Maritime Dance Performance Group

FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of the Maritime Dance Performance Group, KELLY HORNE HAJAR, is a graduate of the Intensive Training Program at Maritime Dance Academy, where she obtained her CDTA Associate Teacher’s License and taught ballet, jazz, and tap. She also trained at Halifax Dance where she successfully completed the advanced ballet exam in the Russian (Vaganova) syllabus. Kelly has always loved to perform, and has danced and choreographed in many showcases throughout Atlantic Canada including Dance Nova Scotia’s Open Studio Series (now KiNETiC STUDiO), The Atlantic Fringe Festival, Halifax Dance’s Black Tie Gala, Jazz Bliss, and also with the Halifax Dance Young Company, thirtySomething Dance, & with Blackmore Dance. She was the recipient of the prestigious Pat Richard’s Choreographic Award for 2000 and is a past member of the board for KiNETiC STUDiO. Kelly has kept Performance Group in motion even though she has been living in other Canadian provinces since March 2005. Kelly currently resides in London, Ontario and misses the ocean.

Jacinte Armstrong trained at Halifax Dance, and went on to study at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL. In 2002 she co-founded Verve Mwendo Dance Company, currently in-residence at Halifax Dance. She has worked with Veronique MacKenzie, Ruth-Ellen Kroll Jackson, Barbara Mavro Thalassitis (Belgium), and works regularly with Cory Bowles (of Verve Mwendo), and SINS (Sometimes In Nova Scotia) dance collective. With SINS, Jacinte performed Individia by Susanne Chui in Halifax, and How Much is TOO Much? by Sara Coffin in Vancouver, in April and May 2008. She has also studied choreography with Susie Burpee, and voice with Fides Krucker. Jacinte is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists.

Rhonda Baker began her training at Maritime Dance Academy in 1992, and subsequently became a full company member of Maritime Dance Performance Group from its founding year in 1999 until June 2006. One of her most memorable years of dancing in Halifax was in 2004 when she received the highly regarded Pat Richards Award and performed with Verve Mwendo in their annual showcase, No.3. FOUR-time recipient of the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, Rhonda is entering third year of study of contemporary/modern dance at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Earlier this summer she attended the Springboard Danse Montréal Professional Project (hosted by Ballet Divertimento), where she performed work by Danièle Desnoyers; Artistic Director of Le Carré des Lombes & Kyle Abraham; Artistic Director of Abraham.In.Motion. Through The Project she also took class and workshops from acclaimed artists including, Margie Gillis, Andrea Miller, Ami Shulman and Alexandra Wells. Rhonda is grateful to Kelly Horne for her constant & continued support through the years, she also sends her love and thanks to the dancers for their dedication & beautiful work.

Cory Bowles has an identity crisis. It's nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. He likes to make dance. He likes to have people take something he's proud of and tear it apart so he can do it better next time. He has a dance company called Verve Mwendo. Jacinte took it over because Cory's bad knee has revoked his self proclaimed authority and artistic final word. He makes music and acts on really cool TV shows and tells people on the radio to buy their food at Superstore. He likes Performance Group so much he has done things with them for six years in a row. Wow, that is really something. He is thinking of starting an animal shelter for large dangerous creatures that shouldn't mingle with mankind at all, then he wants to be president of the whole world, or at least a figurehead, and he will name his new single country Artsland, and artists will live for free, unlike him.

Susanne Chui is a professional dancer and choreographer, and alumnus of Maritime Dance Academy. She is a co-founder of SINS (Sometimes in Nova Scotia) dance collective and dances for Verve Mwendo Dance Company. From 1999-2006 Susanne lived in Toronto where she studied at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and worked for a variety of choreographers and companies including Yvonne Ng and TILT:sound +motion. With TILT Susanne performed works by many renowned Canadian choreographers including Robert Abubo, Marie-Julie Asselin, Bill Coleman, Debora Dunn, Lesandra Dodson, Sasha Ivanochko, Sharon Moore & Heidi Strauss. As a choreographer Susanne has created several works and has been commissioned by Canadian Children's Dance Theatre and Maritime Dance Performance Group.

Melanie Ferro is a recent graduate of the BFA program at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She began her pre-professional training at Halifax Dance before continuing in the training program of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. She has received additional training at the Alberta Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, David Parsons, Danny Grossman and the Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre. Performance highlights include works by Terri and Oliver Steel, Brenda Daniels, Susan and Rick McCullough, Julia Sasso, Danny Grossman, Marc Boivin, Sharon Moore, Howard Richard, Ros Newman and Sean Sullivan. Melanie joined one of Halifax's modern dance companies, Mocean Dance in 2006.

Rachel Franco has a B.A.Honours in Dance from the University of Winnipeg, and has been a professional choreographer and performer for the past ten years. Her work has been shown across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Colombia. She has received grants from the Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council to create and perform. Besides being an avid “artiste”, Rachel also enjoys watching television, holding hands with her husband, and sitting quietly. “Rachel has a real keen sense of something... you know, twirling... And uh, stepping. Yeah, she’s a pro stepper. She’s got some stellar moves, and I like the way she makes a dance out of nothing... she’s like a magician. A dance magician.” - Jeremiah, Rachel’s brother.

Kitchen-dancing with her dad, an unhealthy obsession with the movie "Stayin' Alive," and performing in high-school musicals were formative experiences for Kate Hayter Reid, a self-confessed dance-junkie. Dance took a back seat to Real Life while she got her M.A. at Dalhousie University and then graduated top of her class from the photography/digital imaging program at NSCC. Kate runs her own wedding photography studio, based in Halifax and is Artistic Director of ThirtySomething dance. She has most recently choreographed and performed in years TSDC¹s production "Viva Less Vegas". Kate would like to thank her MDPG dancers for always bringing lots of energy, humour and attention to detail to the rehearsal studio.

Ruth-Ellen Kroll Jackson is originally from Nova Scotia. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The North Carolina School of the Arts under the Anthony Bliss Scholarship. Ms. Jackson’s professional career took place in New York where she danced for The Martha Graham Dance Ensemble, New York City Opera, Cortez and Company, Patricia Kenny Dance Collection, Robert Battle and most extensively with the Parsons Dance Company. During her years with Parsons, Ruth-Ellen performed signature works of Parsons including the solo Caught. She has taught and choreographed at various colleges and festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada. Ruth-Ellen is an independent choreographer whose work can been seen on the Performance Project, the Young Company of Halifax Dance, Coastal Dance Theatre, The Maritime Dance Performance Group, Verve Mwendo and on Kinetic Studio’s Mainstage. Along with teaching dance and pilates at Halifax Dance and Maritime Dance Academy, Ms. Jackson has performed with Verve Mwendo, Veronique MacKenzie, Mocean Dance and Henry Jackson.

Kendra (MacLeod) Armstrong began her jazz obsession at the age of 8 when she started dancing here in Nova Scotia. She has recently returned from Calgary where she was studying Jazz at the University of Calgary as well as through a scholarship at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. While in Calgary she performed in Footprints, Calgary Dance Explosions, Dance Montage, Mainstage, and Eco Dance Projects. As well as teaching for the school of Decidedly Jazz. While engaging in a new chapter of her life, love and a little baby girl, she has been teaching jazz at Maritime Dance Academy and is welcoming the opportunity to test out her choreographic abilities... gulp....

Kathleen Vessey has been a member of the Maritime Dance Performance Group (MDPG) for the past eight years, including seven years as a Full Member of the Company, and three years as an Assistant Director. Thanks to the MDPG, Kathleen has been able to work with some of the region’s finest choreographers including: Jacinte Armstrong, Rhonda Baker, Cory Bowles, Kym Butler, Susanne Chui, Susan Cook, Melanie Ferro, Rachel Franco, Kate Hayter Reid, Kelly Horne, Ruth Ellen Kroll Jackson, Kendra MacLeod, and Veronique MacKenzie. Kathleen attended Decidedly Jazz Danceworks summer intensive in Calgary the past two years, and she will return in September 2009 to take part in the full time pre-professional program. Kathleen was the winner in the ages 18+ category of Dance Nova Scotia’s Taking Steps to Fly showcase for young choreographers in February 2008, as well as recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Maritime Dance Performance Group in 2008. As an independent choreographer, Kathleen has worked with the Maritime Dance Performance Group, as well as thirtySomething Dance Co-Op and KiNETiC STUDiO.

COMPANY AWARDS

Outstanding Achievement

2008 & 2009 Recipient, Kathleen Vessey

The dancer who deserves to be recognized for their exceptional achievement in dance this season, as voted by their peers and choreographers, is someone who has put forth an extraordinary effort above and beyond what is normally expected or required, and whose character embodies the true spirit of Performance Group.

Most Improved Dancer

2009 Recipient, Melanie Toner

2008 Recipient, Tessa Baccardax

The dancer who has shown the most improvement in their dancing, from both a technical and performing point of view this season, as voted by their peers and choreographers.

2009-2010 Season Company Members

Assistant Directors

Alyssa Flemming

Giselle Yeung

Full Members

Alex Hindler

Caroline George

Emma Bartlett

Giselle Yeung

Jenny Roy

Judith Webster

Kim Munro