Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers

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Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers
General information
NameWinnipeg's Contemporary Dancers
Year founded1964
Founders Rachel Browne
Principal venueRachel Browne Theatre
Websitewinnipegscontemporarydancers.ca
Artistic staff
Artistic DirectorJolene Bailie

Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers is Canada's oldest continuously running modern dance company. [1] [2] Founded in 1964 as Contemporary Dancers Inc., it has presented original works of this new art form in thousands of theatres, school and public places in Winnipeg [3] as well across Canada, the United States and Mexico. In circa 1968, the WCD toured as far north as Inuvik and performed in conjunction with the Delta Drummers and Dancers in one of those communities. [4] [5]

Contents

The company also creates avant-garde and expressionistic dance-theatre.

Creation

Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers was formed as a student group by former ballerina Rachel Browne. [2] By 1967, the company was touring extensively and received recognition as a fully professional dance group. It began to receive Canada Council grants in 1969. In February of that year, CBC TV created a half hour program showcasing WCD's contributions and activities. [6]

It began to train dancers in 1972 when it created the Apprentice Program for local students who wished to join the company. This was followed in 1973 by the foundation of the School of Contemporary Dance that had a general interest school as well as a program dedicated to aspiring professionals. [7] In 1982-1983, the Apprentice Program transformed into the Senior Professional Program. In 1995, the School became its own legal entity. [8]

In circa 1983-1984, WCD was called Contemporary Dance Canada as it briefly sought an international mandate. [9]

In 1984, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the WCD established the Festival of Canadian Modern Dance. It ran annually between 1985 and 1992. [10] The company regularly performed at Ottawa’s Canada Dance Festival as well.

Dances

During its 60 years of continuous activity, dancers have performed over 500 new works. [11] These included dances by American choreographers like James Waring and Dan Wagoner as well as by innovative Canadian choreographers like Nenad Lhotka, Jennifer Wootton Mascall, Linda Rabin, Margie Gillis, Santee Smith, Ruth Cansfield [12] and of course Rachel Browne.

WCD has collaborated with, and hosted, many national and international dance companies, including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Fortier Danse Création [13] (Montréal), EDAM [14] (Vancouver), Companie FLAK [15] (Montréal) and many others.

In 1999, WCD initiated The Pan-American New Creation Partnership along with The Pan American Musical Art Research Inc. to accompany the Pan American Games. The project merged dancers from three modern dance companies and included creative residencies. Delfos Danza Contemporánea [16] of Mazatlán, Mexico. Together, they invited Neo Labos Dance Theatre and KAATSBAAN International Dance Centre, [17] both of New York. This five-year partnership produced many new works including in 2001: Trio and String by Claudia Lavista/Victor Manuel Ruiz, Cariatyd by Ruiz, The Banquet by Ruiz, Lost Territories by Lavista, About love and other calamities by Ruiz as well as El Río by Tom Stroud. [18]

Rachel Browne also encouraged her dancers to choreograph for the WCD. [19] Her own original works that reflected her humanistic viewpoints. [1] [20] She devoted 48 years to the company in various leadership roles until her death in 2012. [3]

Artistic Directors

1964-1983 Rachel Browne

1983-1984 Bill Evans

1984-1990 Tedd Robinson

1990-1991 Charles Moulton

1991-2005 Tom Stroud

2005-2017 Brent Lott

2019- Jolene Bailie

Notes

  1. 1 2 Holmberg, Arthur; Solorzano, Carlos (2014). World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Volume 2: The Americas. Vol. 2. Routledge. p. 640. ISBN   1136118365.
  2. 1 2 Crabbe, Michael; Botaitis, James (3 April 2015). "Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers". Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 Scene Staff (11 June 2012), Remembering Rachel Browne, founder of Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, retrieved 1 February 2016
  4. ↑ GetWellSoonBitchez (2008-10-05). Delta Drummers and Dancers of Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Aklavik, NT . Retrieved 2024-06-30– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Carol (1999). Rachel Browne : dancing toward the light. Internet Archive. [Winnipeg] : J. Gordon Shillingford. ISBN   978-1-896239-53-8.
  6. ↑ Anonymous (2004). a body of work: Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers 40th Anniversary 1964-2004. Winnipeg: Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers. p. 2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ↑ Anderson, Carol (1999). Rachel Browne : dancing toward the light. Internet Archive. [Winnipeg] : J. Gordon Shillingford. ISBN   978-1-896239-53-8.
  8. ↑ "History | SCD" . Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  9. ↑ "Archives of Manitoba | Keystone Archives Descriptive Database". pam.minisisinc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Carol (1999). Rachel Browne : dancing toward the light. Internet Archive. [Winnipeg] : J. Gordon Shillingford. ISBN   978-1-896239-53-8.
  11. ↑ "Archives of Manitoba | Keystone Archives Descriptive Database". pam.minisisinc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  12. ↑ "Core Faculty Biographies | SCD" . Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  13. ↑ "Fortier Danse Création". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  14. ↑ "EDAM". EDAM. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  15. ↑ "Accueil | José Navas Compagnie Flak". 2017-03-26. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  16. ↑ "Delfos Danza Contemporanea". Frontera Arts. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  17. ↑ "Kaatsbaan International Dance Center". www.kaatsbaan.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  18. ↑ From WCD Archives
  19. ↑ Anderson, Carol (3 April 2015). "Rachel Browne". Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "Choreographic Works". Rachel Browne. 2014-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-18.

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