History
In 1974, a group of independent dancers led by Andraya Smith and Marcy Radler came together to create, commission and perform new choreography.
In its early years, Dancemakers worked collaboratively, forming commissions and creative relationships with choreographers from many styles and associations. Its history is a space for multiple voices, perspectives, and collective decision-making processes. Artistic Directors included Anna Blewchamp, Carol Anderson, Patricia Miner, Peggy Baker, Patricia Fraser and Bill James.
From 1990-2006, Serge Bennathan was named Artistic Director and reshaped the company's image into that of a repertoire company.
From 2006-2014, Michael Trent was Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer and continued to foster new ways of creating experimental dance.
In 2014, Dancemakers launched the Incubation Production House model. This shifted the focus to intensive three-year residencies for local, national, and international dance artists. The new position of Dance Curator replaced the traditional role of Artistic Director and for the first year Ben Kamino and Emi Foster were hired as Co-Curators.
From 2015-2019, Amelia Ehrhardt was Curator, fostering international success for many of the artists engaged in the residency model.
However, the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic in 2020 and rising occupancy costs of studio space in Artscape Distillery District (where the company was based since 2002) compounded. The then serving Board of Directors made plans to permanently shutter operations and hired Natasha Powell as the final Curator. Broad community outcry led to a complete Board turnover and the appointment of five artists started a new board of directors in February 2021.
In January 2022, Cara Spooner was hired in the new role of Artistic Producer and Helen Yung’s Laboratory of Artistic Intelligence facilitated a two-year community research and outreach process. This resulted in the current Guest Curator model which pluralizes artistic leadership and supports a wider range dance forms and lived experiences.
In 2024, Christina de la Cruz and Cara Spooner created a Co-Artistic Producer structure to better support Guest Curator projects in a variety of locations, contexts and scales.
To read the Dance Current’s article On the Brink by Dylan Schoenmakers published in their Spring 2021 issue, visit: https://thedancecurrent.com/article/brink/
To read Canadian Arts’ article On the Life and Death (and Life) of Dancemakers by Emma Doran in an online essay from March 2023, visit: https://canadianart.ca/essays/dancemakers/
To access Dancemakers’ archive at Dance Collection Danse, visit: https://discover.dcd.ca/items
Company photo, 1982 / Photo by Andrew Oxenham
Banner photo: James Kudelka’s unfinished business, 1984 / Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann