Ahead by a Century: a London childhood 100 years ago A historical OEV walking tour with pop-up dance performances presented by the Centre of Movement Arts and the London Heritage Council
Doors Open Weekend September 21 & 22, 2024 Tours from 11am-12:10pm and 1-2:10pm Meet at Queens Park! 925 Dundas St East (beside the Western Fair Market)
Tour RouteBegin at Queen’s Park, walk to Carson Library, Lorne Ave Park, and return to Queen’s Park.
It’s 1924 when 7-year-old Audrey gets her first library card and opens a book to embark on a high seas adventure with her neighbourhood friends. As they sail around the world they encounter dances from far-away places and fight pirates before returning home in time for tea.
Take a trip back in time on a historical walking tour animated with dance performances. This project tells a travelling story about the childhood of Audrey Varty (Bizz’s grandmother), who in 1924 got her first library card and embarked on a book-inspired adventure through the Old East Village with her neighbourhood friends. Directed by Bizz Varty, this site-specific dance theatre experience will feature contemporary, Flamenco and Bellydance by London artists and be performed by multi-generational dance artists alongside community volunteers.
Production Team Director and Choreographer: Bizz Varty Production Manager: Laura Sepulveda Flamenco Choreography & Performance: Flamenco del Sur Bellydance Choreography & Performance: Rising Moon Bellydance Core Cast: Samantha Sendas, Haylee Kizito, Florence Brown, Ainsley MacDonald, Millie MacDonald
Thank you for your patience while we navigate this strange new world. I’m sure you will share in our sadness, but expect you will not be surprised to hear that the 2020 London Dance Festival will not happen as planned from June 26-28.
We had hoped to announce some alternative plans for the summer, but unfortunately we must put all activities on hold at this time due to a lack of funding. Once funding is restored we intend to move forward with some great ideas that will allow us to celebrate dance within the current pandemic framework.
If you have submitted an application for the summer festival, we will keep your submission on file and review it once we are able to start making plans again. We will be leaving all application forms open, so if you have an idea for a dance piece you are welcome to share it with us. Our social media channels will be quiet for a while, but we look forward to sharing and connecting with you again soon!
Stay safe and keep dancing, Bizz & the LDF/CMA team
The Centre of Movement Arts is looking for volunteer assistants to help Bizz teach Chair Yoga for individuals with special needs. This is a unique opportunity for yoga teachers in training and other movement/body workers to learn ways of adapting yoga for students with a wide variety of abilities.
This is an unpaid position, but there is potential for some paid work later on as a sub teacher. Interested teachers are invited to sit in on a class.
Class Description: This is a unique class that welcomes students with a variety of physical and mental abilities. We begin with a gentle warmup to mobilize the joints, followed by basic seated yoga poses. The class ends with meditation and massage. Solo and partner poses are done with the help of the instructor and the students’ attendant staff, and are adapted to each individual’s range of motion, strength and preferences. Bizz brings her love of music to the class by singing songs that inspire students’ movement.
This is a unique and very fun class to teach. It requires patience, compassion and a sense of humour. It is an engaging challenge to adapt poses to a variety of bodies and movement abilities. Most students are in wheelchairs or use walkers, but not all. The class includes individuals who are verbal, non-verbal, blind, with limited sight, have cerebral palsy, and other physical, mental, and developmental challenges.
PLEASE NOTE: We will be taking a break from Nature Walks beginning in August 2019 while we look for a sponsor to help keep the program going. Thank you for coming out to support our walks this year! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Celebrate National Dance Week 2019 from April 22-29 with the London Dance Festival presented by the Centre of Movement Arts
Watch videos of amazing dances from past performances Donate to help us bring more great dance to London this year – and earn great rewards! Share our videos with your network and help us spread the word
Help us raise money to:
Bring more dance to Festival stages in 2019
Deliver more Dance Mob and movement workshops to
the community
$10+
Your name will be listed in our programs and website for one year
$25+ Festival Temporary tattoo
$50+ Festival poster signed by all participating artists
$100 Festival T-shirt
$150 Ticket to the Awaken Summer performance with VIP seating (choose picnic blanket or chair)
$200 A personalized Dance Mob workshop for you and up to 20 friends*
$250+ All of the above!
You can pick up your rewards at all festival events or make arrangements to pick up at a local studio. *Available in London area. Outside of London, skype lesson can be arranged.
The money goes directly to the Centre of Movement Arts, presenter
of the London Dance Festival, and a registered non-profit (#1969121) that
supports dance and movement in London. Money raised will be used to pay artists
who perform in the festival and other performance events.
I don’t have
a credit card or Paypal account, can I still donate?
Yes! We accept donations by cash, cheque,
and e-transfer. Email us at info@londondancefestival.ca
for more information.
Are there
other ways to help?
Yes! You can support us by volunteering at
festival events, by sharing our promotions on social media, become a sponsor, or
donate in-kind goods and services. Email us at info@londondancefestival.ca for
more information.
How can I
participate in the festival?
You can apply to perform your dance work at
the festival, participate in the Dance Mob workshops and performance, attend as
an audience member, and more! Learn more on our website.
Will I
get a tax receipt?
No. Unfortunately we are unable to provide tax receipts, as we are a non profit (but not a charity).
