Showing posts with label choreography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label choreography. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Multitalented Artist Veronique MacKenzie in Talent Trust 75th Anniversary Video

Talent Trust scholarship recipient Veronique MacKenzie.


Véronique MacKenzie is a multitalented artist. She and her students worked with us to help create our 75th anniversary scholarship video, and we’re grateful for their participation.


Veronique MacKenzie in her dance studio.
Véronique making dance magic in her studio.
Originally from Montréal, Quebec, Véronique moved to Nova Scotia and received two Talent Trust scholarships to assist with her dance training. 

She’s also a two-time recipient of Live Art’s Diane Moore Scholarship for choreography, and a recipient of a Nova Scotia Established Artist Recognition Award. 

She’s earned scholarship positions in the Interrarium Creative residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and the Centre for Art Tapes in Halifax.


Behind the scenes at the NSTT video shoot with Veronique MacKenzie.
Behind the scenes at our video shoot.
Photo:
Filet Production Services.
Her background includes modern dance, jazz and ballet, visual art, clown and fool-work, creative movement, and theatre. 

Véronique has invested in her education. She attended York University and the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre, the National Ballet School / R.A.D. / Checcetti / Vagonova, NSCAD University, Laban International School, Virginia Tanner School/USA, University of New Brunswick, and Theatre New Brunswick. 

She holds degrees in science and social work.


Véronique working with her dance students.
Like a number of other Talent Trust scholarship recipients, Véronique has decided to share her skills and experience with emerging artists through teaching. She’s served on faculty at NSCAD University, Neptune Theatre School, and the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University.

She just wrapped her work as choreographer for the world premiere of KAMP, a co-production of Eastern Front Theatre and Neptune Theatre. KAMP is a darkly comedic new musical about a group of homosexual prisoners interned in a WWII Nazi concentration camp in 1943, who survive their ordeal by creating a cabaret. 


Adjusting a young dancer's costume during dance class.
Véronique is currently taking a year off from her faculty duties at Halifax Dance to work with Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project, which offers emerging theatre artists practical, hands-on experience, where they not only work and create within the Neptune family, but also alongside the broader theatre community.

As part of the Chrysalis Project, she’s working with choreographer Stephanie Graham on Neptune Theatre’s production of Cinderella.

We’d like to thank Véronique and her students for working with us to help create our 75th anniversary scholarship campaign video. 



Want to be part of the campaign to double Talent Trust scholarship funds? Click here to donate. And thank you!

Monday, November 12, 2018

Sara Coffin Wins Arts Nova Scotia Established Artist Recognition Award

Sara Coffin, winner of 2018 Established Artist Recognition Award.
Sara Coffin, 2018 Established Artist Recognition
Award winner. Photo: Joshua Sugiyama.
Sara Coffin has received a 2018 Arts Nova Scotia Established Artist Recognition Award, which recognizes professional mid-career artists.

Sara is a dancer, choreographer, dance educator, and Co-Artistic Director of Mocean Dance since 2011. 

She received Talent Trust scholarships from 1999-2002, and the Talent Trust Pat Richards Award in 2000.

She received her MFA in Choreography from Smith College, BFA (Dance) from Simon Fraser University and Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology) from Dalhousie University. 


Sara Coffin, photo by Joshua Sugiyama.
Sara Coffin on stage. Photo credit: Joshua Sugiyama.
An award-winning choreographer and dance educator with 20 years experience, Sara’s choreographic work has been presented in many prominent Canadian dance festivals and in the United States. 

Her teaching work has led her to become a regular visiting lecturer at Holland College, PEI, and NSCAD University in Halifax. 

She held an Adjunct Faculty position at the five-college consortium in Massachusetts teaching at Smith College, and Hampshire College (2012-14) and has recently taught at Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala City.

We'd like to extend our congratulations to all the Arts Nova Scotia award nominees and winners.

For more information about Sara, visit her website at saracoffin.ca.

To learn more about the Arts Nova Scotia Awards, visit the Arts Nova Scotia website.


Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Talent Trust Scholarship Recipients on the Best of Halifax 2018 Ballot

Best of Halifax 2018


In 2017 22,000 people cast over 800,000 individual votes for The Coast's annual readers’ choice awards.

We scoured the ballot for 2018 nominees, and discovered there's an impressive list of Talent Trust scholarship recipients with either individual nominations or as part of a nominated organization or group.

Voting began August 1 and will close on September 15. The winners will be announced on November 1. Head over to the Best of Halifax website to make your choices.

Best Choreographer

  • Jacinte Armstrong
  • Veronique Mackenzie
  • Sara Coffin

Best Dancer

  • Georgia Skinner 
  • Sara Coffin
  • Lydia Zimmer

Best Dance Company / Group

Mocean Dance 

  • Sara Coffin
  • Ruth-Ellen Kroll Jackson
  • Jacinte Armstrong
  • Rhonda Baker
  • Sarah Rozee
  • Sara Harrigan
  • Lisa Phinney Langley
  • Melanie Ferro

Halifax Dance

  • Sara Coffin
  • 
Veronique Mackenzie
  • Olivia MacLean

Best Filmmaker

  • Michael Melski

Best Theatre Actor

  • Mary Fay Coady

Best Theatre Production

Princess Rules, Heist

  • Jacinte Armstrong, choreography


Best Visual Artist

  • Emily Vey Duke (in collaboration with Shary Boyle, The Illumination Project)
  • Caitlin McGuire
Best Classical Artist / Group

Rhapsody Quintet


  • Jennifer Jones
  • David Langstroth

Blue Engine String Quartet

  • Jennifer Jones
  • Hilary Brown

Symphony Nova Scotia

  • Jennifer Jones
  • David Parker
  • D’Arcy Gray

Best Jazz Artist / Band
Karen Myatt

Best Music Video
Classified, “Powerless” — Breagh Mackinnon, piano and vocals

Best Pop Artist / Band, Best Folk Artist / Band

Port Cities

  • Breagh Mackinnon with bandmates Dylan Guthro and Carleton Stone

Best R&B Artist / Band, Best Solo Artist

  • Reeny Smith


Sunday, April 1, 2018

Jacinte Armstrong wins 2018 Theatre NS Robert Merritt Award for Outstanding Choreograpy

Jacinte Armstrong (photo: live art presents website)
Jacinte Armstrong won the 2018 Theatre NS Robert Merritt Award for Outstanding Choreography for Heist theatre company’s Princess Rules, a multimedia extravaganza continuing the adventures of pop star Princess Edward.

Congratulations!


You can read more about Theatre Nova Soctia's Merritt Awards in the Chronicle Herald at http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1556695-old-stock-stocks-up-on-merritt-awards-at-monday-gala#.WrpWP9nIBeI.facebook