Porch View Dances in Toronto

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

Kaeja d'Dance presents PORCH VIEW DANCES An Urban Landscape Performance Initiative

Kaeja d'Dance presents Porch View Dances under the umbrella of its Urban Landscape Performance Initiative (ULPI), conceived by Karen Kaeja and directed by the husband and wife team of Karen and Allen Kaeja. Porch View Dances runs July 19-22 in Seaton Village in downtown Toronto.

Porch View Dances is 'real people, in real time in real spaces,' bringing together the everyday individual and the professional artist.

Fifteen residents of Seaton Village in Toronto perform five unique new dance creations on the steps of their own homes. The dances reflect the unique intricacies of the performers and their everyday lives combined with the choreographer's aesthetic.

Their stories are told through dance and brought out onto the front porches and courtyards of their homes, culminating in a celebratory, all-inclusive Flock Landing finale, where members of the audience are invited to become active participants.

The works are choreographed by professional artists. The choreographers for Porch View Dances are Nova Bhattacharya (Ipsita Nova Dance Projects Artistic Director), Michael Caldwell (Pack of Wolves collective), Maxine Heppner (Across Oceans Artistic Director), Karen Kaeja (Kaeja d'Dance Co-artistic Director) and Allen Kaeja (Kaeja d'Dance Co-artistic Director).

Porch View Dances begins at 84 London Street (one block north of Bloor St. W., west of Euclid Ave.) and continues through the neighbourhood, stopping at five different house porches in the Seaton Village neighbourhood.

Audiences will be guided through the neighbourhood by a special host. Dancers Diana Rose (Flightworks Co-Artistic Director) and Tina Fushell (Ambitious Enterprises Co-Artistic Director) will accompany the neighbourhood walk with special dance vignettes they created for the event. And, as noted above, each performance ends in Vermont Square Park with an audience-inclusive Flock Landing finale.

Kaeja d'Dance is also doing a similar project in the Jane/Finch neighbourhood of Toronto August 25-26 at Oakdale Community Centre, 350 Grandravine Drive (2pm both days plus 7pm on August 25 only).

Five community groups from the Jane/Finch area encompassing local residents, youth at-risk, new immigrants and lively seniors, will perform on the grounds of the Oakdale Community Centre for the Jane/Finch ULPI Project. The resident participants will work with choreographers Robert Abubo (Dancemakers ensemble), Troy Feldman (currently the Heart of Joey in Mirvish's War Horse), Allen Kaeja, Andrea Nann (Dreamwalker Dance Company Artistic Director), Lua Shayenne (Lua Shayenne & Co.) and local Jane/Finch icon Mariano.

Further information for Porch View Dances, Seaton Village:

Porch View Dances in Seaton Village involves five resident families and features performances of contemporary dance created with and performed by local residents on the porches and courtyards of their own homes as well as screenings of films created by local youth from both the Jane/Finch area and St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club.

Porch View Dances features six dance commissions from choreographers who are creating five 10-minute pieces and a special vignette for non-dancer residents of all ages. In the manner of a guided tour, festival hosts will lead audiences from dwelling to dwelling to witness the performances, culminating in a celebratory, all-inclusive Flock Landing in Vermont Park, where members of the public are invited to become active participants.

Porch View Dances and the Jane Finch ULPI Project are generously supported by The Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Hal Jackman Foundation, the Carolyn Sifton Foundation and TD Bank Group. Porch View Dances is produced in partnership with the St. Alban's Boys' and Girls' Club. Kaeja d'Dance thanks their 2011-2012 family of private donors for their continued support as well as the Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Kaeja d'Dance presents

Porch View Dances: July 19-22; Thurs-Sat at 7pm, Sat & Sun at 2pm (Rain date July 22 at 7pm)
Audiences will be led to five different dwellings, beginning at 84 London St. and culminating in a celebratory Flock Landing finale in Vermont Park. PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN

Jane/Finch ULPI Project: August 25-26; Sat, & Sun at 2pm plus 7pm on August 25 only, followed by a celebratory Flock Landing. FREE.
More Info: www.kaeja.org