HEATHER CORNELL
LEGACY PROJECT
Phase 1 kicks off in March!
Making connections in collaboration with guest mentors Dianne Walker, Max Pollak, and Andy Milne. Click "Legacy Project" above for complete details!
To register for March 9 community classes in Toronto with Heather and Dianne,
please click below:
PHASE ONE:
Over three sessions, through a unique and immersive mentorship process, 10 pairs of tap dance and musical collaborators (selected by submission) will build community, develop collaboratively and begin the process of shifting the pedagogy to a balanced music/dance experience by exploring the following pathways:
Session 1: Crossroads with Dianne Walker
March 4 - 15, 2024
Diving into two very different pathways from their mentors, we look back at the mentor/protege relationships of Heather and Eddie Brown alongside Dianne and Leon Collins. Through discussion, footage, and playing, we’ll compare and contrast their experiences - codification vs oral tradition, their imprint on jazz culture, the varied ideas and strategies of how to move forward, what building new mentorship looks like, and approaching hard conversations - digging into cultural connections to the form; exploring who you are and how you belong in the global community today.
Session 2: Evolution with Max Pollak
June 17 - 28, 2024
With Max as co-mentor, we study the pathway from company member, to collaborator, to authentic artist. As a culmination of his time with Manhattan Tap, Max was assistant choreographer to Heather during the creation of the Ray Brown Suite. We’ll dig into Heather’s choreographic process, examine Max’s role during the creation of this piece, and with that their shared experience with legendary bassist Ray Brown, and how to forge forward building originality while referencing a complex foundation.
Session 3: Metamorphosis with Andy Milne
December 9 - 20, 2024
Changing the approach. With Andy, Heather’s creative style shifted. In creating Finding Synesthesia, Heather and Andy blurred the line between choreographer and composer. In this closing session of phase one, we’ll dig into the pathway of how; what the creative process looked like, how her experience led her here, and how and what they explored together. Stemming from the collection of their vast bodies of work and extensive experience, participants will be mentored on how to turn inward and turn on their unique creative process.