Moonhorse Dance Theatre’s Older & Reckless in a special West End Edition!

DATES                    December 2nd & 3rd, 2011

TIMES                    8:00pm

TICKET PRICES      $22/$18 CADA, students and seniors

VENUE                   The Lower Ossington Theatre

                               100 A Ossington Avenue

                               West of Bathurst between Dundas and Queen St West

BOX OFFICE                   (416) 504-6429 x 30 or www.danceumbrella.eventbrite.com
CONTACT PERSON        Christine Moynihan (416) 504-6429 x 28

Older and Reckless hits the West End at the LOWER OSSINGTON THEATRE

Older & Reckless, Claudia Moore’s celebrated series is travelling to Toronto’s West End this December.  The 24^th edition of O & R will be at the Lower Ossington Theatre December 2 & 3^rd at 8pm and features a quintet of fearless dance artists: Esmeralda Enrique, Jennifer lynn Dick, Michelle Silagy, Rebecca Hope Terry and a special guest from Montreal, Lina Cruz.

Renowned flamenco artist, Esmeralda Enrique, is appearing for the first time in Older & Reckless. It is an honour to host this extraordinary artist! Esmeralda will perform Recuerdos (Taranto) with guitarist Nicolás Hernández and singer Tamar Ilana.

Recuerdos speaks of the strength and fluidity of our memories.  But the cycle of life repeats itself and memories reoccur, if not in our lifetime then in the generation that follows.  In this way, history gives us a chance at redemption, a journey that can be heartbreaking or rewarding, a journey of discovery. 

Rebecca Hope Terry will perform an excerpt of her new solo work-in-process, Swan. An exploration of the myths that surround this magnificent creature from a contemporary perspective, Swan deals with the theme of transformation through exploring different aspects of one's "self”.  As a performer, “Terry can claim a lifetime membership among a select group of performers with a natural gift for transmitting emotional sincerity and vulnerability.” - The Globe and Mail 

Michelle Silagy and Jennifer lynn Dick continue their exploration of home with The Identity Project.  A choreographic collaboration, which has been in the works for a couple of years, it incorporates Jennifer's own stories of growing up on The Rock. “Newfoundland is an island, and island life necessitates reliance on others. That includes the good the bad and the ugly. Even the worst of enemies show up at your door when life's hardships have fallen in your lap. And they arrive with a casserole in hand.”

Montreal’s celebrated Lina Cruz, who wowed audiences at this year’s dance: made in canada festival, brings us an excerpt of SINK, one of the solos of SINK-BUBBLE-BOX, a new solo project choreographed and performed by Lina Cruz. “I am hopelessly addicted to working with props. They are my intimate partners in solo work. SINK is no exception. I found my SINK partner in the garbage, in an alley, a couple of years ago. "He" has been waiting in a locker in my basement ever since and now he is out and we are having lots of fun!”

And don’t just stand on the sidelines – join us in a line-dance workshop with Tina Fushell.  Bring your hats and dancin’boots at 7:30 pm and Tina will create a line dance for everyone in a pre-show workshop. All ages, sizes, genders are welcome – and yes, we do think you can dance!

About the Artists:

Esmeralda Enrique is one of the most celebrated Flamenco dance artists in Canada.  Lauded internationally as a performer, choreographer and teacher, Esmeralda has received four prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for her performances and choreographies. Esmeralda grew up in the flamenco tradition and her performance career began at age fourteen.  She toured North America with the famous company of José Greco and has appeared throughout Europe, the Middle East and Mexico with the distinguished dance companies of Paco Ruíz, Miguel Sandoval, Antonio del Castillo, Sara Lezana and Cristóbal Reyes.  In 1982 Ms. Enrique immigrated to Toronto and founded the Academy of Spanish Dance and the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company, renowned for its innovation, versatility and artistic excellence. Esmeralda reveals in her work a total mastery and love of the art.  The 2011/2012 season marks the 30^th anniversary of the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company’s establishment in Canada.  Undoubtedly Esmeralda’s spirit and energy over the last thirty years have helped make flamenco a vibrant, driving force on the Canadian dance landscape.

Lina Cruz
“Stylized to the minimum gesture”, Montreal choreographer Lina Cruz creates works with a very personal signature, considered different, inventive and always evolving on the margins of mainstream dance. A second place award winner in the 1998 choreographic competition of the St-Sauveur Arts Festival (Quebec), Lina Cruz has presented her work in Spain, Switzerland, France, Mexico, United States, Quebec and Canada. Lina Cruz’s training and early career as a dancer took place mainly in Spain and USA (New York). She obtained scholarships with Joffrey Ballet School (New York), MUDRA (school associated with Béjart’s XXème Siècle, Brussels), Luis Fuente (Madrid), Irina Brecher (ex soloist at Bat-Dor, Bat Sheva) and Victor Ullate Ballet School (Madrid). Parallel to her dancing, she trained in karate Shotokan (brown belt).
She moved to Montreal in 1989, where she is dedicated to her own creative work. She has also choreographed for opera productions of the Atelier Lyrique of the Montreal Opera and for the contemporary opera company, Chants Libres.

Jennifer Dick and Michelle Silagy

Graduates of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (STDT) Michelle Silagy and Jennifer Dick are Toronto based dancers, chorographers and teachers.  Upon graduating from STDT Jennifer joined and toured internationally with Desrosiers Dance Theatre and was then mentored by Desrosiers while developing a unique choreographic voice. Jennifer has recently worked with Rebecca Hope Terry, Claudia Moore, Tom Brouillette and Kaeja d’Dance.  As an Independent, Silagy has created dance-work with: Megan Andrews, Andrea Nann, William Yong, Michael Du Maresq and Sarah Chase.  Her choreography has been presented at the: Art Gallery of Ontario, EnWave Theatre, Dusk Dances, Beurs van Berlage Amsterdam and Series 8:08 which she co-founded. HOME marks Dick and Silagy’s first collaboration.

Rebecca Hope Terry is a multi-disciplinary performer with a career spanning over 20 years within Vancouver and Toronto. As a dancer she has performed with many Canadian contemporary dance companies including Dancemakers, one of Canada's finest modern dance companies, with whom she danced for seven years. She is part of Denise Fujiwara’s Butoh inspired trio No Exit and new group piece Eunoia. Her own creations encompass a wide degree of genres - from clown to Shakespeare to dance-theatre. She has been presented in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edinburgh and rural England. Her company, The Moving Company, has a strong outreach mandate. She has taught dance and movement to older women, girls in a correctional institute, people who are blind, children, professional dancers, and adults living with developmental delays. She is also Craniosacral Therapist (www.csbloom.com) an “Energy Healer”. 

Older & Reckless, an informal performance series, features work from OLDER artists who continue to grow more RECKLESS as time goes by. Older & Reckless provides an opportunity for seasoned dance artists to perform short works and a chance for the audience to see some of Canada’s most celebrated senior choreographers.

Conceived by Claudia Moore, artistic director of MOonhORsE Dance Theatre, Older & Reckless is “an intimate exchange for both the performer and the observer; exciting, terrifying, and lots of fun. The performances are followed by a party with music, refreshments, and a chance to talk with the artists about work, process, and whatever else comes up!”