MOonhORsE Dance Theatre's Older & Reckless Presents OLD & YOUNG AND RECKLESS TOGETHER, Now thru 5/17

Older & Reckless, MOonhORsE Dance Theatre's celebrated series curated by Artistic Director Claudia Moore, presents OLD & YOUNG AND RECKLESS TOGETHER featuring nine dance artists in four intergenerational works.David Earle, Troy Emery Twigg, Carol Anderson and Paul-André Fortier present their work from today, May 15-17 in Edition #32 ofOlder and Reckless.

Today is also our first-ever Older & Reckless Gala to celebrate the launch of our upcoming 15th anniversary season! This includes a pre-show reception (starting promptly at 7pm) with catered food, some bubbly and live music. The 8pm show will also feature special appearances by Bethany Jillard (Stratford Festival) and Claudia Moore!

David Earle (Artistic Director, Dancetheatre David Earle) creates a new trio for emerging dance artists Corrado Cerruto, Miranda Forbes and Megan Nadain. As contemporary dance pushes the boundaries of form and theatre, Earle has always remained within the modern dance idiom. Watching a work by Earle is akin to viewing a classic film from the early age of Hollywood - though it is from another era, its elegance and eloquence continue to resonate.

Troy Emery Twigg, in collaboration with dancer Justin Many Fingers, creates litahpoyii. They embark on a choreographic journey to rediscover the knowledge that forms their existence as Blackfoot Peoples recalling blood/body memory, breath, embodiment and natural rhythms. With a collection of stories from Blackfoot territory, they explore the body in relationship to the earth's energy and vibrations, revealing imprints made by ancestral forms that are both relevant and unsettling.

Carol Anderson's Elsinore is a womanly, reflective journey remounted for Older & Reckless with stunning young performerJordana Deveau. The work was created for the wonderful Julia Sasso, in celebration of Dancemakers' 25th anniversary. At its premiere, Paula Citron wrote, "a masterpiece of psychological movement...the pictures are haunting...images of vulnerability and strength at the same time...like watching one's life pass before the eyes." (The Globe and Mail, Nov. 19, 1999).

And through MOonhORsE's partnership with The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, four recent graduates will perform Paul-André Fortier's classic work, Tell. Originally choreographed for Montréal Danse in 1987, Tell is an absurd, fast-paced ego contest for four men, four apples, and a table; physically dazzling and downright daring!

And the public doesn't need to just stand on the sidelines - they can sign up for a Dance for the Rest of Us workshop - Introduction to Hip Hop with Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Sinbadinho (artistic directors, Gadfly) at 5:30pm on Saturday, May 17 ($10). And they are invited to join in a gentle and rejuvenating audience warm-up prior to each performance; and to stay for an after-party and a chance to talk one-on-one with the artists.

About the Artists:

David Earle began his dance training at the age of five as a student of the National Ballet School of Canada. Later, he spent two years on scholarship at the Martha Graham School in New York and was an ensemble member with the José Limón Dance Company. From 1967 to 1968, he assisted Robert Cohan with the newly-formed London Contemporary Dance Theatre. In 1968, he returned to Toronto and co-founded Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT) with Patricia Beatty and Peter Randazzo. In his twenty-eight years with Toronto Dance Theatre, he worked as co-director for the first fifteen years, sole Artistic Director for seven years and Resident Choreographer for six years. In 1996, Earle launched Dancetheatre David Earle (www.dtde.ca) to support continued creation, preservation of his repertoire, and to serve as a forum for younger artists whose concern is the expression of humanity in dance. Over the span of his career to date, he has choreographed more than 140 new dance works. Of his many awards and recognitions, Earle has received the Jean A. Chalmers Award for excellence in choreography, the Muriel Sherrin Award for contribution to the art form of dance, the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize for distinction in choreography, the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts, the Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts, and is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Troy Emery Twigg is an artist who works in theatre and dance as a choreographer, performer, storyteller and educator. He is from the Kainai Blackfoot Nation in Southern Alberta. His work has been presented internationally and nationally from Vancouver (Dancing on the Edge) to Halifax (Prismatic) and almost everywhere in between. Troy has just completed a national tour of a new work commissioned by Alberta Aboriginal Arts in 2012. His latest work explores "dancing the universe in flux" with theatre artist Ed Roy, which is a theatre/dance hybrid. He will be in residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in March 2014 continuing to explore the idea of Making Treaty 7 with 18 artists from the area. Troy splits his time between Alberta and Toronto where he is on Faculty with The Centre for Indigenous Theatre.

Carol Anderson has enjoyed a rich and diverse career as a dancer, choreographer, director, teacher and writer. She started her performing career with Canadian pioneer Judy Jarvis' first company in 1969, and was a founding member of Toronto's Dancemakers in 1974. A dancer, choreographer, artistic director and resident choreographer with Dancemakers until 1988, she performed in multiple new creations and reconstructions by notable artists including Peggy Baker, Anna Blewchamp, Susan Cash, Robert Cohan, Christopher House, James Kudelka, Judith Marcuse, Jennifer Mascall, Lar Lubovitch, Karen Jamieson, Norman Morrice, Paula Ravitz, Paul Taylor and Doug Varone. Since stepping away from active performance, Anderson has expanded her work as a creator, educator and writer, and is the author of a constantly growing body of writing on Canadian dance and other cultural matters. An Associate Professor of Dance at York University, she teaches both studies and studio courses. An award-winning dance artist and writer, she is proud to have received a 2013 Queen's Jubilee Medal in acknowledgment of services to the arts.

Paul-André Fortier entered the world of dance in the 1970s via one of Quebec and Canada's most innovative choreographic companies, Le Groupe Nouvelle Aire. In 1981, he created his own company, which later became Fortier Danse-Création. He also co-founded the company Montréal Danse in 1986 with Daniel Jackson. Fortier's career as a choreographer is significant in its impact on the arts. He is the forerunner of a danced theatricality, which exposes the tension in today's world. He has created an unapologetic, determined and precise vocabulary that has inspired a whole generation of choreographers who are unafraid to take risks. Paul-André Fortier's creative work is recognized internationally and it is distinguished by Fortier's search for renewal and a desire to surpass his limits. Fortier describes himself as "a man who dances," and constantly challenges himself to meet the highest of artistic standards. He was awarded in 2012 the Governor General's Performing Arts Award.

Older & Reckless, an informal performance series, features work from OLDER artists who continue to grow more RECKLESS as time goes by. Older & Reckless provides an opportunity for seasoned dance artists to perform short works and a chance for the audience to see some of Canada's most celebrated senior choreographers.

Conceived by Claudia Moore, Artistic Director of MOonhORsE Dance Theatre, Older & Reckless is "an intimate exchange for both the performer and the observer; exciting, terrifying, and lots of fun. The performances are followed by a party with music, refreshments, and a chance to talk with the artists about work, process, and whatever else comes up!" Older & Reckless - Edition #32 - OLD & YOUNG AND RECKLESS TOGETHER featuring works by David Earle, Troy Emery Twigg, Carol Anderson, and Paul-André Fortier May 15-17, 2014 Performances: Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8pm Dancemakers Centre for Creation in the Distillery Historic District, 9 Trinity Street, Studio 313 Gala Tickets (May 15) $50 (w/ a $25 charitable tax receipt) Regular Tickets $25/$22 CADA, students and seniors For tickets to OLD & YOUNG AND RECKLESS TOGETHER, call 416-504-6429 ext. 30 or visit www.moonhorsedance.com

Photo Credit from a Video by Tamara Romanchuk

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