PRESS CLIPPINGS

“This past weekend’s dance show Anthology Vol. 1 was Tracey Norman’s first time presenting a concert of her own choreography of solos and ensembles. She graduated from York University in 2003, but already she has developed her own signature.

Three of the four works included text, and this is where Norman is strongest. Her droll and ironic sense of humour was found in Waving from the Inside (2004), Gifted (2007) and her new piece Insomnia. The weakest link was 2006’s Are We There Yet! which was movement only.

Are We There Yet!, about video games and competition, was certainly bruisingly energetic and athletic, but seemed routine. The minute the dynamic of text-inspired movement was added in, her works became refreshing and original. Words inspired Norman to use movement in a more inventive way to highlight and comment on, but not necessarily mirror the meaning. At this point in her career, Norman is most engaging as a dance theatre artist.”
 -Paula Citron, arts reviewer for THE NEW CLASSICAL 96.3 FM; April 21, 2008

Dancer has chutzpah but needs time to grow
“But give her points for chutzpah.  It is a performer’s maxim, after all, that you cannot grow without exposing your work to a live audience.
Norman oozes character skills and is a sprightly, if not original, athletic performer.  She has carved a niche as a stand-up comedy dancer.
A dancer who likes to act, Norman gets a laugh with funny business such as the sudden entrance of Dr. McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy: a woman in a shite lab coat wearing Patrick Dempsey’s photograph plastered to her face.
In Insomnia, a new piece billed as “some of the stories of my life,” she portrays a young housewife mother flirting with her yoga instructor while practicing her poses. 

The work begins with a dream account that makes one wonder if the choreographer is regressing, but in the last segment she hits her stride.  Enacting both roles, she does Stephen Harper playing Roger to her Mark in a final scene from Rent. Now that’s theatre.”
-Susan Walker; Toronto Star: April 2008

Local choreographer mounts five years of works

Local choreographer mounts five years of works Tracey Norman's first Anthology hits the stage

With five years of experience behind her and a growing sense of confidence in her art, local choreographer Tracey Norman decided it was time to showcase the best of her diverse pieces.
Norman, who lives in the Lawrence Park area, will be presenting her first ever collection of works in the aptly named Anthology Vol. 1. Given her success in her chosen profession, few could argue that Norman was not due to showcase some of her best works. She has been commissioned to choreograph pieces for DanceWorks, the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre, Dance Ontario, Festival de Danse en l'Atlantique and the Toronto International Dance Festival, among others.
"I've done festivals and been commissioned to present pieces but never presented a show all my own because I didn't really feel ready for this," she said. "After five years, though, it started to become evident that I needed to put some of my works together."
Norman took her first organized class (a jazz class) at the age of 12. In the ensuing years, she found she was becoming more and more drawn to the art form.
"I started later than most, because most people in the industry got their start when they're around three years old," she said. "At first, I thought it was a good physical outlet, but in my teen years, it became less about the physical activity aspect and really became something I was passionate about."
Norman's work is diverse, as evidenced by the lineup of pieces showcased in Anthology Vol. 1. The show will include the world premiere of the comedic piece Insomnia, which incorporates bouffon and Broadway styles, the surreal Waving From the Inside, the dark, athletic Are we there yet? and the mythic Gifted. The pieces will be performed by some of Toronto's top dancers - including Norman herself - and incorporate text and voice in addition to movement.
"I've always used voice and text, but lately I feel I'm using them more effectively," Norman said. "Some of the pieces are remounts, but I think you can really see a difference in quality from where I started out."
The choreographer draws her inspiration through everyday stories coupled with her own personal experiences and creative juices. While any artistic work is bound to contain political elements, Norman said she has been able to rein in some of her own personal biases through experience and maturity.
"You're going to put your own politics on stage in any piece, but you have to be careful not to be too overt," she said. "I think I've gotten better at seeing the big picture. I've realized that just because I'm drawn to a subject doesn't mean I have to make a dance about it."
-Justin Skinner, Inside Toronto: April 2008

“For Anthology Vol. 1, emerging dancesmith Norman has gathered four of her works to be performed by nine talented dancers. As a choreographer, Norman is drawn to a wide range of subjects and always includes unexpected details in her movement. The remounts include Waving From the Inside (2004), inspired by the dreams of the dancers; Are We There Yet? (2006), a futuristic take on speed; and the excellent Gifted (2007), about innocence forced into murky waters. Her new work is a hilarious solo titled Insomnia.”
-Paula Citron, Toronto Life: April 2008

“Perhaps the most successful was Tracey Norman’s Gifted, a solo for Jesse Dell that looked at innocence forced into murky waters.”
-Paula Citron, arts reviewer for THE NEW CLASSICAL 96.3 FM; November 4, 2007

 “Tracey Norman, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from York University in 2003, performs in the emerging artists program at the Toronto International Dance Festival.
She is performing a duet, all alone, together, with Leah Archambault.  The original score was composed by her brother, Daniel Norman, a Western graduate.
all alone, together is the story of a girl born holding her heart in her hand.
Norman said the festival is a chance for her to network and meet contacts in the industry.
“When you’re working as an independent artist, you’re always trying to put yourself out there.  You hope to forge some relationships by showing your work,” said Norman, who also studied at Laurie Ann’s School of Dance.
More than 350 dancers are involved in the curated festival, to be held in Toronto’s historic distillery district.”
 -Kathy Rumleski, The London Free Press: August 4, 2006

“York Dance grad Tracey Norman (BFA '03) tells us that in May 2004 she had the honour of being asked to complete her work Waving from the Inside for the Season Finale of Series 8:08, held in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Tracey’s choreography has also been shown at the Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, fFIDA 2003, the Junction Arts Festival, the Small Potatoes series and A Choreographer’s Ball. Throughout her recent successes, Tracey has kept her ties with York. “The dance faculty are incredibly experienced in the field and continue to support me in my endeavours,” says Tracey. “I made connections with teachers and fellow students at York which continue to grow and whom I know I can count on for years to come.” Currently Tracey is creating a work which will be shown at several venues before its final production in June of 2005 at the Dancemakers Centre in the Distillery District.”
-York & U Newsletter, Spring 2005

“This month [Series 8:08] has heavy hitters Newton Moraes and Tracey Norman.”
-Paula Citron, Toronto Life: January 2005

“Meaty: Tracey Norman for her challenging quartet that explores the meaning of home (14 stairs; 1 window)
-Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail: August 24, 2004

“…Tracey Norman’s 14 stairs; 1 window, which featured three female dancers, two of them creators or performers of other fFIDA pieces, along with composer/violinist Kousha Nakhaei.  All four moved randomly about the stage while musing aloud on the idea of home (:a terrycloth bathrobe,” “the stairs,” “CBC,” “old clothes”).”
-Susan Walker; Toronto Star: August 2004

“York dance alumna Tracey Norman (BFA 2003) has choreographed an original piece titled 14 stairs; 1 window which will receive its world premiere at fFIDA. Her last piece was shown at the Season Finale of Series 8:08, a choreographic performance workshop, held in May at Dancemakers’ Studio in Toronto.  Her other works have been presented at Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, fFIDA 2003, Junction Arts Festival, Series 8:08 and Small Potatoes Series.  She is currently dancing in a work choreographed by her York classmate Kerry Rathje.
Over the course of her studies and her career since graduation, Norman discovered that the word “home” means many different things to different people. “Where we come from geographically, environmentally and genetically shapes our relationships with others”, she said. “14 stairs; 1 window involves three women with different ideas of home who share a home together for a time.  The exploration will be somewhat personal for the performers, as it draws on their own thoughts and stories of homes that exist for them as buildings, people, communities, feelings and more.  The text is original and the music is an original composition for violin by Kousha Nakhaei.” “
-York U Flavours Indie Dance Festival, August 2004

“Tracey Norman, a 2003 dance graduate at York University, created Waving from the Inside with seven female dancers who volunteered their dreams for the piece. Composer Daniel Norman contributed a romantic piano solo that sometimes recalls the theme to Exodus.
Rising from a half-kneeling position like a flock of sheep, the dancers awake, images of their dreams freshly with them.  One remembers a baby that transforms into a baby carrot.
…a smartly paced exercise in moving in unison.”
-Susan Walker, Toronto Star: May 2004

“Tracey Norman’s quartet We Fill Up addresses the never-satisfied black hole of urban living through fetching vocal sound effects and distorted physicality.”
-Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail: August 2003