OTTAWA, September 23, 2020 – NAC Dance announces a new virtual dance series of livestreams titled #DanceForth to open on Thursday, October 1st at 7 P.M. (EDT) from the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage. The first event will feature Gatineau’s own premier street dance company Bboyizm, headed by Crazy Smooth and his team of fantastic movers, along with contemporary dancer Saxon Fraser who will join Crazy Smooth for a newly created duet. The performance will be accessible via the NAC website and livestreamed on the NAC’s Facebook page under the #CanadaPerforms banner. The #DanceForth series this fall will also partner with centres and presenters across the country including The Dance Centre in Vancouver, Neighbourhood Dance Works in St. John’s and Ottawa Dance Directive’s Series Dance 10 to offer dance fans access to a variety of works by artists from coast to coast.

The Executive Producer of NAC Dance Cathy Levy, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary at the NAC this fall, said: “Choreographers and dancers with a terrific range of styles will be sharing with you directly through this series, which embraces a new model to celebrate this rich and dynamic art form. Please tune in with us to discover the breadth and talent of Canada’s outstanding dance milieu.”

Leading up to their #DanceForth livestream performances, artists will be supported with a residency period at the NAC or in various rehearsal spaces across Canada to renew their performance practice, to experiment with video and to prepare the works for the camera’s eye.

The falls’ full lineup to be announced soon!

#DANCEFORTH WITH BBOYIZM & SPECIAL GUEST SAXON FRASER - OCTOBER 1st AT 7 P.M. EDT

Dancing since 1997, Crazy Smooth is one of Canada’s top street dancers, performers, choreographers, instructors, judges, and community leaders. He is founder and creative director of Bboyizm, an award-winning street-dance company that has been instrumental in the preservation and growth of street dance in Canada and internationally. Founded in 2004, Bboyizm is Canada’s premier street-dance company. The company is committed to promote and preserve the foundation, authenticity, and essence of all street dances. Bboyizm believes that authentic self-expression enables an individual – and by extension, a community – to realize its full potential. In addition to performances, the company provides a complete street dance experience that includes outreach and street-dance programs in schools and communities across Canada.

The performance will feature:

Crazy Smooth (Yvon Soglo)
Nubian Néné (Nadine Sylvestre)
Julie Rock (Julie Benoit)
Miss Marie Monsta (Marie Benoit)
Mr. Fresh (Lyon Béliard)
Effect (Arnaldo Bétancourt)
Saxon Fraser (Juxtapose dance company)

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

The NAC Foundation wishes to acknowledge Facebook Canada, Founding Partner of #CanadaPerforms. Thank you also to Official Hotel Partner of NAC Dance, The Lord Elgin Hotel, and Official Rail Partner VIA Rail. The role of the Executive Producer, Dance at the NAC, is generously supported by an anonymous donor.

ABOUT THE NAC

The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.

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