I’ve had the good fortune to work with Rosemary James for over four decades. We first met when she was a student at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and I was a member of the company and a resident choreographer. Rosemary soon became a dancer with TDT– quick, dynamic and deliciously musical– and danced in many of my works as well as those of other choreographers. After the birth of her son, she transitioned to become TDT’s rehearsal director, a position she continues to hold today. She and I began to work together more closely after I became the company's artistic director in 1994. It has been a gift to watch her continue to deepen her skills as a rehearsal director, coach and ‘outside eye’. She has a passion for the creative process, a keen dramaturgical eye and an infectious desire to encounter new ideas and challenges. It has been especially wonderful to work with her in the last decade when I have been onstage, especially in the adaptations I have made of Deborah Hay's work, in Marienbad with Jordan Tannahill and in my solo New Tricks. I trust her completely and value her insight, honesty, generosity and delicious sense of humour. She has had a huge impact on my life as an artist!
~ CH