ConnectDance

Connect. Inspire. Dance.

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A Message from the Artistic Director

Last November was a busy month for Connect Dance. One year ago the dancers were busy preparing for our first staged performance at Centrepointe Studio Theatre. We were rehearsing in every spare hour, making costumes, promoting our venture, and carrying on with our normal work and studies. This November brings about a very different scene for the company. As some may know, I have been working on another sort of creation this year. Five weeks ago, my precious baby boy was born! Growing him and preparing for motherhood took over my free time outside of work this year. The Dancers Give Back Ottawa show was our last performance before we decided to put company operations on pause until I was feeling physically able to be fully involved in rehearsals again. This is a belated explanation of our absence from the studio and stage this year, but also an announcement that we will be back as soon as possible! Our dancers are still dancing and cross training and I myself am anxious to get back in shape and into the choreographic process again. As we move into 2015 and our third year as a company, stay tuned for when workshops, classes, performances, and community events will resume. Cheers! Claire

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Connect Dance is thrilled to be sharing the stage with many Ottawa dance schools and local companies, including Exordium Dance Collective (our amazing partners in Intertwined this past November!). This performance is a charity event to raise money for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Program. It will take place on Friday, February 28th at 7:30pm at the Algonquin Commons Theatre. Tickets are $25.00 and are available at http://www.ticketfly.com/search/?q=dancers+give+back. We hope to see you there. It is a wonderful cause and it will be a beautiful and inspiring show featuring some of the best dancers in Ottawa and many returning alumni who grew up dancing in this city of talent. <3 C

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fancy fishies. we take chances with contemporary pointe choreography. this made me nervous to perform, mainly because the acting involved was so silly and all four of us are naturally very shy! glad we took a chance and grand jete'd out of our comfort zones.... Photo by Nicholas Senn.

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Claire, Meghan, and Heather in NEST. Photo by Nicholas Senn

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Connect Dance and Exordium Dance Collective had the pleasure of a journalist from the Ottawa U newspaper attending our open rehearsal on November 16. She interviewed our dancers, many of whom have attended, or are currently attending the University of Ottawa. Sabrina did a lovely job on the article and gave a very accurate description of what it is like to perform as artists in both companies. Dancers have to be incredibly organized, self motivated, and driven. They have finely tuned time management skills from years of balancing the demands of school and dance. Connect Dance has a mixture of dancers who are students and dancers who are working professionals. We all balance rehearsals with academics or careers. We also try to fit in social lives! The wonderful thing about being a part of a dance company is that you become a part of a team, or family if you prefer. While we attend rehearsal to work and progress towards our performance and fitness goals, we are also supportive of each other on a personal level as friends and as a dance family. Combining dance and education (or a job or five) never feels difficult. At least from the perspective of a dancer who has committed to this lifestyle for almost two decades. Scheduling comes with its challenges. Maintaining friendships outside of dance takes hard work. Attaining academic excellence requires commitment. I am a firm believer that the best things in life take work and lots of it. By working hard, you create your own luck and success, and if you get to dance and move with joy every day then that makes everything worth it! Love, Claire

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Dancers of Connect Dance at intermission, getting ready to perform "Nest" at Centrepointe Studio Theatre. Photo by Nicholas Senn. Connect Dance made its stage debut last Thursday at Centrepointe Studio Theatre in Ottawa. Two shows were nearly sold out and the audience feedback has been overwhelming. The dancers and Artistic Director, Claire Berry (centre), were thrilled with how the performances went and had a wonderful time being onstage for the first time together as a professional company. On Saturday, Connect Dance had the privilege of performing at the New Edinburgh Community & Arts Centre as a celebration of its Artist Residency for 2013. Claire is thrilled at the leaps and bounds the company has made in one year. Through hard work, perseverance, and support from the community, Connect Dance now has six shows, five workshops, and eight weeks of dance classes under its belt. We can wait to expand upon the triumphs and successes of this past year when we return in the 2014 season!!! Love, Claire & the Artists of Connect Dance

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The Talent Behind CCDO.ORG

When I announced that I had founded Connect Dance in 2012, my good friend Palina graciously offered to design me a website.  Palina and I have known each other since high school having been in the same visual arts program.  Following high school, I branched out into fashion design and then dance, and Palina attended Sheridan College for Technical Illustration.  We remained good friends throughout our education and after university we both ended up in Ottawa for work.  Working on the website design with Palina was incredibly fun.  I knew from the beginning it was going to look professional and artistic from what I knew of Palina's style.  Palina now works for Pocket Gems in San Francisco, and is a Illustrator and Graphic Designer.  She is probably the most gifted and imaginative artist I know.  

Palina's husband Dave constructed the website and answered all my silly questions about how to deal with the finished product.  I am in awe of his web design skills. I am also grateful for the fact that he was so patient with my steep learning curve and while I'm sure most of my emails made him want to bang his head on his desk, he never made me feel badly about it!

The final product of ccdo.org was so amazing I bounced around my office for days.  Palina and Dave's design was SO clean, professional, creative, and most importantly, it was everything I had communicated with them as my vision for my company.  At Connect Dance, I aim to present a brand that is colourful, polished, and aesthetically pleasing.  Our dancers have gorgeous technique and artistry, my choreography is a balance between classical ballet and contemporary dance, and now our website is a clear depiction of that look we seek to promote.

If you love my website as much as I do, you must check out Palina and Dave's personal websites.  Palina also designed my business cards and made this beautiful illustration of me during university.  Take a look and be amazed!!

~C

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COME WATCH CONNECT DANCE IN PERFORMANCE

at 

CENTREPOINTE STUDIO THEATRE

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

7:30PM

"INTERTWINED"

Tickets are selling quickly and they have only been on sale for a week.  Get yours through the Centrepointe Theatre Box Office.

On that note, we are so excited to perform in eight weeks!  Costumes, props, and rehearsals are under way!

~Claire

Photo by Nicholas Senn Photography

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Connect Dance and Exordium Collective Dance (by CTVOttawaMorningLive)

Tressa Wilson of Exordium and Claire Berry of Connect Dance speaking about their upcoming show and fundraising.  Heather and Peggy demonstrating choreography by Tressa and Claire.

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First Show Announced!

Connect Dance is pleased to announce that its first staged performance will be held at Centrepointe Studio Theatre on November 28, 2013.  It is being produced in collaboration with another Ottawa based company, Exordium Dance Collective.  The show will feature the choreography of Connect Dance's Artistic Director, Claire Berry, and Tressa Wilson, AD of Exordium.  

Local professional dancers are already in rehearsals for both companies and gearing up to what will be an exciting performance.  Look for additional information and tickets at centrepointetheatre.ca as soon as the beginning of September!

~C

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This Dance Spirit Magazine article describes ways to stay fresh as a choreographer.

Choreographers often experience their own form of "writer's block".  This article is a helpful reminder of ways to renew your creative vision.

~C

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There's always a way to communicate choreography to students.  This article summarizes many methods.

~C

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Company dancers Heather and Marcel in rehearsal. March 2013.

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Claire, Meghan, & Heather.  All ready to dance!