Paul Ibey (right) and Anton Pasquarello perform "Cyryosphere."
After five years, the August dance drought is over - a new festival is rising from the ashes of the late and lamented dance fringe. The newly minted Dance 2 Danse festival marks the revival of a vibrant, pivotal showcase for performers across the country, and the dance community is collectively holding its breath and hoping for its success.
D2D fills the hole left by the fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists. At its height, fFIDA, which began in 1991, was the largest dance festival in North America. When it collapsed in 2005, choreographers lost one of the few avenues they had to present their work.
Enter choreographer and teacher Sion Irwin-Childs. Pledging $4,000 of his own money, and soliciting the help of several sponsors, he has taken on the task of single-handedly resurrecting the fest. "There was a gap that needed to be filled," he said, "and I got tired of waiting for someone else to do something. We really needed an inclusive festival that presents emerging, mid-level and established artists from all dance disciplines on a level playing field."
First, Irwin-Childs had to figure out the best way to format the festival. By custom, fringes operate on a lottery system, but Irwin-Childs also wanted to ensure some kind of quality control. He had applicants submit resumés and proposals, which he used to screen them, and from that pool he picked the participants' names out of hat.
And now it begins. Over five days, 48 choreographers and more than 100 performers will take to the stage to showcase everything from ballet to burlesque, hip hop to flamenco.
While D2D may be the new kid on the block, it comes with great expectations in fFIDA's wake. Mimi Beck, curator of the contemporary series DanceWorks, used fFIDA as a talent pool. "I presented many choreographers on my series that I discovered at the dance fringe," she says. "fFIDA was sorely missed, but the real bonus of D2D is its enormous potential."
Irwin-Childs created three different series for D2D: Dance Duels, DLX! and Diverge/Diverse. Here are my picks for the shows to watch in each series:
D2D Dance Duels
Following the model of such reality shows as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars, audience members get to vote for their favourites. There are two different programs - Black (on Friday) and Blue (on Saturday) The top three from each program perform in the Best of D2D on Sunday.
Hot tip: Anjelica Scannura (Series Black)
Scannura's primary interests are flamenco and belly dancing. The 21-year-old is so impressive as a dancer that she has been asked to join prestigious flamenco companies in Spain. A second-generation artist (her parents are Valeria and Roger Scannura of Ritmo Flamenco), she is a wild child of dance whose fusion performances radiate a passion that belies her age.
D2D DLX!
This "deluxe" series has two different programs - Red and White (both Saturday and Sunday). The choreographic emphasis is on dance influenced by other cultures and dance fusion.
Hot tip: Paul Ibey and Anton Pasquarella (Series White)
Ibey travels the world as a performer and teacher of Japanese butoh, the ultra-slow, nihilistic dance form that rose from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With his young partner Pasquarella, Ibey will perform Cyryosphere, an elemental piece inspired by global warming. The bodies of the dancers become the melting glaciers themselves, while conveying the emotional agony of a dying planet. This show is something of a coup for D2D: It's the first time Ibey has presented a work in Toronto in 15 years.
D2D Diverge/Diverse
The single program, shown on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, contains the longest stage times in D2D (17 minutes) and features both seasoned and emerging choreographers of note. The focus is on polished, sophisticated work that represents the broad spectrum of dance creation.
Hot tip: Ballet Jorgen Canada
BJC is best known across Canada for its acclaimed full-length story ballets. The company does mount mixed programs of short works, but only rarely in Toronto. Happily, BJC is using D2D as an opportunity to present excerpts from original short pieces by a powerhouse lineup of choreographers. Robert Desrosiers is the revered master of sculptured athleticism and whimsical surprises. Goth queen Malgorzata Nowacka represents a kick-ass Queen Street West aesthetic. A superb modern dancer, Ruth-Ellen Kroll Jackson was a member of New York's prestigious Martha Graham and David Parsons companies before returning to her native Halifax. Finally, the works of artistic director Bengt Jorgen are a lyrical fusion of ballet's grace and contemporary dance's intense physicality.
D2D runs at Winchester Street Theatre in Toronto till Sunday. For dates, times and artists, visit www.d2dfestival.ca.