Serge Bennathan Bio

Serge Bennathan was the artistic director of Toronto’s Dancemakers from 1990 to 2006. The French-born choreographer trained in Paris in classical and modern dance before working professionally with Roland Petit’s Ballet de Marseille. Prior to his arrival in Canada in 1985, he directed his own company in Cannes for four years.

Twelve works of Bennathan have received Dora Mavor Moore nominations with both Sable/Sand and The Satie Project receiving the award for Outstanding New Choreography. Bennathan has been commissioned by many dance companies and festivals, including Teatro San Martin Ballet Contemporaneo in Buenos Aires, Le Jeune Ballet International de Cannes, the Canada Dance Festival, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Ballet British Columbia, The National Ballet of Canada, and the Canada Japan New Creators Series.

Also known for his extensive work with opera companies and directors, Bennathan has collaborated with the Flanders Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Metropolitan Opera Company and the Canadian Opera Company (COC). His many collaborations with the COC include Venus and Adonis in 2000-01, the 2002 remount of Salome with Atom Egoyan, a collaboration with director Tom Diamond on Handel’s Julius Caesar in 2002, and the spring 2003 remount of Bennathan’s choreography for Jen?fa. His direction and choreography for John Blow’s Venus and Adonis earned Bennathan two Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, for Outstanding Direction – Musical and Outstanding Choreography.

In 2005, Bennathan directed his first mainstage opera, Rossini’s Tancredi, at the COC.

In 2003, Bennathan collaborated with Stormy Nights Productions on his first film, based on his 1992 work, Quand les Grands-mères s’envolent.

In the spring of 2005, Bennathan made his acting debut in The French Guy, by Vancouver’s independent filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming. The film made its world premiere at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.

During the summer of 2006 he collaborated with director and designer Michael Levine, on Das Rheingold, the final installment of the COC production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle that opened the 12th of September 2006 in Toronto.

Serge Bennathan lives now in Vancouver where he created Les Productions FIGLIO. The first creation of les Productions FIGLIO, The Invisible Life of Joseph Finch with actor Jonathon Young created in 2007 in Vancouver was recently invited to be performed at the Fringe Festival of Singapore in January 2008.

In preparation is “Manga” a duet for Susie Burpee and Linnea Swan to premiere in Vancouver and Toronto in November 2007.

In October 2007 he will create a work for FPA students at Simon Fraser University.

In May 2008 he will direct Stravinsky’s Renard for the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble in Toronto.

Also a writer and a painter, Bennathan has written and illustrated three books: Julius le piano voyageur, published by the French-language publishing house Le GREF in Toronto, The Other Moon of Mr. Figlio and A Few Thousand Miles, a collection of poems about dance, dancers and the dance of life. His paintings reflect the poetry of the human soul; its dreams, imagination and humour. He will be part of The Word on the Street in Vancouver this September.

 

October 1st to October 12th

*Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am to 11:30am

Birmingham Studio @ the Scotiabank Dance Centre

Pre-registration rates: full session $50 OR $10/class

Email CADA/BC or call 604-606-6414 to register!!

*There will be NO CLASS on Thanksgiving Monday (October 8th)