At an awards ceremony in Markham, Ontario, the Flato Markham Theatre presented MOTUS O dance theatre, who now reside in Mount Forest Ontario, with the 2023 Professional Artist of the Year Award. The award goes to a professional artist and/or company that has had a varied career of considerable length, and has had a significant impact on the growth of the arts and culture scene within the City of Markham. The award aims to celebrate the successes and valued importance of the artists/group.
The 2023 Professional Artist of the Year Award was received in person by the original founders and artistic directors of the company, James Croker, Cynthia Croker and Jack Langenhuizen.
The artistic directors were absolutely thrilled and honoured to receive such a prestigious award. MOTUS O’s first professional show ever was performed at the Flato Markham Theatre over 3 decades ago. As the company sets to retire at the end of 2024, the theatre will bookend MOTUS O’s career by presenting their final public performance, Confessions of a Professional Dancer, on May 01st, 2024.
About MOTUS O – MOTUS O is a dance theatre company which started in 1990 in Stouffville, Ontario, but is now based in Mount Forest, Ontario. Since their inception, they have been delighting audiences across Canada, the USA and overseas. They have grown to become one of the leading dance companies in Canada, and now perform for over 25,000 people every year. After 35 years, MOTUS O’s original founders and artistic directors, James Croker, Cynthia Croker and Jack Langenhuizen, will be retiring from the company, but will never stop doing what they enjoy the most – dancing.