From our adult class: 'Dance Show-Related Issues, and How to Fix Them'

Introducing guest blogger, Monday night adult dance class participant, and beautiful visually-impaired dancer in and out of her wheelchair, Faith Girvan!


For this week's blog post we're linking you to Faith's recent blog post on the awesome 'Living Blind Blog'. Faith described her personal process of dancing with a visual impairment, and how support and communication are key in preparing for a performance.


Come see Faith and the Monday, and Wednesday, night adult dance classes perform alongside the company on May 8th and 9th at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Buy tickets here!!

Photo credit: Chrystia Chudczak. Faith is the dancer on the right.

Travelling with Propeller

Moni about to go on her first train ride

By Linda Hoffman

On the road with the Propeller Dance Company has been an honour as well as an immense learning experience. Three words reflect the most recent trip to the inner-city of Toronto in a nutshell – the unexpected, the community, and the professionalism.

Unexpected: “Do we walk or wait?” This was the question as Renata, Moni, and Mom stood on the corner of Front and Bay streets waiting for the prescheduled Wheel Trans bus! As the minutes ticked by into over an hour, we took the plunge. Visually impaired Mom hung on to Renata and the power wheelchair tagged along behind the rolling suitcases. What a wonderful sight to see our stage manager/support worker Sion, and Bob - Dad to one of the dancers - waving at us from down the street. They had come to meet us and take our luggage!

Next on the list of unexpected was the wheelchair inaccessible “accessible room!” Again, the Propeller family came to the rescue, hauling out the furniture of the newly assigned room so the chair could gain some access. What a team!

Community: This word is used a lot, but during Propeller’s road trip to Toronto I constantly saw it in action. As one of our team members was hospitalized just prior to the road trip the community of Propeller came to the forefront. Roles were changed, people stood up to the challenge, and the impossible was accomplished. This truly is a group that pulls together as a cohesive family.

Professionalism: The Tangled Arts Festival’s Kidsfest was the event to which Propeller had been invited as one of three selected artists April 9th and 10th. In the heart of Toronto’s downtown, bus loads of kids were brought to the newly built and totally accessible Daniel Spectrum Cultural Centre’s theatre. Propeller performed magnificently. You would never know looking at the ease and beauty of the dancing on stage, the kind of craziness that went on beforehand. That is in essence being a professional.


Linda Hoffman is the mother of Propeller Dance's Performing Group member, Moni Hoffman, and accompanied the troupe on their trip earlier this month to the Tangled Arts Festival's Kids Fest in Toronto.

Exploration Exposed - Thursday October 24th, 2013 9:00 p.m.

Propeller Dance, one of Canada’s leading integrated dance companies, invites you to an evening where creative explorations are exposed in contemporary dance made with invited choreographer Tara Brandel of Ireland’s Croi Glan Integrated Dance Company.

Join us for a showing of creative research results from two intensive in-studio weeks with the Propeller Dance Company and invited guest dancers Frank Hull (Toronto) and Jenn Abrams (Ottawa).

The evening includes a showing of Tara Brandel’s Gawky and Awkward, a very personal solo, revealing the things we struggle with and a dancer's creative journey through dyslexia.

Gawky or elegant: All are welcome.

Thursday October 24th, 2013
9:00 p.m.  
Churchill Seniors Centre
345 Richmond Road  
Pay-what-you-can ($15 suggested)
Tickets available at the door only. 

The Propeller Dance Company, photo credit: Rachel Gray

info@propellerdance.com

Propeller Dance will be at Dusk Dances - July 11-14

Rehearsing in Strathcona Park

If you've been to Dusk Dances before, all you need to know is it happens this year from Thursday, July 11 to Sunday, July 14 with the music starting at 7pm and the dancing starting at 7:30pm.

If you haven't been to Dusk Dances, you also need to know that it is in Strathcona Park and you will be very happy with yourself if you go.

This year will be especially wonderful because it starts with a piece from Propeller Dance!

Bring something to sit on that is easy to carry because you'll be moving through the park for each of the 5 dance pieces.

Dusk Dances Official Site
Facebook Page

Aqueous: May 31 and June 1 at Centrepointe Theatre

It is our annual big show!

A full evening of new contemporary dance works performed by professional integrated dance artists in the Propeller Dance Company, and student dancers in our community dance training programs.


The evening will be further enhanced by a silent auction event pre-show and during intermission. Bid on unique items all in support of our innovative and inclusive dance programs for people with and without disability.

Get tickets soon. They sell out.


Tickets: Adult $29.50,
Student/Senior/Low-income $18.75

T : 613-580-2700 / 1-866-752-5231
T.T.Y.: 613-580-2715
centrepointetheatre.com


Centrepointe Theatre
Ben Franklin Place
101 Centrepointe Drive
Ottawa, ON K2G 5K7


Co-Artistic Directors:
Renata Soutter & Shara Weaver

Artistic Collaborators:
Melissa Addison-Webster (Toronto), Kirsten Andersen, Mike Essoudry, Freewheeling (UK), Mark Rehder, Benoit Roy, Dominique Saint-Pierre

Performance starts at 7:00pm
Silent Auction opens at 6:00pm

• May 31 

• June 1 

Aqueous is sponsored by VLN Advanced Technologies Inc., Dentons Canada LLP, RBC and BFTA.

Community Day 2012

It seems like Community Day gets to be more fun every year.

Here is a Flickr slideshow of yesterday's program from my camera:



And here's a video from the Ottawa Citizen:

Join us for our Children's Show on Sunday, April 22!

Enjoy performances by the Propeller Dance children’s program with special guests from the Propeller Dance Company.

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 1:00pm
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa [map]

 Tickets: $15 at the door

Propeller Dance at TEDxRideau Canal

Propeller Dance was well represented this week at TEDxRideau Canal

 

 The theme for TEDxRideau Canal was integrative thinking.

Integrative thinking is not a revolutionary concept, yet the limits of what might be possible when it is fostered are as yet unbounded. Integrative thinking means moving beyond intellectual, professional, and social boundaries that group humans into separate boxes. Before we were painters, labourers, bureaucrats, scholars, or activists, we were all human beings and it is in the spirit of this common starting point that the oft cited but under appreciated slogan, “none of us are as strong as all of us” comes to life.

Community Day (and AGM)

Saturday, December 3, 2011

1:00pm-2:30pm (AGM at 2:30pm)

Celebrate! Dance! Explore! Socialize!

Join members of our recreational classes and performing company for a festive celebration of our term.

Pay-what-you-can (Suggested $5 for students/low-income and $10 for others)

Bake Sale: Parents, friends, supports, please bring items for our bake sale.

Bring your piggy banks and an appetite for home baking.

AGM

Propeller Dance will be holding its annual general meeting in two steps this year. First, on Dec. 3 at 2:30 following the Community Day program and we will then seek an adjournment to review the financial statements in early 2012.

Propeller Dance is going to Kingston

On November 22, Propeller Dance will be well represented in Kingston at H'art School's Able Artists 2011: a forum to experience the work of professional artists with disabilities.

Our co-directors, Renata Soutter and Shara Weaver will be speaking in the afternoon, along with our co-founder Alan Shain and 3 other presenters.

In the evening, our performing company will perform Exposure. Alan will be doing a comedy performance. And there will be performances from Picasso PRO and Les Production des Pieds des Mains.

This is especially exciting for us because it is the first road trip performance for our performing company.

Cross Over - June 16 and 17

Cross Over

Thursday June 16 and Friday June 17, 7:30pm

Performances - Live Music - Silent Auction

Shenkman Arts Centre, Richcraft Theatre

245 Centrum Boulevard, Orleans (Ottawa) ON

Presented by Propeller Dance, Cross Over is a new contemporary dance production highlighting the power and beauty of the human body. Cross Over will traverse the illusion of limitation by embracing infinite human creative potential. Dancers balance off centre, fly forward and tilt. The show includes new works by choreographers Renata Soutter and Shara Weaver, emerging company artists and works from our recreational community program.

Tickets: Adult $28, Child/Student $15

In person or (613) 580-2700

TDD 613-580-2715

www.shenkmanarts.ca

Facebook Event Page - Thursday - Friday

Community Day Photos

A big thanks to everyone who made Community Day so much fun!

If you have photos, we'd be happy to link to them or add them to our Flickr set.

You're invited to our Community Day

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2pm-4pm
505 Smyth Road (Rehab Centre Gym)

• Enjoy a works-in progress performance from the dance company
• Celebrate the children and adult recreational programs
• Commemorate International Day for People with Disability
• Meet the Board, the staff and Propeller Dance Volunteers
• Attend and participate in our Annual General Meeting (4pm-5pm)

$5 or pay what you can

Shedding Light - Photos

Congratulations to everyone who made Shedding Light such a huge success!

I took a bunch of photos. They're up on Flickr. There will be more coming soon because I wasn't even an official photographer.

Shedding Light - June 11 and 12

Tell your friends and buy your tickets to Shedding Light, Propeller Dance's annual performance showcase and silent auction.

Last year's Lift sold out and was named the best dance performance in Ottawa by Ottawa Xpress.
Shedding Light

Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12th; 7:30pm

Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave, Ottawa ON

Tickets - $25 (Students or Low Income - $15) Box Office - 613-564-7240 info@artscourt.ca (2 Daly Ave, Ottawa, ON )

Silent Auction - doors at 6:30pm; payment by cash or cheque only

A Look at Imagination Station

Dorrie, whose daughter Gracie dances in the children's program has a posting on her blog about Sunday's performance with a bunch of photos.

Excerpt:

i was so proud of gracie for getting out there, not being afraid, no tears... and she performed and followed direction... seriously so cute...
and she had to wear the skirt.. it was a MUST!!!!!!!

Click here to go to Corrie's posting.

Propeller Kids Rock! and growl and grow and . . .

Sunday was the Propeller Kids performance at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre. The kids danced really well and performed four pieces.

The first piece was the baby gorilla story performed by the 3–6 year olds, who also performed the flower piece. The 7–11 year olds then performed a piece about puppets and then a piece about objects they brought to class. Then the Propeller Performing group danced two black fly stories one was about how the hawk made peace with the northern woodland animals and the second was about a black fly who was left out because he couldn’t fly in a straight line.

Brenna Rivier, mom to Sadie, one of the dancers in the 3–6 year old class, loved the show.

“I am forever touched by the beauty of that moment of watching when one of our dancers has that inside feeling of YES!!! You see it as a twinkle in the eye, a smile across the face or a certain lift in the step or a faint, subtle tilt of the head and you know that inside that kid is beaming because they have done IT – whatever IT may be that for that child!! That is precious way beyond words!”

It was a great end to a wonderful year.

I really enjoyed helping teach the kids in the kids program this year along with Shara, Bella and Ximena on Saturday mornings. I had so much fun dancing with the kids and supporting them. I love teaching kids dance because it is an area that I have a strength in.

Jason Sonier is an awesome musician and I like working with him. His music is very energetic, inspirational and fun. He is also a great person once you get to know him. His music gets the kids dancing and it also makes the kids have a positive vibe.

As for Bella and Ximena, they have had a great time teaching. Bella helps the kids pay attention to what they are doing. She is a great performer and teaching assistant. Bella is also in the Propeller Performing Group. She brings her hard work, energy, positive attitude and her smile. Ximena loves dancing and helping kids. She contributes a lot of creativity and originality. She has a son Sebastian who volunteers with the program. He helps us a lot with the promotions for the classes. And Daniela. Outgoing and fun loving Daniela likes to dance too; she also likes socializing with the kids and having fun.

Shara Weaver!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shara is a stunning performer, teacher and co director and she inspires me to believe in myself, to express my feelings and thoughts through movement and to try new things. But most importantly the kids!!!!! The kids that we teach makes us feel joyful, happy, and exited. We are honored to teach them.

In Rehearsal May 11, 2010

Today, I videotaped the rehearsal for the upcoming show on June 11 and 12. I talked about the performers in the company and I showed the co directors. I also showed the creative process of making a dance.

It takes a lot of time and energy to get the dance ready. Even though it’s hard work everyone still has time to enjoy themselves and have fun.

In Rehearsal May 6, 2010

The Propeller Performing Group is working really hard on making its new piece, Shedding Light, a great performance. It’s in rehearsal now for the June show.

Since I’m not in it this year I will be video taping it and blogging about it.

In this piece you will see people using height, walking and running fast, tilts, stretches and different levels. They will also use chairs and a grid to set the stage. You will also get to see what it’s really like from a birds-eye view when the performing group is on the chairs. The music has high energy and it is fun. In my opinion this dance is coming together everyone is contributing creative input to make the dance better.

If you want to come and see the show contact Shara Weaver or Renata Soutter the contact info is on the website. It’s on June 11 and 12 at Arts Court Theatre.

This Sunday - Imagination Station

Propeller Dance
Presents
IMAGINATION STATION

A dance performance for children, their families and friends

Sunday May 16 1:00 PM

Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre (auditorium)
300 Avenue des Pere-Blancs, Ottawa. Free Parking.

$10 adults, $5 children Info: 613-240-9775



Please note: Propeller Dance annual gala performance Shedding Light will be June 11th and 12th at Ottawa’s Arts Court Theatre.... more info coming soon