Breathtaking moments of movement, artistry and storytelling
In its second year at Toronto’s packed 838-seat Bluma Appel Theatre, Fall for Dance North continued to cement its reputation as Toronto’s premier dance event, once again bringing audiences an eclectic mix of exceptional local and international companies and artists.
Artistic Director and Co-CEO Robert Binet and Festival Director and Co-CEO Lily Sutherland have consistently impressed with their commitment to pushing the boundaries of dance and movement offerings through fresh, innovative approaches. This year’s program, however, was less consistent in realizing that vision. The five works ran the gamut from phenomenal in their originality and impact to decidedly ordinary.
Co-curated by Binet and FFDN Artist-in-Residence Alyssa Martin, the evening brought together an eclectic lineup featuring Chicago’s Hubbard Street Dance, France’s Claire Heggen, Sampradaya Dance Creations and Sampradaya Dance Academy, the National Ballet of Canada, and Canadian figure skater Tessa Virtue, performing in a new solo choreographed by Martin.
The program opened on a high note with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s delightful trio performing the Canadian premiere of Sweet Gwen Suite. Originally choreographed in the 1960s by Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, the work was reconstructed in 2021 and serves up a smorgasbord of the signature styles that made Fosse a dance legend: sharp body isolations, rolling shoulders, forward slouching and unmistakable head snaps. Dancers Morgan Clune, Elliot Hammans and Andrew Murdock executed every movement with impeccable unison, perfectly evoking the stylized sophistication of such classics as Sweet Charity, Fosse and Dancin’. Bobby Pearce’s costumes, complete with Spanish riding hats and flared jumpsuits, captured the era’s distinctive flair, while Harrison Pearse-Pollack’s superb lighting made Clune’s gold lamé shimmer brilliantly against the stage.
Next came the evening’s most extraordinary theatrical experience: France’s Claire Heggen in the Canadian premiere of her Ma P’tite Dame. At 80, this remarkable artist delivered a breathtaking exploration of aging, performing with and operating a life-size mannequin of herself in a work that was at once poetic, aesthetically striking and unexpectedly humorous. With impressive agility, Heggen moves beyond the clichés and assumptions surrounding older people, offering instead a deeply personal portrait of the aging process that is as moving as it is revelatory.
Heggen manipulated her doppelgänger with such extraordinary skill and naturalism that the mannequin seemed to become a living, breathing partner. Every gesture, every shift of weight, every fleeting movement carried meaning. A masterclass in physical storytelling, and quite possibly one of the most transformative performances I have ever witnessed on stage.
Elénore Bovon’s music reinforced the storytelling, moving from pastoral classical passages to raucous hip-hop. Yet it was the silence that resonated most deeply. It was a privilege to witness an artist so completely in command of her craft, revealing the complexities of aging on our bodies and spirit.
Act Two opened with Parampara: Rooted and Rising, another Canadian premiere featuring two works by Mississauga’s Sampradaya Dance Creations and Sampradaya Dance Academy. The first, Root, showcased a dozen teenage girls in gorgeous traditional costumes, delivering a compelling demonstration of precision, rhythm and collective discipline. The choreography was impeccable, with sharp unison movements, intricate geometric patterns and extraordinary coordination creating a visual tapestry of movement. It was a superb example of cultural storytelling that transcends language, enhanced by Praveen D. Rao’s intricate staccato score and hard-hitting vocals.
The second work shifted focus to three couples from the professional ensemble dancing a high-energy piece, Rising, fusing the staccato vocal rhythms and the swooping musical underscore with moments of chaos and calm. Beautiful images were created by each couple, showing strength with their deep pliés and endurance with non-stop movement. Sustaining the intense momentum proved challenging, though, as turns were not always synchronized, and the energy occasionally waned. Bharat Vyas’s lighting was a particular strength, using carefully placed spots and circles of light to create dynamic spaces for the dancers to move in and out of, reinforcing the choreography’s shifting patterns and moods.
Next was a pas de deux from the National Ballet of Canada featuring company dancers Naoya Ebe and Svetlana Lunkina, with immaculate accompaniment by violinist Aaron Schwebel and pianist Andrei Streliaev. Technically, the dancers delivered what one expects from this kind of duet. Lunkina displayed lovely lines, beautiful extensions, perfectly pointed feet and a strikingly deep penché, while Ebe landed his cabriole derrière with requisite softness. But despite their technical proficiency, the pair lacked chemistry and a commanding stage presence. The result was polished but unremarkable.
The evening concluded with ice dancer Tessa Virtue’s The Unruly Heart, choreographed by Alyssa Martin. This was a puzzling inclusion in an otherwise thoughtfully curated program. Dancing to Celine Dion’s instantly recognizable “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” the choreography rarely matched the song’s dramatic sweep. Rather than revealing an unruly heart, the movement often felt like a succession of familiar contemporary-dance gestures, lacking a clear narrative, sustained intention or satisfying choreographic development. There were moments of fluidity and attractive movement, but too often gestures seemed to begin without being fully realized. Virtue’s considerable accomplishments as an ice dancer are not in question; what was missing was a compelling artistic statement on the stage. In a program whose other works demonstrated a calculated marriage of music, movement and intention, this solo felt curiously disconnected.
The curtain call was a further surprise, bringing together second-year TMU dance majors and the evening’s performers. Unfortunately, the pom-poms, gold short onesies and cheerleader-style choreography felt juvenile after a program of sophisticated, eclectic dance. A more imaginative finale showcasing the students’ technical ability and artistry would have been a far more fitting end to the evening.
Fall for Dance North’s Legends program was at its strongest when movement, music and storytelling converged to create something truly memorable. Though the later selections lost momentum, the festival’s commitment to diverse voices and dance in all its forms remains vital. An eclectic evening that reminded us just how exhilarating dance can be when artistry and intention align.
Fall for Dance North – Legends: Signature Programme 1
October 15 – 25, 2026
Various venues around Toronto with various artists and companies.
Tickets at https://am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/ffdn2026-onlineboxoffice
*Dance terminology advised by Shari Coulter, BATD
