Hot on the heels of our three-part series “Dancemakers: Between Promise and Peril”, written by former artistic director Michael Trent, the company recently announced the appointment of co-curators Emi Forster and Benjamin Kamino. Effective immediately, they will lead the company in the implementation of the Incubation Production House model (IPH) designed by Trent.
In a statement, the dynamic duo pledged to shake things up: “We look forward to introducing a new foundational rhetoric for working and supporting processes that rigorously engage people in the act of making dance.” Kamino, previously a company dancer with Dancemakers and an independent artist of note, and Forster, a dancer/choreographer from Australia who managed the most recent edition of Toronto’s multidisciplinary Summerworks Festival [see review], hope to launch a deep investigation of dance and contemporary performance practice. “We will challenge a range of artists to investigate ‘What is dance?’ and ‘Why am I dancing?’ while establishing a true incubator and hub for innovators in the dance community.”
After its recent financial woes and a certain amount of distress around the sudden end of Trent’s eight-year artistic tenure in July, all eyes are on Dancemakers and how its new leadership will refresh and inspire as the company moves on from its fortieth anniversary season.
Learn more about Dancemakers at the Dance Collection Danse exhibit: “Dancemakers at 40: Celebration Exploration, Innovation and Inspiration”
Tagged: Contemporary, Emi Forster, Uncategorized, ON , Toronto