Previous Works
TragiCom Dance Theatre & The Dystopian Empire
"TragiCom Dance Theatre" is a 30 minute-show that features innovative text driven dance theatre as well as post-contemporary semi-structured dance. Dave Wilson’s creations will trade in their usual funny tone to carry a darker perspective that will take the audience on a travelogue of emotional responses. "TragiCom Dance Theatre" will feature a series of solo/duet presentations of ‘Paper Doll’, ‘It’s In Your Face’, ‘Android – Before Substance’, ‘In The Garden Of Pain.’ This section of the evening features Cassandra Bowerman and Jamie Yakubow.
"The Dystopian Empire" is an 18 minute semi-structured dark dance work to an electronic ambient score by Japanese composer, Naoki Yamaguchi. This World Premiere features Bowerman, Joyce and Yakubow as well as company dancers, Serwaa Daley, Lauren Runions, Yui Ugai.
Date: 27 April, 2019
Location: Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre,
509 Parliament Street, Toronto
Triad
Under the direction of Artistic Director, Dave Wilson, we are proud to present, 'Triad', a double-bill of two 30-minute solo dance performances co-created with our long-standing dancers of seven years, Yui Ugai and Lauren Runions.
In the process of recreating historical dance works with a post-contemporary approach, Wilson deconstructs and manipulates the stage space to investigate body shaping through unconventional dance and movement.
'How To Teach Yourself Solo Dancing' (30 min)
performed by Yui Ugai
'Solo Z: The Muscles Think In Infinite Parts' (30 min)
performed by Lauren Runions
Date: 1 June, 2019
Times: 2:00pm, 8:00pm
Location: Scotiabank Studio Theatre
6 Noble Street, Toronto ON
For more information, click HERE.
Alchemy has been identified in the past with chemical change, transformation, and a mixing of compounds.
Likewise, Dance Alchemy mixes and transforms the elements of dance: body, space, flow, dynamics and relationships
- equating in a similar way to earth, air, water, fire, spirit (mystery).
Featuring 3 solos and one longer group piece, this showcase traces transformations in dance through history, time, genre, and music, inviting you to dwell on what Elle Nicolai has noted: "art is alchemy."
Date: Thursday, September 12
Time: 7:30pm-8:05pm
Location: Robertson Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
(250 St Paul St., Saint Catherines)
Dance Alchemy
Parkdale Live Performance (PLP) : A Music & Dance Improv
Parkdale Live Performance (PLP) is hosted by Jeremy Darby, owner of Canterbury Music Company, and produced by Dave Wilson - Artistic Director of The Parahumans. The show features some of the company dancers and highly respected Toronto music Improvisers. The event will include several sets, 5-10 minutes long of randomly paired dancers and musicians, with one intermission. Featuring: Dancers - Haleigh Eady, Aitana Gunaratne, Phil Kim, Tia Lu, Amanda Meadows, Jamie Yakubow; Musicians - Nick Fraser, Tania Gill and Rob Clutton
Rob Clutton is a musician who works in the spaces between composition and improvisation, where the impetus to play comes from listening, allowing inspiration to reside in a sonic imaginary.In addition to composing for the Cluttertones, Rob Clutton Trio, and Sweet Session, Rob enjoys collaborations with musicians, dancers, theatre and performance artists. Rob has recorded and performed extensively for many years in a variety of contexts with both Nick Fraser and Tania Gill (though mostly separately), and looks forward to this special opportunity with Parkdale Live Performance. www.robclutton.com
Date: 24 February, 2019
Location: Canterbury Music Company
322, Dufferin Street, Toronto (between King St and Queen St)
New Jazz Dance Improvisations
After ‘21 Chopin Nocturnes,’ The Parahumans and Artistic Director – Dave Wilson, continue their unique 2018-2019 season offerings with a dance show highlighting Jazz dance and music.
Nine dancers performed twelve improvisations to classic Jazz songs and music by artists such as Nina Simone, Ornette Coleman, Alice Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dinah Washington and more. The dancers trained for a month with Jazz, Contemporary, Urban and Improv workshops to create a rich mix of stylistic performance options. Soloists received their music the night before the performance. Solos, Duets, Trios and group improvisations are performed by Cassandra Bowerman, Annie Cassar, Serwaa Daley, Jenn Edwards, Angela Joyce, Phil Kim, Amanda Meadows, Mio Sakamoto, Melissa Yang.
Date: 9 December, 2018
Location: Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester Street
21 Chopin Nocturnes
The Chopin Nocturnes consisted of 21 pieces for solo piano written by Frederic Chopin between 1827 and 1846. Although Chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it. The 15 dancers performed 2 solos each as well as a duet or trio. The 21 Chopin Nocturnes lasted close to 2 hours. or the solos, dancers acted somewhat like a tag team, with one dancer replacing another part way through the Nocturne.
The semi-structured improvisational format was performed ‘in the round’ where the power of ‘front’ is dismissed. Some dancers rehearse together and some did not. Some dancers have performed together before, and some have not. Even the Artistic Director had not seen some dancers perform before. Post-Contemporary Dance is also happy mixing Contemporary dance techniques with pedestrian/everyday/theatrical movement.
Dancers (in order of appearance): Beekaa Abraham, Lauren Runions, Pam Shoebottom, Yui Ugai, Haleigh Eady, Serwaa Daley, Celia Green, Miriam Edghill, Roberto Soria, Angela Joyce, Amanda Meadows, Justine Gines, Tia Lu, Mio Sakamoto, and Cassandra Bowerman.
Date: 28 October, 2018
Location: Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor Street West
Angels and Humans
Angels and Humans created for Clay and Paper Theatre's 'Day of Delight'
A 10 minute dance theatre story depicting how humans can transform into angels. The performance was created specifically for children and families
Core Dancers - Cassandra Bowerman, Amanda Meadows, Yui Ugai
Guest Dancer - Mio Sakamoto
Date: 17 June, 2018
Location: Dufferin Grove Paark
Experimental Solo Dance Showcase
15 emerging dance artists each created their own solo - The type and amount of experimentation was left up to each dancer.
Core Dancers - Casssandra Bowerman, Amanda Meadows, Lauren Runions, Yui Ugai
Guest Dancers - Beekaa Abraham, Carissa Bowerman, Tara Chan, Alessia di Carlo, Sierra Goldak, Allie Higgins, Tia Lu, Marisa Ricci, Mio Sakamoto
Date: 27 May, 2018
Location: Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre, Toronto
