Dance Animal Toronto Press Release

MEDIA RELEASE: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Media Contact: Derrick Chua, (416) 889.3398 or [email protected]
DANCE ANIMAL: TORONTO
Toronto Chapter of Comedic-Dance-Tribe Debuts at Fringe
Toronto, Ontario… Robin Henderson and Derrick Chua are thrilled to announce the cast of
DANCE ANIMAL: TORONTO, which will premiere at the Toronto Fringe Festival, June 29 to
July 10, 2016, at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. Specific show times to be announced in May.
The Dance Animal: Toronto cast is: Guy Bradford, Robin Henderson, Kat Letwin, Michael
MacEachern, Allison Price, Kevin Vidal, Leighton Williams and Carol Zoccoli. Simon
McCamus and Vanessa Salazar are the understudies.
Dance Animal was founded in Montreal in 2008 by Robin Henderson. Inspired by her
observations of pop culture, her personal travels and learning the “yes, and” philosophy of her
improv comedy friends, the original Dance Animal production was Robin’s love-letter to the city of
Montreal. Reflecting the vast spectrum of languages and cultures of the city, it combined the
talents of Anglophone, Francophone and Allophone theatre artists to dynamic results, winning
numerous awards including the Just For Laughs “Best Comedy” Award (Dance Animal
Presents: Dance Animal) and the Cirque du Soleil “Best Original Creation” Award (Dance
Animal Presents: Freaks of Nature). Dance Animal set records as the top selling show in Montreal
Fringe history and Dance Animal Presents: Dance Animal saw record-breaking runs at JFL’s
Zoofest and Centaur Theatre’s Wildside Festival, and also played at the 2010 Toronto Fringe.
Dance Animal: Toronto features an entirely new cast, with the exception of leader Robin
Henderson (Dance Tiger) who has moved from Montreal and found a new home in Toronto. This
new show sees a group of Toronto misfits from all walks of life, each being recruited by the
mysterious Dance Tiger to join Dance Animal’s Toronto Tribe. As each Animal shares their story
with the audience, we discover how their lives have changed for the better, now that they have met
their ultimate Tribe, and realized their true calling: to express themselves through DANCE
As with the original Dance Animal, Dance Animal: Toronto is Robin’s love-letter and a reflection
of a city, but now to the city of Toronto. It is inspired by present-day Toronto’s pop culture, music,
sports, politics and more. Dance Animal: Toronto’s sketches are written by Canadian Comedy
Award nominee Anders Yates. Monologues are written by the Animals and dramaturged by Robin
Henderson. The show is directed and choreographed by Robin Henderson.
Dance Animal also believes strongly in supporting their community. They have performed in over
30 events and fundraisers outside of regular performances, including Toronto’s Pride Parade,
Concordia University’s Garnet Key Society Autism Fundraiser, Montreal’s Roller Derby, Faggity
Ass Friday Fundraiser for Head and Hands, and the UQAM fundraiser for Ligne Parents. Catch
them at the Toronto Air Guitar Competition on Saturday, May 28th at the Drake
Underground. Additional Toronto appearances will be announced in the future.
For more information or to arrange interviews or other media opportunities, please contact Derrick
Chua at [email protected] or go to www.danceanimal.ca.
DANCE ANIMAL: TORONTO TRIBE BIOS
Guy Bradford (Performer) is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and
the Humber School of Comedy. Credits include Rulers of the Universe: A Love
Story (RotU Productions), The Princess of Porn (Me and Snow White
Productions), Everyone Loves Sealand (EXHF Productions), as well as various
commercials, music videos, and web productions.
Derrick Chua (Executive Producer) is an award winning theatre producer and
entertainment lawyer, and past President of the Toronto Fringe. Recent shows
include the Edinburgh Fringe productions of Morro and Jasp Do Puberty,
Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl and In Case We Disappear, all of
which played Toronto Fringe prior to Edinburgh. Upcoming: I’m Doing This For
You and Adventures of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl in Edinburgh.
Robin Henderson (Creator, Performer, Director, Choreographer, Producer)
most recently produced, directed and choreographed Glimmer Twins for 2015
Toronto Sketchfest, which were called the “best surprise of the festival” by
Steve Fisher (Torontoist). She produces & hosts a monthly comedic lip-sync
battle, Lip-Schtick, in Toronto (Bad Dog Theatre) and Montreal (Mainline
Theatre). Lip-Schtick has also participated in the jfl42 and Toronto Sketchfest.
She also teaches a comedic dance class at Second City called Jazz Hands.
Kat Letwin (Performer). Theatre: The Chasse-Galerie (Red One),
Scheherazade (Next Stage Festival), Retreat (Theatre Brouhaha), Dark Matter
(Circlesnake). Comedy: Toronto / Montreal / Vancouver Sketchfest (Northwest
Passage), Sirius XM Sketch-Off (finalists, Rulers of the Universe).
Film/TV/Web: The Amazing Gayl Pile (LaRue Entertainment), Good Morning
Tonight! (Crazy Shirt), Diamond Tongues (Mongrel Media).
Michael MacEachern (Performer) is a graduate of George Brown College's
Theatre Performance Program. Past credits include: Jacob in Salt Water Moon,
Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (Single Thread Theatre) Tom in Opening
Night, Mr Fullerton in Munsch Upon a Time, the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz
(Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre).
Simon McCamus (Performer Understudy). With comedy troupes “Fake Cops”
and “Northwest Passage,” Simon has been featured in international improv and
sketch comedy festivals in: Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago,
Detroit, NYC. You can see him as a recurring actor/writer for the Franchise
Show at The Social Capital Theatre. Returning to the Toronto Fringe Festival
after starring in the 2014 revue Summer Hot Some Are Not.
Allison Price (Performer) is a Canadian Comedy Award winning and Dora
nominated alumnus of the The Second City, where she wrote and performed in
four critically acclaimed revues including Sixteen Scandals and The Meme-ing
of Life. Allison also performed alongside Colin Mochrie at Roy Thomson Hall
in The Second City Guide to the Symphony. Additional theatre includes People
Suck (Nutmeg Productions); pool (no water) and Pieces (Cue6 Productions);
The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (Beacon Theatre). Upcoming: The Second
City Guide to the Symphony at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. Allison
is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School.
Vanessa Salazar (Performer Understudy) is an actor/singer/dancer who
performs as male, female and gender fluid. They are also a slam poetry writer
currently concentrating on gender roles and growing up as a second generation
Canadian to Colombian parents. They will soon be walking the runway in
multiple collections for this year’s Fashion Art Toronto.
Kevin Vidal (Performer) is an alumnus of The Second City and is one of the
stars of CityTV's Sunnyside. Kevin's previous theatre credits include; Sixteen
Scandals, We Can Be Heroes (The Second City), RENT (Lower Ossington
Theatre), Hairspray (Curtain Call Players), Radio Active Drag Queens of the
Year 3000 (Toronto Fringe), RENT (Fallen Rock) Skule Nite 0T9/1T0 (UofT
Skule)
Leighton Williams (Performer) is a Toronto based actor and graduate of York
University's Acting Conservatory. Film/TV credits include: Damien,
Untouchables: Power Corrupts, Lions Nest (the web series), Soliloquies of
Santiago, Ludomania, Honeymoon, and Independence Cha Cha. Recent
theatre credits include: Secrets of A Black Boy, The Shipment (Piece of MINE
Festival), Beat Drop (House of Rebels Theatre), Tachycardia (Fringe 2014),
and A Drum Major's Instinct (Obsidian Theatre). Upcoming: Secrets of A Black
Boy at Theatre Passe Murraille.
Anders Yates (Writer) is a founding dancer and writer in the original production
of Dance Animal presents: Dance Animal. He is a member of the multiple
Canadian Comedy Award nominated improv and sketch comedy troupe
Uncalled For, with which he has toured North America and Europe, and is a
former member of the Second City National Touring Company. Anders teaches
improv classes, performs regularly at Bad Dog Theatre, and can be seen
judging Lip-Schtick, a monthly lip-sync battle. Other theatre credits include
Slip, Slap Shot Live!, Hypnogogic Logic, Humans and the upcoming Playday
Mayday. Selected film and TV credits include Helix, Murdoch Mysteries, Saving
Hope and The Words.
Carol Zoccoli (Performer) is a comedian and writer from Brazil. Carol is a
Second City’s Conservatory Program graduate and performs stand-up and
improv regularly in Toronto. She was recipient of the 2015 Tim Sims
Encouragement Award. Her TV credits include Saturday Night Live Brazil.