You Dance?

Yes. I first learned to dance by taking lessons in salsa, ballroom, and east coast swing, but I really began to enjoy it when I found Lindy Hop, my current dance of choice. My goals over the next few months include taking classes in jazz, and in Irish dance, which I am really liking. I also would like to further develop my skills in choregraphy by working independently (i.e. not in a partnership) at some point.

Choreography Experience

• February 2004 - Only Human Dance Collective: "Embrace" (Toronto)
  • Co-choreographed "Rattle Crash Bang: Pixies vs. Machines (Vol. 1)," a jazz/modern piece.
• December 2003 - Odd Socks Holiday Dance (Toronto)
  • Co-choreographed "Truckin'," a 1920s-style swing and charleston piece.
• March 2003 - Skule™ Nite 0T3 (Toronto)
  • The annual University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering musical comedy revue, this year featuring eleven dance numbers, and a cast of 16 beginning dancers.
  • Choreographed:
    • Three short segments of each of swing, salsa, and tango;
    • "Friends with Red Sabres" by Garth Brooks;
    • "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
  • Co-choregraphed:
    • "Money (That's What I Want)" by the Beatles;
    • "All That Jazz" from "Chicago;"
    • "New York, New York;"
    • "Hey, Big Spender" from "Sweet Charity;"
    • A blues version of the "Hockey Night in Canada" theme.
• February 2003 - Only Human Dance Collective: "Naked" (Toronto)
  • Co-Choreographed "Undecided," a swing piece.

Teaching Experience

• November 2003
  • Lindy Hop lessons, one hour in length, for Swingin' Out
  • Held with E.B. Brownlie as fellow teacher
• November 2002 - February 2003
  • Lindy Hop lessons, one and a half hours in length, held twice a week, for six dancers with no swing experience in preparation for "Undecided."
  • Held with Lorinda Crawford as follower and fellow teacher.
• November 2002
  • Lindy Hop workshop, three hours in length, for the Skule™ Nite 0T3 cast as an introduction to movement and dancing.
  • Held with Karen Chang as follower and fellow teacher

Performance Experience

• February 2004 - Only Human Dance Collective: "Embrace" (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "green!," an Irish dance choreography by Athena McKown and Maria Robinson;
    • "Salsaballet," a salsa/ballet choreography by Meghan Rebecca;
    • "This Place," a modern dance choreography by Meghan Marie McClenaghan;
    • "Sunday Shining," a modern dance choreography by Shannon Kitchings;
    • "Silver Splinters," a jazz dance choreography by Kathryn Clark.
• December 2003 - Odd Socks Holiday Dance (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "Truckin'," a swing choreography by self and Sue Sinclair.
• November 2003 - Private Performance by Swingin' Out (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "Shim Sham Shimmy," and "Lindy Chorus," both of which are traditional swing mob dances;
    • "Miser's Serenade," a swing choreography by Alana Hock and Arthur Lulu for "It's Not a Recital" in June 2002.
• June 2003 - Pride Weekend 2003 (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "Miser's Serenade;"
    • "Shim Sham Shimmy," and "Lindy Chorus," both of which are traditional swing mob dances;
    • "Waterloo," a swing choreography by E.B. Brownlie.
  • Danced socially.
• June 2003 - Seniors' Information Fair (Toronto)
  • Performed in "Undecided," a swing choreography by self and Lorinda Crawford;
  • Danced socially.
• June 2003 - "Our Little Show" (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "Undecided," danced with Rachel Melzer;
    • "Digga Digga Doo," a swing choreography by Alana Hock and Mandi Gould.
    • "Shim Sham Shimmy."
• June 2003 - Swing Shift Big Band Performance (Toronto)
  • Performed as a swing dancer for the band, including both choreographies and social dance.
• May 2003 - Harlem Hot Shots Lindy Hop Swing Weekend (Toronto)
  • Performed in "Digga Digga Doo."
• March 2003 - University of Toronto Festival of Dance (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "Squaredance in Soweto," an African/Acadian folk dance choreography by Diana Shepard;
    • "Berkelium," an Irish figure dance choreography by Maria Robinson;
    • "Blackbird," a lindy hop choreography by Michelle Wong;
    • "Undecided;"
    • "Libertango," a tango choreography by Hiro Aoki.
• February 2003 - Only Human Dance Collective: "Naked" (Toronto)
  • Performed in :
    • "Undecided," which was originally choreographed for this show;
    • "Libertango," which was originally choreographed for this show by Hiro Aoki.
• October 2002 -- Lindy Hop Workshop Evening Entertainment (Syracuse, NY)
  • Performed in "The Panic is On," a swing choreography by Alana Hock and Jane Jedlovsky for Frankie Manning's visit to Toronto in April 2002.
• October 2002 - The Atomic T.O.E. (Toronto Ontario Exchange) (Toronto)
  • Performed in "Miser's Serenade."
• June 2002 - Pride Weekend 2002 (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "The Panic is On;"
    • "Miser's Serenade;"
    • "Swing Rueda," "Shim Sham Shimmy," and "Lindy Chorus."
• June 2002 - "It's Not a Recital" (Toronto)
  • Performed in:
    • "The Panic is On;"
    • "Miser's Serenade;"
    • "Swing Rueda" and "Shim Sham Shimmy."
• April 2002 - Lindy Hop & Tap Workshop with Frankie Manning (Toronto)
  • Performed in "The Panic is On."

Workshops Attended

• May 2003
  • Performance Lindy Hop (The Harlem Hotshots Swing Dance Troupe)
• March/April 2003
  • Only Human Dance Collective Member Workshops
• Jazz 1 (Kathryn Clark)
• Modern 1 (Liz Crawford)
• Musical Theatre Jazz 2 (Michelle Rhodes)
• October 2002
  • Lindy Hop (Frankie Manning and Minnie's Moochers, a swing performance group)
• September 2002
  • Ragtime, Charleston, Lindy Hop, Bop, Blues (Richard Powers, Angela Amarillas, Simon Selmon, and Taina Kortelainen)
• April 2002
  • Lindy Hop, Swing Jazz, Tap (Frankie Manning and Chazz Young)
• January 2001
  • Lindy Hop, Blues (Alana Hock, Mandi Gould, and Chachi)
• November 2000
  • Lindy Hop and Hip-Hop (Steven Mitchell and Virginie)

Current Projects

• A swing/ballet fusion piece with Michelle Wong
  • Tentative title: "Pas de Dorsey"
  • Expected performance date: April 2004 @ the U of T Festival of Dance
• A cool lindy piece with Sue Sinclair
  • Tentative title: -
  • Expected performance date: unknown