Old Men Dancing
“I value the open, expressive, emotional and spiritual connection with a group of men who, without competition or ego, are trying to explore and express themselves through movement.”
Peter Hewett, social worker, participant in Old Men Dancing, Peterborough
Old Men Dancing, a community dance troupe based in Peterborough, Ontario, came about in a most unusual way: a group of men in their fifties, from a variety of backgrounds and with virtually no dance training, combined their desire to express themselves through dance with a determination to learn and share with each other. In 2005, choreographer Bill James suggested they work with his dance company, Atlas Moves Watching, and he commissioned works for them from renowned Canadian choreographers. When these “old men dance,” they transcend social norms and notions of aging and what it means to be an older male in our society. In 2010, the troupe moved out of its “comfort zone” of Peterborough to conquer some of Toronto’s most prestigious stages: the Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre and the MOonhORsE Dance Theatre.