Simcoe Contemporary Dancers

Interplay
2025-02-23 12:30 - 14:30 UTC | MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, Canada
Date: Sunday, February 23
Performance One: 12:30 – 1:00 pm
Performance Two: 2:00 – 2:30 pm
Fee: FREE, Drop-in
Location: The Carnegie Room
Join us in celebrating Hello Winter with an improvisation performance featuring an exciting collaboration between tap dancer Brianna Maltais, Simcoe Contemporary Dancers, and regional artist Monica Loney!
Interplay showcases a dynamic exchange of sound, movement, and live visual art designed to challenge and expand the boundaries of each artistic medium. Brianna’s tap board made up for various textures serves as the foundation, sparking responsive movements from the contemporary dancer whose movement, in turn, influences both the tap percussion and visual artist, Monica Loney. Loney will capture the unfolding performance in real-time, crafting artwork inspired by the rhythm, movement, and evolving connections between the performers, creating a continuous cycle of inspiration and response. The audience will witness this unique artistic dialogue as it happens, blending rhythm, motion, and visual creativity into a captivating, shared experience.
Performance organized in partnership with the MacLaren Art Centre, Simcoe Contemporary Dancers, and the artists.
Artist Bios:
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers is a not-for-profit professional dance company serving the region of Simcoe County that exists to encourage and showcase the development of local professional contemporary dance. We come together to raise the visibility of contemporary dance, create awareness, build educational opportunities, and reach out to our public to share our love of our art form.
Brianna Maltais is a tap dancer and improviser with a focus on tap dance history, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the exploration of textural soundscapes. Her performance credits include appearances with The Skyliners Big Band at the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Get Out and Dance produced by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers, the Toronto International Dance Festival, and Dance Against the Wind, produced by Vintage Taps Company and starring Brenda Buffalino.
Brianna contributed to the 2024 Toronto International Tap Dance Festival as part of the production team for Toffan Rhythm Projects. She also co-produced an event for Barrie Culture Days celebrating Canadian tap dancer Joey Hollingsworth.
Currently, Brianna is involved in Heather Cornell’s Legacy Project, working alongside a musical collaborator and receiving mentorship from esteemed tap dance masters Heather Cornell, Dianne Walker, Max Pollack, and pianist Andy Milne.
Monica Loney is a visual artist known for her use of the continuous line in her works to represent the universal connection we all share. She is no stranger to public art, and you can find her advocating for its importance within the community on guided tours as well as through her own large-scale pieces and installations located within Simcoe County. Monica was the recipient of the 2022 Emerging Artist Award for the City of Barrie and has recently received an Ontario Community Changemakers grant from 880 Cities. With this grant, she will continue her advocacy on the benefits of public art through her project The Transformative Power of Public Art in 2025.

Open Contemporary Dance Class
2024-12-08 11:15 - 12:30 | Studio Five Barrie, 40 Bell Farm Road, Barrie, ON, L4M 5L3, Canada
Our contemporary dance classes feature a rotation of instructors from the company, each with their own special brand of magic.
Each week is a new adventure consisting of floor-work, centre practice, travelling work, and movement combinations. Classes are open to teens (14+) and adults.
FALL 2024 CLASS DATES AND TEACHING SCHEDULE:
Join SCD for our weekly open level contemporary dance classes this Fall featuring a rotation of instructors including Chrissy Baxter, Jaqui Brown, Kasandra Chiaromonte, and Sarah Lochhead!
Classes will be held at Studio Five Barrie @ 40 Bell Farm Rd, Barrie, ON L4M 5L3 from 11:15-12:30 pm on the following dates:
September 8, 15, 22, 29
October 6, 20, 27
November 3, 17, 24
December 1, 8
CLASS RATES:
FIRST CLASS IS FREE!
Drop-In Rate: $15
10-Class Pass: $100
*All class rates are inclusive of HST.*
** Participants can pay in cash or via e-transfer to simcoecontemporarydancers@gmail.com. Exact change only.

Open Contemporary Dance Class
2024-12-01 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-11-24 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-11-17 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-11-03 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-10-27 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-10-20 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-10-06 11:15 - 12:30, 2024-09-29 11:15 - 12:30 and 3 more dates | Studio Five Barrie, 40 Bell Farm Road, Barrie, ON, L4M 5L3, Canada
Our contemporary dance classes feature a rotation of instructors from the company, each with their own special brand of magic.
Drop-ins are most welcome and each week is a new adventure that will allow dancers to progress in their movement and artistry week to week. Our classes consist of floor-work, centre practice, travelling work, and movement combinations. Classes are open to teens (14+) and adults and are taught at an intermediate to advanced level of training.
FALL 2024 CLASS DATES AND TEACHING SCHEDULE:
Join SCD for our weekly open level contemporary dance classes this Fall featuring a rotation of instructors including Chrissy Baxter, Jaqui Brown, Kasandra Chiaromonte, and Sarah Lochhead!
Classes will be held at Studio Five Barrie @ 40 Bell Farm Rd, Barrie, ON L4M 5L3 from 11:15-12:30 pm on the following dates:
September 8, 15, 22, 29
October 6, 20, 27
November 3, 17, 24
December 1, 8
CLASS RATES:
FIRST CLASS IS FREE!
Drop-In Rate: $15
10-Class Pass: $100
*All class rates are inclusive of HST.*
** Participants can pay in cash or via e-transfer to simcoecontemporarydancers@gmail.com. Exact change only.

Annual General Meeting
2024-11-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Studio Five Barrie, 40 Bell Farm Road, Barrie, ON, L4M 5L3, Canada
Join SCD for their Annual General Meeting to learn about the successes and growth from our 2023-2024 dance season and a preview of what our 15th Anniversary Season holds!

Contemporary Floorwork Workshop with Kylie Thompson
2024-11-17 11:00 - 13:00 | Studio Five Barrie, 40 Bell Farm Road, Barrie, ON, L4M 5L3, Canada
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers is thrilled to present a contemporary floorwork workshop with Kylie Thompson!
Kylie’s class moves swiftly and aims to take the body into a state of deep release in conversation with virtuosic expansion. We’ll move through lots of ways in and out of the floor, some improvisational tasks and phrase work that challenges the brain and body! Bring your knee pads and clothing that offers good coverage.

REGISTER HERE!
Workshop Rate: $30 (inclusive of HST)
*Payment can be accepted via e-transfer to simcoecontemporarydancers@gmail.com, cash day of (exact change only), or via PayPal.

Instructor Bio:
Kylie Thompson (she/her) is a contemporary Dance Artist and photographer residing in Toronto, Canada. She holds an honours degree in Kinesiology from McMaster University. Some of her stage and screen performance credits include; Hanna Kiel, Gadfly Dance Company, Finger Eleven, Kiesza, Martin Huss, Classified, Jenn Edwards, Patricia Allison, Valence Movement and more. She is an accomplished choreographer and media artist, and operates independently under her company Kylie Thompson Creative (@kyliethompsoncreative). Her work has been presented at Dance: Made in Canada, Danceworks, Toronto Fringe, TIFF programming, New Blue Festival, The Garage, The Canadian National Exhibition, Fresh Blood, Dance Matters and Toronto Original Choreographer’s Ball. She has shared knowledge with everyone from 3 year-olds to professional dancers, with thousands of hours of teaching experience in contemporary forms, specialising in contemporary floorwork. She served on the board for the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists-East Chapter from 2017-2021. Besides dance and photography, she loves her plants, travelling, interior design, and cooking.

REGISTER HERE!

Discover, Draw, Dance
2024-10-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Lion’s Pavilion, Barrie, ON, Canada
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers (SCD) is hosting a two-hour dance and art workshop called Discover, Draw, Dance. This workshop is centred on creating a positive and accessible dance and creation experience.
Discover, Draw, Dance is open to all ages, levels and abilities and will consist of:
– a 30-minute visual art experience where participants will create there own unique artwork inspired by the “Seeds to Sow” art exhibition at the Lion’s Pavilion.
– a movement warm-up where we will prime our bodies to dance.
– Using the participants artwork and the Seeds to Sow artwork at Lion’s Pavilion, SCD will lead participants in a movement creation experience where we will create our own movement that will then be incorporated into a unique choreography!
This workshop is open to everyone of all ages and abilities and it is perfect for families to participate in together! During the movement components of this workshop, our focus will be on exploring elements of dance such as space, time, energy, weight and dynamics and learning movement skills through imagination and art, all with the goal of developing each participant’s expressiveness through movement!
This activity is funded by the City of Barrie for Culture Days 2024.

Animations: An Improvisation Performance
2024-10-05 14:00 - 15:00 | MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, Canada
In celebration of Culture Days, join SCD for a series of engaging outdoor movement improvisations. The dancer’s movement will be inspired by three of the MacLaren Art Centre’s permanent collection sculptures including Dream Chamber by Sorel Etrog; Shlosha by Kossol Eloul and Grace Note by Lyn Carter & Carl Taçon.

2024-2025 Season Auditions
2024-08-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Moving Art
Auditions for SCD’s 2024-2025 dance season will be held at Moving Art in Barrie from 7:00 to 8:30 PM on Wednesday, August 7, 2024! We are holding auditions for both professional company members and apprentices (14+). Register here.
SCD encourages individuals from equity-deserving groups, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds, LGBTQ2S+ communities, and persons with disabilities, to audition and share their unique voices. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and welcome performers of all abilities and experiences
We ask that you please arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of the audition start time to warm-up and complete our participation waiver and image release forms.
The weekly time commitment for both professional company members and apprentices is approximately 3 hours per week. Weekly company class runs from 10:30-11:30 on Sundays from September to June. Attendance at weekly class is required. Rehearsals may follow from 11:30-1:30 depending on casting. The weekly time commitment may increase during performance weeks.
We look forward to dancing with you soon!

Get Out and Dance!
2024-07-28 11:30 - 14:00, 2024-07-27 11:30 - 19:00 | Lampman Lane Prk, 40 Lampman Lane, Barrie, Ontario, L4N 4Z7, Canada
Get Out and Dance! is a community dance event featuring free dance workshops, live music, and dance performances!
Get Out and Dance Event Details
Saturday July 27 – Show 1
11:00 – 1:00 PM – Visual Art Table
Create your own artwork on water colour paper with the MacLaren Art Centre!
11:30 – 12:00 PM – BollyZumba Workshop
Join Aanchal Nanavati, the founder of Lasya – Poetry of Footsteps Dance School for a BollyZumba workshop where you will be enchanted by the poetry of our footsteps by setting yourself free through dance!
12:00 – 12:30 PM – Live Music – The Power Boys
Enjoy a show by The Power Boys who bring new and classic tunes with tribal beats! Featuring Sil Simone and Joe Adamick!
12:30 – 1:30 – Dance Performance
The dance performance will be hosted by the amazing Shelly-Ann Skinner and feature dance performances by some incredibly talented dance artists including Shelly-Ann Skinner, Brianna Maltais, Alayna Molotkow, Sarah Kennedy, Haley Ng, Eligh Zimmerman and Paul Moen! Dance styles include contemporary and modern dance, tap dance, Chinese Traditional dance, Afro-Caribbean Fan Dance, and a dash of burlesque!
Saturday July 27 – Show 2
5:00 – 5:30 PM – Body percussion Workshop
Erika MacNeil will teach a “Dance Out Loud” workshop where we will use body percussion and simple, everyday items, to create rhythms to accompany movement sequences built on familiar rhymes and call/answer patterns!
5:30 – 6:00 PM – Live Music – Hungry Manna
Enjoy live music performed by Hungry Manna featuring Brendan Graham, Connor Wilfert, and Corey Marshall!
6:00 – 7:00 – Dance Performance
The dance performance will be hosted by the amazing Shelly-Ann Skinner and feature dance performances by some incredibly talented dance artists including Shelly-Ann Skinner, Brianna Maltais, Alayna Molotkow, Sarah Kennedy, Haley Ng, Eligh Zimmerman and Paul Moen! Dance styles include contemporary and modern dance, tap dance, Chinese Traditional dance, Afro-Caribbean Fan Dance, and a dash of burlesque!
Sunday July 28 – Show 3
11:00 – 1:00 PM – Visual Art Table
Create your own artwork on water colour paper with the MacLaren Art Centre!
11:30 – 12:00 PM – BellyDance Workshop
Join Nicole Welsh-Bolton to explore some BellyDance basics! In this workshop you will connect your feet and your hips to the fabulous rhythms of BellyDance music!
12:00 – 12:30 PM – Live Music – Kasey Kohring
Enjoy a performance by Kasey Kohring, a Canadian singer-songwriter. Learn more @KaseyKohring.
12:30 – 1:30 – Dance Performance
The dance performance will be hosted by the amazing Shelly-Ann Skinner and feature dance performances by some incredibly talented dance artists including Shelly-Ann Skinner, Brianna Maltais, Alayna Molotkow, Sarah Kennedy, Haley Ng, Eligh Zimmerman and Paul Moen! Dance styles include contemporary and modern dance, tap dance, Chinese Traditional dance, Afro-Caribbean Fan Dance, and a dash of burlesque!
Event Reminders

Get Out and Dance is a pay-what-you-can event. Please consider making a cash contribution.

This is an outdoor event – don’t forget to bring a blanket or chair to sit on and get comfy for a great show!

Depending on the weather, you may want to bring sunscreen, bug spray, wear layers, etc.

This is a community event so don’t forget to invite your friends to Come on out to support local art!

Contemporary Dance Workshop with Zoe Kwan
2024-06-02 11:00 - 13:00 | InHarmony Dance and Wellness, 1220 Stellar Drive Suite 200, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 7B9, Canada
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers is excited to host an amazing guest workshop with Zoe Kwan this June!
Zoe will be leading a 2-hour workshop on June 2 from 11am-1pm. She will be sharing her movement practice, which incorporates elements of Qi-Gong and vocabulary from western-contemporary dance forms. She will also be teaching a combination that integrates her research and explorations. For more information about her work and upcoming projects, visit www.zoekwan.ca.
Rate: $30 inclusive of hst
*Payment can be accepted via e-transfer to simcoecontemporarydancers@gmail.com, cash day of (exact change only), or via PayPal.
Register Today!
Workshop Instructor Bio:
Zoe is a Chinese, new generation producer, choreographer, and dance artist from Markham, Ontario, whose practice is rooted in Western contemporary dance forms and Qi-Gong. She holds a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University and has worked with artists including Michael Caldwell (Dusk Dances Tour 2022) and Colleen Snell (Frog in Hand) in her professional career. She was also the Associate Producer and Choreographer for TOES FOR DANCE and is the Producer of Carnival of the Arts: a site-specific dance festival in Markham. Additionally, Zoe has performed for festivals including Fall For Dance North (2020, 2021) and Festival Quartiers Danses (2023).
As a choreographer, Zoe’s goal is to create something powerful and emotionally gratifying for both dancers and audience members to enjoy. She was awarded the Lipson Family Endowment Award for the most promising emerging choreographer. Zoe was also the recipient of the Performance Dance: Highest CGPA award and the Orly Watkin Dance Award from Toronto Metropolitan University. Additionally, her work “I Woke Up” was selected to be featured internationally and locally in Ryerson Choreographic Film Festival, Bloom Festival, the fifth edition of Artists For Peace, and in Lisbon Dance Platform. She was most recently commissioned to create a work for the students of the Arts Unionville Dance program and is gearing up to produce and choreograph a full-length dance show in Markham, premiering at the end of August 2024.
For more about Zoe and her work, visit www.zoekwan.ca
Register Today!

20th Annual Celebration of Dance
2024-05-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Georgian Theatre, 1 Georgian Dr Bldg C, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 6J8, Canada
Celebration of Dance is a special fundraising event presented by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers annually in May!
SCD invites dancers from all over Simcoe County come together to raise money for both local and international charities. This event is an amazing opportunity to see a variety of dance works and support some great causes!
Since the inception of Celebration of Dance, the event has helped raised more than $40,000 for charities!
This year, on May 21, 2024, we will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary Event of Celebration of Dance!

Movement Creation Workshop
2024-05-04 12:30 - 13:30 | ON
Join Chrissy Baxter and Dance Together Project for a Movement Creation Workshop where we will create a one-of-a-kind dance piece together! This workshop will consist of a general movement warm-up, followed by a brief conversation around the topic of nature and summer. With this topic in mind, Chrissy will then lead participants through a series of improvisation activities, movement games, and setting of choreography based on movement we have created collaboratively. This workshop is a great opportunity to explore contemporary dance and create a unique dance collaboratively with our community! Open to all ages and abilities and great for families.
Artist Bio:
Growing up in Upstate New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, Chrissy has danced for as long as she can remember. She began her serious training at LCDA in Oswego, NY, fostering a deep love for movement and an appreciation of the creative process. Chrissy earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from SUNY Brockport under the direction of Bill Evans and Maura Keefe, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Chrissy has worked with notable choreographers such as Mariah Maloney, Maxine Heppner, Mairéad Filgate, Sarah Lochhead and Susan Kendal. Chrissy has been performing regularly with the Barrie, ON based contemporary dance company, Simcoe Contemporary Dancers since 2014.
Online registration required (one per person).
For more upcoming Dance Together community workshops, visit https://www.dancetogetherproject.com/classes-vaughan

A Winterfest Performance
2024-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, Canada
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers are excited to present a mixed-program contemporary dance performance including our newest work, Tracing Orbits. This exciting Winterfest performance will also feature solos by company members and company apprentices. Simcoe Contemporary Dancers’ performance is athletic, inquisitive, and perfect for the whole family to enjoy!
Time: 12: 00 – 12:45 pm

Admission: Free

Where: The Carnegie Room, The MacLaren Art Centre

Continuum
2024-01-20 19:00 - 2024-01-21 20:00 | Five Points Theatre, 1 Dunlop Street West, Barrie, Ontario, L4N 1A1, Canada
Continuum is a mixed program contemporary dance performance running from January 20-21, 2024 at the Five Points Theatre in Barrie, ON.
Continuum will feature the two world premieres including Simcoe Contemporary Dancers newest work, Tracing Orbits, co-choreographed by Chrissy Baxter, Jaqui Brown, and Shelby Thoms and The Chasm, a new solo choreographed and performed by Aliyah Beckles-Gaines. Continuum will also feature Garden Follies, a community-engaged choreography.
Show Times:
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 7:00 pm
Sunday, January 21, 2024 @ 12:30 pm
Sunday, January 21, 2024 @ 7:00 pm
Buy Tickets Here!

Annual General Meeting
2023-11-19 15:00 - 17:00 | ON
Join SCD for their Annual General Meeting to learn more about their successes and growth during the 2022-2023 dance season!

Simcoe Contemporary Dancers Culture Days Performance and Movement Experience
2023-09-24 14:30 - 15:15 | MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, Canada
Join Simcoe Contemporary Dancers in the Carnegie Room at the MacLaren Art Centre for the premiere of our newest community-engaged choreography! Inspired by the Garden Follies exhibition at the MacLaren, this performance was developed collaboratively with our regional community this past summer.
After the premiere, join SCD for a movement experience and get the chance to create your very own movement vocabulary—exploring the same improvisation games that were used in the dance you just saw performed! A fun interactive experience for all ages and abilities.

Community Engaged Creation Period
2023-09-17 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-09-10 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-08-27 13:00 - 15:00 | MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, Canada
You’re Invited To Join Simcoe Contemporary Dancers’ Biggest Community Dance Piece Yet!
Six performance opportunities. Four chances to join in. One unforgettable experience.
At A Glance:
Dates: Sundays from July 9 – August 27 and September 10, 17
Price: FREE
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Ages: 8 years and up
Registration required. Drop-ins are welcome on July 9, July 16, August 6, and August 13. Register Here.
Registration Options:
July Series (6 workshops): Sundays: July 9, 16, 23, 30, PLUS September 10, 17
August Series (6 workshops): Sundays: August 6, 13, 20, 27, PLUS September 10, 17
Whole Session (10 workshops): Sundays: July 9 to August 27, PLUS September 10, 17
About the project:
Collaborate with Simcoe Contemporary Dancers every Sunday throughout the summer! SCD will host a series of guided improvisations inspired by summer exhibits—open to all from ages 8 and up!
Rehearsals will consist of a short visual art warm-up, movement warm-up, improvisation games, and setting of choreography that has been created collaboratively. While the project is open to ages 8+, SCD requests that children under the age of 10 be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Be a part of these fun workshops and help create a performance that will premiere in September for Culture Days! All experience levels are welcome! This is a great opportunity to explore dance and create something unique together. This project is made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts and The City of Barrie. Register in advance as spots are limited.
Simcoe Contemporary Dancers is a not-for-profit professional dance company serving the region of Simcoe County that exists to encourage and showcase the development of local professional contemporary dance. We come together to raise the visibility of contemporary dance, create awareness, build educational opportunities, and reach out to our public to share our love of our art form. Learn more about SCD at www.SCDancers.com.
Facilitator Biography:
Jaqui Brown is a dancer and dance teacher from Newmarket, Ontario. She is a graduate of George Brown College where she earned a Diploma in Performance Dance Studies, and a Certificate in the Performing Arts. Her formal training includes modern dance (Limón; contact improvisation), ballet (RAD; Cecchetti), jazz (BATD; theatre), vocal, and acting. Additionally, Jaqui earned her degree in Psychology and Spanish from York University. Her passion for dance extends through to her love of other artistic forms such as singing, and photography. Jaqui joined SCD in 2014.
