Dirty Feet

Host Allison Elizabeth Burns speaks with playwright, actor, and director Laurie Fyffe about her new upcoming play, Exciting Cause (about the women of Rockwood Asylum) and an associated workshop, Moving Through Theatrical Space. The show’s script and movement are being developed simultaneously, influencing one another. Allison is choreographing the production and facilitating the workshop, and so takes on the role of interviewee mid-way through the episode.

Ana Gherasim is an artist, educator, and the owner and founder of Azucar, Latin Dance Company in Ottawa. We speak about her evolving relationship to dance, how her studio has changed recently, and what is on the horizon for a more inclusive and consent-aware social dance scene.

Brittney Canda is a choreographer and dance film director among other things. We speak about her unique style, how she discovered her love for dance on film, and her recent accolades. Specifically we talk about her works, Wrap Me Up - which was awarded Best Choreography in a Music Video at the UKMVAs - and Touch which was awarded Best Film at Festival Quartiers Danses.

This episode explores the impact the COVID-19 global pandemic has had on different Contemporary dance artists in Ottawa. Yvonne Coutts the artistic director of the Ottawa Dance Directive, Sylvie Desrosiers the director of the Contemporary Dance program at The School of Dance, Frédérique Pelletier a recent graduate of that same school, and Elizabeth Emond-Stevenson a mid-career independent dance artist. This selection of artists are all at different stages in their career, and yet only represent a sliver of experience. The pandemic has affected dance artists in Ottawa and beyond in a variety of ways only some of which are represented here.