FACULTY
Constance Cooke
Choreographer, Educator of Contemporary Dance, Filmmaker
Cooke is a Canadian Dance Artist with a professional career that has spanned over 25 years. She is the Artistic Director of the Victoria School of Contemporary Dance, Company Constance Cooke Dance, Dance For The Camera and Fizzik’l. She is on Faculty with the Bridge Programme with Ballet Victoria and Victoria Academy Of Ballet and she is a frequent guest teacher and choreographer across the country. Many of Cooke's students are currently dancing with professional companies throughout Canada, the United States and Europe and have gone on to establish their own companies and independent careers. Cooke has sent numerous students to some
Last season Cooke premiered seven new works including commissions by Ballet Victoria, Cadence Contemporary Dance and White Birch Ballet. I Be Caribou premiered at The Uno Festival in May 2012 and Flightless Aviators and Angels premiered in The Dancing On The Edge Festival in Vancouver in July. In August Cooke premiered Triangular Forest at Romp in The Square presented by Suddenly Dance.
Cooke has produced a number of short dance videos including ‘Anarchists Footwear ? which had its American debut in New York (2009) at the Dance on Camera Film Festival. Constance has taught Choreography for the Frame for the Dance for the Camera Intensive in Victoria and for the CanAsian Dance Festival in Toronto.
Cooke is thankful to have been the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships and grants from The Canada Council of the Arts, BC Arts Council, The Manitoba Arts Council, The Vancouver Foundation and Dance Victoria. She is a graduate of Ryerson University Dance Programme.
Kelly Hobson
Kelly is a graduate of Vancouver’s Main Dance professional dance program where she studied many forms of modern dance including Graham, Laban Notation, Contact Improvisation and Bhuto. She was privileged to train with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada’s National Ballet and the Banff Centre for the Arts.
In Vancouver, Kelly has performed professionally with Tantrum Dance Collective. Her choreography has also been commissioned by Farley Johansson (co-artistic director of Science Friction Dance Company.
In Victoria, Kelly has performed and created work for Light on our Feet, Tri-Pod Dance Collective's BOUNCE and Suddenly Dance’s ROMP Festival of Independent Dance.. Kelly also choreographs and performs as an actor and dancer for Victoria's Atomic Vaudville.
Over the years, Kelly has worked with a number of acclaimed dance educators and artists such as Helen Walkley, Sylvain Brochu, Margie Gillis. Massimo Agostinelli, Tedd Senmon Robinson and Barbara Bourget. While in Toronto training with the School Of Toronto Dance Theatre Kelly worked with noted choreographers Christopher House, David Earl, and Rosemary James.
Jung-Ah Chung
Jung-Ah graduated from the Ewha Women's University in Seoul, Korea,Appearing in Empty Space at the 4th Recontres Choreographiques Internationales De Seine-Saint Denis, she was awarded a Best Dancer's Prize.
Since she moved to BC and has worked with Constance Cooke, Ballet Victoria, TriPOD Dance Collective, Out of the Box Productions, Suddenly Dance Theatre, Wen Wei Dance, Mascall Dance, Vancouver City Ballet Theatre and Battery Opera.
Chung’s has been invited to present her own choreography at Tangente in Montreal, CanAsian Festival, Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, Dancing on the Edge, Victoria’s Uno Festival and ROMP.
Chung has also performed in a number of dance for camera films including Rush of Water/Rush of Air, Nature ecstasy, Opium and Aisling for Bravo, she has also directed, choreographed and performed in her own film Drive.
Chung toured three cities in Korea in the summer of 2008 and was invited back for The 10th Next Wave Dance Festival in 2009.
With her non-stop versatile performances she was chosen as The Victoria’s Favourite Choreographer and the favourite Dancer by M-Awards, Monday Magazine. And Chung is the recipient of Dance Victoria’s 2011 Chrystal Dance Prize and 2012 Dora Mavor Moore Awards nominee for the best performance.
She has taught at Lynda Raino Dance Studio, Island Dance School, Victoria, Dance Connection, Stage Performing Arts and led workshops in various dance festivals and McMaster university and St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.
Stacy Horton
Dancing since the age of 2, Stacy’s dance career has spanned nearly two decades. She has trained extensively in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Stage. After training in Colorado until the age of 15, she moved to Victoria and began dancing full time. Right out of high school, Stacy landed a position in The Source Dance Company in Vancouver, where she spent the 2006/2007 season. After sustaining numerous foot injuries, she began teaching dance while in recovery and has since grown to love it. Always pursuing new dance experiences, Stacy has travelled overseas to Italy and performed in several cities around the country. Her personal dance achievements include scholarships to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver, as well as numerous festival awards in Victoria. Stacy now teaches throughout Victoria and works with local productions including Saltwater Theatre, operated by Opera singer Joanne Hounsell. She is also a dancer/model for the Victoria Camera Club and the Victoria Ballerina Project. Stacy’s choreography has also been extremely well received, and she has had the pleasure of composing soloist pieces taken to Provincials in the spring of 2012. She is always bringing new ideas and styles into her classes, and her energy rarely goes unnoticed. Stacy is currently working towards a Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Victoria while remaining active and present in the local dance community.
Brandy Baybutt
Brandy graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 2000. Her main focus in teaching is to provide a positive environment for exploration of the body.
Brandy’s most recent interests are Action Theatre as taught by Ruth Zaporah, Pochinko Clowning, and Iyengar Yoga teacher training. She has also been teaching a variety of workshops and summer schools over the past several years. She has danced professionally on the West Coast since 2002 and continues to perform with her own company, “A Horse of Air,” and with other choreographers
Brandy performed in Bloodline at "On the Boards" in Seattle last year. In 2010 she was at the Vancouver International Dance Festival in the “White Spider” by Mascall Dance. Previous to that she performed at the VIDF with Kokoro Dance and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She also performed at Dancing on the Edge festival with Kokoro Dance in “Ghosts.” In 2007 Brandy Baybutt formed the Victoria based dance company "A Horse of Air" with writer and poet Erin Robinsong. Her work has been shown in Victoria at The Metro Theatre, The McPherson Theatre, Bounce (Victoria Event Centre), Upstairs Dances, and in Vancouver at 12 Minutes Max. She has had the opportunity of working with Lynda Raino, Lori Hamar (Suddenly Dance Theatre), Constance Cooke, Ballet Victoria, tripod Collective, and Co.Erasga’s Dance Lab with Lydia Wagerer among others. She has been on faculty at the Lynda Raino Dance Studio since 2003
Guest Artists- Past and Present
Robert Halley
Robert Halley was born in Toronto and raised in Unionville, Ontario. He began dancing at the age of 14 under the influence of his 2 sisters. His professional training occurred at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Arts Umbrella in Vancouver , The Ailey School in NYC, and The School at Jacob's Pillow. He has toured the United States and parts of the Caribbean with Ailey II (the 2nd company of Alvin Aliey American Dance Theatre) teaching in various schools and universities as well as performing in such prestigious venues as The Apollo Theatre, The Kennedy Centre and The Radio City Music Hall. During his time in New York City he also danced for The Fred Benjamin Dance Company and Adams Company Dance. Robert then made history by performing the floor ballet duet alongside his sister in the UK cast of “The Lion King” on The West End; a first for any siblings in this musical. His other Musical Theatre credits include, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Copacabana (Mill Mountain Theatre), and Cats (Drayton Festival). Robert can be seen along side Mike Myers in the closing dance sequence of the feature film, ‘The Love Guru’. He has danced for the following Canadian comapanies, ProArte Danza, Judith Marcuse Projects, Kaeja d'Dance, REAson d’etre productions, Arabesque Dance Company, Dance Theatre David Earle and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Robert's background in dance has exposed him to many other modalities that have complimented his journey. These experiences have inspired him to further studies leading up to being a 3HO Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher and a Registered Thai Therapist in Nuad Bo Rarn (Ancient Massage, more commonly known as Thai Yoga Massage). Robert recently returned from Osaka, Japan where he performed in WICKED at Universal Studios Japan. While in Japan he was invited by Tomoko Imanaka (Kyoto) to be a guest artist in her production of ‘Trick of Destiny’. He is currently a company member with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Josh Beamish
Josh Beamish, Artistic Director of MOVE: the company, began dancing under the direction of his mother Loretta Lachner in Edmonton, Alberta. Upon moving to Vancouver, Josh began his career as an assistant choreographer, and dancer for various feature films and television shows. Outside of MOVE: the company, his works have recently been performed by Toronto Dance Theatre, Halifax Dance, Ballet Kelowna, Dance Saskatchewan, the Universities of Alberta and Missouri, Ballet Jorgen, the Bellingham Repertory Company and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance in Kansas City. He is the 2009 recipient of a City of Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award, a 2008 Globe and Mail Dance Award and of artistic residencies at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, the Shadbolt Centre, the University of Alberta, the Norman Rothstein and Clarke Theatres and the Banff Centre. Josh most recently participated in a choreographic session facilitated by the New York Choreographic Institute, involving the students of the School of American Ballet. He will next create new works for Sylvain Brochu and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance.
About MOVE: the company In just 5 short years, MOVE: the company has emerged as one of Western Canada’s most prolific dance companies. Founded in 2005 by current Artistic Director, Josh Beamish, the company has performed across North America at venues such as Montreal’s Tangente and Studio 303, NYC’s Joyce SoHo and San Francisco’s The Garage. At home, the company has recently been presented by the Made in BC: Dance On Tour Program, The VIDF, Dancing on the Edge and the Chutzpah Festival, among others. MOVE:the company recently received the distinction of a commission from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, as well as the only choreographic residency ever awarded to a Western Canadian by the Djerassi Program in San Francisco, CA. The company will next perform at the 15th Anniversary of the International Ballet Festival in Miami, alongside American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, among others, and then continue on to the Quinzena de Danca Festival in Portugal. In October 2010, MOVE: the company will have the honour of participating as the only non-Aboriginal Canadian dance company selected by curators Cirque du Soleil for WORLD EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China, where they will perform the Closing Gala of the Canadian Cultural Pavilion.
Shay Kuebler | Co-Director of 605 / Performer
Shay began his performing career at the age of four with Stage Polaris Theatre Academy, in Edmonton, Alberta. Soon after, he commenced his 8-year study in Genbukai Karate, which lead to his training in dance. With his unique background, Shay has become a very versatile, physical and dynamic dancer and creator, performing across the world, from contemporary dance in Brazil to tapping and hoofing in Lebanon. He has collaborated and performed with numerous dance companies across Canada including MovEnt (Day Helesic), Machinenoisy (Daelik) and Animals of Distinction (Dana Gingras). His creations and collaborations have been shown on stages and screens across Canada. In 2008, Shay received the Holy Body Tattoo Emerging Artist Award and has since had the honor of creating an original work on Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, under direction of Gradimir Pankov, as a recipient of the inaugural National Choreographic Competition.