Company Blonde == we have more fun.

Company Blonde has a unique and vital presence in the independent dance scene in Canada. Since it’s inception in 1999 Company Blonde has been dedicated to creating dance works that are accessible to a vast audience of all ages blending comedy and theatre with classical modern dance. Company Blonde strives to tell stories and share experiences that speak to our community and our culture, while always keeping the audience at the forefront of their work.

In the creation and production of original work there is a strong emphasis on the collective. Choreographers, directors and musicians are encouraged to use Company Blonde as collaborators as well as interpreters. There is also opportunity within the company for the dancers to choreograph and experiment in a safe environment to further their own development as a creator. Company Blonde strives to build a diverse repertoire with work that can be performed on small stages, large performance venues, schools, bars, parks and pieces which can be easily toured. Work can be developed with a certain demographic in mind or on a broader scale commenting on popular culture.

MICHELLE DEBROUWER
Michelle was first introduced to formal dance training at the Town Hall of the farming community, Ridgetown, ON. Michelle became a member of the Windsor City Ballet Company and joined the company on both a tour of Italy and Japan. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours B.A. in Dance, cut off her ballet bun and moved to Toronto to continue her dance training at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre. In the area of modern contemporary dance, Michelle has had the pleasure of working with choreographers Susan Cash, Pamela Grundy, David Earle, Denise Duric, Janet Johnson, Shannon Cooney, Julia Aplin, Learie McNicols, Michael Sean Marye and Serge Bennethan. Company Blonde was the brainchild of Michelle and since its inception in 1999 she has acted as choreographer, dancer and producer. Previous to working with Company Blonde Michelle produced 'Volume One' - an evening of Dance which raised money for Gilda's Club and 'Filter' - an evening of dance which raised money for Toronto's Women's Rape Crisis Centre. She is certified teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance and a pilates instructor. Michelle is a enthusiastic dance educator teaching in various Schools as well as running her own dance school - Swansea School of Dance - in the west end of Toronto.

SUNSHINE HORVATH (DIXON)
Sunny was born in the Yukon and raised in Sudbury, Ontario. She moved to Toronto and attended the School of Toronto Dance Theatre in 1990 as a scholarship student. While in the school she began choreographing her own work as well as working with choreographers Coralee McLaren, Bill Coleman, Christopher House and David Earle. Upon graduating she joined the Toronto Dance Theatre and went to Japan and China as well as co-produced her first show "Summer Cocktails". In the years that followed she co-founded !move dancetheatre with partner Stephanie Thompson and the two created many duets together, (Winds Whip Wicked Words, STRUM, Hollow Places, Northern Ale) and organized summer dance schools for kids in Northern Ontario. Sunny has choreographed work for the theatre (Jesus Christ Superstar, Cannibal the Musical, Hair) and for the youth dance company in Sudbury, On she co-founded in 1989: earhdancers, and for Company Blonde. She performed as a burlesque balloon popping dancer on roller skates in the dark comedy Cum See a Burlesque Show (Jungle Red Theatre). Since co-founding Company Blonde in 1999 she has continued to choreograph new work and has worked with Shannon Cooney, Julia Aplin, Serge Bennethan, Learie McNicols, Michael Sean Marye. She also owns and runs her own Pilates studio in downtown Toronto.

MONICA DOTTOR
Monica is an Actor, Dancer and Choreographer and is a co-founding member/co-artistic director of Company Blonde. Recent Dance: Dusk Dances (CORPUS/Julia Aplin), Ruby Bastard (Company Blonde) STRUM (Company Blonde/Bravo!) Recent theatre: The Overcoat (CanStage), Hedda Gabler (Saidye Bronfmann Centre), Chekhov's Shorts and Chekhov's Heartache (Theatre Smith-Gilmour), The Paris of America (Centaur Theatre) Selected Choreography: Swimming in the Shallows (Buddies in Bad Times/Theatrefront) Cannibal: The Musical (Toolkit Productions), The Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, The Canada Dance Festival.

NICOLE RUSH
Nicole has spent the past year as her first venture beyond Ryerson University, where she acquired her BFA in Dance. While at Ryerson she had the opportunity to work with choreographers D.A. Hoskins, Sylvie Bouchard and Julia Sasso, in addition to creating her own works. Currently, Nicole is a performer with Parahumans Dance Theatre, most recently seen in Dave Wilson's Over the Hills and Far Away. She is also working on her first film, which will be completed in the summer of 2005. Nicole is a rookie member of Company Blonde, and loves every moment spent laughing and dancing as a Blonde.

JENNIFER HELLAND
Jennifer makes her living in Toronto as a dancer and yoga teacher. Originally from British Columbia, she moved to Toronto to study at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Her film credits include choreography for "The Store"(CBC), "Ethereal Suites"(Bravo!Fact) and "Dog Given Rights" (1st place Western Division of NYC Midnight Film Festival and Top 3 at Trigger Street Screenings of the Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah). Jennifer has had the pleasure of dancing for Kaeja d'Dance, Corpus and independently with Massimo Agostinelli, Sharon Moore, D.A. Hoskins, Meagan O'Shea and Eryn Dace Trudell. She has performed throughout North America and Europe.

Company Blonde, was founded in 1999 by Michelle DeBrouwer, Stephanie Thompson, Monica Dottor, Michelle Rhode and S unny Horvath. These ambitious women came together to produce Blonde Jokes, which was to be a hilarious evening of dance and comedy at Toronto’s Opera House. Their common passion for laughter led them to fusing modern dance with comedy and it was this desire that fueled them to choreograph work that was wildly energetic, punchy and fun. Blonde Jokes was a huge success: people wanted more and Company Blonde was officially born.

During that first year of producing Blonde Jokes the ladies of Company Blonde developed a strong and enduring creative relationship that was clear to continue. Deciding to nurture their skills as interpreters the Blondes approached Dancemakers’ Julia Aplin and Shannon Cooney about choreographing new work for them. Aplin created Nice Cuppa Tea: a piece that is tailor-made for the wacky blondes with thirty cups of tea made and poured for lucky audience members served with gigantic flare. It remains one of the company’s most popular pieces. Cooney ran with the company in a different way and created Five Minute Window then Written in the Body. Here the ladies of Company Blonde got to sink their teeth into work that was sophisticated, personal and daring. Armed with two great new pieces the Blondes blasted out into the mainstream dance audience as a force to be reckoned with. They performed in Ottawa, Guelph, Toronto and Vancouver. Company Blonde had arrived.

In 2002 Company Blonde was ready to produce again. Having never worked as a company with male chorographers they this time commissioned Serge Bennathan, Michael Sean Marye and Learie McNicolls to create new work for them that would be pieced together and directed by Theatre Smith-Gilmore’s Dean Gilmour in a narrative work called Ruby Bastard. Company Blonde presented their collaborators with an idea, five women stranded by the side of the road, and everyone went to work. The result was a chilling full-length ballet that was captivating and transporting. This company had come a long way and with the support of such incredible artists they really felt that their efforts were valiant! Company Blonde was here to stay.

Company Blonde continues to create new work, commission new work and collaborate with a variety of visual artists, musicians, composers, comedians, actors and, of course, choreographers and dancers.