Mambo

When the founding Artistic Director of Fall for Dance North,  and of course the co-host of Mambo!, Ilter Ibrahimof  announced that he was leaving the organization after 10 glorious years, one of the most important questions that arose was: Who would take over the reins and drive the mission and vision of the festival forward? A Transition Committee was formed by FFDN’s Board of Directors and Marti...

Imagine exploring gravity, cultures, and the creation of a new world - on Mars. Now imagine gathering some of the world’s best tap dancers from Canada, Japan, the United States, and Australia to go on that journey with you. What questions would you ask? Where would the rhythm of collective bodies lead? With the world premiere of  The Mars Project , Toronto based dancemaker Travis Knights has chore...

Based in Canada's capital city Ottawa, Propeller Dance is a leading company that celebrates Disability Pride, joy, and culture.  At the core of the company's work is the belief that dance is for all people, and as wide a breadth of expression as possible is of value. A ground-breaking moment in the Canadian dance landscape, Propeller Dance’s double-bill production ‘Waiting in the Wings No More’ wi...

In Alyssa Martin’s new full-length creation Big Time Miss a group of funny people are forced to dissolve their clownish selves in favour of their lush emotional interiors, as they navigate the turbulence of their real lives. A multi-Dora Award winner, Alyysa is best known for her tongue-in-cheek approach to dance making. She creates stage works that demand that you not look away, despite feeling u...

Sir Wayne McGregor is a multi-award winning British choreographer and director, internationally renowned for his innovative performance works that have radically redefined dance in the modern era. For Fall for Dance North’s 10th anniversary season he brings his renowned work Autobiography to Toronto. Autobiography is dance in the ballet lineage merged with McGregor’s genetic code and AI. The 23 se...

The 9th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 7th 2023, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events.  Catch a sneak peek of Swan Song at Fall for Dance North, on Tuesday October 3rd, at Toronto's Meridian Hall. This special event is co-presented with TO Live, in partnership with CBC Arts and The National Ballet of Canada Visit  ffdnorth.com for more info...

The 9th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 7th 2023, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events.  Gibney Company performs OH COURAGE! as part of the UNBOWED: Signature Programme 2 on October 6th and 7th, at Toronto's Meridian Hall, co-presented with TO Live Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and to purchase tickets for the mainstage presentations. This...

The 9th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 7th 2023, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events.  Tkaronto Open is a free event, co-presented with Union, and will take place on September 30th at Union Station's West Wing. Doors open at 10am with the competition starting at noon.  Visit ffdnorth.com for more info. This episode of Mambo was produced by...

The 9th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 7th 2023, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events.  Pulga Muchochoma will perform as part of the HEARTBEATS: Signature Programme 1 on October 4th and 5th, at Toronto's Meridian Hall, co-presented with TO Live Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and to purchase tickets for the mainstage presentations. This epi...

  The 9th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 7th 2023, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. Tkaronto Open is a free event, co-presented with Union, and will take place on September 30th at Union Station's West Wing. Doors open at 10am with the competition starting at noon. Visit ffdnorth .com for more info. This episode of Mambo was produced by...

Stanford Makishi, Vice President of Programming at New York City Center for Fall For Dance NY, guides us through an enthralling conversation with one of Hawaii’s most esteemed Hula choreographers and educators, Kaleo Trinidad. They talk about the history of Hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival, the sweet smell of sandalwood, and the central importance of story. Kaleo's group from Honolulu, Ka Leo O L...

Tap performers and choreographers Dianne Montgomery and Michela Marino Lerman meet virtually for a conversation that begins by discussing each of their latest works, before venturing deeper into the heart of their creative processes. They speak of the challenge of caring for oneself whilst exploring new creative horizons, and the importance of being grounded by ones daily practice and the simple a...

Jera Wolfe and Kenneth Shirley waste no time in this playful and insightful conversation, immediately jumping into talking about all their exciting dance endeavours of late. Kenneth paints a picture of rehearsing with Indigenous Enterprise at an emptied out Jacob’s Pillow during the pandemic and Jera discusses his momentous new ballet, Arise , featuring over 100 dance students from Canada’s Nation...

Kimberley Cooper, the current Artistic Director of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, sits down with Vicki Adams Willis, one of DJD’s three founders, inside one of the studios at their beautiful new permanent building in downtown Calgary. This convivial conversation touches on the history of the company, the history of Jazz dance in Canada more broadly, and Kimberley’s new work premiering at this year’s f...

Collaborators Karen Kaeja and Roshanak Jaberi take a break from doing the final edits on their new dance film, Slipping , and sit facing each other on a loveseat in Karen’s Toronto home. From this intimate setting they discuss their evolving collaboration and the creative process behind this latest work. Buildings burned down, loving matriarchs filled hungry stomachs and hearts, and fog was captur...

Zack Martel and Santiago Rivera, the dynamic circus duo known professionally as Solo un Duelo, in conversation with Francisco Cruz, a fellow circus performer they both admire. From discovering circus at a young age, to attending the prestigious and singular National Circus School in Montreal, Quebec, and building a fruitful collaborative relationship. This episode of Mambo takes us inside the idio...

One cultural byproduct of the pandemic has been the proliferation of filmed stage performances. The ubiquitous presence of livestream and on-demand digital content makes it easy to overlook the dizzying amount of decisions and expertise that go into bringing the stage to the screen. As an Oscar nominated director and one of Canada’s leading film/TV Producers, Barbara Willis Sweete knows a thing or...

In Getting to know your Fruit dancer/choreographer Sara Porter embodies a botany all her own, inviting us to get to know our own internal fruit. Exploding the theatrical moment into movement and monologue that reveals the heart of a woman in conversation with herself about finding the truest ways to self-expression, the new film version of her monumental work, directed by William Yong, examines th...

For most of us the process of deciding what ends up on stage in front of us is something we have little knowledge of, with the immense care and consideration that goes into curating living behind a veil of unknowns. This episode peels back that veil and offers a window into the art of curation, opening up and exploring the complexities surrounding it. First we caught up with Laurence Lemieux, Arti...

Born in Zolani, South Africa, brothers Mthuthuzeli & Siphe November have danced together since before either of them can remember, until their passion for dance grew into two accomplished careers and sent them to two different continents. Siphe has been an undeniable force and integral part of the National Ballet of Canada; and Mthuthuzeli’s work as a dancer and choreographer in London, England wi...

In the landscape of Canadian dance few names are as instantly recognizable as Guillaume Côté. Whether embodying the eternal Romeo, or conjuring Norman McLaren in his work Frame by Frame, Guillaume has captured our collective imagination and brought us with him through countless journeys as both a dancer and choreographer. But where does he return to after the curtain falls? Where, or what, or who...

In a medium so often centered on the depth and dazzling qualities of its sights, it's easy to overlook the sound of dance. And yet, all movement makes sound – if you know how to listen. We invite you to open your ears and take a trip inside the auditory world of two performers pushing the boundaries of percussive dance. We traveled to New York and Michigan to chat with American dance artists Caleb...

The story of objects coming to life is no stretch for a ballet audience familiar with narratives of dolls (Coppélia) and toys (The Nutcracker) magically transformed. In FFDN’s the flip side festival, the physical objects of the theatre, studio and backstage lie dormant. Or do they? With a sense of humour, a dose of imagination – and some help from Second City Toronto actors – Ilter and Nicole conv...

Expressive intent. Meaningful music. Crafted choreography. Performer connection. These are essential ingredients in a dance production; bringing them together requires discipline and commitment. Rehearsal after rehearsal eventually brings synchrony and flow. For professional dancers, it’s just part of the job. But for couples rehearsing a dance for their wedding night, it’s a whole new experience....

For dancers, mirrors are an important tool for self-reflection and assessment. For an organization like Fall for Dance North, the process involves a different kind of mirror. Enter CPAMO, Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario, a Toronto-based group that works with arts organizations to build constructive relationships with Indigenous and racialized artists. Hear from CPAMO Executive Dire...