ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER HOUSE STEPPING DOWN
With the 2018.2019 season now concluded with the remount of Christopher House and Jordan Tannahill’s acclaimed Marienbad, it is with a mixture of great enthusiasm, appreciation, and sadness that Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT) announces that after 25 incredible years, 2019.2020 will be Christopher House’s last season as Artistic Director.
“It has been a privilege to lead this company for twenty-six seasons and to have danced and choreographed here for more than forty years,” says House. I have had the good fortune of being surrounded by generous and hugely talented individuals both on and off the stage throughout my tenure; their support for my vision has been a constant source of energy and inspiration and I am proud of what we have accomplished together. As I move on to new challenges and adventures, I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and unforgettable experiences that my time here has provided, and excited to see what new paths Toronto Dance Theatre will travel in the future as one of Canada’s leading arts organizations.”
TDT’s Board Chair Charles Pavia adds “Toronto Dance Theatre has been truly blessed to have had Christopher House’s creative ideas and choreographic vision leading the company for over twenty-five years. Starting as a member of the company forty years ago, Christopher has been a dancer, a choreographer, a leader, a mentor and artistic director. He has at once been the face of the company and the man behind the curtain. He has left his mark on a generation of dancers across Canada and throughout the international dance community.” “I am very much looking forward to this new season, my last as Artistic Director of TDT,” says House. “I am a huge admirer of Ame Henderson and her work– she has made a major contribution to the creative life of TDT over the last five years and I am thrilled that she has agreed to create a new project for us. House Mix at the Fleck Dance Theatre will be a farewell program of sorts, including some of my favourite works that we have recently been touring. I have followed the delightful creations of Alyssa Martin for several years now and am very happy to be commissioning her first work for TDT. And finally, ending the season with I’ll Crane For You is a chance for me to go deeper into Deborah Hay’s remarkable world, and depart TDT as I arrived– as a dancer. “