Danny Grossman
As we approach the 20th anniversary of Older & Reckless, we remember the senior dance artists who have joined us over the years, including Toronto dance legend DANNY GROSSMAN
“I am a narrative choreographer, profoundly influenced by the theatrical masks of tragedy and comedy. I have choreographed works that deal with personal, social, political and spiritual transformation for forty-five years.”
Danny performed his deeply moving solo, Transcendance, in the 3rd Older & Reckless on a sweaty night in June 2001 at Dancemakers Studio on Dupont St. Tom Brouillette, another brilliant “older & reckless” dance artist who had a long career with Desrosiers Dance Theatre, also performed this stunning work in December 2012. Two of Danny’s signature works were presented at Old & Young and Reckless Together- in May 2012, Michael Caldwell performed Curious Schools of Theatrical Dance, a veritable tour de force and, in May 2010, the compelling Triptych was performed by 2 casts including exceptional dance lights Riley Sims and Stéphanie Tremblay. When Danny appeared at O&R, he never failed to regale us with wild stories from the past and to deeply inspire everyone in attendance.
Danny Grossman photo Cylla Von Tiedemann
Danny Grossman was born in San Francisco in 1942. In 1963, he joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company and spent the next 10 years performing and touring with the company. In 1973, Grossman joined Toronto Dance Theatre in Canada, and became a faculty member at York University. In 1975, he choreographed Higher to tremendous praise leading to the formation of the Danny Grossman Dance Company in 1977. Grossman has since created a repertoire of more than 60 works, touring across Canada and internationally. His choreography has been in the repertoire of Toronto Dance Theatre, The Paris Opera Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and The National Ballet of Canada and has also been performed by modern dance training institutions such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, New York State Summer School of the Arts, Adelphi University, City College of New York, Brown University, York University, School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Ryerson University, and Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre. Grossman has been the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Toronto Arts Council Foundation’s William Kilbourn Lifetime Achievement Award and was recently inducted into the Canadian Dance Collection Danse Encore! Hall of Fame. In 2008, the company embarked on a new initiative, the Danny Grossman Dance Foundation, as a means of reconstructing and licensing his repertoire. The Grossman repertoire has been represented at the New York State Summer School of the Arts for almost thirty years and has added immeasurably to both students and faculty who have had the rich experience of dancing these works. In June of 2018, in honor of his 75th birthday, Danny presented a full evening of his own works, including 3 world premieres.
