Outdoor Dance Festival DUSK DANCES 2015 to Return to Toronto This August

The 21st Dusk Dances Festival returns to Withrow Park this summer with another week of exciting and entertaining dance works from Canada's finest dance makers including Esmeralda Enrique, Danny Grossman, Sylvie Bouchard & Marie-Josée Chartier, and Lua Shayenne.

Over the weeklong Festival, four-10 minute pieces will be presented, plus the new addition of a final 30-minute work (evenings only) by renowned choreographer Tedd Robinson for Cloud 9. Founded by Sylvie Bouchard (Dusk Dances and BoucharDanse), Karen Kaeja (Kaeja d'Dance) and Claudia Moore (MOonhORsE Dance Theatre), Cloud 9 commissions choreographers to create masterful ensemble works for dancers over 45 years of age.

Each performance, hosted by the genial Brad Brackenridge who guides the audience around the site, begins with the Cuban sounds of Guaracha Y Son and a free outdoor Salsa class with master teacher Miko Sobriera.

---

The Dance programme includes:

RECUERDOS (TARANTO)
ESMERALDA ENRIQUE SPANISH DANCE COMPANY
CHOREOGRAPHED BY ESMERALDA ENRIQUE

Performed by: Esmeralda Enrique (dancer), Nicolás Hernández (guitarist), and Tamar Ilana (singer)

RECUERDOS speaks to the strength and fluidity of memories. The cycle of life repeats itself and memories reoccur in the next generation. History is providing a chance at redemption, a journey that can be heartbreaking or rewarding; a journey of discovery. Premieres this year at Dusk Dances.

BELLA
DANNY GROSSMAN DANCE COMPANY
CHOREOGRAPHED BY DANNY GROSSMAN

Performed by: Michael Caldwell and Meredith Thompson

BELLA was inspired by the opera music of Puccini and a mutual love of Marc Chagall. In 1977 Danny Grossman and Judy Jarvis set out to make a duet for themselves on top of, under and around a table. When Mary Kerr arrived to design the sets and costumes, she took her inspiration from the Chagall images they had been inspired by and created a beautiful painted horse as the centerpiece for this charming love duet. First premiered at Dusk Dances 2007.

PHOTURIS VERSICOLOR
CHOREOGRAPHED BY SYLVIE BOUCHARD AND MARIE-JOSÉE CHARTIER
Performed by: Sylvie Bouchard and Marie-Josée Chartier
Photinus appearance by: Michael Caldwell, Live insect-o-sonics: Philip Strong

Twin fireflies get separated at birth. After a journey apart, they find each other again, in a cluster of trees, at Withrow Park. See how they grow to become photuris versicolor, or as they like to call themselves, "femmes fatales!" World Premiere this year at Dusk Dances.

MURMURE DE FEMME / WOMAN'S WHISPER
LUA SHAYENNE AND COMPANY
CHOREOGRAPHED BY LUA SHAYENNE

Performed by: Miranda Liverpool, Kassi Scott, Natasha Phanor, Lua Shayenne and Shireen Ali, Drummers: Yohan Franics, Walter MacLean

MURMURE DE FEMME | WOMAN'S WHISPER is an ode to femininity: "Born to bear the weight of ceaseless adversitiesI am sheStalled in cyclic timeI remain - a woman/Rest your back against mineLearn the rhythm of my breathListen carefully to every pulse in my veins/Memorize the cadence of my heartIn the flux of tempo and beats/We rise as one soul" - Lua Shayenne

Premieres this year at Dusk Dances.

DISCONCERTANTE
PRESENTED BY MOONHORSE DANCE THEATRE
CHOREOGRAPHED BY TEDD ROBINSON

Performed by: Karen Kaeja, Graham Mckelvie, Claudia Moore, Ron Stewart and Linnea Swan

MOonhORsE Dance Theatre presents a Cloud 9 commission- DISCONCERTANTE- by award-winning choreographer Tedd Robinson, winner of the 2014 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. This 30-minute ensemble work to the music of Chopin is beautiful, magical, touching, comical, theatrical and captivating.Premiered in June 2013 in partnership with Young Centre for the Performing Arts, premieres this year at Dusk Dances.

*Please note: DISCONCERTANTE will not be performed at the matinée performances

---

DUSK DANCES, with slightly different programmes, will also be performed in Vancouver (July 9-11) at Portside Park; Peterborough (July 23-26) at Rotary Park; (July 30-August 1) at Bayfront Park; and Pickering (August 14-16) at Alex Robertson Park.

DETAILS:

DUSK DANCES 2015
WITHROW PARK, Toronto
South of Danforth between Logan and Carlaw (Chester Subway Station)
Nightly Performances: August 3-9, 2015
Opening Band and Salsa class start at 6:45pm
Dance Performances start at 7:30pm
Matinée Performances: Thursday, August 6 & Sunday, August 9
Opening Band and Salsa class start at 1:45pm
Dance Performances start at 2:30pm
Pay-What-You-Can: Suggested donation $10 per person
More info: duskdances.ca or call 416.504.6429 X24
FB/DuskDances | @duskdances #DuskDances2015