LAUNCH!
November 22, 2014, 4:00 PM
James Andreadis
James studied at Humber College for Theatre Performance, where he discovered his passion for movement, there being heavily influenced by his Clown teacher, Dean Gilmour. He has since then pursued clowning with such talent as Helen Donnelly and Francine Cote. He has recently been in the production "As the Foo Turns," a clown show as part of the Toronto Festival of Clowns. James has also developed a passion for contact improvisation. He wishes to continually uncover new ways in which the body can move with lightness and freedom; and to explore the endless possibilities of multiple bodies in a space.
James studied at Humber College for Theatre Performance, where he discovered his passion for movement, there being heavily influenced by his Clown teacher, Dean Gilmour. He has since then pursued clowning with such talent as Helen Donnelly and Francine Cote. He has recently been in the production "As the Foo Turns," a clown show as part of the Toronto Festival of Clowns. James has also developed a passion for contact improvisation. He wishes to continually uncover new ways in which the body can move with lightness and freedom; and to explore the endless possibilities of multiple bodies in a space.
lo bil is a writer-performer based in Toronto. Lo's work has been presented at 7a*11d International Performance Art Festival, Nuit Blanche, the Edinburgh Fringe, Toronto Fringe, box salon, Lab Cab and in site-specific contexts. Lo has an Honours B.A. From the University of Toronto in Cinema, Semiotics and Philosophy, is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, and has studied dance performance methods for the past 15 years with teachers from around the world.
Piera Bonventre
With grace and a steady commitment to her path, Piera Bonventre desires to bring healing and a higher vibe to all the people, places and things she surrounds herself with. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to immigrant parents that never ceased to give their best to her and their own journeys, she learned the deep values she comes to live by today. Being authentic, conscious of her place in this world and her impact with her words, actions and intentions, she navigates her life with the desire to remain present to what matters most here. She practices alternative medicine as a Homeopath, holistic nutritionist and Energy healing bodywork practitioner. She has come to know that healing begins within and that in healing ourselves we heal all others. When she isn't mixing an herbal brew, she enjoys ecstatically dancing and playing with great like minded friends in all the right places.
With grace and a steady commitment to her path, Piera Bonventre desires to bring healing and a higher vibe to all the people, places and things she surrounds herself with. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to immigrant parents that never ceased to give their best to her and their own journeys, she learned the deep values she comes to live by today. Being authentic, conscious of her place in this world and her impact with her words, actions and intentions, she navigates her life with the desire to remain present to what matters most here. She practices alternative medicine as a Homeopath, holistic nutritionist and Energy healing bodywork practitioner. She has come to know that healing begins within and that in healing ourselves we heal all others. When she isn't mixing an herbal brew, she enjoys ecstatically dancing and playing with great like minded friends in all the right places.
Neil Clifford
I am a sculptor, dancer and once upon a time, an actor. Currently, my art practice is the celebration and continuing dialogue I have with nature. Over the past thirty-five years I have travelled to remote areas of the planet, fascinated by artists who live in community with their natural surroundings and whose artwork is imbued with powerful connections to their ancestors and gods. I have been guided by their knowledge that art-making serves as a vehicle for understanding our place within a greater context. So, while determining form, line and aesthetic, I consider the work in the larger realm of its natural and increasingly fragile environment. Through my art I hope to affirm our ties to all wild places, and spur on further investigation into the current predicaments that all such places are faced with.
I am a sculptor, dancer and once upon a time, an actor. Currently, my art practice is the celebration and continuing dialogue I have with nature. Over the past thirty-five years I have travelled to remote areas of the planet, fascinated by artists who live in community with their natural surroundings and whose artwork is imbued with powerful connections to their ancestors and gods. I have been guided by their knowledge that art-making serves as a vehicle for understanding our place within a greater context. So, while determining form, line and aesthetic, I consider the work in the larger realm of its natural and increasingly fragile environment. Through my art I hope to affirm our ties to all wild places, and spur on further investigation into the current predicaments that all such places are faced with.
Tonia Cordi
Since I was a child, whenever I heard a song I would have choreography going on in my head. I wanted to tell stories, and often made up dances to my favourite songs. I took ballet for a time, stopping around the age of 9. Along the way I lost touch with my creative movement, and it wasn’t until moving to Toronto three years ago that I reconnected. As an artist I am always looking for new ways to express myself, play, and be creative. I found a flier for contact dance, which eventually led me to The Move and Ecstatic Dance. Here at Dovercourt, I have been able to let go, loosen up my movement and play to the extreme on my own and with others. I am very grateful for the people I have met, experiences I have had both on the dance floor and after a jam or Ecstatic/Move night. The diverse set of authentic people was what I was craving and I feel welcomed and accepted here. For me, being an artist means creating pieces to share with others, and dance is one avenue that I've been craving to perform for some time. I look forward to performing, and I want to apply my creative process from painting, where I alternate from consciously creating to just letting it happen. Let the games begin. |
Jonah Hundert is an actor and theatre creator. He has trained in various styles of performance in Canada, the UK, and Poland. As a founding member of WORKhouse Theatre, he has been involved in working with emerging playwrights developing new works for the stage, as well as working as an actor and producer. Most recently, Jonah has been performing for young audiences with Little Fingers' *Rock Garden Party*.
Elisa Hollenberg
Elisa has danced from the young age of 7-17, with formal training in ballet, jazz and modern. She went on to focus on improvisational and less formal dance forms such as voice and movement practice and the 5Rhythms practice, which she has studied since 2001. Elisa has a keen interest in seeing how ecstatic dance practice may transform into choreography, and therefore started the Create-Move-Connect project to experiment with creating dance pieces and choreography with ecstatic dancers. |
Linus C.F. Ip
Linus believes in the ubiquitous presence of artistic imperative. Grounded in lived experiences of everyday life, her artistic quest is driven by a desire for authenticity, which she takes as a condition for transcendence. Her decades of struggle with pain has facilitated her access to the sacred core of our being-in-the-world. Her work threads together improvisation, movement, drumming, photography... She has worked in North America, Asia, and Africa. She is the founding president of Between Arts
and Human Services.
Linus believes in the ubiquitous presence of artistic imperative. Grounded in lived experiences of everyday life, her artistic quest is driven by a desire for authenticity, which she takes as a condition for transcendence. Her decades of struggle with pain has facilitated her access to the sacred core of our being-in-the-world. Her work threads together improvisation, movement, drumming, photography... She has worked in North America, Asia, and Africa. She is the founding president of Between Arts
and Human Services.
Ryan Genereaux
I have been moving, dancing, acting, creating, exploring who I am and what I am capable of in some form my whole life. I love using my body, my voice, my emotions and ideas to express the my stream of all creation. I love creating worlds with my being and inviting people to journey to and past the edge of their energetic experience. I am different and I know it. I encourage everyone to be themselves and accept others who are expressing their truth and their joy. We are here together to be whatever our being sings. And we are here to appreciate who we are when we feel our song.
I have been moving, dancing, acting, creating, exploring who I am and what I am capable of in some form my whole life. I love using my body, my voice, my emotions and ideas to express the my stream of all creation. I love creating worlds with my being and inviting people to journey to and past the edge of their energetic experience. I am different and I know it. I encourage everyone to be themselves and accept others who are expressing their truth and their joy. We are here together to be whatever our being sings. And we are here to appreciate who we are when we feel our song.
Puja Jones
Puja has been dancing at The Move and Ecstatic Dance Thursdays for a year and a half and Contact Improv Jams for a year. She embraces performance as a medium to express and share how dance has transformed her way of showing up in the world. She has been involved in two film projects and photo shoots in addition to the project Create-Move-Connect. |
Caroline Joyal
I am passionate about moving around my canvases with brushes and playing with colours. As a Registered Massage Therapist, I enjoy working with many elements that I find in my painting and dancing practice such as fluidity, energy, rhythm and texture. I strongly believe in the many benefits any art form can bring to someone’s healing. |
Twyla Kowelenko
Twyla believes strongly in the power of dance. So much so, that she is part of the organizational body and facilitator team of The Move Collective, facilitates community-based dance, and is pursing her doctorate at York looking into the idea of access to dance and movement. In all areas of Twyla's life - academic, professional and personal - she is committed to being a part of and fostering an increased sense of connection and community, and she is blessed with the opportunities she has to do this in Toronto. Performing with Create-Move-Connect is a chance for Twyla to connect her explorations as a mother, dancer, facilitator and community-member and share them with others. |
Sasha has been dancing since he was in
utero. When he hears music, his usual response is "We need to
dance Mommy." When Mommy asked him if he wanted to perform
dance, he seemed to be into the idea.
Suzanne Liska
Suzanne is a dance artist, teacher and Co-Artistic Director of Flightworks, specializing in
theatrical dance partnering, featuring high-flying lifts and raw emotional undertones. In 2013 Flightworks co-produced “Half Life Motel” with Lucy Rupert of Blue Ceiling Dance, featuring a duet choreographed by Karen Kaeja. She is also the co-founder of the aLOFT Project, a Toronto Improv performance ensemble with guest dancers from Canada, USA, and Europe. As a company dancer for Kathleen Rea’s REAson d’etre Dance Productions, Suzanne danced in the Dora Award nominated Long Live and for Vivid 4. She has also danced for choreographers Sue Lee and Pam Johnson and has performed at Dusk Dances, Dance Matters, Art Whispers, DARK, and Harbourfront Centre, and many other venues and festivals. She co-choreographed the film “Groundswell” with Kathleen Rea for the Contact Dance International Film Festival, which premiered at the Revue Cinema. Suzanne also choreographed the Fringe Play “The House of Bernarda Alba”, directed by Bruce Pitkin, which received 4 Ns in NOW 2012. Suzanne teaches professional dancers, actors, high school and elementary school students, and community dancers, and is currently a faculty teacher at the Randolph Academy for Performing Arts College program.
Suzanne is a dance artist, teacher and Co-Artistic Director of Flightworks, specializing in
theatrical dance partnering, featuring high-flying lifts and raw emotional undertones. In 2013 Flightworks co-produced “Half Life Motel” with Lucy Rupert of Blue Ceiling Dance, featuring a duet choreographed by Karen Kaeja. She is also the co-founder of the aLOFT Project, a Toronto Improv performance ensemble with guest dancers from Canada, USA, and Europe. As a company dancer for Kathleen Rea’s REAson d’etre Dance Productions, Suzanne danced in the Dora Award nominated Long Live and for Vivid 4. She has also danced for choreographers Sue Lee and Pam Johnson and has performed at Dusk Dances, Dance Matters, Art Whispers, DARK, and Harbourfront Centre, and many other venues and festivals. She co-choreographed the film “Groundswell” with Kathleen Rea for the Contact Dance International Film Festival, which premiered at the Revue Cinema. Suzanne also choreographed the Fringe Play “The House of Bernarda Alba”, directed by Bruce Pitkin, which received 4 Ns in NOW 2012. Suzanne teaches professional dancers, actors, high school and elementary school students, and community dancers, and is currently a faculty teacher at the Randolph Academy for Performing Arts College program.
Carla Melo
Carla is a performance/theatre artist, scholar and educator who co-founded and co-directed the
LA-based butoh-inspired Corpus Delicti (2003-2008). Both as a performance artist and researcher, she is interested in structured improvisation, trance, transgression and the links between memory, place, public space and social engagement. Since her recent migration from the U.S., where she was a professor of performance studies at Arizona State University, she has performed a few solo street pieces in Toronto and Montreal, and is thrilled to have joined the
Proximity Ensemble, the Afro-Brazilian band Maracatu Mar Aberto and to be teaching at McMaster University.
Carla is a performance/theatre artist, scholar and educator who co-founded and co-directed the
LA-based butoh-inspired Corpus Delicti (2003-2008). Both as a performance artist and researcher, she is interested in structured improvisation, trance, transgression and the links between memory, place, public space and social engagement. Since her recent migration from the U.S., where she was a professor of performance studies at Arizona State University, she has performed a few solo street pieces in Toronto and Montreal, and is thrilled to have joined the
Proximity Ensemble, the Afro-Brazilian band Maracatu Mar Aberto and to be teaching at McMaster University.
Marina Ostrovsky
I have been dancing in the Ecstatic Dance community for a few years. Through dance I’m beginning to learn and explore the freedom of connection and the strength of vulnerability. This is my first time performing and the collaborative creation of this piece has been one of the greatest gifts I have received. |
Ferenc Szabo
Ferenc [rhymes with "Terrence"] started dancing in 2012 at The Move. "Hell no!" was his first thought when invited to “Move”, but after trying it once was hooked. Dancing evolved into Contact Improv, where he started out like a bull in a china shop but is striving to be more like a panther in a mattress store. He's also somebody who hangs out with musicians, also known as a drummer and percussionist. |
Amanda Smith
Amanda grew up dancing, and has continued dancing in some form throughout most of her life. She found that she could dance how she’d always wanted to, though, when she found the conscious/ecstatic dance community two years ago. She is excited to be part of this project and to be exploring how improvised dance can be captured in choreography. |
Tess Takahashi
Tess is an independent scholar who writes on contemporary performance, experimental film, and
moving image art. She participates in an on-going ensemble improvisation group, and is a member of the film programming collective, Pleasure Dome, and of the editorial collective of the journal Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies.
Tess is an independent scholar who writes on contemporary performance, experimental film, and
moving image art. She participates in an on-going ensemble improvisation group, and is a member of the film programming collective, Pleasure Dome, and of the editorial collective of the journal Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies.
Elizabeth Westley practices yoga, qigong and mindfulness meditation on a regular basis and views movement as an important component of her mindfulness practice. She has been a recovering alcoholic for 34 years, a survivor of kidney and pancreatic cancer and lives with the intention to experience equanimity and beauty in every moment.