An elite dance troupe based right here in York Region, Motus O is an eclectic and talented group of dancers that is bringing new life to the arts in the region. Founded in 1990 by an American, a Canadian, and an Australian, Motus O markets itself as “a collision of cultures and talents”, bringing together a variety of techniques and influences to produce contemporary dance shows that are enhanced by dialogue and character development.
Motus O, whose name is Latin for “the method of movement”, is known for creative motion and fantastical costumes and props. The group has created eight full-length productions, some new and some adaptations of existing works of art, such as Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, Antoine de Saint-Exupery's “The Little Prince”, and Lewis Carroll's “Alice in Wonderland”. The group tours in both North America and beyond, and has lately been performing in elementary schools in York Region.
One of the group's crowning achievements is “Carmina Burana”, a production commissioned by the Royal Conservatory of Music that played to a sold-out house in April of 2006 and may go on to tour in Europe.
In addition to performing, Motus O offers Kinetic Cohesion Workshops. The workshops, developed with the Banff Centre for the Arts Leadership Lab in 2005, teach companies to inspire creativity and leadership through movement. The team-building techniques taught in the workshops have already been adopted by several large Canadian organizations, and Kinetic Cohesion Workshops are launching in the United States this year. Motus O has been blazing trails for dancers in York Region, and shows no signs of stopping .
The Motus O Dance Theatre is located at 260 Second Street in Stouffville. For more information, call (905) 640-8647 or visit www.motuso.com.