Local company an innovator on national dance scene

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Forty years after its inception, Toronto Dance Theatre is still going strong.

The theatre, which calls the Winchester Street Theatre home, has been an innovative force in the city's dance scene virtually since its inception and has grown both in size and scope ever since.

This week, it kicked off its 40th season by premiering its latest work, Dis/(sol/ve)r.

The long-running dance company started from humble roots, with three artists - David Earle, Peter Randazzo and Patricia Beatty - sharing a vision.

"They were dancers in the 60s who were really inspired by the American dance pioneer Martha Graham," said TDT managing director Jay Rankin. "They all found themselves in Toronto in 1968 and they decided to merge some ideas that David and Peter had with a company that Patricia had started up."

The company almost immediately found an audience, with young adults in the free love era starting to appreciate the power of using the body as a means of expression. Over the years, as the company has begun exploring new and unique avenues, that has cast a wider net and brought in larger audiences.

For Rankin, however, one of the key moments in TDT's development came when the company moved into the Winchester Street Theatre in 1978.

"It gives us a certain stability that we didn't have," he said. "It gives us a sense of identity, a sense of place."

Having a permanent home in the heart of the city also allowed TDT to become not only a centre of dance in Toronto but a nationally-acclaimed leader in the art form. TDT expanded their mandate, creating the School of Toronto Dance Theatre to help young up-and-comers find the training they need.

"Teaching's a big part of what we do, and even though the school's now a separate entity from us, but we're very, very close," Rankin said. "The school's trained some of the best dancers in Canada such as (current TDT creative director) Christopher House, Danny Grossman and Peggy Baker."

The company is known for its complex works and for fusing multiple media, combining dance with theatre, literature, film and different musical genres. For Rankin, the confidence to exhibit new ideas has been a hallmark of TDT productions.

"Our curiosity never changes, and I think that's helped us become the pre-eminent modern dance company in all of English Canada," he said. "We're 40 years old, but we're still leaders, still innovators."

The company has built what is likely the largest body of original works of any dance ensemble in Toronto, always stretching boundaries. Breaking new ground has helped them expand their audience.

"Some of our shows are more intense and some are more playful," Rankin said. "We partnered with (acclaimed band) the Hidden Cameras that brought in a completely different audience than usual. Our audience is pretty broad, but it's usually professional people who are young-ish - in the 20 to 45 zone."

Trying to stay ahead of the curve also requires some forward thinking by House. His own style has changed as he has found new and interesting challenges.

"We have to keep our eyes on what's going to be attractive to people and what the current tools are that we can use to reach out to people," Rankin said. "When it comes to audience loyalty, we have a core we can count on, but we always have to re-invent ourselves and sell ourselves."

Dis/(sol/ve)r is in the midst of its debut run at the Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre, where it will run until Saturday, Nov. 22.

For more information on the show or about Toronto Dance Theatre, visit www.tdt.org