Graham McKelvie was born and raised in Saskatoon Saskatchewan where he began his training with Hazel Ann Stark at the Saskatoon School of Ballet. He continued his training as a scholarship student at the National Ballet School of Canada and then in the professional training program at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre. In 1987 he joined the Toronto Dance Theatre as a full company member, quickly establishing himself in the company’s repertoire, dancing in works by choreographers such as David Earle, Trish Beatty, James Kudelka and Christopher House. He became recognized for his expansive lyricism and exotic masculinity earning critical acclaim both at home and abroad. In his last appearance at the Joyce Theatre in New York City he was reviewed by the New York Magazine as “the most gorgeous person onstage….he is a cross between a wild animal… and a lush exotic flower…”. Since this time, Graham has expanded into teaching, coaching and choreographing, most recently, from 2011 to 2014, on full time faculty at Kobe Women’s University. His works have been seen across Canada and Japan.

grahammckelvie1As an independent artist, he has worked with choreographers both nationally and internationally, most notably with  Kate Alton in Volcano Theatre’s production of  “The 4 Horsemen”. Based on the revolutionary poetry of the Toronto group of sound poets of the same name, “The 4 Horsemen” was the recipient of four Dora awards and toured internationally, garnering critical acclaim, most recently at the Dublin International Fringe Festival and the Berlin Poesie Festival. It was most recently remounted and presented by Soul Pepper Theatre in Toronto in the fall of 2014 and was nominated for an additional two Dora awards, one for best performing ensemble.

Graham McKelvie was, until 2011, a principle dancer with Coleman et Lemieux et Compagnie. One of Toronto’s foremost contemporary companies, C.L.C is dedicated to producing the works of Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux, founders of C.L.C and of James Kudelka, formerly director of the National Ballet of Canada. The Kudelka Project, focus of the 2009/2010 season, featured revivals of James Kudelka’s best known contemporary works, “15 Heterosexual Duets” and “In Paradisum”  and toured nationally and internationally.

Graham continues his longstanding relationship of over 25 years with Toronto Dance Theatre co founders David Earle and Trish Beatty,  pioneers of modern dance in Canada. Graham continues to be inspired by the ideals of the founders, rooted in modernism and exemplified the work of their great mentors, Martha Graham and Jose Limon.

mg_9516-2Other choreographic notables McKelvie has worked with include Roberto Campanella’s “ProArteDanza”, D.A Hoskins, Holly Small, Naoko Murakoshi, Doug Verone, N.Y.C, Vancouver’s Judith Marcuse and Toru Shimazaki of Japan.

His own choreographic endeavours have been presented in Canada and Japan including works appearing in the Dance in Canada Festival, Ottawa, Toronto’s Fringe Festival of Independent Artists in which he won the Paula Citron Award for best choreography and in Kobe, Nagoya, Fukushima and Tokyo. He was on faculty in the professional training program at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre and has taught at Canada’s National Ballet School and York University and teaches master classes in Toronto and across Canada. Internationally, McKelvie has become a popular guest teacher in Japan teaching in studios across the country. In 2009, he was a visiting professor at Kobe Women’s University, where he was rehearsal director for the mounting of an extant work by David Earle, founder of Toronto Dance Theatre. He set his own work on the 2010 graduating class at Kobe Jogakuin University and, from 2011 to 2014, was a full time faculty member there. Graham now resides in Calgary Alberta and is the director for contemporary training at the School of the Alberta Ballet.

Having completed his training at the Stott Pilates International Certification Centre, Graham McKelvie also works as a fitness trainer, blending his knowledge and experience to cultivate mind body awareness, helping people to realize their physical potential. His work with non-dancers has in the end, contributed to his insight as a dance instructor and his classes have become known for an intelligent integration of body mechanics, liberation of the spirit and authentic experience….

Member: ACTRA, CANADIAN ACTORS EQUITY

Training:

  • The School of the Toronto Dance Theatre
  • The School of the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, U.K.
  • Martha Graham School, N.Y.C., U.S.A.
  • National Ballet School of Canada
  • Stott Pilates International Training and Certification Centre

Experience:

  • 2015-present, director of contemporary training at the School of the Alberta Ballet
  • 2011-2014, junkyouju, Kobe Jogakuin University
  • 2007-2011, principle dancer with Coleman and Lemieux et cie
  • 2007-2011, performer in Dora Award winning “The 4 Horsemen” touring internationally
  • 2000-2011, principle dancer, rehearsal master with Dance Theatre David Earle
  • 1988-2001 principle dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre including works by David Earle, Trish Beatty, James Kudelka, Matjash Mrozewski, Christopher House, Dominique Dumais
  • 1988-present. independent work with Toru Shimazaki (Japan),Trish Beatty, D.A. Hoskins, Holly Small, Kazuyo Hide (Nagoya, Japan), Naoko Murakoshi, Doug Verone (N.Y.C.), Judith Marcuse (Vancouver), Michael Trent, Serge Benethan, Roberto Campanella and ProArteDanza, Sharon Moore, Claudia Moore
  • 2002 Canadian Opera Company’s production of Julius Ceasar in Egypt
  • 2001 Junction 2, choreography, Toru Shimazaki
  • 1997 Satoko Kurosawa Ballet School Gala Performance

Film and Television: Featured performer in La Valse, Romeos and Julliets and The Planets (Rhombus Media/ Barbara Sweet), My Own Private Oshawa (C.B.C), Year of the Lion (Bravo/Moze Mossanen), Queer as Folk

Choreography:

  • 2011- “Songs For Mountaintops”, commission for Kobe Jogakuin University, presented at Nishinomiya Arts Hall
  • 2010- “Articles of Faith”, commission for Kobe Jogakuin University, presented at Ashiya Luna Hall, Kobe Japan
  • 2010- “About a Boy”, presented at the Scotia Bank Studio Theatre, Toronto Canada
  • 2010- “Looking in Windows”, commission for Niagara Dance Company, presented at the Courthouse Theatre, St. Catherines Ontario
  • 2007- “Walk By the Ocean”, presented at Le Festival de Danse de l’Atlantique Gala, Aberdeen Cultural Centre, Moncton New Brunswick
  • 2007- “Cathedrales”, presented at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto Canada
  • 2006- “Looking Back, Going Forward”, commission for the Aurora Dance Community, presented at the Dance Maker’s Centre for Creation, Toronto Canada
  • 2006- “Wishing for Words”, presented at the Dance Saskatchewan Gala, Centennial Auditorium, Saskatoon Saskatchewan
  • 2004- “Communion of Saints”, commission for Nagoya Dance Lab’s, Dance Meeting Collection, presented at the Aichi Arts Centre, Nagoya Japan
  • 1999- “Unspoken Thoughts”, commission for Spring Rites, produced by Nenagh Leigh, presented at Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto Canada
  • 1998- “Salon de Gold”, presented at Spiral Hall, Tokyo Japan
  • 1996- “Folded Dialogue”, presented at Aichi Arts Centre, Nagoya Japan
  • 1994- “Exaltation of Larks”, presented at the Winchester St. Theatre, Toronto Canada
  • 1993- “Unruffled Lake”, presented at the Winchester St. Theatre, Toronto Canada

Teaching:

  • 2015-present, director of contemporary training at the School of the Alberta Ballet
  • 2011-2014, full time faculty member, Kobe Jogakuin University
  • 2010- guest teacher/coach movement classes for actors, Shaw Festival, Niagara on the Lake
  • 2009- teacher and artistic advisor to Niagara Dance Company
  • 1998-2015, teacher of modern dance with Dance Theatre David Earle
  • 1995- 2008, faculty member in the professional training program at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre
  • 1995- present, master classes in modern dance across Canada and internationally including; Kobe Jogajuin University, Kobe Japan, York University, (Toronto), Teachers Collective (classes for the independent professional dancer in Toronto), Ballet Creole (Toronto), National Ballet School of Canada, Junction (Tokyo, Japan), Hide Dance Lab (Nagoya, Japan), DanseEncorps (Moncton N.B.), L’Ecole de Danse du Quebec (Quebec City) and master classes in modern dance instruction for teachers including workshops at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa and The Shaw Festival, Niagara on the Lake

Writing: 2003-2009 – dance critic for XTRA magazine, Toronto