A Stage For All Styles: Hart House Theatre’s Vivid Festival of Dance Fall Showcase
Exploring the history of the Festival of Dance and examining the various performance styles being presented
Since opening its doors in 1919, Hart House Theatre has been a core part of Canadian Theatre, having nurtured and highlighted numerous directors, actors and playwrights. Over the decades, it has maintained its status as both a professional theatre venue and a supporting ground for new talent, showcasing multiple student produced shows each year.
One of these shows is the annual Festival of Dance, a week-long commemoration of dance that incorporates a variety of diverse genres, from K-Pop to Bollywood.
The Festival of Dance has been a long-standing showcase hosted by Hart House Theatre, initially created to allow a platform for the many creative dance talents across UofT’s vast student base. The festival occurs over the period of a week, presenting a broad array of dance styles from various cultures in each performance, such as ballet, jazz, hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean and numerous other traditional styles. For the students who take part in it, the festival is a massive opportunity to showcase their talent and hard work on a professional stage, with complete technical assistance, lighting and sound to fully support their performances, being nearly indistinguishable from a professional dance production.
For this year’s fall showcase, the Festival of Dance occurred between the 16th and 18th of October, with multiple workshops taking place over the course of the week before culminating in the final performance on the 18th. Each of these workshops were free for U of T students to attend and featured at least one of the seven genres presented at the fall showcase. The first two workshops occurred on the 16th, with the first one consisting of two Chinese dances, the Traditional Chinese Dance and the Dunhuang Dance, while the second workshop focused on the basics of hip-hop choreography. The rest of the workshops took place on the 17th, with the third workshop delving into West African Afrobeat and South African Amapiano. The fourth workshop revolved around urban dance, while the last two workshops revolved around Bollywood style dances and K-Pop respectively. Lastly, the performance for the showcase happened on the 18th, featuring all of the previous mentioned genres of dance in a singular, complete production.
In addition to allowing talented students to present their skill in a professional setting, the Festival of Dance offers viewers a distinct and exhibition, with each show being a coordinated effort of performances that promises a vibrant experience that is sure to resonate with them. As a mainstay of Hart House Theatre’s many programs, the Festival of Dance honours the establishment’s core principle by being a massive passion project for students, offering an inclusive and nurturing platform that not only highlights existing talents, but also invites new students to immerse themselves in the rich performance arts culture of UofT.
