Dance Centre of Northwestern Ontario: Difference between revisions
imported>Admin No edit summary |
imported>Admin No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Northwestern Dance Centre''', or '''Dance Centre Of Northwestern Ontario''', or '''Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre''', was a dance school on Donald Street in Thunder Bay, Ontario, active in the 1980s and 1990s. | '''Northwestern Dance Centre''', or '''Dance Centre Of Northwestern Ontario''', or '''Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre''', was a dance school on Donald Street in Thunder Bay, Ontario, active in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. | ||
==Amelia and Maurice Jackson== | ==Amelia and Maurice Jackson== | ||
Revision as of 20:04, 8 March 2020
Northwestern Dance Centre, or Dance Centre Of Northwestern Ontario, or Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre, was a dance school on Donald Street in Thunder Bay, Ontario, active in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Amelia and Maurice Jackson
On 23 June 1988 the Chronicle Journal published a profile on Amelia Jackson (1904 - 20 December 1990):
born 1904 ; nee Redden ; married Maurice Jackson 4 June 1929 in Port Arthur ; dance instructor ; founder of Northwestern Ontario Ballet Guild ; member of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Canadian Dance Teachers' Association ; instructor of Imperial Dance Society ; photo
Maurice Percival Jackson (22 April 1906 - 15 July 1957), died in Vancouver on 15 July 1957. Given his place of death and the absence of an obituary in Fort William it is possible Amelia and Maurice were divorced at this point.
As far back as the 1930s, Amelia Jackson with her husband Maurice Jackson taught music and dance in Fort William.
Amelia organized her first "dance revue by pupils of Amelia Jackson" on 7 June 1935 at Fort William Collegiate High School. [2]
Amelia Jackson, with husband Maurice Jackson, were apparently important figures in Fort William, and the subject of a book: "The Jacksons of Fort William" [3] "History of the four unique entertainment experiences created by the Jacksons and presented Canada wide and into the United States. The Kiltie Band, the Dancing School, the Military Band, and the Orchestra were produced by these two tireless workers in the "30's" for the benefit of all interested youngsters in the district". The book was written by Harvey Lambert Smyth (1919 - 2008), a local man who was in one of their groups. [4]
According to a biography of Gladys Sands (born 1923) from 2016 on Facebook, Maurice Jackson ran the Great Lakes Girls Orchestra ("Gladys moved to Fort William where she sang with Maurice Jackson's Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra, a twenty-piece band that toured across Canada and the Northern U.S. in a bus. She also worked in Maurice Jackson's Music Shop and sang live with the Sunrise Serenaders on CKPR radio. At fifteen she sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in her audition for Joe Turner beating forty-nine others.") [5]
Maurice and Amelia had one child: a son, Maurice Henry Jackson (1937 or 1938 - 19 May 2013). [6] [7]
A postcard from 1936 or 1937: [8] [9]
As of 1956 had a school called "Amelia Jackson Dance Studio".
The following year her husband died in Vancouver. It is not clear if they were still together.
Maurice Jackson apparently had no obituary in local Thunder Bay papers when he died in 1957 in Vancouver.
- Amelia Jackson`s School of Dancing ; Presentation at Vocational School Auditorium Fort William Daily Times Journal, 14 Jun 1956 [10]
- Amelia Jackson Dance Studio ; Amelia Jackson Dance School ; Amelia Jackson Recital Presented In Hill City; Dance recital at Hillcrest High School" "Fort William Daily Times Journal, 11 Jun 1960 [11]
- Fort William Daily Times Journal, 4 Oct 1960 Amelia Jackson and Fay Gleeson (dance teachers) [12]
As of 1960, Amelia Jackson was already billed as a contemporary of Fay Gleeson, whose dance studio founded in 1958 still operates in Thunder Bay as of 2020 [13].
In 1964 Amelia established the "Northwest Ontario Ballet Guild" which persisted until at least 1975 or even 1978 when it was listed in the annual Revue program.
Thunder Bay Central Files has files on this organisation for the following years: Arts Northwestern Ontario Ballet Guild 5233-25 1966-75 [14]
Founding of DCNO / McKinnon Era
The Dance Centre of Northwestern Ontario was founded by Amelia Jackson, who was joined later by another teacher Don McKinnon, and later, Leslie Almgren. [15]).
On 27 September 1987, Amelia and Don advertised best wishes to their dance teacher friend Alan Cozzubbo for 25 years of teaching dance. [4] Allan may have been married (!) to Lynn Abra [16]
An obituary for an Amelia Jackson appears on 20 December 1990. Further research would be required to know if it is the same person:
JACKSON, AMELIA (MRS.) 20/12/1990 chronicle journal: 21/12/90 P. 26 times news: 22/12/90 P. C4
Don McKinnon died in 1995 of a "very bad car accident". "Mr. McKinnon, an RAD Ballet Teacher and protege Jazz Teacher of Matt Mattox ( Matt was in the movie"Seven Brides For Seven Brothers"..the axe Dance) Don examined the "Cozzubbo Jazz Exams" for three years and also did "Mock Ballet RAD Exams" for the Academy. Mr McKinnon passed in 1995 due to a very bad car accident. He is remembered fondly by his family & Allan Jerry Cozzubbo, Al Gilbert, Kathy Wood" [17]
The only Don McKinnon in the Thunder Bay obituary index from 1989 to 1998 is:
MCKINNON, DONALD (MR.) 19/11/1989 chronicle journal: 21/11/89 P. 22 times news: 22/11/89 P. 30
Don was apparently a disciple of Al Gilbert of California:
"Al Gilbert, the legendary “Pied Piper of Dance,” was born, Allesandro Zicari, on July 12, 1921." died of cancer 3 February 2003.
Thunder Bay's Legendary Ballerina, Amelia Jackson, owned and operated a very strict yet rewarding dance studio here in Thunder Bay, the Northwestern Dance Center. Along with Amelia, were dance Pros Don McKinnon, Lesley Almgren and Leslie Hunt who taught many dancers over the years. Year end exams were conducted by Al Gilbert of Hollywood. Here are some programs with the list of the Guild Members. Lots of names to tag or share with their families.
— Karen Peltonen, Thunder Bay Memories Facebook group, 19 January 2019 [19]
Almgren Era
Later, sometime before 1998, the school was taken over by Leslie Almgren or her daughter Gina Almgren (born 20 January 1967) Gina Almgren or [20].
Leslie Almgren was a faculty member since at least 1978 when she was listed as faculty alongside Don McKinnon in their annual Dance Revue event.
In 1998 the school was at 912 Donald Street East, at the corner of Donald Street East and Vickers Street South, in Fort William, Thunder Bay, Ontario. Their phone number was 807-622-3444.
In 1996 they performed the Nutcracker.
On 13 April 1997 the school announced auditions for the Nutcracker once again [21].
As of 23 December 1999, a "gala" was to be performed that "pays tribute to our forests", according to Chronicle-Journal, 23 Dec 1999, B1 [22]
The studio may have later moved to 426 Balmoral Street [23].
Gina Almgren later moved away from the Thunder Bay area, according to the owners of a dance clothing business as of 2019 in the basement of 912 Donald Street East - Flair Athletics [24]. The school may have shut down at this point.
Gina is listed on the website for an events company in California as the manager and director, and this company lists many Thunder Bay and dance related companies as clients, including "Northwestern Ontario Dance Center" [sic] and "Northwestern Ontario Ballet Guild" [25]
Notable students
- Manuela Michelizzi-Bott started dancing at Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre, at the age of 3. She founded a dance studio called "STEPS Dance Studio" in Chapleau, a suburb of Sudbury, Ontario, opening in September 2007. [3] From 1996 to 2000 Manuela was a "company dancer" at the Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre.
- Linda Kearns, faculty at the Brandon School of Dance. [26] "Linda began dance at the age of 7 under the direction of Amelia Jackson. It was Amelia who instilled in her not only the love of dance but the discipline and work ethic needed not only in the world of dance but in life in general. Amelia encouraged her love of teaching, performing and choreographing and it was through Amelia and Don McKinnon that she began a lifetime friendship with Al Gilbert “the Pied Piper of Dance”."
- Michael Currie took his first dance lessons at this studio. He began in September 1998, taking one fall semester and one winter 1999 semester. In Spring 1999 he performed with his team at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
- Heather Syvitski was an instructor from 1991 to 2001. She worked for Equipment World for another ten years, and now has a wedding dance instruction business. She married her husband Gene in 2008. It is possible that she is Gina's sister but this is not confirmed; it is unclear what her maiden name is.
- Emily Schulte, who was from Grand Marais [29]
Gina Almgren
Gina Marie Almgren was born in Fort William on 20 January 1967 to Wayne Almgren and Leslie Almgren (nee Niro). [1]
Gina had a sister, Heather Lee Almgren born 28 September 1969. [2]
Sources
[1] Fort William Daily Times-Journal, birth notices. 24 January 1967, page 16. [30]
[2] Fort William Daily Times-Journal, birth notices. 10 October 1969, page 20. [31]
[3] Chapleau Express (a newspaper for a suburb of Sudbury, Ontario), 18 August 2007. [32]
[4] Calgary Herald, 27 September 1987, page 20.
"Local dance centre to produce 'Nutcracker' this Christmas" Thunder Bay Post, 18 Jun 1996, p. 12 Dancing ; Thunder Bay Community Auditorium ; Nutcracker Ballet ; Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre ; Gina Almgren ; Clint Kuschak ; photo. [33]
Facebook [34]
1997 Nutcracker http://news.ourontario.ca/2231665/data?n=112
https://www.fortwilliamgirlsmilitaryband.ca/
Thunder Bay Museum Articles: "Maurice Jackson's All Girls' Band", XXX (2002), 39-46 [35]
Ethel Duffield (1931 - 2011) Obituary. "As a member of Maurice Jackson's All Girl Band, she travelled from coast to coast and met every troop train, entertaining the troops during the war years." [36]
Fort Frances News 2000
Local dance students shine Wednesday, Apr 26, 2000 Category: News Dancers at the Fort Dance Studio took their Al Gilbert Tap and Jazz exams April 16 at the Northwestern Ontario Dance Centre in Thunder Bay.
They also participated in workshops the previous day.
The following are the exam results:
< *c>Grade 1 Tap
•Katie Blais (100)
•Jazmine Gauthier (100)
< *c>Grade 2 Tap
•Borka Gauthier (100)
•Michele Gilbert (100)
•Kathryn Pierroz (97)
•Susan Ploegman (100)
•Jennifer Coats (97)
•Armando Gauthier (100)
< *c>Primary Jazz
•Joelle Barron (98)
•Jazmine Gauthier (99)
•Riley Keast (98)
•Jenna Nowak (96)
•Lauren Krueger (100)
•Brooke Fontana (97)
< *c>Grade 1 Jazz
•Pam Cherry (100)
•Borka Gauthier (100)
•Armando Gauthier (94)
•Michele Gilbert (100)
Congratulations to all exam students!