Mambo – Details, episodes & analysis

When the founding Artistic Director of Fall for Dance North,  and of course the co-host of Mambo!, Ilter Ibrahimof  announced that he was leaving the organization after 10 glorious years, one of the most important questions that arose was: Who would take over the reins and drive the mission and vision of the festival forward? A Transition Committee was formed by FFDN’s Board of Directors and Martin Bragg & Associates was engaged to help with the international search. What emerged at the end was closer to home than anyone could have imagined. In July 2024,  Lily Sutherland, the festival’s current Executive Producer, and Robert Binet, who has had multiple roles with The National Ballet of Canada, were announced as the new co-leaders. Take in this intimate interview that we recorded with Ilter, Lily and Rob discussing FFDN’s global connections, what occurred when Ilter decided to step down, and approaches to both individual and collective styles of leadership. 

Lily Sutherland and Robert Binet will officially start their new roles with FFDN in November 2024.

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The 10th anniversary season of Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 6th 2024, with both free and ticketed in-person events presented in multiple venues through downtown Toronto. 

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced and designed by Amber Downie-Back, with help from Milana Glumicic. 

Mambo’s original theme music and soundscape was created by Johnny Spence.

Imagine exploring gravity, cultures, and the creation of a new world - on Mars. Now imagine gathering some of the world’s best tap dancers from Canada, Japan, the United States, and Australia to go on that journey with you. What questions would you ask? Where would the rhythm of collective bodies lead? With the world premiere of  The Mars Project, Toronto based dancemaker Travis Knights has choreographed such an odyssey. He explores community, care, abundance and joy. Gravity, still in play, is in all aspects even lighter. Travis asks, “what would it be like to tap dance on Mars?”. We sat down with Travis in his home studio to discuss how exactly he will be taking us to Mars, the intersection of tap, music and aerial work, and the fabulous music that is being composed and performed live for The Mars Project. 

The Mars Project by Travis Knights is performed from October 4th to 6th at The Creative School Chrysalis.

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The 10th anniversary season of Fall for Dance North festival runs September 26th to October 6th 2024, with both free and ticketed in-person events presented in multiple venues through downtown Toronto. 

The Mars Project by Travis Knights is performed from October 4th to 6th  at The Creative School Chrysalis. 

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced and designed by Amber Downie-Back, with help from Milana Glumicic. 

Mambo’s original theme music and soundscape was created by Johnny Spence.

Stanford Makishi, Vice President of Programming at New York City Center for Fall For Dance NY, guides us through an enthralling conversation with one of Hawaii’s most esteemed Hula choreographers and educators, Kaleo Trinidad.

They talk about the history of Hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival, the sweet smell of sandalwood, and the central importance of story.

Kaleo's group from Honolulu, Ka Leo O Laka | Ka Hikina O Ka La, performs as part of a mixed evening in FFDN's ARISE: 2022 Signature Programme at Meridian Hall, on Oct 6-8. 

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The 8th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 17th to October 8th 2022, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. 

Kau Hea A Hiiaka by Kaleo Trinidad, performed by the renown Hula group Ka Leo O Laka is part of our Signature Program at Meridian Hall. These evenings will take dance enthusiasts on a journey through artforms and cultures with four dance pieces by four exciting dancemakers on the festival’s largest stage.

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced by Johnny Spence and Kattie Laur, with help from Milana Glumicic.

Our theme music is by Johnny Spence.

Thanks for listening.

Tap performers and choreographers Dianne Montgomery and Michela Marino Lerman meet virtually for a conversation that begins by discussing each of their latest works, before venturing deeper into the heart of their creative processes.

They speak of the challenge of caring for oneself whilst exploring new creative horizons, and the importance of being grounded by ones daily practice and the simple act of dancing.

Dianne's FFDN commissioned new work Softly Losing, Softly Gaining as part of a mixed evening in FFDN's ARISE: 2022 Signature Programme at Meridian Hall, on Oct 6-8. 

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The 8th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 17th to October 8th 2022, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. 

Softly Losing, Softly Gaining has its world premiere as part of our ARISE: 2022 Signature Programme at Meridian Hall in downtown Toronto. This exciting new work commissioned by Fall for Dance North and, accompanied by live musicians, will kick off an evening which takes the audience on a journey through artforms and cultures with four dance pieces by four diverse dancemakers on the festival’s largest stage.

Visit  ffdnorth.com for more info and tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced by Johnny Spence and Kattie Laur, with help from Milana Glumicic.

This episode featured music by Dianne Montgomery from the original score for Softly Losing, Softly Gaining. Our theme music is by Johnny Spence.

Thanks for listening.

Jera Wolfe and Kenneth Shirley waste no time in this playful and insightful conversation, immediately jumping into talking about all their exciting dance endeavours of late.

Kenneth paints a picture of rehearsing with Indigenous Enterprise at an emptied out Jacob’s Pillow during the pandemic and Jera discusses his momentous new ballet, Arise, featuring over 100 dance students from Canada’s National Ballet School.

Indigenous Liberationis presented for two nights only on Oct 7-8 at the Theatre at the Creative School, while Jera's momentus ballet Arise can be seen as part of a mixed evening in FFDN's ARISE: 2022 Signature Programme at Meridian Hall, on Oct 6-8. 

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Kimberley Cooper, the current Artistic Director of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, sits down with Vicki Adams Willis, one of DJD’s three founders, inside one of the studios at their beautiful new permanent building in downtown Calgary.

This convivial conversation touches on the history of the company, the history of Jazz dance in Canada more broadly, and Kimberley’s new work premiering at this year’s festival, Family of Jazz.

Family of Jazz is part of a double-bill presentation, alongside Margarita by Holla Jazz, with three in-person performances featuring live music in Toronto at the Theatre at the Creative School on Sep 30, Oct 1 and Oct 2.

Global audiences can enjoy the program from home, with a special film version directed by Miha Matevzic, and produced by FFDN. 

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The 8th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 17th to October 8th 2022, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. 

Family Of Jazz is presented at this year’s festival on an exciting double-bill alongside the world premiere of Margarita, by Nathasha Powell’s Toronto-based company Holla Jazz. Both pieces feature incredible live musicians, and following the performance audience members will be invited to step on the stage and enjoy some social dancing, accompanied by the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks' live band, led by Rubim de Toledo

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced by Johnny Spence and Kattie Laur, with help from Milana Glumicic. 

This episode featured music by Rubim de Toledo from the original score for Family Of Jazz. Our theme music is by Johnny Spence.

Thanks for listening.

Zack Martel and Santiago Rivera, the dynamic circus duo known professionally as Solo un Duelo, in conversation with Francisco Cruz, a fellow circus performer they both admire.

From discovering circus at a young age, to attending the prestigious and singular National Circus School in Montreal, Quebec, and building a fruitful collaborative relationship. This episode of Mambo takes us inside the idiosyncratic world of contemporary circus!

Zack Martel and Santiago Rivera’s choreography is featured in this year’s, Heirloom.

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The 8th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 17th to October 8th 2022, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. 

You can catch the world premiere of Zack and Santiago’s personal, colourful and surreal new work, In Blue Rooms, as part of this year’s Heirloom program. These vibrant outdoor performances are all-ages and pay-what-you-can, with performances in Toronto, Orillia, St Catherines and Peterborough. 

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced by Johnny Spence and Kattie Laur, with help from Milana Glumicic.

Our theme music is by Johnny Spence.

Thanks for listening.

Collaborators Karen Kaeja and Roshanak Jaberi take a break from doing the final edits on their new dance film, Slipping, and sit facing each other on a loveseat in Karen’s Toronto home.

From this intimate setting they discuss their evolving collaboration and the creative process behind this latest work. Buildings burned down, loving matriarchs filled hungry stomachs and hearts, and fog was captured before disappearing into the day.

Slipping world premieres as part of FFDN's new short film series 8-Count with live screenings in Toronto on Sep 23 and 24, followed by free streaming on our website.

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The 8th annual Fall for Dance North festival runs September 17th to October 8th 2022, with both free and ticketed in-person and digital events. 

Slipping will have its world premiere as part of 8-Count, a brand new dance cinema program making its debut at this year's festival, with two live screenings in Toronto at Canada’s National Ballet School’s Betty Oliphant Theatre and York University’s Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre . Among others, films having their Canadian and world premieres as part of 8-Count include Loughlan Prior’s Inklings, produced by Ballet Unleashed, and …Savannah? by NY-based Gibney Dance Company artist Zui Gomez. Following the live screenings, all films will stream for free until the end of the festival on our website.

Visit ffdnorth.com for more info and tickets.

This episode of Mambo was produced by Johnny Spence and Kattie Laur, with help from Milana Glumicic.

This episode featured music by Edgardo Moreno. Our theme music is by Johnny Spence.

Thanks for listening.

One cultural byproduct of the pandemic has been the proliferation of filmed stage performances. The ubiquitous presence of livestream and on-demand digital content makes it easy to overlook the dizzying amount of decisions and expertise that go into bringing the stage to the screen. As an Oscar nominated director and one of Canada’s leading film/TV Producers, Barbara Willis Sweete knows a thing or two about capturing magic with a camera. She has also directed more than 30 Live Broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and countless dance performances. We sit down with Barbara at her home for an in-depth chat on bringing dance to life on the big (& small) screen, then journey behind the scenes with her on the set of a recent dance film shoot.

In Getting to know your Fruit dancer/choreographer Sara Porter embodies a botany all her own, inviting us to get to know our own internal fruit. Exploding the theatrical moment into movement and monologue that reveals the heart of a woman in conversation with herself about finding the truest ways to self-expression, the new film version of her monumental work, directed by William Yong, examines the fruits of her 30-year career in performing and writing. We sat down with Sara and visited her in the studio to chat about digging deep into memoir and movement to create a new form for Fruit.