Throwdown Collective visits The Royal City
Toronto-based contemporary dance troupe Throwdown Collective performed at the Guelph Dance Festival between May 31 and June 4. The pieces were performed in an intimate studio setting with a packed audience. Throwdown Collective formed in 2008 and is made up of three dancers: Zhenya Cerneacov, Mairéad Filgate, and Brodie Stevenson.While contemporary dance is the medium of Throwdown Collective, the members all have different dance backgrounds. Cerneacov started as a ballroom dancer, Filgate started in athletics, and Stevenson started as an actor. Filgate noted that their performances “fall under contemporary dance, but that’s a very diverse genre.”Throwdown Collective performed two pieces during the festival.
The first piece, titled Various Concert, was created by Throwdown Collective. The performance was influenced by contact improv with the dancers moving and posing. Developing Various Concert was “a process,” said Filgate. The process started in 2012 with excerpts of the piece being shown; the whole dance was not premiered until 2013.
[media-credit name=”Tasha Falconer” align=”aligncenter” width=”1020″]
The second piece, titled Ylem (3 Eggs Ago), was choreographed by Lina Cruz. The performance was contemporary dance intertwined with ballet and martial arts. The dance started with three eggs on the ground, which along with ping pong and golf balls were used throughout the dance. The piece premiered this year after Throwdown Collective “spent 200 hours on [Ylem] in total,” according to Filgate. Throwdown Collective has wanted to perform at the Guelph Dance Festival for a while because “it’s a fantastic festival, bringing great work [to Guelph],” explained Filgate.The reaction from the Guelph community was “really warm, very positive,” she added. Filgate also joked that people do not tend to tell you if they did not like your performance, “but you sort of get a sense, and it felt really warm and appreciative.”
The lifestyle of a dancer is difficult but it is also a “beautiful life,” said Filgate, adding that she “would love if more people just danced.”
Although she dislikes that dance is intimidating for people, Filgate thinks people should “try it and be free.”
Photo by Tasha Falconer.