Risqué dancers and risky timing
A nimble neighbourhood and an indie are fine options
Porchview Dances Watch this if: You want to see a different side of your neighbours.
Whether you live in Seaton Village or not, Porchview Dances is a dance highlight of the year. Now going into its sixth year, this invention of Toronto dance icons Karen and Allen Kaeja pairs local families and residents with professional choreographers, and a travelling audience walks from house to house, witnessing the dances unfold on the performers’ own front porches and yards. It culminates in a participatory dance session in a local park, open to all mobility and skill levels. This year’s edition features choreographers Alison Cummings, Yvonne Ng and the Kaejas, and it’s a great example of how accessible contemporary dance can be in this city.
July 19-23, various locations in Seaton Village. See Kaeja.org. Toronto Burlesque Festival Watch this if: You’ve never heard of “neo-burlesque.”
The burlesque art form — mixing dance, theatre, fashion, performance art, and a whole lifestyle around it — has seen a resurgence lately, partic- ularly in Toronto, inspired by body positivity and changing sexual and gender politics. This year, the Toronto Burlesque Festival turns 10 years old and is celebrating with some big names in the neo-burlesque movement over its four days of performances, such as Roxi D’lite from Windsor and Las Vegas and Redbone from Minneapolis, and local talents such as Miss dd Starr and Tanya Cheex. This will definitely be a festival unlike any other in Toronto this year.
July 20-23, Revival Bar, 783 College St. and Mod Club, 722 College St. Permanence Watch this if: You want art, intrigue, and indie theatre. The summer can be a tough time for an indie theatre production that isn’t tied to one of Toronto’s several arts festivals, and the break between the Fringe in early July and the SummerWorks in early August can be especially tough for exhausted theatregoers.
Permanence is a production with another challenge (or benefit?), coming straight from a run in London, England.
Regardless, this sounds like a promising work from a group of young artists, featuring actor Samantha Michelle, who has worked on Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain, Syfy’s Lost Girl, and the recent Canadian film Operation Avalanche.
July 19- Aug. 6, Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave.