Prologue Marks 50 Years by Celebrating in Communities Across Ontario:

50 Performances for 50 Years!

Toronto, ON:   Prologue to the Performing Arts celebrates 50 years of bringing professional artistic experiences to young people in schools and communities across Ontario with 50 Performances for 50 Years. Throughout February to June 2017, fifty scheduled performances in communities across the province will be randomly selected to help showcase and highlight the impact of the performing arts on young people. The culminating anniversary celebration will take place on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Jane Mallet Theatre, 27 Front St. E, Toronto with performances by artists past and present.

Incorporated in 1966, Prologue to the Performing Arts supports a roster of professional artists and companies that share their diverse performances and workshops in dance, music, theatre, puppetry, opera, storytelling, and spoken word, in both English and French, across the province. Over the years, artists of the highest calibre including Veronica Tennant and Frank Augustyn (The National Ballet of Canada), Fred Penner and Bram Morrison (Sharon, Lois and Bram), have performed in school gymnasiums, music rooms and classrooms through Prologue. Current artists such as author/storyteller Rukhsana Khan, recent world music award-winners Sultans of String, as well as acclaimed dance companies such as Ballet Creole, Bboyizm and Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company continue to expose young people, many of whom are experiencing their first live professional performance, to the power of the arts.

The fifty performances were randomly selected from all performances currently scheduled for 2017, in order to reflect the range of disciplines offered and their alignment with the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum requirements. Every year Prologue reaches over 500, 000 students in elementary schools across Ontario. Students from grades kindergarten to eight may experience the beauty of classical Chinese dance with Little Pear Garden Dance Company, the joyful virtuosity of TorQ Percussion Quartet, or the poignancy and humour of spoken word with All-Star Slam. These experiences in the lives of young people can have an inspiring and meaningful impact that lasts a lifetime.

At Prologue, we believe in the opportunities for young people to experience the performing arts, by serving a vital role in connecting them to the work of artists; working with artists and educators to present a wide range of diverse and accessible programming; and advocating for equal access to the arts for all young people as a fundamental part of their education.

To commemorate each show, educators will receive a list of materials and gifts to help celebrate the day!

For further information, please contact:

Claire St-Francois, Administrative Assistant
[email protected] , 416-591-9092 ext. 0222

Tamara Weisz, Booking and Communications Coordinator
[email protected], 416-591-9092 ext. 0225
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Sincerely, The Prologue Team