Cathy Levy Biography

Cathy Levy, who joined the National Arts Centre in the fall of 2000, has acquired an enviable reputation throughout the Canadian dance community. Prior to being appointed the NAC’s Producer, Dance Programming, she served as Producer of the biennial Canada Dance Festival of new Canadian choreography from 1990 to 2000, and as Associate Producer from its inauguration in 1987. From 1992 to 2000, she was Dance Programmer for Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre where she ran an annual international contemporary dance series featuring companies from around the world. In 1997, she served as Performing Arts Coordinator for the Cultural Component of Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific, and from 1994 to 1996, she was the Director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, a multi-purpose performing space for the contemporary arts. In 1988, Ms Levy founded Dance Umbrella of Ontario, a service organization providing administrative and production support to independent choreographers, and served as its Executive Director for four years until 1992.

Cathy Levy also coordinated many special projects, including the 1992 IMZ Congress in Toronto (for the Vienna-based International Music Centre), Kodo Drummers in Vancouver in 1989 and 1991, and Close-up of Japan in Toronto in 1990. She also served as Special Event Co-ordinator for the Canada Pavilion during EXPO ’86, as Publicity Director with the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (1983-1985), as Regional Officer for Dance in Canada (1982-1985), and as Publicity Director of the Anna Wyman Dance Theatre (1980-1983). In addition, Ms Levy worked with numerous dance companies, including La La La Human Steps, the Karen Jamieson Dance Company and The Kirov Ballet. Ms Levy also occasionally contributes articles to dance journals and newspapers.

Ms Levy was a founding committee member of Toronto's Dancers for Life, an annual fundraising event for AIDS which she co-chaired from 1989 to 1993. In 1994, she helped establish then co-chaired Vancouver’s Dancers for Life. She has served on many boards and committees including the Dance Advisory Committee of The Canada Council for the Arts, First Night Toronto, Dance in Canada Association and the 12 Alexander Street Selection Committee.

Ms Levy was the recipient of two Canada Council grants, one in 1985 which enabled her to train for a year under Producer David White at Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, and a second, in 1991, enabled her to research and study for four months with major performing arts festivals throughout Europe. In 1999, she was the first Canadian to receive the Japan Foundation’s Uchida Fellowship which enabled her to expand her knowledge of dance and dance companies in Japan.

Since joining the National Arts Centre, Ms Levy has invited numerous international and Canadian dance companies to perform on the NAC’s three stages, redeveloped co-productions, and launched the NAC -- CGI Youth Commission for Dance, a partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts. She has also conceived and directed numerous special projects for the department, including an Hommage to Jean-Pierre Perreault (May 2004) and the Dutch Dance Focus (May 2005). Ms. Levy was also the Producer for the Golden Jubilee Gala honouring Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Canada, held at Roy Thomson Hall on October 10, 2002, and for An Evening Celebrating the Works of Canadian Artists hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales on April 30, 2001.  Ms. Levy lives in Montreal with her partner, Martin Bolduc, Producer for Cirque du Soleil Images, and their two sons, Jonah and Luka.

January 2006

Photo: Andrée Lanthier