Bill Coleman
It's been over 40 years (and many performance & publishing projects) since Bill Coleman & I met, so it's no accident that his book, Prepare for the Truth, suits House of ShAkE. He has never stayed inside the walls of the dance studio or the theatre, he's always been a passionate defender of surprising subjects (like the value of boxing), and he has always dared to share his vulnerability & his curiosity with audiences.
Not only has he made a career of crossing dance genre boundaries – modern, ballet, tap, experimental tap ... and truly unclassifiable. His range led the Toronto Star to describe how he 'floats through the rigors of classical dance then suddenly relaxes into his role as a goofy garage attendant.' And according to Dance In Canada, his 'concepts and visions are forever challenging to an audience, and frequently achingly funny'.
He has also explored the widest range of subject matters: his father's tragic experience during WWII, the movie Shane & the legend of Zorro, circus sideshows, the cosmic vision of Teilhard de Chardin, and original character creations like The 3-Legged Man and the strolling Flâneur.
He has always had fascinating & singular collaborators: jazz’s Sun Ra Arkestra & counter-tenor Daniel Taylor, Canadian icons like dancer Margie Gillis and actress Jackie Burroughs, media artists & fashion designers & cognitive scientists, and Indigenous creators like writer Lee Maracle, powwow dancer Boye Ladd, and visual artist Edward Poitras.
Most important & compelling to me has been Bill's desire to reach past the usual walls that divide audiences & artists: between urban & rural, traditional & innovative, regulars & newcomers, between ages, backgrounds, demographics. His work celebrates what we share: the experience of embodied life, with all its joys and pains.
