The 2023 Summer Company
The 6th Summer Company ran from May to July.
We were thrilled to work with 14 talented folks and many guest artists on various projects.
Creative Leadership
Performance Projects
Walk with Amal in partnership with Luminato Festival and Walk UK
Pastel's Imaginarium Bread & Honey Festival, Wee Festival, Port Credit, Dufferin Grove, Guild Festival Theatre
Noir at Stonehooker Brewing Company
PRODUCTION TEAM
Sophia Hassenstein: Stage Production Worker
Sophia Hassenstein is a sweet and silly little fairy that has been placed on this planet to cast happy spells of whimsy and joy. While on Earth, she came to be fascinated by dance and is now an emerging artist in Toronto. Her graceful fairy body led her naturally to York University, where she obtained an Honours BFA in Dance in 2023. Her interest in capturing gorgeous moments and her love of collaboration makes her very excited to be working with the Frog in Hand company this summer. She hopes to enliven the same sense of curiosity and play that she abides by through her art and design in all of her collaboration.
Photo by Aidan Tooth
Aiyana Ruel: Stage Production Worker
Aiyana Ruel (she/her) is a Vancouver-born emerging artist. Aiyana’s education has encompassed contemporary dance, with a focus on performance and choreographic creation. While receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University, she was introduced to production work, inspiring her to pursue a conjoined career in performance and production. In 2022, Aiyana worked for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) as Assistant Production Manager, learning about the many aspects of behind-the-scenes stage work. In this role, she had the opportunity to assist in the set up of the festival grounds, learn about the process of designing and budgeting, as well as assist in the creation of the jail cell set for the world premiere of Iago Speaks [2022]. She also has experience as a stagehand for large-scale touring productions, and as a stage manager for smaller-scale theatre and dance productions. Currently, prop sourcing and creation has peaked Aiyana’s interest as she continues to dive deeper in this parallel career. As the future unfolds, Aiyana is excited to continue learning and growing in all aspects of her career, life, and artistic pursuits.
Photo by Ibrahim Issa
Aibrean Glaister: Assistant Costume Designer
Aibreán is a 21 year old costumer and cosplayer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Aibreán graduated from George Brown College with a diploma in fashion technique and design (2022) and just completed 1 year of costuming production (2023) at Fanshawe College in London Ontario, Canada. Aibreán has used these skills to pattern and sew custom dresses and costumes as well as completing a 6 week turn as an stitcher and dresser on the Western Canadian Theatre Production of Grease!
Daniella Browne: Assistant Costume Designer
Daniella Browne (she/her) is an avid lover of theatre and is excited to bring that love into her work. She has recently completed her final year at Toronto Metropolitan University for a BFA in Theatre Production. During her time at TMU, Daniella had the opportunity to be the scenic designer for Edward II [2022], production designer for Rationality is Dead [2023], costume designer for The Dybbuk [2023], and wrote and directed Christmas in Wintertownsville [2023]. She has also worked as an assistant dresser for Tapestry Opera’s R.U.R. A Torrent of Light [2022] and as a wardrobe assistant for Kaeja d'Dance’s 31 (TouchX & I am the Child of...) [2022]. After graduation this summer, she hopes to pursue directing, playwriting, and design.
ENSEMBLE
Camille Scully
Bio coming soon!
Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh
Jeffrey Lapira
Jeffrey Lapira was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. He is a graduate of Cawthra Park Secondary School's Regional Arts Program, which connected him to furthering his dance training and professional experience with Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre (CCDT) during his high school years. Jeffrey spent two seasons in the company at CCDT, where he had the pleasure of performing the works of renowned choreographers including Jera Wolfe, Jennifer Archibald, and Hanna Kiel, among others. He is currently studying at Toronto Metropolitan University in the Dance BFA Program (Class of 2024), where he has enjoyed being part of new creations by Hanna Kiel and Valerie Calam.
Photo by Kendra Epik
Kai Fitzpatrick
Bio coming soon!
Photo by Camille Scully
Jianna Neufeld
Jianna Neufeld (she/her) is a Tkaronto-based dance artist who was born and raised at Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway. She is a graduate of the Victoria Academy of Ballet (2017) and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (2020), where she graduated co-valedictorian and the two-time recipient of the Walker Wood Bursary. She also holds a BFA Hons. in Choreography/Performance from York University (2023). Neufeld has performed in several festivals across the GTA, including SummerWorks Dance Festival and Fall for Dance North, and has worked with choreographers including María Isabel Salgado, Newton Moraes, and Dave Wilson, among others. She looks forward to performing with the Bentway Conservancy this spring. Though she primarily identifies as a performer, Neufeld’s love of learning has allowed her to wear many hats within the dance world, including lighting designer, dance for health research assistant, textile artist, program developer and accessible dance facilitator. She recently completed her teacher training with Dance for PD and is an apprentice community arts facilitator with tiger princess dance projects. Neufeld enjoys bringing the many facets of her background into creative spaces and prioritizes curiousity, play, and collaboration in her practice.
Photo by Smith Photographie
Frederique Perron
Frédérique Perron (she/her), from Abitibi-Ouest QC, is a dance artist currently based inTkaronto. She graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (2022) where she received a Spring Bursary (2022) and was a co-recipient of the Winchester Prize (2022). While immersing herself in movement-based art, she has discovered her curiosity towards human sensations, instinctive movements and the singularity of human perceptions. Her creative investigations are rooted from her desire to present movement qualities that represent a common language for performers and audience members. Frédérique’s artistic practice also brings attention towards set design, costumes and visuals. Her choreographic researches have been presented in SummerWorks' Lab (2022), Nautanki Festival (2022) and Gathering (2023) organized by Meaningful Movement. She has professionally performed creations by Katie Adams-Gossage, Frog in Hand, Kaelin Isserlin, Near&Far Projects and Brianna Clarke, among others, in the Toronto Fringe Festival (2022), SummerWorks (2022) and Prospects by Aeris Körper (2023). She is grateful for this opportunity to stimulate her creative mind as a member of the 2023 Summer Company with Frog in Hand and looks forward to sharing their work with audiences.
Photo by Marisa Ricci
Clara Isgro
Clara Isgro is a dancer, performer, choreographer, and artist based in Toronto, Ontario. Her most notable places of training include For The Love Of It School of Dance, Etobicoke School of the Arts, and The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) where she has trained in multiple styles including ballet, contemporary, Cuban contemporary, acro, modern dance, contemporary ballet, concert jazz, vernacular jazz, pointe, street styles, and hip hop. Clara is an assistant teacher and choreographer at For The Love Of It School of Dance where she co-teaches multiple classes of varying styles and choreographs contemporary pieces. Clara is currently exploring the art of dance theatre and clowning. She has recently worked with the dance theatre companies Rock Bottom Movement and Frog In Hand Productions where she discovered her newfound passion for storytelling through movement and theatre. Her most recent performances were featured in a self-produced class show titled “An Ending; A Beginning”, also featuring three of her own original works. Throughout her training as a dancer she has also had the opportunity to work with a large variety of well-known professional choreographers, most notably Jesse Obremski, Stephanie Lake, Hanna Kiel, Daile Carrazana, Louis Laberge-Cote, Ryan Lee, Alyssa Martin, Colleen Snell, Bonnie Kim, Kelly Shaw, and Jeff Dimitrou. She has also collaborated in many virtual/film performances as well as creating her own dance films in the past few years. Clara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Performance Dance.
Kt Ayer
Kt Ayer (they/them) is an emerging dance artist, teacher and choreographer originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick and currently based in Toronto, Ontario. They started dancing competitively at the age of 11, training in contemporary, tap, ballet, jazz, street style and acro. Kt recently graduated from the Professional Training Program at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre where they performed in works by Amanda Acorn, Kate Alton, Peggy Baker, Mateo Galindo Torres, Tia Kushniruk, Sharon Moore, Pulga Muchochoma, Tilman O’Donnell, Julia Sasso, and Elke Schroeder. In 2022, they performed in work by Katie Adams-Gossage at the SummerWorks Festival, and with Pritesh Mehta at the Taste of India Festival. In 2023, Kt received the Winchester Prize for choreographic distinction, which will facilitate further exploration of their work within sensation, which centers the ideas of; held tension in the body, how it accumulates throughout life, and how we cope with it. They are interested in investigating the effort and energy required for movement; trying to find ease and flow while pushing limits.
Amelia Brown
Bio coming soon!
Danielle Davis
Danielle Davis was born in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and moved to Toronto, Canada in 2005. She started training in ballet at the age of seven at a ballet-based studio, Sean Boutilier Academy of Dance for eleven years. During that time she also attended Cawthra Park SS where she performed works by Jacques Monfiston, Rodger. C Jeffery, Kristen Carcone, David Norsworthy, Gino Berti, Fanny Ghorayeb, and Nicholas Villeneuve, to name a few. After graduating from Cawthra with a Regional Arts Diploma she went on to study for her BFA at New World School of the Arts in Miami Florida. While in post-secondary she had the privilege of working with Jeffery Lloyd Smith, Toranika Washington, Gerard Ebitz, Peter London, as well as Batsheva Company members Zina Zinchenko, Brett Easterling, and Shamel Pitts. In addition, Danielle has also participated in intensive training programs such as Batsheva, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arch-Core 40, Pre-Mip, Ignite, and Conteur. She has had the pleasure of performing for Walt Disney Land, TEDxToronto, Miss Universe Canada, and the Mississauga Arts Awards. Danielle was the former Guest Artist and Rehearsal Assistant with Adele Myers and Dancers, part of a community engagement program under the direction of Adele Myers and Dancers called Miami Dance Makers which performed at the Perez Art Museum, and she performed at the Daniel Lewis Dance Sampler in Maya Billig’s work, Brink. Danielle recently moved back to Toronto and has continued to teach and dance throughout the city. Danielle performed at Fever After Dark in Seanna Bailey and Zuri Skeete’s work, Tell the Vision. Danielle is very excited to be a part of Frog in Hand’s Summer Company and to be able to form connections and have new experiences with different artists.
Photo by Kristina Zaidner
Jaimee Leggett
Jaimee Leggett is an emerging artist originally from Regina, Saskatchewan currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto. She is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and is currently working towards a BA in Liberal Studies from Queen’s University. Jaimee has previously worked with talented artists such as Sharon B. Moore, Hanna Kiel, Darryl Tracy, Riley Sims, Micheal Caldwell, Pulga Muchochoma, Heidi Strauss, and George Stamos. She has performed in SummerWorks, with the GarageTO, and in Toes For Dance Common Ground Festival. Along with performing, Jaimee finds pleasure in teaching young dancers and works as a freelance choreographer as well. She is so excited to play and perform with Frog in Hand this summer!
Photo by Aidan Tooth
The Summer Company is funded by the Canada Summer Jobs program and receives generous support from:
