BURN BABY, BURN
ABOUT
In the intricate dance of life, our collective actions add fuel to the fire that is global warming. The beauty and chaos of the flames is tragically compelling; yet, there is power within us to spark change. Can we succeed in lighting an intentional backfire before we spiral out of control?
PARTNERS
Burn Baby, Burn is presented in partnership with TO Live and Show One Productions.
Burn Baby, Burn is made possible thanks to the generous support of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso .
Burn Baby, Burn was created in association with The Creative School Chrysalis and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Burn Baby, Burn is co-produced by Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur.
Burn Baby, Burn was developed with the support of TO Live.
Côté Danse gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council.
Burn Baby, Burn premiered at Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur on August 2, 2024. The official premiere took place on October 5, 2024, as part of the Fall for Dance North festival in Toronto.
CLIMATE
Climate change affects us all, making it imperative for everyone to take action. Consider supporting organizations or volunteering with local groups or contributing to scientific research. Together, we can build a more sustainable future for our planet.
Here are some resources and organizations making a difference:
About Côté Danse
Côté Danse burst onto the Canadian dance scene in 2019, thanks to the collaboration between Choreographer Guillaume Côté and Producer Etienne Lavigne. Since then, they have been actively presenting a range of original works, films, and immersive dance experiences.
Under the artistic direction of Guillaume Côté, Côté Danse establishes a unique vision, combining classical dance knowledge with captivating geometries and intense human connections. Their style is characterized by contemporary lines, sleek contours, and refined athleticism, creating a distinct and dynamic aesthetic.
Through collaborations with a diverse group of designers, artists, and partners such as Robert Lepage, Mirari Studios, and Son Lux, Côté Danse has successfully produced four full-length productions. These creations have garnered significant attention, with over 175 performances in more than 25 cities.
BIOGRAPHIES
Guillaume Côté is a native of Lac-Saint-Jean, Québec. He studied at Canada’s National Ballet School and joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1999. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2004. Since then, Mr. Côté has danced most of the major classical roles with the National Ballet of Canada and has been the leading male figure of the company. He has had several lead roles created on him notably the role of Romeo in Alexei Ratmansky’s new Romeo and Juliet, Prince Charming in James Kudelka’s Cinderella, and the role of Gene Kelly in Derek Deane’s production of Strictly Gershwin, for the English National Ballet. He has also worked closely with such dance icons as Roland Petit, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon and Crystal Pite. As a guest artist, Mr. Côté has danced with The Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, English National Ballet, the Mikhailosky Theater of St-Petersburg, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Berlin’s Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballett, the Alberta Ballet, Verona Opera and the South African Ballet Theater. Mr. Côté has also performed in numerous international galas.
In 2012 he launched with fellow dancer Etienne Lavigne Anymotion Productions, with the mandate to produce high quality independent dance works and events on stage and on film. In 2013, in addition to his position as a Principal Dancer, Mr. Côté assumed the role of Choreographic Associate with The National Ballet of Canada and today eight of his works are part of the company’s repertoire. In 2012, his work Enkeli won the Audience Choice Award for Best Choreography at The Tenth International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize. That same year, his work for ProArteDanza, Fractals: a pattern of chaos, was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography. In 2013, his work Being and Nothingness entered The National Ballet of Canada’s repertoire and after its initial success, the work was extended and presented in 2015 and again in 2019 during an international tour ending in Russia. Mr. Côté’s first full-length ballet, Le Petit Prince, was presented during the National Ballet’s 2016 season in front of sold-out houses. In 2017, Mr. Côté was chosen to participate in the National Arts Centre’s landmark Encount3rs commission, which combined the talents of three choreographers with those of three Canadian composers. His work Dark Angels, set to music by Kevin Lau, performed by the National Arts Centre Orchestra, was thus presented on one of the country’s most prestigious stages. In 2018, Mr. Côté created Frame by Frame, in collaboration with renowned director Robert Lepage. Inspired by the life and work of filmmaker Norman McLaren, Frame by Frame was presented at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto. Created in 2019, his independent multimedia work Crypto toured nationally for 20 performances.
In 2014, Mr. Côté was named the Artistic Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, the largest summer dance festival in the country. In 2021, Guillaume Côté founded his own company, Côté Danse, focused on the multidisciplinary creation of innovative works with the mission of making dance seen and experienced differently. In the summer of 2021, he created X (Dix), presented at the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur and then at the Fall for Dance North in Toronto. Also in 2021, he created Touch with Thomas Payette, an immersive multidisciplinary work that was presented 83 times in Toronto to sold-out houses. Guillaume Côté’s career has been marked by numerous awards and recognitions, including the médaille de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec for his work in the arts in 2011. In 2021, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction awarded by the Quebec government.
A native of Montréal, Québec, Etienne Lavigne trained at l'École supérieure de ballet du Québec, San Francisco Ballet School and the National Ballet of Cuba. He joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1997 where he rose through the ranks and was promoted to First Soloist in 2007 and to Principal Character Artist in 2015. He danced a number of lead roles with the company and after more than 1500 performances in front of 3 million people, he retired from his full-time position at The National Ballet of Canada in 2017. He was then named Guest Principal Character Artist, and it is in this capacity that he occasionally returns to the stage with the company.
During his dance career, M. Lavigne studied business management at Toronto Metropolitan University (previously Ryerson) and took an active role in the administrative side of dance. Since 2009, he has managed many of the leading dancers in Canada and in 2013, he created with Guillaume Côté, Anymotion Productions with the mandate of producing dance on stage and on film. They also created together Côté Danse where Mr. Lavigne has produced over a dozen different works on stage and on film in many Canadian cities.
In 2016, he was named Executive Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, the largest summer dance festival in Canada. Since the beginning of his tenure, the Festival has experienced a remarkable revival, doubling its ticket sales and its visibility. In 2020 FASS received the Prix Opus for Specialized Presenter of the year in Quebec and in 2022, it received the Prix Ambassadeur des Laurentides at the Grands Prix de la Culture.
In 2009, Mr. Lavigne was awarded the David Tory Award which recognizes leadership, honesty and integrity in his work. Mr. Lavigne is a Board member of REFRAIN, representing artistic Festivals in Quebec as well as a Board member of the Foundation of the École Supérieure de ballet du Québec.
OFFprojects is a collective that creates multi-disciplinary performances and events using dance, music, image and words. They are a group consisting of former dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater and Batsheva Ensemble, gathered around the work of choreographer and musician Amos Ben-Tal. OFFprojects believes in work that is physical, layered and thought provoking. They see it as their mission to make this work engaging and appealing for a wide public.
Amos Ben-Tal (he/him) himself studied at the National Ballet School of Canada and danced at NDT. He started choreographing under the guidance of Korzo Productions and later co-founded OFFprojects. Amos writes music and text for most of our projects, as well as for other choreographers.
Originally from Vientiane (Laos), Yso South (he/they) has chosen Montreal as their adopted city. Their passion for fashion design, theatre, film, visual arts, art direction and all forms of contemporary creation guides their desire to apply their talents to each of these fields. In addition to their own designs, Yso South has worked as a stylist for several national magazines, editorials and advertising campaigns. Their experience also allows them to provide independent consulting services in the fashion industry. Their talents have been called upon by the contemporary dance, theatre, music, film and visual arts communities, including Brigitte Haentjens (Sibyllines), Guy Maddin, Lhasa, Patrick Watson, Le Cirque du Soleil, Louise Lecavalier, BJM Danse, Caroline Monnet, Folio Montréal, Clyde Henry Productions, Sailor Productions and the Biennale de Montréal.
Simon Rossiter is a Toronto-based lighting designer who occasionally designs sets. He has created more than 250 original creations, including works for the Ballett am Rhein; Citadel + Company; the National Ballet of Canada; Soulpepper Theatre Company; Sudbury Theatre Centre; Théâtre français de Toronto; New Brunswick Theatre; Toronto Dance Theatre; and he is the Design Director of Fall for Dance North. Past collaborations with Côté Danse include Past collaborations with Côté Danse include Crypto, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, X (Dix) and Touch. Simon is the recipient of three Dora Mavor Moore Awards and six nominations for Outstanding Lighting Design and was twice shortlisted for the Pauline McGibbon Award from the Ontario Arts Council. Simon is also a sales agent for Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE Local ADC659.
Dora Mavor Moore Award winner, Anisa Tejpar is originally from Toronto, and is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School. She has performed works by Guillaume Côté, Matjash Mrozewski, John Neumeier, Ginette Laurin, Mauro Astolfi, Peggy Baker, Robert Derosiers, Robert Glumbek, Roberto Campanella, D.A. Hoskins, James Kudelka, Christopher House, Hanna Kiel, and William Yong and in companies such as Toronto Dance Theatre, Zata Omm, ProArteDanza, Against the Grain Theatre and Human Body Expression.
Tejpar is Co-Artistic Director of the dance entertainment firm Hit & Run Dance Productions Inc. (www.hitandrun.ca), for which she has created works for artists and brands all over Canada including: NIKE, The Rolling Stones, PUMA, TIFF, Telus, Lupe Fiasco, Evergreen Brickworks, M.A.C. Cosmetics, and Casa Loma, amongst many others. Tejpar is the co-creator of Haunted Cinema, a live-immersive drive-in experience. She is also the pilot choreographer of Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report and co-choreographer of the video game Far Cry: Primal and performed in the game as well.
Tejpar is Associate Producer with Côté Danse and serves as Creative Assistant in Guillaume Côté’s new creations and remounts. Tejpar currently teaches Consent + Boundaries for Dancers at Toronto Metropolitan University in the Performance Program and is one third of the Toronto-based, contemporary dance collective The Platform with Ryan Lee and Benjamin Landsberg.
Tejpar is an Intimacy Coordinator and Director, and her focus is dance, and dancers having worked with The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC, and several films and episodics.
Tejpar is a current member of the Board of Directors of Canada’s National Ballet School, as well as its Foundation Board. She has also worked extensively with Dancing with Parkinson’s and served as choreographer and director for their Intergenerational Dance Project connecting youth and seniors through dance.
Jennifer Lee holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from York University. During her undergrad Jennifer discovered an interest in stage management and has been stage managing and assistant stage managing for dance, theatre, musical theatre and clown productions since 2011. In that time, Jennifer has also worked as a Front of House Manager at Harbourfront Centre, The Winchester Street Theatre, and The Toronto Fringe Festival as well as the Box Office Manager for 2 seasons of the festival dance: made in canada/fait au canada. Not only has Jennifer’s work has taken her to venues big and small throughout Toronto but various productions have toured across Canada, throughout the United States, to Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai.
Demetri Apostolopoulos, born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, recently graduated with Honours from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) with a BFA in Performance Dance. He is recognized for his exceptional promise for a distinguished career in performance as the nominee for the Hnatyshyn Award for contemporary dance and is the recipient of the Orly Watkin and Nick Cordero Awards. Demetri Apostolopoulos has worked with Alysa Pires, Julia Cratchley, Kelly Shaw, Daileidys Carrazana, Rodney Diverlus and Vicki St-Denys. Additionally, he has worked closely with Stephanie Rutherford on projects internationally, qualifying for NBC’s “World of Dance” in New York and representing Team Canada Dance in Poland. Demetri Apostolopoulos has attended Orsolina28, Arts Umbrella International Summer Intensive and Rutherford Movement Exchange, where he has expanded his repertoire knowledge of known works of Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Jiří Kylián, Roy Assef, as well as TranscenDance project and Ballets Jazz Montréal. Demetri Apostolopoulos is currently in process with Côté Danse on an upcoming and exciting project with choreographer Guillaume Côté.
Jessica (she/her) is a contemporary dance artist based in Tkaronto (Treaty 13 Territory). She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Performance Dance Program (formerly Ryerson University), and recipient of the Performance Dance Award and Scholarship in 2014.
Immediately following graduation, Jessica Germano had the pleasure of working with internationally acclaimed choreographer’s including Johannes Weiland (Germany) and Belinda McGuire (NYC/TO) at Springboard Danse.
In 2018, Jessica Germano was selected as one of Peggy Baker’s RBC Emerging Artist Interns. Later in 2021, she became Karen Kaeja’s RBC Emerging Artist. During both internships, she was supported to further explore her artistic practice, as well as learn and perform choreography by Peggy and Karen.In recent years, Jessica Germano has worked as a collaborator and dance artist for Valleto (NYC), Marie Lambin-Gagnon (MTL/TO), Sid Ryan Eilers of Aeris Köroer (TO/Hamilton), hART Dance (TO), Jane-Alison McKinney (TO), and now Côté Danse (TO).
Griffen Grice is a Toronto based artist who takes passion in dance. He began training in competitive dance at the age of 12 and this ignited his passion for dance artistry. Griffen Grice has completed his dance education at Toronto Metropolitan University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the Performance Dance program. He has trained in many dance styles and disciplines and especially favors contemporary and acrobatics. Griffen Grice has performed in numerous live dance shows as part of the TMU Dance program and worked with choreographers such as Louis Laberge-Côté and Rock Bottom Movement led by Alyssa Martin. He has had the opportunity to work with Gibney Company artistic associate Jesse Obremski in the contemporary dance piece titled LightPrint, featured in the Fall For Dance North 2023 Signature Program. Griffen Grice has been mentored by Monica Sorbara throughout his dance career and has become a faculty member and acrobatic instructor for Matricks Acro Company, led by Monica Sorbara and Michele Hernandez. Griffen has most recently joined the Argos A-Team as a dancer and performs at CFL games at BMO Field. Griffen Grice is excited to be performing as part of the cast of Burn Baby, Burn by Guillaume Coté.
Martha Hart is a freelance dance artist, choreographer and educator based in Toronto. She is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, and has trained at the Palucca Schule Dresden, L’ecole Superieure du Ballet de Quebec, and Arts Umbrella Dance. After an engagement with the Dresden Semperoper Ballet in Germany, she returned to Canada and has since worked with Côté Danse, Human Body Expression, Aeris Korper, TranscenDance Project, Ace Dance Theatre, The Garage, Hit & Run Dance Productions, Mascall Dance, Broadbent Sisters and Project20 in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. From 2015-2016 she toured Mexico, Spain and Italy as a member of the Metamorphosis Dance Collective directed by Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich. She produced three Metamorphosis Method Workshops in Toronto from 2017-2020, connecting local dancers to the international scene. In 2020, she founded her company hART dance to act as a collaborative umbrella for her choreographic endeavours. Her work has been featured in Jessie Reyez’s music video “Mutual Friend”, at Stackt Market for Nuit Blanche and in the short film “Oasis” (Canadian Film Centre). Most recently her company toured to Southern Italy, performing in three open air venues. Martha Hart is excitedly working to provide more opportunities for the Toronto Dance Community, building connections and collaborations across all artistic mediums.
Kevin Lau is a Los Angeles-based dancer, choreographer, and artist originally from Toronto, Canada. He grew up training in contemporary dance, hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and modern, and attended Claude Watson School for the Arts and later its continuing dance program at Earl Haig Secondary School in North York, Ontario. He is an alumnus of the School of Alberta Ballet in Calgary and a ‘summa cum laude’ graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a BFA Degree in Contemporary Dance. Throughout the years, he has been fortunate to perform in countries including Germany, Canada, and the U.S, working and training with prominent choreographers: Monika Felice Smith, Micaela G. Taylor, Jessica Castro, Guillaume Côté, Erica Klein, Peggy Baker, Anne Plamondon, Shamel Pitts, Eric Beauchesne, Lauren Edson, David Norsworthy, Zoe Scofield, Kristen Carcone, Christoph Winkler, Eduardo Vallejo Pinto, Kate Weare, and Felix Landerer. Kevin Lau is represented by Clear Talent Group (CTG) LA.
Willem Sadler is a street style and contemporary artist based in Toronto, Ontario, who defines himself as a versatile dancer/creator that squashes the separation of ‘styles’. Willem Sadler has had the opportunity to perform and show his own work internationally, most recently in New York City. Throughout his career Willem Sadler has performed and collaborated with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Mirvish, Throwdown Collective, Dance Collection Danse, Zata OMM, CCDT, ProArteDanza and Côté Danse. He has also performed works by Jennifer Archibalt, Guillaume Côté, Colin Connor, William Yong and Robert Lepage. Willem Sadler has had the opportunity to perform as part of some of North America's most recognized dance festivals: Fall For Dance, Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur and Fall For Dance North. Willem Sadler is grateful to have the opportunity to express freely as an artist and contribute towards enriching the Toronto dance community.
Katherine Semchuk is a contemporary dance artist currently based in Tkaronto. Originally from Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton), she is an alumni of Victoria School of the Arts and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Since 2016 she has been engaging in artistic communities across the country, collaborating and performing with a multitude of artists across disciplines. She has worked with Good Women Dance Collective, Kaeja d'Dance, Mile Zero Dance, Project InTandem, Nostos Collectives, Tapestry Opera, The Platform TO, Mateo Galindo Torres, Naishi Wang and William Yong/Zata Omm. Since participating in Peggy Baker Dance Projects' 2019/20 RBC Emerging Artist Program, Katherine has had the privilege of working closely with Peggy through mentorship, repertoire and collaborations. She is a company member with Radical System Art (Vancouver) and Côté Dancé (Toronto) and recently completed a national tour of her new duet ‘Maybe we Land’ with collaborator Meghann Michalsky.
Katherine Semchuk’s choreographic work has been presented by Chutzpah! Festival (Vancouver), Citadel + Compagnie (Toronto), Expanse Festival (Edmonton), Fluid Fest (Calgary), FODAR - Market Dances (Annaopolis Royal, NS), Mile Zero Dance, and New Dance Horizons (Regina). She has created choreography with and for the musical projects of Julian Anderson-Bowes, Black Fish Project, Charsu Quartet, Jordan Hart, Younggun Kim, Mear and Projectwhatever. She is investigating a choreographic practice through a project called “Inner Works: A Solo Study'' which includes collaborative making and mentorship with Tia Kushniruk, Sasha Ivanochko and Peggy Baker. Her work has been supported by multiple national/international artist residencies, GWDC’s New Work Award, Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Canada Council for the Arts.
Evan Webb (they/them) hails from Calgary Alberta, and is based in Toronto Ontario. They graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University in the Performance Dance program, where Evan Webb worked with Anne Plamondon, Peggy Baker, Jera Wolfe, and Dylan Crossman in the repertoire of Merce Cunningham. Outside of academia, they’ve had the opportunity to work with Leslie Telford, William Yong, and Nicole Von Arx. Evan Webb’s curiosity as an emerging artist has nurtured their interest in different forms of expression including recorded video, immersive/site specific dance art, performance art, and sculptural design. They seek to grow into a multidisciplinary art practice. Evan Webb’s experience of becoming an a-gender, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse artist has given them a unique perspective and influenced their artistic values. They continue to research gender, sexuality, and politics in their own Art practice.
Carleen Zouboules is an accomplished artist and performer who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has established herself as a dynamic and versatile presence in the Toronto dance scene, dancing for companies including Côté Dansé, ProArteDanza, Red Sky Performance, and Zata Omm Dance Productions. She recently premiered as Ophelia in Guillaume Côté & Robert Lepage’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark at The Elgin Theater in April 2024. She has performed at Fall For Dance North on separate occasions, in works by Jera Wolfe and Anne Plamondon. She has had the pleasure of dancing in stage works by Lesley Telford, Chantelle Good, Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbek, Tori Mehaffey, William Yong, and Guillaume Côte.
On camera, she has danced at the MTV Video Music Awards, in the feature film Sweat, and in the creative film Eden Planted. Carleen Zouboules is also passionate about creation, she has choreographed for Night Shift, presented by Citadel + Compagnie in collaboration with Fall for Dance North, and recently collaborated with choreographic partner Vania Dodoo-Beals to set a work on the Toronto Metropolitan University students in 2023. She also assisted William Yong at the National Ballet of Canada when he set his work Utopiverse, which premiered in 2024.
In all her endeavors, Carleen Zouboules is an artist driven by the magic of emotion and movement. From interpreting, to collaborating, to choreographing, she leans into the depth of movement and where it truly comes from.
Côté Danse gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its donors and community of supporters.
Founding Benefactors
John & Claudine Bailey
The Bulmash-Siegel Foundation
La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso
Patrons
The Browning Watt Foundation
Advocates
Geneviève Picard
Kate Schatzky
Friends
Lynly & Trevor Bailie
Guillaume Côté
Tanya Evidente
Alan Harman
Greta Hodgkinson
Richa Vajpeyi Holla
Jane Irwin
Etienne Lavigne
Kulin Matchhar
Kenny Pearl
Victor & Bernice Royce
Leslie Silver
Anisa Tejpar
Veronica Zufelt
