Coming to Fringe 2009: The Ascension / The Chronicles of Descent

From Press Release

Thistle Dance Works and HOWDARESHE Productions presents:

‘The Ascension / The Chronicles of Descent’ at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2009!

A Double Bill showcasing three fun and exciting World Premieres by fresh choreographic voices!

‘The Ascension / The Chronicles of Descent’ explores life’s ‘highs and lows’ in a whimsical journey into the worlds of two wayward birds attempting to make their way South for the winter, and a strange, but lovable character Charlie.

‘Birds’ – A duet which takes a brief glimpse into the life and relationship of two little birds who forgot to fly south for the winter, and discover what is left when everyone else is gone.

**Performed by Cast A -Larissa Taurins and Julie Grant, Cast B – Julie Grant and Hannah Greyson-Gaito.

‘Rushed’- This solo dance is an exploration of the different styles of dance studied by performer/choreographer Emma-Kate Millar. A professional Irish dancer through high school and currently working in a contemporary aesthetic, Millar blends contemporary dance and traditional Irish dancing to tell a story of her struggle between both worlds and her attempt to make sense of it all and find a common ground.

Charlie – A solo invented through the characterization of postures, isolations, distortions and ‘larger than life’ physicality. Charlie animates a variety of emotions and emotional states within a single caricature and explores human faults/flaws, oddities, and playfulness in a series of inventive physical landscapes. Charlie was inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s physical comedy and the emotional layers of the cartoon character Charlie Brown.

**Performed by Cast A – Tanya Crowder and Cast B – Alana Elmer.

‘…tour de force’ Toronto Star – Susan Walker

The Ascension / The Chronicles of Descent

Robert Gill Theatre

214 College Street, 3rd Floor (St. George St entrance) – NO LATECOMERS ADMITTED, No Refunds!

Thursday July 2nd – 9:15pm

Sunday July 5th – 10:30pm

Tuesday July 7th – 7pm

Wednesday July 8th – 2:15pm

Thursday July 9th – 5:15pm

Friday July 10th – 9:15pm

Saturday July 11th – 12noon

Fringe Hotline: 416-966-1062, www.fringetoronto.com

$10 @ the door, $8.00 in advance ($2.00 surcharge), various Festival passes available at discounted rates!

Emma-Kate Millar is the Artistic Director and Choreographer for Thistle Dance Works. Thistle dance works was born out of Emma-Kate Millar’s desire to create within her world of storytelling and the fusion of all of Millar’s dance experiences. It is a place for experimentation and the fusion of Modern and Irish dancing styles. Millar’s work is whimsical and takes the audience to surprising and often unexpected places. Millar is a member of the Toronto based dance company ‘Crazyfish Collective’ and graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.

Tanya Crowder is the Artistic Director of HOWDARESHE Productions, an umbrella for her many artistic projects and is the founder and Artistic Director of the popular dance series Dance Matters, which is now in its’ third season. Tanya is a member of Kaeja d’Dance and has danced for many esteemed independent choreographers. Crowder’s commission works include dances presented at Series 8:08 Season Finale, Cawthra Park Arts High School Spring Showcase (2007), Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, and Vernissage (Studio 303). Tanya produced, performed and created work for HOWDARESHE Productions show Falling to Grace (May 2008), as part of DanceWorks CoWorks. The show included a choreographic commission of work created by Crowder and the luminous Julia Sasso. Recent and upcoming projects include: a collaborative project with Kaeja d’Dance and Soulpepper Theatre, Karen Kaeja’s Wedding Threads at The Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, Heart Surge at the Fringe Festival with Artists’ Play Dance Theatre and dancing in Pam Johnsons’ The Sky is Falling in a show at the Winchester Theatre in June.