Allen Kaeja (born in Kitchener, Ontario) is a Canadian film director and choreographer. He entered the field of dance after nine years of wrestling and judo,[1] and has created over 90 dance pieces since 1981 and choreographed 26 films. Kaeja is one of the co-artistic directors of Kaeja d'Dance, along with his wife Karen Kaeja[2] and has completed an MA dance degree at York University. He is co-founder of the CanAsian International Dance Festival.

Work

Kaeja's dance film Of the Heart (2008) was co-directed with Douglas Rosenberg.[3] Allen and Karen Kaeja teach master classes in Kaeja Partnering and Dance Film. Allen teaches at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre and Toronto Metropolitan University.[4] Express Dance, co-written by Allen and Karen, is used as a teacher resource for grades 4 to 12 dance curriculum in Ontario.[5] Kaeja has published his second book, entitled Transcending Media: Adapting the Dance Production Asylum of Spoons, from Stage to Film.

In 2011, Kaeja co-created the Porch View Dances series with Karen Kaeja and Kaeja d'Dance.[6] In 2019, in honour of the success of the series in Toronto's Seaton Village, the city of Toronto officially renamed a laneway in the neighbourhood "Porch View Dances Lane."[7]

Education

Kaeja and Karen Kaeja teach master classes in Kaeja Partnering and Dance Film. Kaeja teaches at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre and Toronto Metropolitan University.[8]

Express Dance, co-written by Allen and Karen, is used as a teacher resource for grades 4 to 12 dance curriculum in Ontario.[9] Kaeja has published his second book, entitled Transcending Media: Adapting the Dance Production Asylum of Spoons, from Stage to Film.

Film

Kaeja's father, Morton Norris (born Mordechai Nosal), was a refugee and Holocaust survivor from Poland that emigrated to Canada.[10] Over the last 30 years, Kaeja produced 32 works inspired by the Holocaust. Select films from Kaeja's portfolio are a part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art and the Jewish Museum (Manhattan), the Yad Vashem in Israel and the Canadian Museum of History.[11] During his career, Kaeja created over 210 dance pieces as well as directed and/or choreographed for 35 films. Kaeja's dance film Of the Heart (2008) was co-directed with Douglas Rosenberg.[5]

Kaeja also performed as Pushkin in Moze Mossanen’s Gemini-winning dance film Nureyev.

Live Performances

Throughout his career, Kaeja co-developed many site-specific and audience interactive engagement performances with Karen Kaeja. These include Porch View Dances (2012 - present), Downtown Dances (2016 – present, with Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada), Animating Historic Spaces – Montgomery’s Inn (2016 & 2014), Fools Paradise – Open Doors Ontario (2015), ROGUE show (2015), fFIDA 1991, fFIDA w CBC Toronto 1992 & 1993, Canada Dance Festival with CBC Ottawa (1996), and Savage Garden (1989).[12][13][14][15]

Awards and recognition

Kaeja’s awards include the Kathryn Ash Award for Choreography, Clifford E. Lee, K.M. Hunter, and Paul D. Fleck Choreography Awards (Canada), the Bonnie Bird Award (UK), a UNESCO citation, and the Moving Picture Award for best performance (Canada).[16] In 2015, Allen was nominated for the: Ontario Arts Foundation Artist Educator Award; for “[exemplifying] excellence in arts education” and “[demonstrating] a unique approach to their arts education practice.” [17] In 2011, Kaeja co-created the Porch View Dances series with Karen Kaeja and Kaeja d'Dance.[6] In 2019, in honour of the success of the series in Toronto's Seaton Village, the city of Toronto officially renamed a laneway in the neighbourhood "Porch View Dances Lane."[11] Later that year, Allen and Karen received the Dance Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award for their substantial contribution to the “development of dance in [Ontario].” [18]

References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Artists - ArtsAlive.ca Dance". artsalive.ca.
  2. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Of the Heart by Douglas Rosenberg & Allen Kaeja". www.dvpg.net.
  4. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ Fraiman, Michael (August 2, 2019). "The porches are alive with the sound of music". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Toronto laneway to be named in honour of Porch View Dances". Toronto.com. June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ “Choreographer inspired by father's experiences” Clevelandjewishnews.com. February 14, 2002. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  11. ↑ “Scenes From a Marriage” Criticsatlarge.com. March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  12. ↑ Fraiman, Michael (August 2, 2019). "The porches are alive with the sound of music". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ “Animating Historic Sites” Torontoartscouncil.org. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  14. ↑ “Rogue Show” Verticalcityperformance.com. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  15. ↑ “From Fringe to Full-Fledged: A Transformed Toronto International Dance Festival Opens” Playbill.com. August 9, 2006. Retrieved May 31st, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Kaeja d'Dance". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  17. ↑ “Allen Kaeja Nominated for the 2015 Ontario Arts Foundation Artist Educator Award.” June 19, 2015. Retrieved May 31st, 2022.
  18. ↑ “Dance Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award: Allen & Karen Kaeja” Danceontario.ca. July 10, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2022
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