Michael Greyeyes
Photographer: Gary Mulcahey

What is Dusk Dances?

Dusk Dances is an outdoor dance festival that brings high quality contemporary and traditional dance to public parks. Dusk Dances features an array of choreographic works presented every night at sunset. As dusk descends, a theatrical host leads the audience -- which invariably includes children, dog walkers and local residents -- to five eclectic dance pieces that unfold in different areas of the park. Choreographers from various backgrounds are commissioned to create a ten-minute piece inspired by the park's natural environment. Audiences are invited on a pay-what-you-can basis to an innovative site-specific festival, which is not only an artistic event but a social and cultural one as well. 2009 will be Dusk Dances' 15th season.

Dusk Dances’ Mandate
As producers, our mandate is to bring dance to the community by making it accessible physically (our venue is a public space), financially (admission is pay what you can), and artistically (our programming is diverse, for all tastes and ages). Our mandate as presenters is to give choreographers a unique opportunity to showcase their work in a non-traditional dance venue, in front of a large and mostly new audience.

Dusk Dances is a member of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts and Candance network.

Dusk Dances’ Staff
Sylvie Bouchard, Curator and Festival Director
Jessica Whitford, Managing Producer
Jonathan Heppner, Communications Manager
Natasha Eck, Outreach Coordinator
Devorah Miller, Manager, Consortium of Dusk Dances Presenters

Dusk Dances’ Board of Directors
Jeanne Holmes - President
Zis Parras - Treasurer
Michele Fisher- Secretary
Justine Greenland-Duke - Board Member
Lua Shayenne - Board Member