Finalist: Christopher House
Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance
Artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre since 1994, Christopher House is one of Canada’s most exciting choreographers. He has transformed TDT into a company known internationally for its fresh, intelligent and provocative dance.
“…an intellectual force in the flighty North American dance scene…”The Village Voice, New York
“…an arcing imagination of immense proportions” The Globe and Mail, Toronto
“…a fresh voice in modern dance…”The New York Times
“House’s movement has the quality that marks the best choreography: it manages to be surprising while still appearing inevitable…it’s a rare gift.”Ottawa Citizen
“House’s unique voice bodes well, not only for his company, and for Toronto’s dance community, but our dance culture
as a whole.”Ballet Tanz, Germany
House’s work is motivated by a profound curiosity about art and life. Born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, he studied Political Science and Philosophy before switching to Theatre and Dance. His keen interests in travel, science, the visual arts, cinema and literature continue to inform the development of his work.
Early choreographies such as Glass Houses and Vena Cava were praised for their “kinetic brilliance” (The New York Times) and “formidable craft and vision“ (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). Since 2000, when Toronto Dance Theatre premiered Nest to critical acclaim, House has specialized in creating full-length multi-disciplinary works full of exhilarating ideas as well as stunningly beautiful movement. Recent productions, such as Severe Clear and Persephone’s Lunch, examine such themes as the creative process, the ambiguity of signs and the manufacture of memory.
He draws inspiration from the individual gifts of his remarkable dancers and from collaboration with such artists as Kim Soo-ja, Scott Eunson, Jeremy Laing, James Robertson and Phil Strong. In addition to TDT, Christopher House has created choreographies for many companies including Portugal’s Ballet Gulbenkian, the National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and Ballet British Columbia, and for soloists such as Peggy Baker, Guillaume Côté and Laurence Lemieux.