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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 6, 2008
PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR LISTINGS/ ANNOUNCMENTS
RYERSON
THEATRE
SCHOOL
2008
2009
SEASON
THE THREE BIRDS
By Joanna Laurens
Oct 15 – Nov 13
METAMORPHOSES
By Mary Zimmerman
Oct 17 – Nov 14
RYERSON DANCES
2008
Nov 18 - 22
Produced by Karen
Duplisea
MOTHER COURAGE
AND HER CHILDREN
By Bertolt Brecht
February 4 - 12
CHOREOGRAPHIC
WORKS
Produced by Vicki St.
Denys
March 4 - 14
NEW VOICES
Produced by Sheldon
Rosen
March 24 - 29
44/ 46 Gerrard Street
East Toronto, ON
M5B 1G3
PH: 416-979-5118
FAX: 416-979-5194
www.ryersontheatre.ca
Media Contacts: Anastassia Lavrinenko or Anna Swiderski
Phone: (416) 979-5118
Fax: (416) 979-5194
Email: rytheatr@ryerson.ca
www.ryersontheatre.ca
RYERSON THEATRE SCHOOL
PRESENTS
RYERSON DANCES 2008
November 18-22, 2008
Produced by Karen Duplisea
Lighting Design by Aisling Sampson
Featuring works by Julia Aplin, Robert Glumbek, Holly Small, Vicki St. Denys
and William Yong
Ryerson Theatre School (RTS) is pleased to present its annual performance of Ryerson
Dances 2008 from November 18-22, 2008 at the Ryerson Mainstage Theatre, 43 Gerrard
Street East. These performances will showcase unique original works by five prominent
choreographers. The Ryerson Dance Program is well known across Canada for its high
standards and multitalented dancers. Ryerson Dances 2008 promises to be an exciting
showcase of talent and styles.
Ryerson Dances 2008 features works of some of Canada’s most innovative choreographers:
Julia Aplin, Robert Glumbek, Holly Small, Vicki St. Denys and William Yong. Each
choreographer contributes his/her own unique style, creating a truly diverse show. This allows
students and choreographers to develop lasting professional relationships and some of the
pieces have gone on to be remounted professionally.
Ryerson Dances 2008 is produced by Dance Program Acting Director, Karen Duplisea. She
was a principal dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre and later an independent dancer and has
spent much of the past 25 years training dancers. As a Master Teacher, Ms. Duplisea has
taught across Canada, including the Karen Jamieson Dance Company in Vancouver, Dancers
Studio West in Calgary, York University, the Dance Training Program at the Banff Centre for
the Arts, and the Professional Training Program, School of the Toronto Dance Theatre. Ms.
Duplisea holds an M.A. and B.F.A. in Dance from York University.
Julia Aplin is a Toronto-based dance artist who has choreographed numerous original works,
most of which have been collaborations with composer John Gzowski. She performed with
Dancemakers under the Artistic Direction of Serge Bennathan for 15 seasons. She has
received commissions from various companies such as Dusk Dances, Art in Open Spaces, The
Theatre Centre, Dancemakers and Canadian Brass. Her work has been presented across
Canada and in Europe. With Rick Hyslop and Aubrey Reeves, Julia leads ImPULSE Lab,
with dancers, musicians and visual artists..
Robert Glumbek graduated from Bytom State Ballet School in Poland and joined The Great
Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Warsaw as a soloist, where he worked with choreographers
John Neumeier and Maurice Bejart. In 1987, Glumbek came to Canada and worked for
companies such as Theatre Ballet of Canada in Ottawa. In 1990, he began a decade dancing
with Desroisers Dance Theatre, and then joined National Theatre Mannheim in 2002 as a
dancer and Ballet Master. He returned to Canada in 2004 to work as an independent artist and
choreographer creating original work for the Finnish National Theatre and Ballett Manneheim
among others. In 2008,Glumbek was awarded the Clifford E. Lee Choreography award as
well as the K.M. Hunter Artist Award.
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Holly Small has been creating major collaborative works for more than 25 years. She has founded a performance trio
cliq and has toured with them all across Canada. Recent performances include the University of Victoria Music Series
and the Angelica Music Festival in Bologna, Italy. Small also teaches and creates dances with children and has worked
with Toronto’s Canadian Children's Dance Theatre since 1988. She has also created works for Halifax's Young
Company and Kidco in Victoria, B.C. Recent publications include chapters in This Passion (edited by Carol
Anderson) and articles for the Dance Umbrella of Ontario's website, Local Heroes. Small has taught dance across
Canada, China, the United States and England. As a member of York University’s dance faculty, she has directed and
choreographed for the York Dance Ensemble and has toured with them all over Canada. She has received the UCLA
Woman of the Year Award, a Millennium Award, a Chalmers Award, and numerous grants.
Vicky St. Denys has choreographed for television, film, video, theatre and opera including A Midsummer Night’s
Dream and Dido and Aeneas for the Opera as Theatre program at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Other theatre credits
include y Fair Lady, and choreography for a new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice opening at the Citadel Theatre in
Edmonton in September 2008. She choreographed several segments for CBC Television on the children’s show Get
Set for Life. Throughout her career she has also created numerous contemporary jazz ballets including: Suite Second
Thoughts, Interstice and new works for ROTO Dance Festival in Rochester, NY. From 2000-2007 she was jazz
pedagogue and choreographer for the dance program at The Banff Centre for the Arts. Vicki holds a Master of Arts
degree in Dance from York University. She is often consulted for her expertise in jazz and invited to participate in
panel discussions, conferences, adjudicate performances and to make formal assessments for various arts organizations
across Canada.
William Yong was trained at the London Contemporary Dance School in England and was admitted to the Master of
Arts. He has previously worked for Random Dance Company, Matthew Bourne’s AMP, Toronto Dance Theatre,
CORPUS and other independent choreographers. Yong is currently the artistic director and choreographer of Zata
Omm Dance Projects, whose recent creations include commissions from Dance Ontario, City of Toronto, Bravo and
Duskdances. Yong has performed in dance films such as To Fly or Fall directed by Kathi Prosser. He was also
profiled in an episode of the Bravo TV documentary Freedom, and is currently working on a new production entitled
Frames for Zata Omm which will be premiered on March 19-21, 2009 on the DanceWorks Mainstage at the Enwave
Theatre in Toronto. For more information, please visit www.zataomm.org.
Lighting Designer Aisling Sampson has designed numerous theatre, dance and opera productions in North America,
Asia and Europe. Aisling has been a lighting designer for fFIDA, Spring Rites, and lighting coordinator for the
Canadian Opera Company and is currently the Production and Theatre Operations Manager for Canada’s National
Ballet School. She is a graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School and a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.
Ryerson Dances 2008
Ryerson Theatre
43 Gerrard Street East
Performances: Tuesday, November 18 to Saturday, November 22 at 8 p.m.
Matinée: Saturday, November 22 at 2 p.m.
Ticket Prices:
$18 General Admission, $14 Students/Seniors, $12 Group rate
For more information on Ryerson Dances 2008 or tickets please contact the Ryerson Theatre School Public
Relations Office at (416) 979-5118 or email at rytheatr@ryerson.ca
www.ryersontheatre.ca
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