DANCE
Alegria Dance Company
Alegria means joy or happiness, and that is exactly ADC does for its students: bring joy back into their lives through dance! This dance company, which operates out of Defining Movement Dance’s studios, meets students where they’re at when they come through the doors. Rather than a one-size-fits-all dance class, ADC instructors take the time to connect with each student, and help them get to where they would love to be. For some, this looks like finding a new community to belong to and make some new friends; for some, it’s to reconnect with their partner, while others simply adore the art of dance!
Defining Movement Dance
Defining Movement Dance is Hamilton’s only Hip-Hop & Street Dance focused dance studio, where students of all ages have the opportunity to learn about the foundations, the culture, and its history through in-person programs with encouraging, passionate and knowledgeable instructors. With programs in Breaking, Popping, Locking, Hip-Hop, All Styles & Battle, Parent & Tot Hip-Hop and Adult drop-in classes, plus there’s have something for any dancer interested in the culture. At DMD the emphasis is on growing in dance, learning and enjoying the healthy lifestyle it promotes, the artistic expression it cultivates, the socialization and confidence that can come from it are the most important things to us. We are built to move, and through dance people can grow in all aspects of their lives.
David Hudson Dance Company
Since its inception in in March 2018, the David Hudson Dance Company (DHDC) has embedded itself into the creative landscape of Hamilton, under the vision of artistic director and choreographer David Hudson. The DHDC strives to advance the city’s vibrant professional dance community by creating opportunities to celebrate high-quality dance presentation; supporting and sustaining professional dance careers; and developing professional relationships with arts and non-arts organizations to extend access to, and appreciation for, movement based media of arts presentation. The DHDC strives to create original work that explores themes ubiquitous* to the human experience, and connect people through emotive dance and movement. Company founder Artistic Director/Choreographer David Hudson was born and raised in the United Kingdom, and formally trained at Trinity Laban (formally the Laban Centre for movement and dance) in London, and now lives and works in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. He has enjoyed a diverse career spanning 20 years as a performer, choreographer and lecturer in dance and movement.
Eshe Yildiz
Eshe is a dance teller and creative being based in Hamilton, Canada. She holds multiple awards for both her dance artistry and her community work. She’s graced the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar as well as stages in Denmark, Turkey, Australia, America, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia. 2021 saw her judging competitions in Norway and Japan, performing as the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz in Copenhagen’s Danish Open. During the pandemic she’s appeared virtually in Egypt, Turkey, Japan, Norway and The Netherlands and worked with companies like Nike. More at hamiltonbellydance.com
THEATRE
Bamboo Tavern
The public art approach of Bamboo Tavern is a chop suey or hamburger approach – bringing together unlikely elements to create something altogether tasty! The team has experience serving up/engaging people through various means, including street festivals and through site-specific installations from Whitehorse (Nuit Blanche and St. Jean Baptiste) to Moncton (Festival Inspire) and through other unexpected art forms, including haiku comics related to the Hamilton bay.
Art Crawl v. the Fun Police
Think Russian Doll meets The Terminator in a kinetic, immersive comedy about gentrifciation with a quirky sci-fi sensibility. Art Crawl Versus the Fun Police follows the travails of two time travellers from the distant future – the year 20XX – where Hamilton has been amalgamated into the City of Toronto. This terrible turn of events means that fun is now illegal in Hamilton (which means that the Art Crawl is also illegal). Our heroes believe that by travelling back to Supercrawl 2022, they will be able to prevent this terrible turn of events. Unfortunately for them, the Amusement Crimes Division of the Toronto Police Services has also followed them back in time, and seeks to stop them at any cost. Our heroes must evade the police while searching for the means to prevent the destruction of the Art Crawl. While the comedic and visual elements of the show entice the audience, the players discuss how Hamilton has changed over the years, and make commentary on what it means to be an artist, and how the marginalized survive in the face of adversity.
