Leah Archambault
Leah worked as a choreographer and dancer for theatre companies Big Apparatus and Counternotes before moving to Montreal to pursue her dance studies at Concordia University. She completed her BFA at York University where she performed with the York Dance Ensemble during their 2002/2003 season. She continued on to complete her MA in dance studies. More recently, Leah has performed for a variety of up-and-coming choreographers including having danced the original female role in 2004’s jack described by Michel Crabb as “Jasmine Inns’ razor-edged duet for the excellent Leah Archambault and Neil Sochasky.” Apart from having done a great deal of work for Inns (FIIDA 2005, TIDF 2006), Leah has also performed for The Larchaud Project (2005, 2006), Tracey Norman (TIDF 2006), in select Project Sugar works with The Scandelles and other independent Toronto Choreographers. When not dancing, Leah enjoys Horror Films, Sushi, singing in a hardcore punk band and collecting vinyl.
Jillian Camarta
Jillian Camarta is an independant modern dancer and choreographer in Toronto. Since graduating from the Ryerson University Dance program, she has worked with Michael Sean Marye, Holly Small, Robert Derosiers, and Julia Sasso. Most recently she has been working with the Larchaud Dance Project, Sarah Johnson, Andrya Duff, and Jesse Dell.
Andrya Duff
Ms. Duff was born and bread on the rugged shores of Newfoundland, that’s where she got her taste for tappin’. After graduating the three year dance program at Newfoundland Dance Academy, Andrya headed up to the big city to study at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Since leaving the school Andrya has had the pleasure of dancing for choreographers Tina Fushell, Jesse Dell, Kate Franklin, Sarah Johnson, Samm Higgison, Michael Sean Mayre, Steve Paquet, Hope Terry and Shawn Newman as well as performing with the Scandelles. As choreographer Ms. Duff has presented work in Ambitious Enterprises’ “At the Wrecking Ball 2”, IDAC’s “On the Verge”, and Small Potatoes Series. Andrya’s work has been commissioned by Ambitious Enterprises for “At the Wrecking Ball 3” and the Uptown Girls “Box Social Collision”. Andrya collaborated with Michael Sean Mayre on the piece “Walk” during his process with Toronto Dance Theatre for their annual “Four at the Winch” performance. She was also choreographer for Interactive Productions remount of “Moulin Rouge” and provided ballroom dance coaching for Praxis Theatres’ fringe festival production of “The Master and Margarita”. Andrya has performed in dance films “The Things We Do” by Tina Fushell and Beau Dickson, “Ava” by Jesse Dell and Chris Scott as well as the Bravofact “Fictional Dance Party” from director Geoffrey Pugen. As a teacher Ms. Duff has assisted Rebecca Hope Terry with the Explorer’s Project for the past two years, and was resident teacher/choreographer for Alesund Ballett Skool in Alesund Norway. Andrya is enjoying a fruitful career in dance and has recently started to pursue broadcasting. Ms. Duff can be heard weekly on CKLN 88.1 fm’s ‘Stage Left’, a program committed to promoting theatre and dance in Toronto.
Beth Despres
Beth was born and raised in Ottawa, where she trained in ballet for 10 years at The School of Dance. She went on to attend Canterbury High School for the arts, where she discovered modern dance. Beth came to Toronto to attend the BFA dance program at York University, and later graduated summa cum laude. She has worked with choreographers such as Denise Fujiwara, Hari Krishnan, Michael Sean Marye, Andrea Nann, Motaz Kabbani, Tracey Norman, and Lucie Carmen Gregoire. Beth is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy at the University of Toronto, and hopes to be active in the dance community as a performer and therapist in the future.
Tina Fushell
Born and raised in St. John's, Nfld., Tina Fushell moved to Ontario in 1995 to attend the Quinte Ballet School, and continued her training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, graduating in May 2002. That same year, Tina co-founded Ambitious Enterprises (AE) with Kate Franklin and Samm Higgison, together producing the "At the Wrecking Ball" series, an event which has garnered much praise for the young company and ushered in a new generation of choreographers and collaborators from various disciplines.
As a choreographer Tina has had her work presented in The Festival of New Dance 2004 and 2005, fFIDA 2004, Hysteria: Festival of Women 2005, WinterCity 2006, Larchaud Dance Project presentation of Shinjiri, Quinte Ballet School Spring Showcase 2006, The Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival 2006 Dance Matters 2006, Moving Pictures Festival 2006, Dance Ontario's DanceWeekend07 and RED Festival 2007.
In April 2005, Tina co-produced "The Violet Hour" series with Lucy Rupert and Rebecca Carney, and presented, The Things We Do. In August 2006 Tina presented a new work in progress, Home Word Bound as part of The Violet Hour 2.
As a dancer, Tina has had the pleasure of working for numerous choreographers including Miranda Abbott, Leah Archambault, Tal Aronson, Andrya Duff, Jesse Dell(Project Sugar), Alana Elmer, Kate Franklin, Samm Higgison, Jasmine Inns, Rose Marie MacGregor, Matt Waldie and The Grasshoppa Exchange at this year’s Canada Dance Festival.
When not creating and performing in dance works, Tina divides her time teaching modern dance for the Quinte Ballet School and working for Learning through the Arts, a project of the Royal Conservatory of Music where she teaches Kindergarten-Twelfth Grade curriculum through dance.
www.tinafushell.com
Kitty Neptune
Kitty is honoured to be a part of Project Sugar. She has been weaving dance/theatre together with this troupe for four years with The Scandelles; a theatre collective that Kitty co-runs. Kitty has mostly worked in musical theatre,most oftencast as the clown or side-kick.She believes her understanding of audience appreciation and participation is key to developing all sorts of dance; including modern. She strives for this relationship with the audience in every genre she works in.