Dance as a professional career is a challenging journey—one that takes discipline, determination, and passion. Since graduating from the George Brown Dance Performance Program, Peter Kelly has taken Toronto’s dance community by storm. We are proud to see an accomplished graduate flourish not only as a dancer, but also as a teacher, director, and active member of the arts community.
In 2013, Peter left Guelph and arrived at George Brown Dance nervous, but excited to start his career. The rigorous 2-year Dance Performance Program is designed to prepare dancers with the skills to be successful in the professional world, including two annual performances: In Haus and Unleashed. “[This is] a program that gives you a taste of everything,” Peter says, and in it he broadened his dance vocabulary wit classes ranging from acting to ballet to choreography.
Wanting to give back to the community, Peter spearheaded a performance made up entirely of student choreography, to showcase their growth, in his final year at George Brown. The show started with only a little seed money from his classmates, but it sold out and turned a modest profit, enabling him to start New Blue, an organization that acts, in Peter’s words, as “a stepping stone [for emerging artists] and then from there…creating more opportunities and partnering with different organizations.” This past June, the festival developed into a 5-day event with 70 performances and it continues to grow.
Directing New Blue is certainly a full-time affair, but that doesn’t stop Peter from taking on more. He teaches workshops across Ontario, is a full time company dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre, is the Provincial Networks Coordinator with Dance Ontario, and freelances as a choreographer and performer while simultaneously continuing to work on his stage managing and producing skills in his spare time.
Community is the backbone of Peter’s life and he is fully invested in his development as a dancer and a leader. The friendships and learning experiences at George Brown Dance and beyond have helped him find his path not only as a performer, but as an active member of Toronto’s artistic community. We are proud to see Peter shine on his path to success and how passionately he seeks to help others find theirs. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this successful alumnus!
Read all about New Blue Dance!
Learn more about George Brown Dance here!