Kaeja 2024 | Year in Review
2024 held a whole lot of travelling for us and many beautiful collaborations. We are grateful for our team, artists, board, partners, and audiences at this challenging time in the world at large.
January
Karen shared her Contact Dance practice with Dance Arts Institute (formerly STDT) 3rd year’s
Allen was Partnering Advisor for Lua Shayenne Dance Company production of “Water Spirit” and “Frontiers”
Jan/Feb - Allen taught Dance Film at Dance Arts Institute (formerly STDT)
Karen’s Mist Me screened at Dance Ontario’s DanceWeekend
Kitchen Dances films Challah (choreographed by Allen & Karen Kaeja) and Locked (choreographed by Roberto Camponella) screened at Dance Camera West, Los Angeles - Co-Produced by Allen & Karen Kaeja, Moze Mossanen and both Directed by Moze Mossanen
Karen participated in new film by Zahra Saleki
Photo of Karen Kaeja and Lucia Llana by Zahra Saleki.
February
Roshanak Jaberi and Karen’s Slipping dance film screened at the 52nd annual Dance on Camera film festival at the Lincoln Centre in New York. Slipping was also nominated for Best Screendance Short and was screened at The Los Angeles International Short Film Festival Awards (Indie Short Fest)
Karen and team filmed phase 1 of Empty Pages / TouchX Music VDO at the 'Creative Incubator' on Lake Huron (Saugeen Shores) -
TEAM: Karen Kaeja - Concept/Director/Choreographer/Set/Costume, Mio Sakamoto - Dancer, Olya Glotka - Cinematographer/Editor, Mear - Frances Miller and Greg Harrison - Composers, Allen Kaeja - Assistant Director, Drew Berry - Photographer and Production Assistant and Kathy Le - Production Assistant.
Photo of Mio Sakamoto by Drew Berry.
Stills from Empty Pages / TouchX Music VDO.
Photo of Mio Sakamoto by Drew Berry.
March
Karen was proud to be Dramaturg throughout May for the April premiere of Malgorzata Nowacka-May’s SOFT at Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Congratulations on their DORA Nomination!
Kitchen Dances films Challah (choreographed and performed by Allen & Karen Kaeja) and Locked (choreographed by Roberto Camponella) screened at Cannes Short Film Festival - Co-Produced by Allen & Karen Kaeja, Moze Mossanen and both directed by Moze Mossanen
Phase 1 rehearsals of Resistance 142466 -
TEAM: Allen Kaeja - Concept/Direction/Choreographer, Karen Co-Choreographer, Dancers - Mio Sakamoto, Kunji Ikeda, Rosie Harbans, and Kwasi Obeng Adjei, Michael Mortley, Rumi Karim Jeraj.
Photo of Karen Kaeja in Resistance film by Ella Cooper.
April
Allen edited Hidden Entrance film (formerly “I am the Child of…”)
dance Immersion & Kaeja d’Dance presented Movement Workshops by CinnaMoon Collective in Toronto
Karen collaborated as Co-Choreographer with Roshanak Jaberi, Artistic Director of Jaberi Dance Theatre, in a 3-week creation residency in Stockholm for Architecture of Violence. A commission for JDT by Scenkonst Sörmland, for their international collaboration between Swedish and Canadian artists. Karen was also Artistic Advisor on the project.
Karen and team filmed phase 2 of Empty Pages / TouchX Music VDO in Iceland -
ICELAND TEAM:Karen Kaeja - Concept/Director/Choreographer/Set/Costume, Mio Sakamoto - Dancer, Olya Glotka - Cinematographer/Editor, Allen Kaeja - Assistant Director.
Photo of Karen Kaeja, Allen Kaeja, Mio Sakamoto, Olya Glotka by Roshanak Jaberi.
May
One week residency exploring new material with BC Movement Arts Society (BCMAS) in Sointula, BC
Allen taught Kaeja Elevations Certification Course in Calgary with assistant Mio Sakamoto
Photo of Karen Kaeja and Allen Kaeja by Zhenya Cerneacov.
Kaeja Artist in Residency (KAIR) supported Irma Villafuerte and Nickeshia Garrick in partnership with and “co-presented and co-curated by dance Immersion and Kaeja d’Dance” at Canadian Stage for the premiere of their new CinnaMoon Collective duet Surrendering Spirits. Congratulations on their DORA Nominations!
Photos by various photographers for dance Immersion.
June
Karen and Allen toured British Columbia with a lifeDUETs program - 25 to 1 (by Tedd Robinson) and Lasterday (by Hanna Kiel) BC Movement Arts Society (BCMAS) with presenter Mary Louise Albert to Port McNeill, Sointula, and ‘Namgis Nation/Alert Bay. In Vancouver, they performed Lasterday at Dancing on the Edge (DOTE). In Kelowna, they partnered with Claudia Moore to teach a Contact/Improv Workshop and run Lasterday at The Rotary Centre for the Arts
Karen continues collaboration with Roshanak Jaberi for JDT’s Architecture of Violence at Meridian Arts Centre residency in North York, TO
Allen is Partnering Consultant for Karen and Roshanak’s powerful Architecture of Violence
Karen, Allen, and movers in Contact/Improv Workshop.
Photo of Karen Kaeja, Allen Kaeja and students.
lifeDUETs on tour!
Photo of Allen Kaeja, Karen Kaeja by Kendra Epik.
July
Karen’s Mist Me film shot by Drew Berry was screened at the Female Eye Festival - winning Honourable Mention
Allen was part of the creative team exploring the power of AR (Augmented Reality) in performance, led by choreographer Louis Laberge Cote (including Bruce Barton & Ian Garrett).
Porch View Dances - PVD 13 welcomed an amazing team, a bouquet of incredible artists, many intergenerational participants and many audience members. Our beloved annual festival brought wonderful creative and cultural life to the city. “this community dance event — “real people dancing in real spaces” — continues to delight on so many levels.” Paul Citron, Ludwig van Toronto
Photo of Sid Ryan Eilers choreography by SVPhotography.
Esie Mensah and Rose-Mary Harbans performing in Porch View Dances 2024. View the highlight video here!
Photo of Esie Mensah and Rose-Mary Harbans by SVPhotography.
August
Karen continues collaboration with Roshanak Jaberi for JDT’s Architecture of Violence in Sweden
In Case of Emergency released to the public (Watch TRAILER). Photo compilation by Olya Glotka.
September
Sept-Dec - Allen taught Partnering (w Kaeja Elevations) and Dance Film at Toronto Metropolitan University
Karen tours with Roshanak Jaberi for JDT’s Architecture of Violence in Sweden to Eskilstuna, Nyköping, and Strängnäs, with a dynamic and wonderful team.
Photo by Maryam Barari.
October
Wind in the Leaves (WITL) presented Kaeja films Lasterday and THAW at the IBPOC Touring Network at Fall For Dance North (FFDN) in TO
JDT presented Architecture of Violence (Karen co-choreographer/Artistic Advisor) at Meridian Arts Centre for FFDN IPP in TO, co-produced by TO Live
Karen and Allen present Lasterday lifeDUET at the NBOC for Fall For Dance North (FFDN) International Presenter Series (IPP) in TO.
Photo by Drew Berry.
November
Karen and Allen Kaeja were one of the 10,000 Notable Canadians in the Grey House Canadian Who's Who since 2001
Lasterday screened at the Contact Dance Film Festival (winning Honourable Mention) and 2024 American Dance Festival (ADF) Movies by Movers Film Festival.
Photo of Allen Kaeja and Karen Kaeja by Drew Berry.
Kaeja d’Dance (Mio Sakamoto) performed at Baycrest Share the Dance for Dance Collection Danse, celebrating Canadian Dance.
Photo by Amy Bowring.
December
Karen collaborated as dancer/choreographer with Vertical City’s team for two weeks under the direction of Bruce Barton
Allen’s book: I Found My Dance in a Bomb Shelter: Anecdotes of Gratitude from a Life in Dance was launched by Dance Collection Danse and Kaeja d’Dance in Toronto at the Catalyst in TMU.
Photos by Cylla von Tiedemann. Headshot by Drew Berry.
With thanks to our funders and donors and partners without whom this could not be possible!