I have received such a positive response for posting the video “Thought of You”  so I decided to post a follow-up video with behind the scenes and rough cut footage for all the fans out there. Whether you are interested from an animator or director or dancer or a musician or an audience member’s pov I’m sure you can appreciate what is possible when art forms combine to tell a story.

If you are interested in learning more about the Director and Animator, please visit his site: http://conteanimated.com/

Written by Maia Alvina

Photography by Franklyn Pereira 

Full photo album here

These days, the dance world is most familiar with Miss Armstrong for being one of the primary judges/choreographers for a tiny little show called So You Think You Can Dance. I’ve never heard of it either.

Based on her credentials, you would expect to shake the hand of a much older woman. Instead, a humble, down-to-earth, young and passion-driven artist greets you with hunger in her eyes.

Tré has hit the crucial point in any successful person’s life. It’s past the point where the little girl has become the dancer; the dancer has become the teacher; the teacher has become a world-class choreographer and where the world-class choreographer has become a household name in the Dance World.  But it doesn’t stop there. Though all of the above remain as elements of who she is as an artist, the point she has reached is the quintessential bottom of the mountain where life screams at you, “Let’s see what you’re really made of”. It’s the same point where some artists don’t make it for whatever reason. But not Tré. I can see it in her eyes, and she wants more.

Last Monday marked the official launch of her Tré Gives Back Foundation. It was called Spirit of Dance and was held at Toronto’s exclusive Spoke Club. Forget about the household name. Tré is on her way to becoming a lasting force in the industry.

Anthony Smith, a longtime friend of Tré’s reinventing the party favour with personal caricatures.

As I’m sitting in the chair getting ‘cartooned’, I learn that Anthony, like so many other dancers at the event has his own dance endeavors. He recently opened up his very own studio called “Ambitious Movement”.

I was beginning to understand that the passion of all the artists brought together in one room had the power to fuel Tré’s growth and their support would help in her ascent to the next level.

I got a chance to catch up with my lifelong dance mentor Shawn Byfield (Hip Hop and Tap Extraordinaire at BDX Studio). I had the pleasure of meeting Howard Green (Producer of Toronto’s 2010 Machete Joe/Toronto actor), Nathan Elliot (Toronto actor starring in Breakaway, Alliance Films premiering at the TIFF) and Michael “Smasher” Cadogan (Producer/Percussionist). Pictured at bottom: “Detour” dancer/graduate Lovika Rai and Dwayne “Boneless” Gulston (SYTYCDC Contestant Season 4).

The vibe was as chill as Tré herself. There was no shortage of talent among the crowd and the media was covering every corner. Amidst the buzz, I had yet another opportunity to interview Tré and this time, I really just wanted to know:

Maia: How are you even feeling right now?

Tré: I can’t even describe it. Just look around you. It’s all taking place. I have dancers modeling over there and everyone’s making connections. I’ve got a performer going onstage to do some Indian/Bollywood dancing and everyone’s here to support me. It’s amazing.

M: How long did it take until you finally felt “ready to launch”?

T: I don’t know if there was ever a time when I said, okay I’m ready NOW. You just gotta say yes and DO IT.

M: You gotta ride that sense of urgency.

T: Exactly

M: What does everyone’s support mean to you, today?

T: I couldn’t have done it. Not like this. I have my name and it’s given me this chance. Everyone is amazing and I’m humbled by their support.

M: What makes your foundation different and how is it helping the dance world?

T: I want to make dance accessible, but not just by giving back one kind of dance. It’s all genres. My aim is to help where dance is scarce and – it’s going to be free.

M: What’s next?

T: Whoah, what’s next? What’s not next!

Her beautiful mother takes over and fixes the back of her dress while she prepares for her next interview.

Clarence Ford, a master guru of dance and Film Director from Toronto whose creations have been enjoyed throughout Canada, the US and the rest of the world ran the show with the best of the best in Event Management José Bertrand (JKB Communications).

Tré’s fellow SYTYCD colleagues were live and in full effect: Trisa Dayot (Executive Producer), Sandra Faire (Executive Producer) and Bronwyn Warren (Sr. Producer) to name a few. Gemini award winner Mpho Koaho and Mark Taylor of Flashpoint were also spotted along with a sea of Toronto’s veteran and up-and-coming dancers/entertainers.

Before the performances commenced, I made my way towards Dwayne “Boneless” Gulston, 23, who was one of my favourite dancers from the current season of SYTYCDC. Despite his elimination from the show a couple of weeks back, Boneless said he was psyched more than ever to pursue his dreams. “That was just the beginning,” he says. He recently came out with his own Master hip-hop crew called Mayhem’s Finest along with his brother Dane “Tall Up” Gulston. Though the show put him on the main stage, he explains that nothing compares to having your own studio and having the ability to create every single day.

Tré didn’t miss a beat. Wherever there was a pocket, she filled it with dance. There were contemporary numbers and Bollywood dancing along with  breathtaking performances in Capoeira, followed by Anthony Smith’s poppin/tutting and waving routine. Rapper Subliminal provided the backbeat for Toronto’s finest tapper Shawn Byfield. Samba Brasil Entertainment decorated the evening.

The Spoke Club has been around since 2004 and has remained one of the most successful members only club in Toronto. Spoke Club President Pierre Jutras opened up the venue as the home and birthplace of one woman’s idea and it was on August 15, 2011 when Tré Armstrong finally shared her dream with the rest of us.

The lady of the evening finally took the stage and floated across in that “Tré Armstrong” way. She began by sharing her very personal story with all of us. It was a story composed of ambition, adversity and at times some very dark and personal revelations, which Tré admitted were never shared with anyone (not even her own mother – sorry Mom). Dance saved Tré’s life in the figurative and literal sense and now, she was ready to give back.

Her mission through her foundation is to provide young kids, teenagers and adults the gift of becoming a part of the dance world as opposed to watching from the outside. Based on her own experiences, she understood that things could get in the way of that first step. Things like fear,  neighbourhood, financial restraints or people telling them they couldn’t do it; Tré wanted to create a place where those things didn’t exist.

Her reinforcement was in the form of a beautiful young girl named Lovika Rai who participated in “Detour” from December ’10 – March ’11.

Detour was a program for teenage girls in the Parkdale community. It was a 12-week dance program that offered free classes in everything from Jazz-funk, Hip-hop, Contemporary, Ballet and Tap, just to name a few. Lovika’s passion conquered her nerves as she stressed how important this program was to her and to her community and that it must never stop. Not only did she learn how to dance, the program also provided her and other teens with group sessions and a place where meaningful discussions took place. She felt safe and that she belonged to something.

The Tré Armstrong Gives Back Foundation is guided on the principle that empowering and teaching through dance helps develop essential skills necessary to lead a meaningful and passionate life. Tré brings Tonya Burke to the stage and thanks her for all her work and partnership on a New D.A.E.I. (Dance Academy for the Entertainment Industry)

When you take passion, human connection and dreams and throw people in the mix, it’s no wonder that a few special moments are born. For me, there were 2 events that evening that will stick out forever.

Tré introduced Blake, a talented violinist to play “Yesterday” while she honoured the memory of a very dear friend to the dance and entertainment industry who passed away on August 12, 2011. “We lost a soldier, a very special friend of mine, Lincoln “Warchild” Russell”. She held nothing back as she shared the talks she had with Lincoln while he was sick in the hospital fighting a rare auto-immune disorder called CIDP. She would talk about starting her foundation and dance and he’d give her advice and listen. She told him before he passed that if anything ever happened to him, she would dedicate this event to his memory. On August 15, 2011 she did.

(On a personal note, Lincoln was a friend. He was a loved one to me and members of my family. He was a force and I know he was there that day. Thank you Tré.)

The second moment encapsulated everything that the event stood for and represented: Coming full circle as an artist and reaching that next level.

I stood beside Shawn Byfield as Tré wrapped up her speech. His smile was ear-to-ear and I turned to him and said, “Isn’t she something?” He wouldn’t take his gaze off of her as he replied “You know, I taught Tré. For a long time. And now I get to see her do her thing and succeed. I am so proud of her.”

As far as launches go, the Spirit of Dance was like the 2011 Challenger aiming for nothing but the stars. We’re in Tré’s playground now and this time it’s personal. Her blood, sweat and tears are on the floor for this cause and she’s asking for our support. If you ask me, she seems to be getting this full circle thing down and the dancer in me hopes to have absorbed just an ounce of that energy from that night. So hopefully one day, I’ll be on top of my own mountain waving at her as she stands on top of hers.

FULL PHOTO HERE

For more information on Tré Armstrong visit: http://trearmstrong.com/

For other links, click on each below:

A New D.A.E.I.

Franklyn Pereira Photography

José Bertrand, JKB Communications

The Spoke Club

So You Think You Can Dance Canada

Shawn Byfield’s studio BDX

Anthony Smith’s Ambitious Movement

Mayhem’s Finest

More about me…

Interview with Tré Armstrong

by Maia Alvina

If you’re anything like me, the only program you run home to or schedule your life around is a little show called So You Think You Can Dance.

Each week, I embark on the dancer’s journey with them. I’m that audience member who sits at the edge of my seat as a panel of Dance World hotshots judges them until one is left standing.I often find myself asking, “What did they do in their lives to deserve to be someone who helps choose the fate of Canada’s Favourite dancer?” What’s THEIR story?

So when my friend told me to sign up for “Give it Back”, a free dance day in Toronto thrown by Tré Armstrong (one of the judges and choreographers from the show), I jumped at the chance to meet her.

I walked through the doors of the National Ballet School of Canada and my knees started to give out instantly. It’s the same feeling I get before an advanced class or an audition. I looked around and thought to myself, “I wish I could have danced here as a little girl. I wish my mom and dad paid for me to be the best damned ballerina so I could be the dancer I am in my dreams” (I’m not bitter).

It felt empty in there until I got off the elevator and reached the sweat factory on the 4th floor. The murmur of excitement filled the hallway as crowds of dancers emerged from around the corner and suddenly, my nervousness was gone.

The dancers were from all walks of life. Mainly teenagers, but there were adults there too. Cameras were in full effect as the media was spread out interviewing the choreographers, dancers and filming the classes.

I found the registration booth and I’m told by one of the volunteers that I can pick up to 5 classes. 5 bloody classes with master choreographers that would usually go up to more than a hundred bucks, easily. I signed up for Jazz-Funk, African, Hip Hop and Jive (I brought lots of water).

I heard the mellow voice of Ms. Armstrong behind me and turned to see her hugging and talking to everyone she encountered. I overheard her saying things like, “What do you think? I like the feel of this one…It’s chill right? Not “conference-like” where it’s all “up here”’. I got that. There was no air of celebrity or judgement or exclusivity. She opened up the doors of a prestigious studio to everyone, got not just good dancers to teach but good teachers. She threw away her status and asked everyone to do the same and gave Toronto an entire day of dance, accessible to all. The only requirements: no street shoes and make sure to stretch and hydrate!

I stop her and say “Tré, sit down with me for a while. I want to talk to you”. She dropped everything and said Let’s go. Wherever you want. Forget about the fact that she’s a TV personality; most people aren’t that present and nice.

I say It’s great that you’re doing this. But, why?

Tré: I want to make dance accessible. I want to give back. I want to bring the “celebs” down and in front of the kids.

Maia: What got you here? What was your journey like? Was it positive and easy or an uphill climb?

T: Ok, let’s start from the beginning. I started dancing at the age of 5. I took ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop. I was told early on that I could never be a ballet dancer because of the way I looked. You could just imagine what this did to a young girl. I loved nothing more than to dance. I didn’t understand at the time what that meant but it killed me.

Then, when I was 17, all I wanted was to be a dance teacher’s assistant. The people in charge said I had to be 18 to get the job and turned me down. Then immediately after they turned around and gave the job to a 15-year old who let’s just say looked very, very different from me.

(What she said next struck a chord with me, because every great artist seems to utter these same words before they realize their potential…)

T: So I stopped dancing. For years, I just stopped.

M: Wow. What saved you?

T: In University, my brother was always a part of dance groups and sports and he just said to me, “you need to choreograph”. I kept saying no and fighting it for a long time. But one day I realized that he was right and that I could do this. And I never looked back.

M: Was there a point in your life when you just knew that you’d be this successful? Like, you saw yourself here and this big with dance?

T: I knew I was good. I knew that I could dance. But it’s when I realized that I do more than just dance, I create, and that made me believe I was going to be successful. But nowhere near this.  I never saw myself here.

M: Was your family supportive?

T: Take a look. My mom is right there (pointing), that’s my brother, the one who pushed me (pointing) and that’s my other brother down there talking to the press (pointing).

M: What’s your advice to the young dancers out there who aren’t fortunate to get that kind of support? There are a lot of kids out there that don’t have people close to them telling them what that person said was wrong.

T: There’s so much out there now. Just look out into the community and the online world. Just search and do your homework. There’s so much opportunity to connect out there and you’ll find that support and people just like you. Also, keep practicing.

M: So Tré, here’s what I’m trying to do. My ambition is to be Toronto’s go-to ‘all things to do with dance’ expert. I’ve got the social media stuff going. What’s your advice on how to make something like this last?

T: Own and perfect the back-end. Learn every single day. Commit to it. Make sure you’re credible. Anyone can blog or be online. Think about what will make you different. What will make them go to you?  Have your own opinion and brand it.

M: So you’re on SYTYCD, you have this Give it back day, you hold classes and travel all over the world. What’s your end goal? Like, your Big Hairy Audacious Goal – at the end of your life, you’re going to look back and say what?

T: I want to be the Oprah of Canada. That’s it. I want to find my “O”

M: Your success has clearly shown you the world. You’ve been everywhere dancing, teaching, touring, judging and acting, so I’m sure you’ve been faced with a lot of different dance scenes and cultures. Compared to other places you’ve been to, what do you find wrong or lacking in Toronto’s dance scene? And what do you think the downfalls can be attributed to?

T: Oooh, that is a good question. The thing about Toronto is we have it all. It’s like we’re the incubation center for talent. Really, it’s the perfect place for dance to live. But there’s just no money. We don’t pay our dancers here enough. We don’t view dance or the arts like other places do or get the same support. You go to New York, Europe and Montreal even, and dance is huge. There’s not enough funding here. That’s why dancers from Toronto go elsewhere for their professional careers.

M: And what are you doing to help fix this?

T: Well, all of this (she motions around her) is put together by my company A New D.A.E.I (Dance Academy for the Entertainment Industry). “Give it Back” started 4 years ago. Right now it’s annual, but I want to make it bi-annual. It’s all a part of my ‘Tré Armstrong Give Back Foundation’. I hope to develop life skills through dance and our teachings. In turn, doing all these things is my way of giving back to dance. I’m showcasing artists, helping the dance community get connected to people and hopefully educating people on the importance of dance and the importance of empowering youth to be able to dance.

We finished up, hugged each other as if we’ve danced together for our whole lives and wished each other good luck in our respective endeavors. I looked at the time and realized that I had Jean-Marc Genereux for a Jive lesson in less than 3 minutes so I grabbed my dance shoes and ran down the hall. My stomach was in knots from the excitement.

Each class was fun and challenging. The fact that I got to try all kinds with amazing teachers served as a reminder that art needs a place not only to live but to thrive. Without things like this, and dancers like Tré who in their lives have come full circle by ‘giving back’ to the dance community, kids and adults will have limited access to the amazing opportunities that await them.

It was a beautiful day.

For more information about A New D.A.E.I or the Tré Armstrong Give it back foundation, please visit these links:

http://anewdaei.com/

http://trefoundation.org/

Every aspect of the Ballerina Project is carefully crafted and cultivated. The project has  been photographed entirely on traditional photographic film and not with modern digital cameras. The majority of ballerinas who have posed for the project are professional dancers and the minority are advanced ballet students in renown dance schools. The crafts of dance and photography are truly upheld on both ends of the creation of the Ballerina Project.” Visit the site for more breathtaking photos

And so she danced, through the fear and through the pain
Innocence upon her face again she twirled into the rain
And so she held, heartache now healed, safe arms for her to claim
He held her even tighter, he held her in the rain
She lay upon the sand, the water danced upon her skin
He kissed the softness of her self and held her once again
Sand between her toes the shore that saw their love
He took her there on the beach, the moon witnessed from above
And there upon the sand, her arms stretched above her head
He held her hands in his and promised every word he said
A kiss upon each eye, your tears are washed away
Her cries washed into the water on that beach where she lay
And so she danced, deeper into the silence of the blue
And as she called your name she knew you felt it too
He carried from those waters and promised all is right
And taking her once again, he held her through the night
She held her breath and ran her hands, through the wetness of the sand
A gentle kiss upon her lips, he gently took her hand
His body moved with hers, his eyes led her to a trance
And beneath the stars, within the ocean, she danced, she danced.