COMMUNIQUE

Ottawa; November 27, 2010

The School of Dance celebrated the launch of Dances By Youth For Youth in style Saturday evening with a tantalizing performance in the Celia Franca Studio of excerpts from new choreographies by young Ontario artists Rebecca McLane and Heather Macdonald.

Merrilee Hodgins, The School's Artistic Director opened the event by introducing Frank Dyson, who represented the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Mr. Dyson congratulated The School on its excellence and commented on the importance of The School's work with young people; the Ontario Trillium Foundation has committed $100,000 to the DBYFY project over the next three years.

Sylvie Desrosiers, Director of Contemporary Dance at The School, introduced project mentor Peter Boneham, winner of a Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2005.

The 60 invited guests included: Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General now Special Envoy for Haiti for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and her daughter, Marie-Éden; The School's Chair of the Board Victoria Prystawski and her husband Walter Prystawski, founding Concertmaster of the National Arts Centre Orchestra; Donna MacKenzie, Secretary of the Board and a Partner in the Ottawa firm, Gowlings; Myles Warren of the Ontario Arts Council; Suzanne Bedard from the Ottawa office of the Ontario Trillium Foundation; members of AIR - Ottawa artist Maryse Maynard and her husband, award-winning flautist Robert Cram and Ottawa artist Neera Huckvale; Ottawa dance artist Peter Ryan; arts patron Diana Kirkwood; Rosemary and David Spendlove, parents of dancer Michael Spendlove, graduate of The School of Dance. A reception, featuring Copper Moon wines from Peller Estates, followed the performance and was enjoyed by all.

Background

Dances By Youth For Youth is a three-year creative dance arts mentoring programme which provides young choreographers an opportunity to collaborate with an established senior Canadian choreographer in order to create works for young dancers to present to young audiences.

The choreographies are inspired by the collaboration between the choreographers and students from Ontario high-schools. In 2010, the four schools that will participate in DFYBY are Canterbury High School (Ottawa), École Secondaire De La Salle (Ottawa), St-Lawrence Intermediate School (Cornwall) and École Secondaire de Casselman (Casselman).

The Performances

Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa

Thursday, December 2, 7:30pm

École secondaire catholique de Casselman & St-Lawrence Intermediate School

Friday, December 3, 7:30pm

Saturday, December 4, 7:30pm

Canterbury High School & École secondaire publique De La Salle

To purchase tickets ($15 for adults, $10 for students), please call 613-238-7838