photo by Ömer Yükseker

watch & listen

Dawne Carleton is a dancer, choreographer, instructor and creative process facilitator whose work is based in an improvisation practice that spans over 20 years. She is deeply interested in structures/scores, approaches to technique for improvisers, and a movement range that encompasses human experience. After a rich upbringing in music, Carleton began pursuing dance during her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo. She attended the European Dance Development Center in Arnhem, The Netherlands for Masters-level studies (Canada Council Emergence Grant recipient) and considers her participation at Toronto’s Sunday Contact Jam for much of 1991-2011 integral to the development of her work.

Carleton performs improvisation unaccompanied and with improvising musicians. She also creates discrete improvisation-based choreographies. Her most recent work, a quartet to the Cluttertones’ Ordinary Joy LP (watch & listen at left), also includes actions for the band.

Carleton’s first musical score Volume was performed by Dust in 2014. She is a longstanding coexisDancer and member of the Element Choir. Solo Dancing, Carleton’s 10-session advanced improvisation workshop, is attended by dancers, musicians, actors and performance artists. From August 2013 to August 2015 she hosted Group Practice, a weekly space for the development of self-directed movement practices. Carleton has been working as a creative process facilitator since 2002 and was delighted to support dance artists Barbara Lindenberg and Allison Peacock in their development of Flourishing this past season.

As moderator of the roundtable talk on movement and music, Carleton will lead an inclusive, considered, and generative discussion exploring the ideas and experiences that are currently meaningful in our community.

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