Claudia Moore
Claudia Moore, performer and founding Artistic Director of Moonhorse Dance Theatre (MDT), has been a force on the Canadian dance scene since the late 70’s.
Moore trained at the National Ballet School and performed with the National Ballet of Canada, before moving into contemporary dance as a featured performer with the Toronto Dance Theatre and the Desrosiers Dance Theatre. Claudia founded Moonhorse Dance Theatre in 1996, as a home for her dance projects. One of Canada’s most revered contemporary dancers,
Claudia pursues her passion as an interpreter in commissioned works by acclaimed creators including Susie Burpee, Lina Cruz, James Kudelka and the late Tedd Robinson.
She established Older & Reckless, a performance series renowned for its celebration of mature dance artists, as part of MDT in 2000.
Claudia now resides in Kelowna BC and is honoured to live, work and dance on the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. Since Nov 2022, she serves as the Dance West Network Community Dance Connector in Kelowna and has been active performing, teaching, mentoring and leading community dance events.
Claudia enjoys teaching classes for older movers through Ballet Kelowna's In Motion program and for the Centre culturel francophone d'Okanagan.
Currently she is thrilled to continue evolving as an interpreter in a new duet with Sean Ling by Lina Cruz and in a new solo by Lesley Telford. Claudia has received the Jacqueline Lemieux award for excellence in dance.
FB: claudia moore
Questions from Small Stage:
How do you feel when you dance?
~ honoured to share what's in my heart, awestruck by the mystery of it all.
What kind of dance do you do?
~ Contemporary. I've studied ballet, tai chi, butoh, theatre and voice which have all been influences on me as an interpreter/performer.
When did you start dancing?
~ In grade 7 Mom took me to a ballet class taught by the sublime Stella Applebaum and that was it. I was hooked.
What artist or person has been your greatest inspiration? and why?
~ Many have inspired me but when I saw Pina Bausch's work, the world shifted. Sankai Juku was also a revelation. I'm grateful to World Stage (Mark Hammond) who brought them to Toronto in the early 80’s.