With Choreographic Dialogues, I was interested in creating opportunities for choreographers to speak about their work, and for audiences to connect with them. The motivation, craft, and art of choreography often seem mysterious, and it can be both fascinating and illuminating to learn about the process in a creator's own words. There are broad themes within the series - I was curious to know how artists of diverse background address issues of tradition and contemporaneity, and in how choreographers of widely differing aesthetic address creative process. I was also interested in discussion about conceiving and creating work for film, and about making dance for non-traditional venues with both artistic and community-minded aspirations and values.

The Choreographic Dialogues series ran during 2008/2009. It was supported by funding from York University's Seminar for Advanced Research and by the York University Department of Dance. The series took place at York University, and at various dance venues in Toronto - Toronto Dance Theatre, School of Toronto Dance Theatre and the Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie studio.

The series culminated in a colloquium titled “Reading, Writing, Dancing”; the final two Choreographic Dialogues speakers, Veronica Tennant and Ginette Laurin, spoke during the colloquium. This event, supported by the Seminar for Advanced Research and the York Department of Dance, took place at York University from May 7-9, 2009. The York Department of Dance was partnered by Dance Collection Danse and The Dance Current.

The final phase of the Choreographic Dialogues project is this Dance Collection Danse website, which makes accessible, as a new educational and research resource, the thoughts of a remarkable group of dance artists. In the order of their appearance on the series they were: Susan Cash, Lata Pada, Deborah Hay and Christopher House, Darcey Callison, artists of Lola Dance, Santee Smith, BaKari Lindsay, Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux, Veronica Tennant and Ginette Laurin.

Thanks to York University's Seminar for Advanced Research, the York Department of Dance, The Dance Current, Dance Collection Danse, and to all the artists for their generosity in sharing insight into their work.

Click on the links below to view each installment:
 

Susan Cash, October 2010

Lata Pada, December 2010

Christopher House & Deborah Hay, March 2011

Darcey Callison, May 2011

Lola MacLaughlin, July 2011

Santee Smith, September 2011

BaKari Lindsay, November 2011

Coleman/Lemieux, January 2012

Veronica Tennant, April 2012

Ginette Laurin, June 2012

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