Today’s the day!! 2021 Spring Showcase: Virtual Variation happens Saturday, April 24 at 6 p.m. right here.
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can, suggested donation $15
Donations are accepted by etransfer and paypal
London artists are doing dance a little differently this year. Watch as Argentine tango meets ballet in a boxing ring, see a bellydancer’s veil takes on the role of protagonist, experience a contemporary solo through new angles as the camera becomes part of the dance, and immerse yourself in flamenco footwork and live music mixed with the sounds of nature.
Featuring: PointeTango, Patricia Vasconcellos with Los Aires Flamenco ensemble, Rising Moon Bellydance, Isabella Di Liello, Jamie Ranney, Josette Joseph, Priyanka Tope, and the Young Company of North London Dance Centre.
Scroll down to see artists’ biographies and piece descriptions below.
Performance
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can, suggested donation $15
What is “Pay-what-you-can”? If you can afford $15, we will gladly accept it. Simply send us a donation by etransfer at londondancefestival@gmail.com or through PayPal.
If you cannot afford $15, we still want to share this performance with you, and we will accept a smaller amount or even no donation. We believe that the art of dance enriches everyone’s lives, and we don’t want to exclude anyone.
We are a non-profit organization, and we rely on the generosity of individuals like you, as well as government funders, to pay artists and make events like this happen. Thank you!
So please, if you are able, send us a donation by etransfer at londondancefestival@gmail.com or through PayPal.
Programme & Artist Biographies
Download a PDF of the Programme here
Style by PointeTango
“Style” is an original short film by PointeTango danced to the spoken word of legendary poet Charles Bukowski. Filmed in London Ontario’s Bushido Boxing ring, PointeTango dancers Erin Scott-Kafadar and Alexander Richardson move to the cadence of the poet’s monologue. A tango heel, a pointe shoe, boxing hand wraps and a fedora hat contribute to PointeTango’s statement challenging the norms of society and conformity in this quirky film noir.
PointeTango is a unique dance company directed by choreographer and dancer, Alexander Richardson and created with lead dancer, Erin Scott-Kafadar. Pushing new boundaries of dance, PointeTango combines the intimacy of Argentine tango with the precision of classical ballet to create a new dance vocabulary that is both bold and intimate. PointeTango has toured several award-winning full length shows extensively and enjoyed public support with sold-out shows and festival awards.
Credits: PointeTango. Poem by: Charles Bukowski. Film directed by: Alexander Richardson. Choreography by: Alexander Richardson. Cinematography by: Jacob Marsh. Video editing: Alexander Richardson. Dancers: Erin Scott-Kafadar & Alexander Richardson.
Forwards by Isabella Di Liello
This solo examines the universal need for us to repeatedly validate our existence and how we often invite external voices to place value on our bodies, aspirations and ideas. This can create a disordered idea of support and acceptance. How we avoid the risk of being vulnerable in fear of being judged or failing. Through gesture, effort and exposing, the work investigates how egos can be both fragile and prideful all at once. The dancer explores a cycle of showing and hiding. Yielding to the outside at the expense of themselves. Seeking validation inhibits our ability to locate honest love, admiration and community. Throughout the solo, the artist attempts to access both extreme ends of their emotional and physical range.
Isabella Di Liello is a dancer and choreographer based in Canada. She received her formal training at Israel’s Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company Pre-Professional MASA program in Ga’aton Israel, where she performed her own work as well as Rami Be’er & Cullberg repertoire. Most recently, Isabella was selected as a finalist to perform her solo work, Validation is for Parking, for the Solo Tanz Theatre Festival in Stuttgart, Germany and Linkage International Choreography Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria. In recent years, Isabella has participated extensively in training intensives including Gaga and Batsheva repertoire in Orsolina, Italy, New York, Israel & Los Angeles. She also received training through Modus Operandi, Ate9 and MIP2. Other credits include Choreographing/Performing in music videos & concerts for artists RALPH & W. Darling. She also toured the USA as an assistant with Intrigue Dance Intensive and shared in a number of choreographic residencies with HB. Beal Performing Arts Dance program.
Kathak Solo by Priyanka Tope
Priyanka will be presenting a Classical Indian dance piece in the repertoire of Kathak – a North Indian style of dance. This piece uses elements of music, rhythm and dance to create an expression.
Priyanka is an emerging Kathak artist currently living here in London. Though born and raised in New York, she has been able to identify with her Indian heritage through the arts, namely Indian Classical dance and music. Priyanka aims to use the Kathak repertoire to create expression that connects to a diverse audience.
Credits: Choreographer and dancer: Priyanka Tope. Music: Hamsadhwani Tarana. Originally sung by: Parveen Sultana. Vocal: Priyanka Tope. Tabla (drums): Tejas Tope. Violin: Sanjay Deshpande.
(t)here by the Young Company of North London Dance Centre
Choreographer: Hannah Elias
“(t)here” is a virtual dance piece created on the Young Company dancers from North London Dance Centre and choreographed by Hannah Elias. This piece was created through written and movement-based improvisational scores, and filmed both onsite at the studio as well as in the dancers’ homes. This piece explores the feelings of isolation that surrounds us during these difficult times, specifically focusing on the real-life experiences and emotions of these young dancers during lockdown.
Hannah Elias is a professional dance artist from London, ON and has taught at studios and schools across Southwestern Ontario. Hannah has over 20 years of dance training experience in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, modern, and theatre, and has taught classes to students from the age of 3 up to adults over the last 10 years. She studied classical and contemporary dance at the Art Factory International in Bologna, Italy (2015-16) and has worked with professional contemporary and dance theatre companies both in Canada and abroad.
Veil Adaptation by Luna of Rising Moon Bellydance
The veil is traditionally used as an entrance prop. In this piece the veil interprets the music of two non Middle Eastern instruments, the piano and violin during the entire song.
I grew up in Colombia, South America, and moved to London, Ontario in 2003 where I started taking bellydancing classes with various master instructors. Through the years, I developed a passion for this art and it is what I love to do. I enjoy performing, developing choreography, and exploring the various bellydance styles and fusions. Since 2012, I have been teaching in London. I am the founder of Rising Moon Bellydance and have performed as a soloist and with my troupe in various festivals and events in Ontario and the US.
First Gen Fusion by Josette Joseph
InfuZion is a fusion piece combining hip hop, jazz funk, bharatnatyam (classical indian), and bollywood. It starts with hip hop/jazz funk choreography to Bad Girls by M.I.A. Then, a an upbeat classical indian song plays and bharatnatyam choreography will be performed. Finally, the piece will end with some fun bollywood choreography to Beware by Panjabi MC and Jay-Z.
Josette has been dancing for 19 years. She began training and performing in Bollywood, which she currently teaches at PFA, then branched out to Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop in high school. She has competed in numerous competitions (and placed first with her team in a national competition), has performed on TV, and has been paid to perform around Ontario. She has trained with well-known, Toronto-based companies such as Badass Babes and DARK Dance.
Malagueña by Los Aires Flamenco Group
Los Aires is Flamenco Music and Dance Group with 2 musicians and 2 Dancers that have the purpose to perform a Flamenco choreography with Live music to show a Variation from Malaguena, a Spanish Classic, to Pure Flamenco, “por Bulerias.”
Credits: Los Aires Flamenco. Choreographer, Dancer and Singer: Patricia Vasconcellos. Dancer and Singer: Andra Zlatar. Drummer (Cajon): Charles Burnetts. Flamenco Guitarist: John Taylor. Videographer: Scott Draper.
Something in the Soul by Los Aires Flamenco Group
The diversity art form from Sevilla is the purpose of LOS AIRES to show the variations forms to Dance Sevillanas, the folkloric Flamenco Rhythm from Sevilla.
At 17 years old, Patricia Vasconcellos started to study Spanish Dance. Six years later, she joined Al Andaluz Flamenco Dance company, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2009, Patricia moved to Brasilia, Federal District, and continued her studies with Flamenco dancer, Mrs. Patricia Weingrill at Studio de Danca Capricho Espanhol. In 2010, she started studying tap flamenco technique, castanets, and Bata de Cola with choreographer and dancer Mr. Danny Souza. She joined the Claude Debussy Centre of Dance and Arts where performed and studied Flamenco Culture for 6 years becoming Flamenco teacher and choreographer. In 2017, Patricia moved to London, Ontario, Canada, and in 2019, she opened FLAMENCO DEL SUR DANCE STUDIO and started to bring the Flamenco culture and flamenco style (Flamenco instruments, items, and tap) to London. She has performed at the London Dance Festival and many other events around London such as Heart Links, London Public Library, Western University, and more. In 2020, promoted the Flamenco concert of Los Aurora and workshop at Aeolian Hall. She has been teaching live/virtual Flamenco Rhythms to musicians and Flamenco Dance to students.
Steady as she goes by Jamie Ranney
‘Steady as she goes’ is a physical exploration of the point right before loss of control. The choreography is used as a framework to play in the zone of stability and the more precarious state of imbalance. It is an attempt to use physics, dynamics, strength, and release to live in and stretch out the space between these two territories. It is also used to explore the ways of entering and exiting the state of collapse and building out of stillness.
Jamie is a contemporary dancer originally from London, Ontario. A brief history of her performance includes the Dance in Vancouver Choreography Walk by Justine Chambers, Line, Starting Line, Practical Questions, Disappear, Solos and small groups, Swirling, Space, All Together choreographed by Alanna Kraaijeveld and performed at the Vancouver International Dance Festival, her own commissioned work for the Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival, and Stopping By The Woods, a music video for musician and producer John Keating. In 2017, Jamie was one of 7 international artists selected to join the Koumaria residency in Sellasia, Greece. There, she worked with dancers and other multimedia artists to create on-site performance installations. Jamie is currently training with Modus Operandi in Vancouver under the direction of Tiffany Tregarthen, David Raymond, and Kate Franklin.