In Conversation with Dance Stewards Micaela Janse van Rensburg and Frédérique Perron of the d:mic/fac Festival

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with two of the Dance Stewards from this year's dance: made in canada Festival, Micaela Janse van Rensburg and Frédérique Perron. Our conversation unravelled their unique dance journeys, insights into the festival, and their reasons for joining the Dance Steward program this year.

Micaela, a 27-year-old born in South Africa, now based in Toronto, is entering her third year of study at the Dance Arts Institute. Her journey began as a figure skater before training in dance in Nanaimo, BC. After a brief hiatus from dancing to studying biology in university, Micaela found her way back to the stage and is embarking on a journey towards dancing professionally in Toronto.

Frédérique, commonly referred to as Fred, is a 24-year-old graduate from the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (STDT, now the Dance Arts Institute). She hails from Northern Quebec and now calls Toronto home, yet has aspirations to work in the Canadian dance hubs of both Toronto and Montreal. Frédérique's dance trajectory led her to choose dance over a potential career in the health sciences, and she is now continuing to work in dance following her graduation just last year.

With that said, let's dive right into the interview!

How does it feel to be selected as a Dance Steward for the dance: made in canada Festival?

Micaela: I was really excited to be selected. At first, I was nervous, knowing I was the only non-graduated dancer. But I was happy for the opportunity to meet emerging artists, to collaborate with them, and to engage with the audience about why I love dance.

Frédérique: It feels really nice because it's such a great opportunity to collaborate with other emerging artists. I didn't get to do this kind of collaboration in my last year of school, so that's one of the main reasons why I applied. The festival is really special, too. I saw it first in High Park two years ago, and it was beautiful. I love that it's oriented to not only the dance community but also to a broader audience, which I think is so important for dance.

Can you talk about your experience in rehearsals for the Dance Steward commissioned piece so far?

Frédérique: It's been great, though I was a little nervous at first to be honest. What's been wonderful is how organic it feels. Everybody is able to listen and propose things, and it flows easily. We've been supporting each other through the process. We had an initial Zoom meeting before rehearsal to help us get connected early in the process. I know everyone's goals, and we're working together to achieve them. It's really beautiful to be a part of that, and I'm glad with how it's all going and how everyone seems to be finding their way into the process.

Micaela: It's been similar to the type of process I had when I was on a dance team at university, where everyone's throwing out ideas, finding what lands and what we are commonly interested in. It's been really fun with this group; everyone's really supportive and ready to explore different ideas coming from our collective consciousness. It hasn't felt like an immense pressure to create; we've just been enjoying ourselves and having fun with the five-minute piece we're creating.

How do you see your role as a Dance Steward in the festival?

Micaela: Since I took some time away from dance, I'm redefining what dance means to me, and I feel I'll be able to relate to audience members on how to take in what they are seeing and share my own insights into contemporary dance. I feel my role will be someone they see on stage and then can approach to ask questions. Canada’s dance scene is also new to me since I have been gone for so long, but I want to share feelings and perspectives and get people talking and interested in dance, maybe even encouraging them to see more.

Frédérique: I see the role as a beautiful balance, helping with something that's been happening for years. It's a wonderful invitation to view every aspect of the festival, from performance to production, and connect with other performers. I see Dance Stewards as open to connections both inside and outside of the festival. Personally, I'm going to try to experience as much as I can, learn, connect with people, and exchange with the audience. It's a big role, and I'm excited about it.

The festival celebrates Canadian choreography. Can you share your thoughts on the significance of promoting and supporting homegrown dance talent?

Frédérique: The festival provides such great support to Canadian artists. Not all festivals prioritize presenting works by local talent, so this is special. It's about keeping this evolution happening, and connecting with other artists that you may relate to in Canada. The festival brings together many people and works that you might only hear about. Seeing artists I've worked with or heard about in the program is exciting. It helps us connect and brings us all closer, which is vital in our community.

Micaela: Reading through the program, I've noticed a lot of diversity in the people and what they're sharing. Canada is multicultural, multi-racial, multi-everything, and it's really important to highlight that. The festival has taken care to allow different perspectives, and I'm interested to see how it all comes together over the week. It's about recognizing how similar yet different we are, and how we can share our varied views and experiences in Canada.

What excites you the most about the dance performances and workshops featured in the festival this year?

Micaela: For me, it's the hands-on experience. Watching a festival is great, but to really get in there and try on some of the movement, like we're going to do with the La Tresse workshop, is exciting. I'm looking forward to embodying some of the dance, trying to create some dance films in the dance film workshop, and learning from the professionals who do it. These workshops allow for a deeper connection to the art.

Frédérique: What excites me is the discovery of new works and artists. There's Marie Lambin-Gagnon, for example, who I've been following on Instagram. I don't know much about her work, but it seems to be about the visual experience. I'm interested in the costumes, visuals, sensations, and different ways to present dance, not just traditional movement. I'm really looking forward to discovering what these artists do, and I'm particularly excited about meeting some of them in person and perhaps even connecting outside of the festival setting.

Can you highlight one particular workshop or moment thus far that has been an eye-opening experience or had a significant impact on you?

Frédérique: I think it was the first rehearsal with the Dance Stewards. There was a softening and wanting to enjoy the experience and creation more than being too attached to our own individual ideas for the piece. It is really interesting to see from the start how we were all super available to each other. I felt like that's a really special thing for me.

Micaela: I think our first rehearsal with the Dance Steward group was special. Just seeing everyone's movement research and the collaborative energy that was there. They were so generous and vulnerable to just jump in. It was really cool for us all to do so without really knowing each other. The group was willing to take risks and explore new ideas together.

Thank you so much to Frédérique and Micaela for sharing your insights on the festival and your own dance journeys! You can catch these and all the Dance Stewards in their performance in the WYSIWYG program, in their titled ‘Ball Pit.’ In sitting in on rehearsals for the work, it is a unique and fun piece that I highly recommend catching.

You can also find Dance Stewards in the lobby ready to talk about all things dance before and after every show in the festival. They are joined by Dance Ambassadors, past festival artists also interested in engaging with audiences before and after the show.

For more information:
Check out: www.dancemadeincanada.ca/festival/2023-dmic

The festival is running from August 16th to 20th, 2023, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre (404 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G6). Tickets are available online here.

@dancemadeincanada @dmicfac

Written by Deanne Kearney. DeanneKearney.com