In a Word... Tracey Norman, dance artist

                                               (photo by Craig Chambers)

Looking for a visceral experience
feeling lost isn’t the worst thing that could happen
by Gaëtan L. Charlebois

For the past decade, Toronto-based dance artist Tracey Norman has been a driving force in her community, splitting her time between choreographing, teaching, performing and researching dance. Her choreography has been presented across Canada with credits including, DanceWorks, Dance Ontario, Festival de Danse en l’Atlantique, Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, Kinetic Studio and the Season Finale of Series 8:08. Her work has been described as “refreshing and original” (the Globe and Mail). Currently on faculty in the Department of Dance at York University, Tracey received her MFA in Choreography and Dramaturgy in 2010. She works as an outside eye to several artists, teaches dance at studios, and creative process workshops in public schools. Ms Norman worked for Series 8:08 from 2006-12 as Alternative Technique Class Program Manager and Program Assistant, and served on the board of directors for the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists from 2008-11. She recently collaborated in two successful productions: the sold-out run of episodes | andscapes with JDdance and DanceWorks, and no permanent answers with Human Atoms at the Toronto Fringe.

CHARPO: When we decided to cover dance at CharPo, we felt that it was right because the days of having a vocabulary that included the Beauchamp postions and "entrechat" were over - that dance had become more of a visceral experience. Were we wrong?

NORMAN: Well, I would argue that in contemporary dance and modern dance before that the visceral experience of dance has always been of utmost importance. Technique, such as the codified positions and jumps you refer to, are still an important part of the training of most dancers but they aren’t necessarily used as 'vocabulary' within choreography. Perhaps you’re referring to classical ballet? 

Contemporary dancers are trained technicians, in the same way actors learn a variety of techniques to support their craft. That doesn’t mean that the vocabulary of our technique shows up in choreography. There’s such a range – from highly crafted, traditionally virtuosic dance to transdisciplinary work where choreographers are blurring the boundaries and asking their collaborators to partake in multiple modes of performance. There’s definitely been an expansion on the definition of dance and I’d say we’re all looking for a visceral experience for both the participants and viewers of dance-based performance. (cont'd)