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Halifax dance presenter Live Art Dance has announced local dancer Gillian Seaward-Boone as the winner of this year’s Diane Moore Creation Award (DMCA).
Named in memory of Live Art Dance‘s founder, the DMCA was inspired by Moore’s passion for dance creation and her support of Atlantic Canadian artists. The largest non-governmental award for dance creation in Atlantic Canada comes with a $3,000 cash prize and 50 hours of free studio space. The 2022 award will support a new solo work performed by Seaward-Boone, created by Sharon B. Moore.
“This new creation with Sharon Moore is my first self-produced solo piece and it marks a significant new chapter in my professional career,” says Seaward-Boone. “The work is physically and mentally demanding and challenges me to my core. It represents so much of what I love most about dance. To feel the support of the community at my back while building something so deeply personal is incredibly uplifting and humbling.”
After pursuing her professional dance training at l’Ecole de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, Seaward-Boone worked with Sinha Danse, Pigeons International and Sasha Ivanochko. She then joined Montreal’s O Vertigo Danse as a full company member, performing with the company across the globe.
Returning to Halifax in 2013, Seaward-Boone has performed and served as rehearsal director with several local dance companies. As a dance instructor, Seaward-Boone is a senior member of the modern dance faculty of Halifax Dance’s Intensive Training Program and regularly teaches technical training classes to the professional community of Halifax and beyond.
Administered by Live Art Dance, the award is adjudicated by an independent arm’s length jury of three individuals who have extensive knowledge of dance in the Atlantic region.
“Each year the quantity and calibre of the applications we receive indicate what a vibrant, creative and growing dance community we have in Atlantic Canada,” says artistic director Randy Glynn.