SELECTED HISTORY

Moving Connections: Dancing Collected Stories – free virtual workshops

Porch View Dances: Discovery Walk – in-person treasure hunt with dances, films, and AR

Premiere of films Slipping and In Case of Emergency

Premiere of 31 (TouchX + I am the Child of…) – Sold Out run at Harbourfront Centre Theatre

PVD10 Porch View Dances' 10th Anniversary (online)

Laneway ART-ery Dances – Artworx TO: Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022

Karen is commissioned by Guetcha Guaritcha to create this place

Allen is commissioned by Rebecca Margolick for Trace Elements and by Tara Butler for Survival of Knowing.

Filmed Kitchen Dances with Moze Mosannen for future release

Lockdown Films in response to the pandemic: conceived by Karen - FALLOW, devised for NAC #CanadaPerforms livestream, To be Safe in our Skin commission by The Bentway (both filmed by Allen), Moving Connections: In-Touch (conceived by Karen and Beata Rasitsan) where 150 un-curated gestures of hope and connection were weaved together into a film, and Clearing, created by Karen.

Allen is invited to re-imagine TRACE ELEMENTS, a solo for Mary-Louise Albert in 2001 on her daughter, Rebecca Margolick, in 2020.

Allen is invited by director Keira Loughran, to choreograph for the Stratford Festival’s WENDY AND PETER PAN. Karen is Stratford’s first Movement Dramaturg. Postponed due to COVID-19

Karen and Allen are finalists for the Toronto Arts Foundation Celebration of Cultural Life Awards

Karen & Allen receive the Dance Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award

2019 – Present: Karen launches MOVING CONNECTIONS Project – intergenerational dance making with community members

Allen and Karen are invited to present at the Jews and Jewishness Conference in Arizona State University and later Limmud, Toronto

2018- Present: Kaeja Elevations Certification Level 1 is launched for 21 teachers from 9 countries

2017 was Kaeja d’Dance’s 25th Anniversary

2017 & 2018: Allen and Karen create XTOD - Xtraordinary TO Dances: Moments in Reel Time and Solo Dance Exchange (SDX). 22 of Toronto’s diverse dance artists perform. Karen’s SDX premieres in Toronto. This program tours to Japan in 2019

2017 - present: Karen artistic Advisor for Jaberi Dance Projects

2017 - Present: Kaeja partners with New Blue Emerging Artists to launch Creative Risk mentorship

2017- 2019: Allen and Karen are invited annually to Japan to perform, teach and mentor

Karen is one of three finalists for the Toronto Arts Foundation Muriel Sherrin Award.

Karen and Allen are invited as guest artists and teachers at the Israeli Contact Improv Festival; In 2019, three ICIF Israeli Dance Artists are funded to come to Canada and continue research with Kaeja.

DEFIANT and CRAVE are presented as well as two lifeDUETs commissions, with and 25to1.

Allen and Karen are commissioned to create CONSUMED for EDge, UK (tours Europe) 2018: Karen’s CRAVE is nominated for 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, winning for Outstanding Male.

2016-Present: DOWNTOWN DANCES Moncton, modelled after PVD, performed by downtown business workers, is developed in collaboration with Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada.

2016-2018: Cloud 9 – Karen launches senior artist performance collective with Claudia Moore and Sylvie Bouchard - Commissions: Susie Burpee, Tedd Robinson, DA Hoskins, Lina Cruz

Karen becomes the first Resident Dance Artist Memorial University/Dance NFLD

2015–Present: Touch X – Karen involves dozens of dancers and community participants

Allen creates .0 and Karen creates Taxi!

2014 & 2016: Montgomery’s Inn – Allen creates this audience immersive performance event with dozens of professional Independent Dance Artists and community participants.

2013 – Kaeja concert Karen creates Crave and Allen creates X-ODUS

2012- Present: PORCH VIEW DANCES (PVD), a community, site-specific performance featuring Real People Dancing in Real Spaces launches in Toronto. This annual successful community engagement project brings accessible dance to participants & audiences around the province. Conceived by Karen Kaeja, developed with Allen.

JUST DANCE/JANE-FINCH, a community, site-specific performance featuring Real People Dancing in Real Spaces launches. 2012: Karen is Guelph Dance Festival (GDF) 1st Resident Dance Artist 2012: Allen is commissioned to create PRÉCIS by OperaPrima–Canal22 Mexico for a SYTYCD program.

2011 – Kaeja 20th Anniversary concert: Allen creates Jericho (Norway) and Armour/Amour – Karen creates The Visitor + Quenched

2010-Present: Allen re-ignites Jewish identity works which include: ASHKELON (2010 - Cadance Ballet Company), JERICO (2011 - Ut i Scenekunsten, Norway), ROGUE SHOW (2014&2015 with Bruce Barton), DEFIANT (2017) and upcoming I am the Child of…(2022)

Allen’s second book, Transcending Media: Adapting the production Asylum of Spoons from stage to Film, is published.

Karen and Allen co-create ABATTOIR. Premiere Vancouver (for the VANOC 2009 Cultural Olympiad and Chutzpah Festival) and in Toronto

2008-Present: Allen is invited to teach Dance Film at Ryerson University.

Karen becomes full-time company choreographer

YOGURT & VENOM new duet is created with Allen and Hari Krishnan, Enwave Theatre, DanceWorks

Karen and Ajna Samahdi collaborate to create BIRDS EYE VIEW at Casa Loma Stables for Nuit Blanche launches major integration of professional artists with community engagement creations

2007-Present: Karen’s FLOCK LANDING launches at Nuit Blanche where hundreds of individuals participate in gentle community dance. 110 performances so far

Karen creates solo series - Six Women Six Solos

2006-present: Karen Mentor and/or Dramaturg for Mio Sakomoto, Kin Nguien (CanAsian), Beata Rasitsan, Philip McDermott & Jenn Edwards, Drew Berry, Roshanak Jaberi (No Woman’s Land), Sylvie Moquin, Malgorzata Nowacka, Stratford Festival’s Wendy & Peter Pan, Nyda Kwasowsky, Lilia Leon, Jillian Peever, Patricia Allison, Heather Mills, TDSB Dare to Create, New Blue Emerging Artists/Creative Risk - Jen Roy, Shay Erlich, Sophie Dow among others.

ASYLUM OF SPOONS premieres.

Allen choreographs ASYLUM OF SPOONS commissioned by Canada Dance Festival with additional choreography by Karen and then co-directs film (2005) with Mark Adam.

2004–Present: Kaeja Elevations - unique approach to partnering with equal gender accessibility

Karen creates Irene Stands Alone

Allen is commissioned by Ballet Jorgen Canada to create “The Complex”.

The Braco!FACT film Departure is created.

Allen and Karen are commissioned to create EARTH’S SCENT by Anita Ratnam and her company, Arangham, as well as to perform in The Other Festival, India

2002-Present: Allen is invited to teach Contact Dance at Ryerson University.

2001-05: Kd’D2– the first company of young professionals ever in our country. Kaeja creates opportunities for emerging professionals, touring Resistance and excerpt Tabled Manners across ON.

2000-07: RESISTANCE – Allen’s sixth Holocaust inspired choreography. Additional choreography by Karen. The production opens Harbourfront Centre’s millennium season followed by seven years touring North America from Mexico to the Yukon.

EXPRESS DANCE book published by Dance Collection Danse, part of the Ontario Curriculum. The Kaeja’s provided free training to dozens of dance artists, to excel opportunities for them to earn independent income.

2000-2021 (21 years): Allen finds Dovercourt House and immediately invites Independent Dance Artists and small companies to claim the building as a new dance hub.

EXCAVATING ASCENT – Allen received the Clifford E. Lee Award for choreography and is commissioned to create on Banff Dance Festival

1999 – Present: Karen’s commissions – this place (2021 - Guetcha Guaritcha), To be Safe in our Skin (2020 - The Bentway), 8 minutes 17 seconds (2020 - Lucy Rupert Blue Ceiling), Calibrate (2018 - Toronto Outdoor Art Fair), Consumed (2017 - EDge Dance company UK - European tour), Ed’s Sign Language (2017 - Toronto4everyone), ON COMMON GROUND (2017 - Fort York), Dusk Dances (several years), COME WITH ME…NOW (2016 - George Brown Dance), Past Midnight (2014 GCDF Youth Moves), DisCover (2013 - ALIAS Pivotal Motion Dance Theatre), Crave to Tell – (2013 - Fall on Your Feet Dance Lab - Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival’s Womens voices), uncover (2012 - Jaz Fairy J), Quenched (2011 - Cadance Ballet), WEDDING THREADS (2008 - Dusk Dances), CENTENNIAL MOTEL AND REST (2008 - Flightworks), Avenue of Butterflies (2008 - UNODANZ, Victoria), Stable Dances & BIRD’S EYE VIEW (2007 & 2008 - Nuit Blanche Casa Loma Stables), Laced Rain (2003 - MOCEAN (2003-Halifax), Earth’s Scent (2001 - Arangham Dance Company/Anita Ratnam - India), MUNTAHA (2000 - Gwen Noah), Cocktail (1999 - Bill James/Water Sources), Casseiopia (1999 - BoucharDanse), 99 Snowfalls (1999 - Annika Õlund - Sweden), Concrete Garden (1998 - Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre), Call Forward (1998 - School of Toronto Dance Theatre).

Karen & Allen establish Contact Dance in programs at the National Ballet School (1998-2002) and School of Toronto Dance Theatre & Ryerson University (both ongoing), garnering international teaching reputation including Kaeja Elevations

1998 – Present: Allen receives a dozen commissions from School of Toronto Dance Theatre (with Karen 1998) 1998: PERMAFROST – Allen received the Bonnie Bird Award, UK and is commissioned to create on Transitions Dance Company which premieres in London, UK

ONE TREE HILL – Karen’s choreography premieres at DanceWorks.

WITNESSED – Allen and Mark Adam direct their first Holocaust inspired Dance Film for Bravo!FACT, which premieres at Moving Pictures Film Festival. Additional choreography by Karen. Witnessed becomes Bravo’s most aired film in its history, wins the Moving Pictures Performance Award and is nominated for Jury Prize IMZ, Europe. Karen and Allen Kaeja, 1997.

1997 – 2015: CanAsian Dance Festival co-founded by Allen with Denise Fujiwara, Sudha T. Khandwani, Jahanara Akhalaq, Meneka Thakkar, Jennifer Watkins and Carly Wong. Allen leaves the festival in 2015.

1997 – 2005: FIP-Festival of Interactive Physics – Karen and Pam Johnson co-found FIP, bringing to Toronto contact and improvisation teachers from around the world for workshops and performances.

1997–Present: 29 Dance Films for CBC, Bravo! Network, Wisconsin Public Television & FIBETV, and Independent release bring Kaeja to a wider audience & develop new forms of inter-medial creation. Kaeja films enter permanent collections of MoMA, Yad Vashem & more, garnering major awards & nominations. 1997-Present: lifeDUETs become ongoing commissioning series of duets exploring the Kaejas’ long-term partnership through choreography: 6 works to date that tour nationally and internationally. Choreographers Ben Kamino, Tedd Robinson, Marie-Josée Chartier, Claudia Moore, Kaeja’s.

ESTROGEN is co-founded by Karen and Sylvie Bouchard at Damn Straight - a festival for ten women choreographers

1996: ZUMMEL – Allen’s fourth Holocaust inspired choreography is his first international commission created for Norrdans, Sweden. The production tours Europe and premieres in Canada at the Ashkenaz Festival in 1998.

1996 – Present: Allen’s commissions include: It Went Like This… (2018-Emerging Artists Intensives); Yet Again (2014- Ballet Jorgen Canada); Pipe (2013 w Whiplash for Alias); Precis (2012 SYTYCD Mexico); Jerico, Axon and Upper Left (2011-Norway, RyersonU and Halifax); Ashkelon and Big Love (2010-Cadance and BrockU); Unhinged (2009-Old Men Dancing); Beyond Borders (2007-Nemian Mexico); Laced Rain & The Complex (2003 – Halifax & BJC); Earth’s Scent, The Complex & Storm (2002- India, BJC & TTE); Buried Monument, Fractured Corners & Descent (2001- Holmgång, Sweden, Mexico & MJ Chartier); Brutal Calm (1999-Norrdans)

OLD COUNTRY – Allen’s third Holocaust inspired choreography premieres at DanceWorks. Additional choreography by Karen. Old Country Trilogy first official National tour by Kaeja d’Dance.

1995 & 1996: Human Lingo-Urban Dance is a coalition of dance artists who developed an artist run model to house, support and celebrate the dance activity into the 21st Century. 25 choreographers are represented. Founded by Mitch Kirsch, Jane Townsend, Rina Singha, Norma Araiza, Allen and Karen Kaeja, Jennifer Watkins, Andraya CielSmith, Livia Daza-Paris and Newton Moraes among others.

1994: SARAH – Allen and Karen co-create the Second Holocaust inspired choreography which premieres at fFIDA and becomes part of the Old Country Trilogy first official National tour by Kaeja d’Dance.

Karen creates Eugene Walks with Grace

IN BLOOD - Allen’s first Holocaust inspired choreography premieres at fFIDA with Blake Martin.

LOST INNOCENCE – Allen premieres multi-disciplinary dance/theatre piece

PERHAPS A PICNIC is created by Karen Kaeja for the first Dusk Dances festival.

1992 – POMEGRANATE DREAMS is choreographed by Karen Kaeja for fFIDA.

1991 - Present: Touring begins in Venezuela & flourishes into decades of national & international tours

1991-2000: Allen is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the fFIDA-fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists - becomes Canada’s largest international dance festival.

HANGMAN – Karen creates her first choreography, which premieres at fFIDA

1991-Present: Karen and Allen are invited to teach Contact Dance at the School of Toronto DanceTheatre

Kaeja d’Dance is officially registered as a dance company. The first fifteen years includes seventeen Holocaust inspired creations for stage and film which are an essential part of its foundation.

Kaejas create SAVAGE GARDEN: site-specific performance which is the precursor to their ongoing investigation into audience immersive, non-traditional performances.

1990 - Present: Establishes education programs that now exceed 1000s of learners/year, becoming Express Dance, Kaeja Elevations, Composition, Improvisation & Dance Film