This year marks the 40th anniversary of Dance Montage, one of Calgary’s longest running dance productions. With a mix of dancers from recreational beginners to professionals involved in the show, Dance Montage, founded in the Faculty of Physical Education/Kinesiology, has been a stable event on the Calgary dance calendar since 1969 with the earliest performers now grandparents! The 2009 show will focus on remembering the roots of this annual production that draws in over 100 dancers and 10 choreographers each year to perform for sold-out audiences.

 
Professor Anne Flynn, Artistic Director of the anniversary show who has been involved with Dance Montage since 1979, comments, “the role of Dance Montage in Calgary’s dance community has been significant, providing opportunities for future professionals, public school dance educators and members of the general public. Long before the fitness boom and hit television dance shows, Dance Montage was providing access to recreational dance classes for hundreds of dance enthusiasts each year.” 
 
The 40th anniversary show will highlight repertoire from each decade of the 40 years created by choreographers Annalisa Bentzen (2003), Kory Ireland (1976), Lisa Ryan (1995) and Paula Steinberg (1982). Audiences will also enjoy new work featuring 43 current and former U of C Kinesiology students, a piece for an all male cast created by W&M Physical Theatre’s Wojtek Mochniej and a Fosse inspired dance created by Jessalyn Britton and Laura Reed, students in the dance major program.
 
Professor Emeritus, Shirley C. Murray, who has been involved with Dance Montage since its beginnings in 1969, will also perform a solo created by Calgary independent choreographer Kyrsten Blair. Eighty-two year old Sigurd Hagen-Torn, who has performed in Dance Montage 15 times, will make a guest appearance in the all male dance, and Sharin Adams, a retired Principal for the CBE who performed in the very first Dance Montage when she was a U of C student, will be performing in two dances.
 
Join us as we take a look back to remember where we’ve been over the course of 40 years, so that we can approach the future with eyes wide open.