STORIES THAT MOVE

Frog in Hand is a dance-theatre company based in Mississauga, Ontario. We are curious about human nature and the spaces we inhabit. Our mission is to uncover, make, and share stories through dance. We contribute to community by sharing resources, knowledge and experience through creation, performance and education.

We carefully attend to what we make and how we make it. We craft innovative work reflecting our passion for movement as a medium to transcend language. We are committed to engaging spaces in ways that recognize and honour diverse stories and storytellers. We create site-specific experiences as platforms for artistic exchange, collaboration and social change.

OUR FOUNDERS

Frog in Hand was founded by Colleen Snell & Noelle Hamlyn - artistic collaborators and sisters. Since 2012, we have created over 45 original creations and hosted 3 interdisciplinary festivals. Our full-length work, Creature (2016), was an immersive site-specific performance in an abandoned heritage factory, produced in partnership with local advocates seeking to transform the space into a cultural hub. It was a milestone in placemaking. Our biggest creation to date was site-specific outdoor promenade-style dance theatre production, Stories in the Woods, which premiered in the fall of 2019 and remounted in summer 2021, around the grounds of the Small Arms Inspection Building, the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority and Sawmill Sid. The work was a sober response to climate change and the formless anxiety that surrounds us; inviting audiences to be physically present and actively immersed in the story on site.

Our works explore diverse perspectives, cultivate new creative relationships and challenge us all to listen for the stories that are seldom heard. We seek to create, perform, educate and contribute to meaningful social change through dance-theatre.

Our original works range from short works intended for celebrations and festivals to full length promenade style performances. We create and perform in unusual spaces; where we can meet people where they are at, bringing to life the buildings, community stories and the spaces we share.

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NOELLE
HAMLYN

COLLEEN
SNELL

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

Jessica (she/her) is a second-generation queer settler of Chinese descent and a multidisciplinary arts worker from Scarborough, based in Tkaronto. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Performance with a BFA major in Theatre Production and minor in Acting & Dance. From this foundation, Jess works across disciplines in stage and production management, arts administration, marketing, public relations, creation, and design. Her collaborations have led her to work with organizations such as Jaberi Dance Theatre, Flato Markham Theatre, and the Female Eye Film Festival.
Jess is passionate about creating safe, dynamic spaces for artists, supporting both creative processes and performance. Her skills assist in propelling artists to create intersectional immersive spaces that transcend the ‘ordinary’ - often going beyond the confines of traditional performance venues, and hierarchical managerial models. Jess was the Business Manager from 2020-2022, and is now the Director of Operations. She's also the Project Coordinator of Jaberi Dance Theatre.

Jess’s highlights with Frog in Hand include: Heart of Matter (Toronto Fringe 2019), Summer Company youth program (2019-22), Stories in the Woods (2019/2021), War of the Worlds Reimagined (radio play 2020 & live production 2022).

Jessica Cen
Director of Operations

Alice (she/her) is an Australian actor and movement coordinator for stage and screen who is fascinated by the art of physical storytelling. Trained as an actor at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne (2012), Alice became curious about the world of theatrical violence and physical communication. In 2013 she began to study stage combat and started her training as a fight director. After working for several years in the Australian Film & TV industry as an actor, Alice left Australia to continue her studies as a fight/movement director in the UK and Canada. Alice is now working in Toronto as a movement coordinator and actor with dancers, actors, directors, filmmakers, stunt performers, photographers, models, poets, and musicians to create meaningful stories for the stage and digital space.

Alice Cavanagh
Rehearsal Director

Fortunato has over 30 years of work experience with small to medium sized companies. His diverse background in Business Strategy, Process improvement, Enterprise Risk Management and Management Accounting has provided Fortunato with a well-rounded knowledge base that has been beneficial in integrating theory with real life experience to his teaching style. Fortunato brings his effective communication skills, coupled with his natural people skills and enthusiasm to his current role at Sheridan and as a session leader for the current CPA Professional Education Program (PEP) and past role as a moderator/mentor/facilitator for the Legacy CMA Strategic Leadership Program (SLP). Fortunato is entering his 10 year as an partial-load professor for Sheridan College. He brings the same enthusiasm and encouragement to the class as well as integrating the lessons with work related experience to help students gain a better understanding of the concepts. Fortunato has entered his 11th year of running a consulting practice catering to small business enterprises providing management consulting and project management services.

Fortunato Pitaro
Financial Manager

OUR BOARD

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CHAIR Dr. Ruben Burga

Ruben Burga, PhD, MBA, P. Eng. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph. He teaches and researches topics in Sustainability and Social Responsibility in business and is interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Prior to his academic career, Ruben was a senior executive in various high tech organizations and was based at various times in Asia, Latin America, the US and Canada. Ruben is passionate about the arts and has been involved with Frog In Hand since its early days and prior to that when his daughter and the founders of Frog in Hand were both involved in dance competitions in the US and Canada.

SECRETARY James Roy

James began his career at 22 when he founded the Blyth Festival. This theatre in small town Ontario was one of the first to specialize in producing new Canadian works, and remains one of the most successful theatres in Canada today. Between 1980 and 1986 James was Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre in British Columbia and the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. James joined CBC Radio in 1990 as the Executive Producer of Morningside Drama. Following two years as Head of Radio A&E, he left to lead the CBC team that launched Radio One on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

Since 2015 James has been Creative Director for Amazing Agency and its sister company, IT World Canada.

TREASURER Lorraine Alyea

Lorraine (MBA CPA), is an entrepreneur turned educator. Throughout her career, she provided accounting and taxation services to both corporate and personal clients. Lorraine has a strong passion for teaching, which can be seen in her role as Professor at Sheridan College, McMaster University and Certified Professional Accountants (CPA).

Volunteering and supporting the community is important to Lorraine. She assists parents of children with disabilities and Chairs the Halton Catholic District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee. Lorraine has been recognized multiple times by the Peel Chapter of CPA Ontario for her volunteering efforts to the association and the community at large. In 2012 she was awarded the Ontario Distinguished Service Award by CPA Ontario.

Wayland Chau

Wayland lives in Oakville with his wife, four kids and two dogs. As a young child, he immigrated with his family from Hong Kong to Canada. Wayland is a professor in the Pilon School of Business at Sheridan College in Mississauga. He teaches business law and ethics. He also mentors students for case competitions and research theses. Wayland spent many years practising as a lawyer at respected law firms and a major bank. He is a graduate of McGill University, Osgoode Hall Law School and University of London. Wayland is a member of the Ontario bar.