Catherine Hayward
Originally from Winnipeg, Catherine’s studies led her to Toronto’s Ryerson University where she graduated from the dance program, earning her B.F.A. with Honours. In 2005, Catherine moved to Calgary to continue her dance training at DJD, where she fell in love with jazz. Since then Catherine has immersed herself in the Calgary community as a performer, choreographer and teacher. Catherine has been a dancer with the DJD company since the fall of 2007. She was Artistic Director of DJD’s most recent dancer-choreographed shows, Velocity in 2017, and Borderland in 2015. Catherine was a founding member of Dancers’ Studio West(DSW) Dance Action Group(DAG), a small ensemble of aesthetically diverse performer/choreographers who co-operated to fulfill opportunities for community animation, offer organizational support for DSW and invest in new opportunities for artistic development. With DSW, Catherine has pursued choreography using original musical compositions and the musicians performing live as part of the work. She presented a new piece, form, act, cease, ensue in collaboration with musician Jeremy Gignoux as part of DSW’s Dance Action Lab in July 2017 and Tethered, an original musical composition by Rubim de Toledo in 2016. Catherine and fellow DJD company member Shayne Johnson have been working in collaboration on developing new work. The finale of DJD’s Velocity, entitled end was their first ensemble collaboration, set on the full DJD company. Their most recent duet Polyhedron premiered at the Fluid Festival in 2015. They will debut their first full evening of work Bodied Indivisible next year. Catherine is also developing of a new solo for established artist Davida Monk, it will premiere in 2019. Catherine enjoys her role teaching students, including five seasons as a choreographer with Alberta Dance Theatre for young people (ADT). She continues to mentor teen dancers training in Jazz as part of DJD’s Teen Jazz Advanced program and has joined the faculty of DJD’s Youth Training Program this year. Catherine is thrilled to be dancing in her 12th season with the DJD company.