“A Day in the Life” with Toronto dancer Louis Laberge-Côté

Joel Levy — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 04:20:33 +0000

Hailing from Québec City, Louis Laberge-Côté is a magnetic and charismatic performer, having danced nationally and internationally with over thirty companies, holding full-time positions with Toronto Dance Theatre for eight years and Kevin O’Day Nationaltheater Mannheim in Germany for two seasons.

As an accomplished choreographer of more than eighty dance works in Canada and abroad, he has garnered a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography for his acclaimed duet ‘…et même après’ (in addition to eight other nominations for Performance and Choreography). He has been nominated for the KM Hunter Foundation Award on three separate occasions, and has received recognition from NOW Magazine as the ‘Best Male Dancer’ in Toronto in 2014.

A fierce arts advocate, he has served on the board of directors at the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – Ontario Chapter, the Canadian Dance Assembly, and the Toronto Arts Council. A highly sought-after pedagogue, he has recently been appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at Ryerson University, and teaches classes and workshops across Canada. He holds an MFA in Creative Practice from the University of Plymouth (UK) and Transart Institute.

Louis lives in downtown Toronto with his husband Michael (also a dancer and choreographer) and their two cats. He equally enjoys spending nights at home, cooking dinner and watching Netflix, as well as a night out at a fancy restaurant with delicious food and good wine.

-Biography written by Michael Caldwell, Louis’ husband

Promotional pictures for The art of degeneration (photo: Jeremy Mimnagh)

Me teaching a modern dance class with the Ryerson students at Union Station as part of the Fall for Dance North Festival 2018 (photo: Marlowe Porter)

My husband and me on our wedding day (May 10th, 2008)

My husband and me on a beach in Punta Cana

Tikitty and me, lounging at home

Me performing Film Noir (choreography: Kevin O’Day) with the Kevin O’Day Nationaltheater Ballett Mannheim in Germany (photo: Georg Stein)

Promotional picture for … et même après, a duet I choreographed for my husband and me (photo: Cylla von Tiedemann). The work was premiered at the dance:made in Canada in 2013 and later won a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography. Michael and I both received a nomination for Outstanding Performance in Dance (Male).

What ‘hood are you in?

I live in the Church-Yonge corridor with my husband (dance artist Michael Caldwell), and my two cats: Tikitty and Kläwz. I have been living in this area for over 15 years. I love it here!

What do you do?

I am a dance artist — performer, choreographer, teacher, and rehearsal director. I was recently appointed as full-time faculty in the Dance Program at Ryerson University, so my career is now mainly focused on my pedagogical practice, but I am still active as a performer and choreographer.

What are you currently working on?

I am of course teaching at Ryerson, but I am also working on a full-length solo on myself, titled The art of degeneration. This project is the culmination of several years of choreographic research, movement investigation, and vocal training. Symbolically, this work is a bit of my “swan song”, as I am slowly bowing away from the stage. It addresses several topics including decay, ageing, mental illness, celebrity, excess, and performance.

Where can we find your work?

The art of degeneration will run from Wednesday, October 31st until Saturday, November 3rd, at The Citadel (304 Parliament Street / just south of Dundas) as part of the DanceWorks MainStage Season.

For more information and tickets, please visit the website.

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Louis Laberge-Côté Archives - Toronto Guardian

“A Day in the Life” with Toronto dancer Louis Laberge-Côté