Audition Information
Introduction
The Contemporary Company is a new company created September 2009, from the merging of our Modern (founded 1987) and Jazz (founded 2004) companies. Sometimes Modern Dance is also called Contemporary Dance, and we also know that Contemporary Dance is becoming popular at studio competitions and on TV's SYTYCD. Our Contemporary Company create, perform and compete with Contemporary, Jazz and Lyrical styles as well as Open categories blending styles such as Acro and Hip Hop. Dancers train in all styles, as well as some ballet and hip hop, yet will be able to choose a major focus as the year progresses. Past professional teachers and choreographers have included Linda Garneau (Jazz), Rachel Parnaby (Jazz), Lisa Collins (Jazz), Heidi Strauss (Modern) and Malgorzata Nowacka (Modern), David Norsworthy (Contemporary, Jazz), Meghan MacNeil (Contemporary & Jazz), Michele Black (Contemporary), Louis Laberge-Cote (Contemporary), Darryl Tracy (Contemporary). Returning and incoming dancers will audition together for 16-18 places in the company.
Current Dancers
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Adina StromProgram: Health Studies - Yr 4/5 Adina has been dancing with the McMaster dance company for four years beginning in the modern company and eventually expanding to both modern and jazz. Last year she was a part of the newly formed contemporary company, which will encompass both her love for modern and jazz in one company. In addition to modern and jazz, Adina also enjoys acro and ballet, which she has been dancing for most of her life. Adina trained at Interplay School of Dance receiving teaching from Faye Rauw in addition to attending the Claude Watson Program at Earl Haig Secondary School for dance, studying under Roz Ornstein and Tara Blight. Since joining the McMaster Dance Company Adina has been able to continue performing twice a year as well as performing at the American College Dance Festival, Terpsichore celebration of dance, and Rhythm Dance Competition. |
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Alana Bartolini Program: Bachelor of Health Sciences – Yr 3 Alana started dancing and competing at the age of 11 at The Dance ballet, and acro, and graduated from the Etobicoke School of the Arts as a dance major. She has completed her RAD ballet examinations up to Advanced 2, danced in the modern company, DancESAtion, and competed at many competitions across Canada and the US. Throughout her years of dance, Alana has won many overall solo awards and several scholarships with various companies. She has had the privilege to work with great |
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Allana Beavis Bachelor of Health Sciences (Hons) - Yr 4 (Global Health Allana has been with the McMaster Dance Company for her entire undergrad and is excited to see what her fourth and final year in the company will bring. She has danced in both the Contemporary and Urban Companies, and has also competed in the Ontario University Competition for Hip-Hop (O.U.C.H.) in 2008. Her training lies with the School of Contemporary Dancers in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here, Allana primarily trained as a modern and hip-hop dancer. This motivates her to choreograph hybridized dance pieces, such as the zombie piece,"ReAnima[t]ion", which showcased the diverse talents within the Company. Allana truly enjoys creating dance works that are dramatic, physically demanding and theatrical. |
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Amanda Moreira Program: Medical Radiation Sciences – Yr 3 Amanda began dancing at the age of 3, and at the age of 5 she entered the competitive program at The Dance Experience in her hometown of Ajax, Ontario. It was here that she completed all of her B.A.T.D. exams, finally becoming an Associate member in May 2007. Over the years Amanda has competed in jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and acro. In addition to dancing at her studio Amanda also danced in the Winter Festival of Lights and with this piece won the CTV Greenbelt contest. In her first year at McMaster she danced with the McMaster Jazz company and attended ACDF in Virginia. Last year she danced with the new Contemporary Company. |
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Ashley Marcinek Program: Life Science – Yr 2 Ashley has danced with the Linda Jamieson School of Dance in Ottawa since the age of five. She has studied ballet, point, jazz, lyrical, tap, modern, and musical theatre. She has completed many Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Examinations including her most recent accomplishment of her Advanced Two Ballet. She has also been in many ballet shows such as the Nutcracker and Giselle, as well as participating in many competitions in Ontario, Quebec, and New York. She has received many high scores in group numbers as well as individually. She plans to continue dancing all through university and also to audition for a cruise ship during or after university. She can’t wait to start working with new choreographers and dancers this year. |
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Carissa Bowerman Hometown: Stoney Creek, Ontario Carissa truly loves to dance and perform. Recently she performed in the Hamilton Site-Specific Dance Festival 2010. |
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Jessie HeamanProgram: Psychology – Yr 4 Jessie is in her fourth year of honours psychology and has completed three years with the McMaster Dance Company and last year was an Assistant Co-Director for the contemporary company. Jessie started her dancing career with ballet at Simcoe Dance Academy in Barrie. After 10 or so years of dancing she has done jazz, musical theatre, acro, modern and even dabbled a little hip-hop, African, and salsa. She has been involved in many different shows, competitions, workshops, and has spent the last 3 summers teaching dance at a drama camp in her hometown. Although traditionally trained in ballet and jazz, Jessie has always been drawn to modern dance and thus was drawn to the modern company in her first year at McMaster. Over the past few years with the company she has fallen in love with modern and contemporary and expects that this love will only grow stronger during this next year. |
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Kaitlyn Boese Hometown: Arnprior, Ontario Kaitlyn began dancing at the age of three and hasn’t stopped since. The |
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Laura Tambosso Program: Honours Kinesiology - Yr 2 Dance has been a part of Laura’s life for as long as she can remember. She began dancing recreationally at the age of 6, and at the age of 8 she began dancing at Vlad’s Dance Company, where she trained and competed for 10 years. Laura has been privileged to have had the opportunity to work with many amazing choreographers, including Vlad, Linda Garneau, and Derrick Yanford, to name a few. She has also been fortunate to be in pieces that have won awards across North America. Last year, during an enrichment year at Neuchatel Junior College in Switzerland, Laura had the pleasure of choreographing pieces for the school’s “Evening of the Arts.” |
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Lisa BeasleyProgram & Year: Kinesiology (Honours) Yr 2 Lisa Beasley has danced since the age of eight at Can Dance Academy in Mississauga, Ontario and danced competitively with the company for the past eight years. In high school Lisa was thrilled to be accepted into the regional arts program at Cawthra Park, majoring in dance and in grade 11 was part of the repertoire dance company at the school. Lisa studied a variety of styles of dance including ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, tap, musical theater and some flamenco. Through Cawthra Park, Lisa is delighted to have been able to work with amazing choreographers and teachers such as Linda Garneau, Danny Grossman, Daniel Lewis, Nicholas Villeneuve and Sharon Wong. Lisa has performed in a variety of shows with her high school including Springfest, Mosaix and the Peel Regional Dance Showcase along with her studio’s annual end of year. |
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Lisa HuiskampProgram: Honors Psychology BSc – Yr 4 Lisa attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts as a dance major where she fell in love with dance and the performing arts. Being part of the high school’s modern company, DancESAtion, she performed in many different shows including the Rite of Spring and Romeo & Juliet. She's also worked with world renowned choreographers Milton Meyers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Danny Grossman, Gabby Kamino and Colleen Freidman. Before high school Lisa was a gymnast, tumbler and performer at heart. Last year was her second year as a member of the McMaster Modern/Contemporary Dance Company and had the pleasure of working with Heidi Strauss and performing in the American College Dance Festival in Virginia. Now in her fourth year as an student she's excited to be part of the company again and can not wait to see what the year has in store for her. |
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Melanie Rodowa Program & Year: Engineering Yr 2 Co-op Melanie has been dancing since the age of four in the styles of ballet, tap, jazz and acro. Since then she has also trained in the styles of lyrical and modern. She started competitive dancing three years ago and had her first solo just last year. Melanie had been in numerous dace shows and recitals as well as a few musical theatre productions. She just recently was in the production of The Nutcracker as well as A Chorus Line where she starred as the character Cassie. Melanie always has and always will love performing whether it be dancing or singing and she’s very excited to continue her dancing at McMaster. |
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Michelle Dubinsky Program: Biochemistry - Yr 3 Michelle has trained at Young Dancers of Canada, All That Dance and the |
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Perri Maxwell Linguistic Cognitive Science and French – Yr 4
Perri has been dancing since the age of 7 and has studied tap, jazz, musical theatre, acro, ballet and hip hop - some competitively and some recreationally. After a brief hiatus from dance during high school, Perri danced with the McMaster Contemporary Dance Company last year. She especially enjoyed the various workshops and performances held throughout the year. Perri is working towards her goal of attending Speech Pathology school after finishing her undergraduate degree. |
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Tara Thompson Program: Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) – Yr 4 Tara has danced since the age of three at Sherry Walsh Academy of Dance Arts (SWADA) in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She started dancing competitively when she was eight years old and immediately she was hooked. At home, she has had the pleasure of working with many fabulous teachers including Sherry Walsh, Matthew Caruso, Linda Garneau, and Shannon McGrath. Tara has also received her teacher’s certification from the British Association of Teachers of Dancing in Ballet, Jazz and Stage. Tara came to McMaster University in 2007 and has since been a part of both the modern and jazz teams. In her third year she joined the newly formed contemporary team, and loved it! |
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Taylor McCabe Program: Honours Kinesiology (Science) - Yr 3 Taylor has been dancing since the age of 4 at the Halton Hills School of Dance in Georgetown where she studied ballet, jazz, and modern. With her studio she has completed her RAD Advanced I ballet exam, performed in annual recitals and ballets, and traveled to Germany on a dance exchange. She was the winner of the Sonia Chamberlain Trophy in the HHSD Choreographic Competition four years in a row. Other dance experiences include classes at the School for the Toronto Dance Theatre and the Summer Dance Intensive (Sundance) Camp at the Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre. She loved dancing with the company last year as well as helping to teach and choreograph for the former Junior Company. |
