Constance Cooke
About
Constance Cooke
Cooke is a Canadian Dance Artist whose choreographic works for stage and screendance have been presented in Canada, the United States, England and Germany. Cooke is Co-Director of Dance For The Camera, and Artistic Director of the newly formed SOS Dance (Scene on Stage and Screen. She has created contemporary works for Ballet Victoria, Cadence Contemporary and White Birch, and has also been commissioned to create works for a number of Canadian independent artists.
Cooke is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre Dance Programme. Upon graduation she relocated from Toronto to Winnipeg working independently as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. During this time Cooke performed works by Rachel Browne, Brent Lott, Bruce Mitchell, Murray Darroch, Mauricio Wainrot and Sharon Moore. As A choreographer, Cooke’s first solo work was created on dancer Mary-Louise Albert and premiered at Dancing On the Edge in Vancouver, her first ensemble work created with members of Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers. Prior to moving to Victoria, Cooke and Moore formed Two Square Pegs, creating new works that toured both Central and Western Canada. Since moving to Victoria in 1996, Cooke has created numerous works, most recently Liminal, Spill 4, Argon and I Be Caribou. Working closely with Video Artist and Projection Designer Pamela Millar these latest works incorporate video projection as a fixed and mobile element. Her own works in screendance have been seen nationally and internationally including ‘Anarchists Footwear?’which had its American debut in New York at the Dance on Camera Film Festival.
Over the years Cooke has worked with dancers from across Canada and internationally including Chung-Ah Chung, Mark Sawh Medrano, Robert Halley, Kayla Henry, Arash Khakpour, Cai Glover, Matthew Waldie, Renee Sigouin, Lynda Raino, Ann-Marie Cabri, Leon Feizo-Gas, Alisoun Payne and many many more.
Cooke is a guest artist, teacher, choreographer and mentor with Professional Training Programmes, Intensives and Mentorship programmes across Canada, including Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers Professional Training Programme, Vancouver’s Restless Production, Cadence Dance in Toronto, Victoria Academy of Ballet Profession Progamme and The Victoria School Of Contemporary Dance where she was the Founding Artistic Director. Cooke has made a significant contribution to the professional training of dancers in Canada. Former students have gone on to established their own companies and independent careers and are currently dancing with professional companies throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.
Cooke teaches choreography for the frame, a programme specifically devised for choreographers and directors. She also leads a unique movement for the frame class designed just for dancers. Cooke has had the delight to teach with David Hinton at the CanAsian Dance Festival and to work with mentors Ellen Bromberg, Douglas Rosenberg and Katrina Mcpherson.
Cooke has 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, BC Hydro and Dance Victoria.
Open / Operational
Past Events
22
Feb
2014
20:00 20:40
Metro Studio
21
Feb
2014
20:00 20:40
