to coast in Canada and US to acclaim.
Sara has created over twenty-five multi-disciplinary works since 1990 including Blossom, a work about erotic poetry that compares women to flowers; Those Penetrating Dreams, a spoof on Harlequin Romances; and Opus Ornithologicus: the great bird work for which she was invited to Scotland’s Holyrood Palace to perform for Prince Charles. Her work has toured to theatres and festivals across Canada, in the US, and UK. Her dance writings have been published for 30 years in Canada and the UK. She has taught theory and studio courses in contemporary dance in colleges and universities in Canada and Scotland. Native of Nova Scotia, Porter was based in Montreal, then Edinburgh, before settling in Toronto in 1998.
Sara’s newest memoir-based solo – Getting to Know your Fruit – is in development and will premiere in 2019.
Recent projects include working with Stacie Dunlop (The Lonely Child Project, Toronto), Lacey Smith (The Sisyphus Project, Toronto), Sarah Bild (Artefact, Montreal), Douglas Dunn (Pandora, New York City), Holly Treddenick (Into the Fire, Toronto).
Sara is Associate Artist at lbs/sq” performance working with Gerry Trentham – and Katherine Duncanson – building interdisciplinary modes of performance. She is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, and the Toronto Alliance of Performing Arts.
Sara was recently awarded a prestigious Chalmers Arts Fellowship to research new modes of Memoir & Movement in 2019.
Jessica Runge is an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She has performed to critical acclaim across Canada and internationally in the works of a number of notable choreographers, including Peggy Baker, Christopher House, Tedd Robinson and Holly Small. Runge has danced as a member of the major Canadian dance companies the Toronto Dance Theatre and Le Groupe Dance Lab. Runge’s work as a choreographer investigates the way movement has meaning for audiences. She is interested in a range of expressivity, and has found potential in diverse physical vocabularies and structural forms (including: site-specific work, aerial dance, and interactive projects). Her choreography has been presented at numerous venues and festivals, garnering recognition including the KM Hunter Award. Runge teaches dance in a variety of settings to people of all ages and abilities. She is a frequent guest in local elementary schools. Since 2013, Runge has been based in studio 103 in Artscape Youngplace, as a member of the space-sharing Intergalactic Arts Collective. She teaches, rehearses, and performs out of her studio. She is currently creating a new solo entitled “Uncollected Works”, rehearsing a new work by Holly Small, and preparing to tour “Flying Hearts,” a dance theatre piece for young and special needs audiences created by Theatre Direct. For more information about her creative dance classes and other upcoming events, please visit www.jessicarunge.com.
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