Good News!
ANNOUNCING...
The Older & Reckless Mentorship Program
Over a 5-month period, senior artists Deepti Gupta, Learie Mc Nicolls and Sara Porter are working with gifted mentees Reshmi Chetram, Jordan Alleyne and Jessie Garon. A platform for intergenerational learning, the program offers support to these dance artists as they continue to pursue their passion and curiosity in a time of uncertainty. We’re so grateful to program sponsors Lindy Green and Sam Chaiton, along with our funders Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, for supporting mentorship.
Reshmi Chetram-Dave is an award winning dancer, choreographer, producer and cultural leader. Reshmi’s work is rooted in her Indo Caribbean heritage, Kathak training and her deep connection to storytelling, holistic methods and a fierce dedication to practice and creation. Reshmi’s works have been seen at Luminato Festival, ROM, Canada Dance Festival, featured in Times of India, Observer News and Toronto Star. Reshmi has been commissioned by many dance and theatre companies to choreograph, produce arts events, dance conferences and she has served on non profit arts boards in roles that vary from president, artistic director and creative director. In 2019, Reshmi’s dance company RC Company was founded with a mission to explore connection through traditional & contemporary Kathak.
Photo by Taha Ghaznavi
Jordan Alleyne has always been in love with the arts. He was a competitive dancer for 11 years, studying multiple genres. Jordan’s commercial dance training launched him into many television, stage and acting opportunities. He studied at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre under the Professional Training Program and is now a member of the company for the 2020/2021 season. As well as being a dancer, Jordan enjoys other facets of the arts, including acting & music production. Jordan is always striving for new horizons and looking for ways to reinvent himself & his work.
Photo by David Leyes
Jessie Garon is a contemporary dance artist who grew up on a family cattle and crop farm in Alberta. She is a graduate of the Edmonton School of Ballet and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Now based in Toronto, her work explores connectivity, and resilience through physical rigour and real-time decision making. Recently, Jessie is particularly excited about the possibilities of multidisciplinary work and has been expanding her practise to include clown and text. To that end she is thrilled to be working with accomplished hybrid artist Sara Porter as a performance mentor. Jessie is the Artistic Director of Vazari where she seeks to bring new people to dance through creating original work, building partnerships and producing events such as their annual cabaret.
Photo by Stephen Joffe
More dancing- our Engaging Seniors in Dance continues with January Bright Dances, featuring new 4-week sessions with both Julia Aplin and Natasha Powell, where movers will learn and “Zoom-perform” a short dance- fun! There is also a weekly session with Charmaine Headley, Michelle Silagy, Carol Anderson and Sara Porter for those who enjoy a variety of movement challenges. If you missed out in January, there will be more in February - stay tuned!
2020 was difficult in many ways with unimaginable grief from tragic losses to the pandemic and, in the dance community, for the passing of Dan Wild and Patricia Beatty. There has also been uplifting news- Margaret Grenier, performer, choreographer and Executive / Artistic Director for the Dancers of Damelahamid, received the Walter Carsen Prize and Elizabeth Langley, choreographer, mentor and creator of the Contemporary Dance program at Concordia University, was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada. MOonhORsE remains active in the ongoing work towards equality and inclusion for dance artists of all backgrounds, celebrating the diversity of forms and cultures in our community.
Warm wishes and heartfelt thanks for your generous support. Here’s to a dance-filled winter!
Claudia & the MOonhORsE team
