ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Trevor Copp - Artistic director
Trevor Copp is known for innovative social justice theater that blends physicality, image and narrative.

Why you should listen

Trevor Copp was a full-time ballroom dance instructor and regional Fred Astaire's Canada American Style Latin/Ballroom Champion. He retired from teaching to pursue his love of theater and now runs Tottering Biped Theatre, a professional theater company emphasizing social justice and highly physical work in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Copp has performed in over 30 international cities and theater festivals. The salsa scene keeps him dancing, however. Locally, he coaches the World Salsa Champions, and internationally he's an avid salsa tourist, having danced it in 13 countries so far.

Copp and Jeff Fox met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.

More profile about the speaker
Trevor Copp | Speaker | TED.com
Jeff Fox - Dancer
Jeff Fox is a professional dancer, competitor, choreographer who has won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance.

Why you should listen

After graduating with an honors degree in psychology, Jeff Fox entered the world of dance in the fall of 2000 almost by accident, investigating an ad out of curiosity, and he hasn't looked back. Working as a full-time instructor, choreographer and competitor, Fox has taught hundreds of students and won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance. In addition to his ballroom work, Fox is a double black belt martial artist and creates lyrical contemporary work focusing on the universal experiences we all share, which has been featured in festivals across southern Ontario, Canada.

Fox and Trevor Copp met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.

More profile about the speaker
Jeff Fox | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxMontreal

Trevor Copp and Jeff Fox: Ballroom dance that breaks gender roles

Trevor Copp e Jeff Fox: A dança de salão que quebra as regras do gênero

Filmed:
686,984 views

Tango, valsa, foxtrote ... essas danças de salão clássicas discretamente perpetuam uma ideia arcaica: o homem conduz, e a mulher é conduzida. É uma ideia que vale a pena mudar, afirmam Trevor Copp e Jeff Fox, ao demonstrarem sua nova técnica de dança chamada "Liquid Lead" (dança fluida), junto com sua companheira de dança Alida Esmail. Vejam Copp e Fox cativarem a audiência e comandarem o espetáculo, enquanto de forma ousada desconstroem e transformam a arte da dança de salão.
- Artistic director
Trevor Copp is known for innovative social justice theater that blends physicality, image and narrative. Full bio - Dancer
Jeff Fox is a professional dancer, competitor, choreographer who has won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
(Music)
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(Música)
(Aplausos) (Vivas)
01:45
(Applause)
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Trevor Copp: A primeira vez
que a "Dança dos Famosos" foi ao ar,
01:56
Trevor Copp: When "Dancing With the Stars"
first hit the airwaves,
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01:59
that is not what it looked like.
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não era bem assim.
02:01
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:03
Jeff and I were full-time
ballroom dance instructors
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Eu e Jeff éramos professores
de dança em horário integral
02:06
when the big TV ballroom revival hit,
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quando houve a volta
da dança de salão à TV,
02:09
and this was incredible.
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e algo incrível aconteceu.
02:13
I mean, one day we would say "foxtrot,"
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Antes, quando falávamos em "foxtrote",
02:15
and people were like "Foxes trotting."
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as pessoas vinham com: "Trote o quê?"
02:18
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:20
And the next day they were telling us
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Mas, de repente, vieram comentar
02:22
the finer points of a good feather step.
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as sutilezas de um passo-pena bem-feito.
02:24
And this blew our minds.
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E aquilo nos deixou atordoados.
02:27
I mean, all of the ballroom dance
geeking out that we had always done
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Quer dizer, todas as explicações
técnicas nas quais insistíamos
02:32
on why salsa worked differently
than the competitive rumba
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sobre a diferença entre a salsa
e a rumba de competição,
02:36
and why tango traveled unlike the waltz,
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ou os passos do tango e os da valsa,
02:38
all of that just hit
the public consciousness,
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e, de repente, o público
começou a ter consciência disso,
02:43
and it changed everything.
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e isso mudou tudo.
02:45
But running parallel to this excitement,
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Mas, paralelamente a esse frenesi,
02:48
the excitement that suddenly,
somehow, we were cool --
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ou seja, além de termos nos tornado,
da noite para o dia, "os caras",
02:52
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
02:55
there was also this reservation.
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tínhamos uma certa reserva:
02:57
Why this and why now?
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"Por que isso...
e por que agora?"
03:01
Jeff Fox: When Trevor and I
would get together for training seminars
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Jeff Fox: Quando nós dois dançávamos
juntos em seminários, ou só por diversão,
03:04
or just for fun,
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nós trocávamos, misturávamos,
03:05
we'd toss each other around, mix it up,
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dávamos uma pausa
nisso de conduzir o tempo todo.
03:07
take a break from having
to lead all the time.
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03:10
We even came up with a system
for switching lead and follow
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Chegamos a criar um sistema
para alternar os papéis,
03:12
while we were dancing,
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como uma forma de trocar
de lugar e sermos justos.
03:14
as a way of taking turns and playing fair.
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03:16
It wasn't until we used that system
as part of a performance
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Mas foi somente quando usamos
esse sistema numa apresentação,
03:19
in a small festival
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num pequeno festival,
que ganhamos um importante
tapinha nos ombros.
03:20
that we got an important tap
on the shoulder.
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03:22
Lisa O'Connell, a dramaturge
and director of a playwright center,
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Lisa O'Connell, dramaturga
e diretora de um centro teatral,
03:25
pulled us aside after the show and said,
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nos chamou de lado depois do show e disse:
"Vocês têm ideia
da dimensão política disso?"
03:28
"Do you have any idea
how political that was?"
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03:30
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
E foi o início de uma parceria
de oito anos na criação de uma peça
03:32
So that began an eight-year
collaboration to create a play
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03:35
which not only further developed
our system for switching
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que, além de divulgar ainda
mais nosso sistema de troca,
também explorava o impacto
de se ficar travado num único papel
03:38
but also explored the impact
of being locked into a single role,
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03:42
and what's worse,
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e, o que é pior, de ser definido
por esse único papel.
03:43
being defined by that single role.
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03:45
TC: Because, of course,
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TC: Porque, é claro,
03:47
classic Latin and ballroom dancing
isn't just a system of dancing;
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a dança de salão latina tradicional
não é apenas um sistema de dança;
03:52
it's a way of thinking, of being,
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é uma forma de pensar, de ser,
03:55
of relating to each other
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de se relacionar com o outro,
03:57
that captured a whole period's values.
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que incorporava os valores
de todo um período.
04:00
There's one thing that stayed
consistent, though:
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No entanto, algo permaneceu constante:
04:02
the man leads
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o homem conduz,
04:04
and the woman follows.
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e a mulher é conduzida.
04:06
So street salsa, championship tango,
it's all the same --
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Seja na salsa de rua,
competição de tango, é tudo igual:
04:08
he leads, she follows.
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ele conduz, ela acompanha.
04:11
So this was gender training.
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Tem a ver com a formação dos gêneros.
04:13
You weren't just learning to dance --
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Não aprendíamos apenas a dançar;
04:15
you were learning to "man" and to "woman."
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aprendíamos a ser "homem" e "mulher".
04:19
It's a relic.
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É uma relíquia.
04:21
And in the way of relics,
you don't throw it out,
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E relíquias não se jogam fora,
04:23
but you need to know
that this is the past.
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mas temos de saber que pertencem
ao passado, que não são o presente.
04:26
This isn't the present.
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É como Shakespeare: vamos
respeitar, reviver... maravilha!
04:28
It's like Shakespeare:
respect it, revive it -- great!
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04:31
But know that this is history.
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Mas cientes de que é o passado,
04:33
This doesn't represent how we think today.
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que não representa como pensamos hoje.
04:37
So we asked ourselves:
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Daí, começamos a nos perguntar:
04:38
If you strip it all down,
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tirando todo o supérfluo,
04:40
what is at the core of partner dancing?
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qual a essência de se dançar junto?
04:44
JF: Well, the core principle
of partner dancing
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JF: O princípio central da dança de casal
04:46
is that one person leads,
the other one follows.
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é uma pessoa conduzir,
e a outra acompanhar.
O mecanismo funciona do mesmo jeito,
independente de quem faça o quê.
04:49
The machine works the same,
regardless of who's playing which role.
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04:52
The physics of movement doesn't really
give a crap about your gender.
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A física do movimento não dá
a mínima para o gênero.
(Risos)
04:55
(Laughter)
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Assim, para atualizar o formato existente,
04:56
So if we were to update the existing form,
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temos de fazê-lo mais representativo
de como interagimos aqui, agora, em 2015.
04:58
we would need to make it
more representative
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05:00
of how we interact here, now, in 2015.
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Quando assistirem à dança de salão,
não enxerguem apenas o que está lá.
05:04
When you watch ballroom,
don't just watch what's there.
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Enxerguem também o que não está.
05:07
Watch what's not.
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05:09
The couple is always
only a man or a woman.
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O casal é sempre apenas
um homem e uma mulher...
05:12
Together.
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juntos...
05:13
Only.
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apenas...
05:14
Ever.
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sempre.
Portanto, os casais de mesmo sexo
e de gêneros não conformistas desaparecem.
05:15
So, same-sex and gender nonconformist
couples just disappear.
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Nas principais competições
internacionais de dança de salão,
05:19
In most mainstream international
ballroom competitions,
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05:22
same-sex couples are rarely
recognized on the floor,
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é muito raro vermos casais
do mesmo sexo dançando
05:25
and in many cases,
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e, em muitos casos, as regras
proíbem isso completamente.
05:26
the rules prohibit them completely.
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05:28
TC: Try this: Google-image,
"professional Latin dancer,"
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TC: Tentem o seguinte: Google-imagem
"dançarino latino profissional",
05:33
and then look for an actual Latino person.
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e depois procurem uma pessoa latina.
05:35
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
05:37
You'll be there for days.
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Vocês vão ficar dias procurando.
05:39
What you will get is page after page
of white, straight Russian couples
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Vão ver páginas e mais páginas
de casais brancos, russos e héteros,
05:43
spray-tanned the point of mahogany.
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bronzeados com spray
até ficarem da cor do mogno.
05:45
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
05:47
There are no black people,
there are no Asians,
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Não há pessoas negras,
não há asiáticos,
05:49
no mixed-race couples,
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nem casais inter-raciais.
05:50
so basically, non-white people
just disappeared.
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Então, as pessoas não brancas
praticamente desapareceram.
05:54
Even within the white-straight-
couple-only paradigm --
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Mesmo dentro do paradigma
"casal-hétero-branco",
a mulher não pode ser mais alta,
06:00
she can't be taller,
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06:01
he can't be shorter.
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ele não pode ser mais baixo;
06:02
She can't be bolder,
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ela não pode ser mais ousada,
06:05
he can't be gentler.
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ele não pode ser mais gentil.
06:07
If you were to take a ballroom dance
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Se pegarmos a dança de salão
06:09
and translate that into a conversation
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e a traduzirmos numa conversa,
06:11
and drop that into a movie,
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e jogarmos isso num filme,
06:13
we, as a culture,
would never stand for this.
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nós, como cultura, jamais
apoiaríamos uma coisa destas:
06:16
He dictates, she reacts.
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ele manda, ela só reage.
06:20
No relationship -- gay,
straight or anything --
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Nenhum relacionamento,
seja gay, hétero, o que for,
06:23
that we would regard as remotely healthy
or functional looks like that,
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considerado minimamente
saudável ou funcional seria assim
06:28
and yet somehow,
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e, apesar disso, de alguma forma,
06:29
you put it on prime time,
you slap some makeup on it,
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colocamos isso no horário nobre,
damos uma maquiada,
06:32
throw the glitter on, put it out there
as movement, not as text,
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jogamos brilho e apresentamos
como movimento, não como texto.
06:36
and we, as a culture,
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E nós, como cultura,
06:38
tune in and clap.
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assistimos e aplaudimos.
06:41
We are applauding our own absence.
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Estamos aplaudindo nossa própria ausência.
06:46
Too many people have disappeared
from partner dancing.
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Desapareceu gente
demais da dança de casal.
06:50
(Music)
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(Música)
07:34
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
07:40
JF: Now, you just saw
two men dancing together.
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JF: Vocês acabaram de ver
dois homens dançando juntos.
07:43
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
07:44
And you thought it looked ...
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E acharam...
07:46
a little strange.
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um pouco estranho...
07:48
Interesting -- appealing, even --
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interessante, atraente até,
07:50
but a little bit odd.
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mas meio esquisito.
Mesmo ávidos fãs do circuito de dança
de mesmo sexo concordam
07:52
Even avid followers of the same-sex
ballroom circuit can attest
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07:55
that while same-sex partner dancing
can be dynamic and strong and exciting,
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que, apesar de ser dinâmica,
forte e empolgante,
07:59
it just doesn't quite seem to fit.
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ela parece deslocada.
08:02
Aesthetically speaking,
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Esteticamente falando,
08:03
if Alida and I take the classic
closed ballroom hold ...
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se eu e Alida fizermos
a pose clássica da dança de salão...
08:09
this is considered beautiful.
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todo mundo vai achar lindo.
08:14
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:16
But why not this?
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Mas por que não isto?
08:17
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
08:19
See, the standard image that the leader
must be larger and masculine
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Vejam, a imagem padrão de quem conduz
deve ser alguém maior e masculino;
08:23
and the follower smaller and feminine --
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e o conduzido, menor e feminino.
08:25
this is a stumbling point.
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É uma barreira.
08:27
TC: So we wanted to look at this
from a totally different angle.
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TC: Daí, queríamos ver isso
de um ângulo totalmente diferente.
08:33
So, what if we could keep
the idea of lead and follow
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E se pudéssemos manter a ideia
de conduzir e acompanhar,
08:37
but toss the idea that this
was connected to gender?
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mas descartar a ideia de que isso
está atrelado ao gênero?
08:40
Further, what if a couple
could lead and follow each other
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Indo além, e se um conduzisse,
e o outro acompanhasse,
08:45
and then switch?
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e depois trocassem?
08:47
And then switch back?
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E depois destrocassem?
08:49
What if it could be like a conversation,
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E se fosse como uma conversa,
08:52
taking turns listening and speaking,
just like we do in life?
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com turnos de fala e escuta,
exatamente como fazemos na vida?
08:56
What if we could dance like that?
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E se pudéssemos dançar assim?
09:00
We call it "Liquid Lead Dancing."
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Demos-lhe o nome de "Liquid Lead Dancing".
09:04
JF: Let's try this with a Latin dance,
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JF: Vamos tentar com uma dança latina,
09:07
salsa.
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a salsa.
09:08
In salsa, there's a key transitional step,
called the cross-body lead.
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Na salsa, há um passo-chave de transição
chamado de condução cruzada.
09:12
We use it as punctuation
to break up the improvisation.
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Nós o usamos para quebrar o improviso.
09:14
It can be a little tricky to spot
if you're not used to looking for it,
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Para quem não está acostumado,
é difícil de perceber.
Então lá vai.
09:18
so here it is.
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09:25
One more time for the cheap seats.
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Repetindo para o pessoal do fundo.
09:26
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
09:32
And here's the action one more time,
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E mais uma vez a ação,
09:34
nice and slow.
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elegante e suave.
09:40
Now, if we apply liquid-lead thinking
to this transitional step,
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Se aplicarmos a lógica da condução
fluida a esse passo transicional,
09:44
the cross-body lead becomes a point
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é um momento em que se pode fazer
a troca entre quem conduz e quem segue.
09:46
where the lead and the follow can switch.
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09:48
The person following can elect
to take over the lead,
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A pessoa que acompanha
pode decidir tomar a frente,
09:51
or the person leading can choose
to surrender it,
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ou quem conduz se deixar conduzir,
09:53
essentially making it
a counter-cross-body lead.
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basicamente fazendo
uma contracondução cruzada.
09:56
Here's how that looks in slow motion.
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Vejam como fica em câmera lenta.
10:05
And here's how it looked
when we danced it in the opening dance.
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E como ficou quando dançamos
na coreografia de abertura.
10:14
With this simple tweak,
the dance moves from being a dictation
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Com esse simples ajuste,
a dança passa de algo autoritário
10:18
to a negotiation.
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para uma negociação.
10:19
Anyone can lead. Anyone can follow.
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Qualquer um pode conduzir,
ou ser conduzido.
10:22
And more importantly,
you can change your mind.
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E, mais importante ainda,
é possível mudar de ideia.
10:25
Now, this is only one example
of how this applies,
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Esse foi apenas um exemplo
de como isso se aplica,
10:27
but once the blinkers come off,
anything can happen.
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mas, depois de tirarmos a venda,
tudo pode acontecer.
10:31
TC: Let's look at how Liquid Lead thinking
could apply to a classic waltz.
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TC: Vamos ver como a lógica da condução
fluida se aplica a uma valsa clássica.
10:36
Because, of course,
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Porque, é claro,
10:37
it isn't just a system of switching leads;
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não é apenas um sistema
para mudar quem conduz;
10:40
it's a way of thinking
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é uma forma de pensar
10:41
that can actually make
the dance itself more efficient.
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que pode tornar, de fato,
a própria dança mais eficiente.
10:44
So: the waltz.
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Então: a valsa.
10:46
The waltz is a turning dance.
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A valsa é uma dança de rodopios.
Isso significa, para quem conduz,
10:48
This means that for the lead,
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10:50
you spend half of the dance
traveling backwards,
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passar metade da dança
andando pra trás,
10:53
completely blind.
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completamente cego.
10:55
And because of the follower's position,
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E, por causa da posição
de quem é conduzido,
10:57
basically, no one can see
where they're going.
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praticamente ninguém
consegue ver pra onde está indo.
11:00
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
11:02
So you're out here on the floor,
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Então, vocês estão ali no salão,
11:04
and then imagine that coming right at you.
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e imaginem isso acontecendo com vocês.
11:06
JF: Raaaaaah!
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F: Raaaaaah!
11:08
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
11:09
TC: There are actually a lot
of accidents out there
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TC: Na verdade, muitos acidentes
11:13
that happen as a result
of this blind spot.
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acontecem por causa desse ponto cego.
11:16
But what if the partners
were to just allow for
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E se fosse permitida aos parceiros
11:19
a switch of posture for a moment?
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uma mudança de postura por um momento?
11:21
A lot of accidents could be avoided.
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Muitos acidentes poderiam ser evitados.
11:24
Even if one person led the whole dance
but allowed this switch to happen,
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Mesmo se uma pessoa conduzisse
a dança, mas permitisse essa mudança,
11:29
it would be a lot safer,
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seria muito mais seguro
11:30
while at the same time,
offering new aesthetics into the waltz.
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e, ao mesmo tempo, teríamos
uma nova estética da valsa.
11:34
Because physics doesn't give a damn
about your gender.
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Porque a física não está
nem aí para o seu gênero.
11:37
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
11:40
JF: Now, we've danced Liquid Lead
in clubs, convention centers
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JF: Bem, dançamos a Liquid Lead
em clubes, centros de convenção,
11:43
and as part of "First Dance,"
the play we created with Lisa,
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como parte da "First Dance",
a peça que criamos com a Lisa,
11:46
on stages in North America and in Europe.
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em palcos da América do Norte e da Europa.
11:48
And it never fails to engage.
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E ela sempre atraiu as pessoas.
11:50
I mean, beyond the unusual sight
of seeing two men dancing together,
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Quero dizer, além do fato incomum
de ver dois homens dançando juntos,
11:54
it always evokes and engages.
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ela sempre provoca e atrai.
11:57
But why?
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Mas por quê?
11:58
The secret lies in what made
Lisa see our initial demonstration
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O segredo está naquilo que fez Lisa
ver nossa apresentação inicial
12:01
as "political."
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como "política".
12:02
It wasn't just that we were
switching lead and follow;
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Não foi apenas o fato
de trocarmos os papéis;
12:05
it's that we stayed consistent
in our presence, our personality
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mas de continuamos os mesmos,
nossa presença, nossa personalidade
12:08
and our power, regardless
of which role we were playing.
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e nosso poder, independente
de qual papel assumimos.
12:11
We were still us.
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Ainda éramos nós mesmos.
12:13
And that's where the true freedom lies --
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E essa é a verdadeira liberdade,
12:15
not just the freedom to switch roles,
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não apenas a liberdade de mudar de papel,
12:17
but the freedom from being defined
by whichever role you're playing,
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3615
mas de não ser definido
por determinado papel,
12:21
the freedom to always remain
true to yourself.
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2556
a liberdade de permanecer
verdadeiro para si mesmo.
12:24
Forget what a lead is supposed
to look like, or a follow.
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Esqueça como deveria ser
conduzir ou ser conduzido.
12:27
Be a masculine follow
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Seja um homem sendo conduzido,
12:29
or a feminine lead.
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ou uma mulher conduzindo.
12:30
Just be yourself.
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Simplesmente seja você mesmo.
12:32
Obviously, this applies
off the dance floor as well,
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Obviamente, isso se aplica
fora do salão de baile também,
12:35
but on the floor, it gives us
the perfect opportunity
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2539
mas, ali, isso nos dá
a oportunidade perfeita
12:38
to update an old paradigm,
reinvigorate an old relic,
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3297
de atualizar um velho paradigma,
de revigorar uma velha relíquia,
12:41
and make it more representative
of our era and our current way of being.
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fazendo dela mais representativa
da forma de ser da nossa época.
12:46
TC: Jeff and I dance partner dancing
all the time with women and men
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TC: Eu e Jeff dançamos juntos
o tempo todo, com homens e mulheres,
12:49
and we love it.
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e adoramos isso.
12:51
But we dance with a consciousness
that this is a historic form
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4563
Mas dançamos com a consciência
que se trata de uma forma histórica
12:55
that can produce silence
and produce invisibility
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que pode produzir
silêncio e invisibilidade
13:00
across the spectrum of identity
that we enjoy today.
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no espectro de identidades que temos hoje.
13:03
We invented Liquid Lead
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Inventamos a dança fluida
13:05
as a way of stripping out
all the ideas that don't belong to us
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5165
como uma forma de descartar
as ideias que não nos pertencem
13:10
and taking partner dancing back
to what it really always was:
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4295
e levar a dança de casal de volta
ao que ela realmente sempre foi:
13:15
the fine art of taking care of each other.
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a gentil arte de cuidar um do outro.
13:20
(Music)
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(Música)
15:20
(Applause)
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(Aplausos) (Vivas)
Translated by Raissa Mendes
Reviewed by Maricene Crus

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Trevor Copp - Artistic director
Trevor Copp is known for innovative social justice theater that blends physicality, image and narrative.

Why you should listen

Trevor Copp was a full-time ballroom dance instructor and regional Fred Astaire's Canada American Style Latin/Ballroom Champion. He retired from teaching to pursue his love of theater and now runs Tottering Biped Theatre, a professional theater company emphasizing social justice and highly physical work in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Copp has performed in over 30 international cities and theater festivals. The salsa scene keeps him dancing, however. Locally, he coaches the World Salsa Champions, and internationally he's an avid salsa tourist, having danced it in 13 countries so far.

Copp and Jeff Fox met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.

More profile about the speaker
Trevor Copp | Speaker | TED.com
Jeff Fox - Dancer
Jeff Fox is a professional dancer, competitor, choreographer who has won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance.

Why you should listen

After graduating with an honors degree in psychology, Jeff Fox entered the world of dance in the fall of 2000 almost by accident, investigating an ad out of curiosity, and he hasn't looked back. Working as a full-time instructor, choreographer and competitor, Fox has taught hundreds of students and won professional titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, Theatre Arts and Showdance. In addition to his ballroom work, Fox is a double black belt martial artist and creates lyrical contemporary work focusing on the universal experiences we all share, which has been featured in festivals across southern Ontario, Canada.

Fox and Trevor Copp met as colleagues during their shared tenure with Fred Astaire's Canada and remained friends after Copp retired from teaching. They would dance at social occasions where they developed their "playing fair" method of sharing the lead, which caught the eye of local dramaturge, Lisa O’Connell. Thus began the theatrical collaboration which led to the creation of a full-length Ballroom Dance/Theatre production, "First Dance," about the development of the first dance for a same sex wedding. Through building the show they formalized their "Liquid Lead" concept and continue to tour the piece at regional professional theaters, festivals and even as part of an international dance festival in Tirana, Albania. In 2015 Alida Esmail, a former student of Copp's, championed the TEDx Montreal proposal and graciously volunteered to help the Fox and Copp demonstrate their work on the TEDx stage.

More profile about the speaker
Jeff Fox | Speaker | TED.com