Although Toronto’s creative performing arts companies offer the city an abundance of exceptional theatrical experiences, the illusion created on stage doesn’t reflect the backstage reality. Behind the scenes cramped workspaces, outdated equipment, overworked staff, cash-flow crises, and budgetary constraints are the daily lot of even the most successful music, theatre and dance companies. Toronto’s top creative minds spend far too much time and energy keeping the wolf from the door.

Ballet Jorgen Canada strives to and encourage the arts of ballet by providing a vehicle for the commissioning and creation of original works of ballet, encouraging and advancing the development of emerging Canadian ballet choreographers and Canadian artists working in dance. They foster an awareness and appreciation of the art of ballet and ballet choreography within Canada while being strongly anchored in and relevant to the community they enrich. Their average annual audience is 40,000.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a Canadian, not-for-profit, professional queer theatre company dedicated to the promotion of lesbian and gay theatrical expression. As a company, they celebrate difference and question assumptions. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is committed to theatrical excellence which it strives for through its play development programs, strong volunteer base, youth mentorship initiatives, and ever-increasing wealth of Canadian queer talent. They are the host of the annual Rhubarb! Festival and participate in Toronto’s Gay Pride Festival. Their average annual audience is 30,000.

A professional contemporary dance company, Dancemakers brings to their audiences dance of challenging physicality and emotional impact. The company’s creations draw on the diverse talents and individual strengths of their artists to develop and support works which both provoke and entertain. Their average annual audience is 2,500.

The Elmer Iseler Singers are one of Canada’s foremost professional vocal ensembles, performing choral music at the highest level for audiences in Toronto and throughout the world. They strive to show the beauty and power of music written and performed by Canadians. Their average annual audience is over 3,000 people.

Under the Artistic Direction of Allan and Karen Kaeja, the contemporary dance company Kaeja d'Dance is dedicated to the creation of a unique form of expression. They focus on three areas in dance: performance, film and education, and tour nationally and internationally to nurture an appreciation of dance choreography and theatre with the community at large. Their average annual audience is over 4,000 people.

Lorraine Kimsa Theater for Young People is an organization dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre for a diverse audience of children of all ages: ‘from four to infinity’. Through stage production, new play development and education at their drama school, LKTYP seeks to enlighten and inspire young people and the adults in their lives. Their average annual audience is over 75,000 people.

Opera Atelier interprets the operas and ballets of the 17th and 18th centuries in an historically informed manner, accompanied on period instruments. They produce 2 operas a year and host a summer dance demonstration. They also operate the School of Atelier Ballet year round. Their average annual audience is 8,000.

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, led by Music Director Jeanne Lamon, is one of the world’s leading period performance ensembles. All members of the orchestra are specialists in historical performance practice, and their collaboration results in a delightful transparency, vitality and richness of sound. Tafelmusik is the Baroque Orchestra-in-Residence at the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto. Led by Choir Director Ivars Taurins, the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, specializing in baroque performance practice and vocal technique, was formed in 1981 to complement the orchestra. Founded in 1979, Tafelmusik performs 50 concerts a year at home in Toronto and tours extensively around the world. Tafelmusik has released over 70 CDs and has received 7 Juno Awards – two of which were received in 2005. In 2005, Tafelmusik also received its first Grammy Award nomination.

Tapestry New Opera Works is the only company in Canada solely dedicated to the development and production of original works of Canadian opera and music theatre. Awarded nationally and recognized internationally, the company has a twenty-three year history of critical and box office success. In addition to creating and producing new works, Tapestry is firmly committed to the development and education of audiences – both young and adult – and to devising innovative educational activities consistent with the values and intentions of each new work. They produce one mainstage event per year. In their 1999/2000 season their audience was 35,000.

Théâtre français de Toronto , one of the largest French theatre companies in Canada, offers a repertoire of new Canadian as well as international work. Its contribution to the cultural and educational development of the community, combined with a tradition of cooperation with artists and other companies across Canada, ensures the highest available quality of French theatre in Toronto. Its ongoing objective is to stimulate a keen sense of pride and belonging to its audience, and to bring the joy of French theatre to younger audiences. TfT’s average annual audience is over 12,000 people.

Toronto Dance Theatre, under the inspired direction of choreo-grapher Christopher House, is internationally recognized for its passionate, intelligent contemp-orary dance. House's most recent productions are visually stun-ning, highly original collab-orations that have transformed the face of TDT. Since its form-ation in 1968, Toronto Dance Theatre has been in the vanguard of Canadian dance creation and performance.

In 1977 Danny Grossman formed the Danny Grossman Dance Company to create and present his own choreography and to mount revivals of significant works by Canadian and American dance artists. The cornerstone of the Danny Grossman Company's work is strong and wide advocacy for increasing public and private support for the professional revival, notation, and archiving of modern dance in Canada.

Esprit Orchestra was formed in 1983 to bring new music to Canadians and to champion new music by Canadian composers. Now in its 21st year, Esprit remains Canada's only full-sized orchestra devoted exclusively to new music. Each season, this innovative Toronto-based orchestra commissions, performs and promotes Canadian composers through a 5-concert Subscription Series. All Esprit concerts are recorded for broadcast by CBC Radio, making the orchestra's distinctive music available to musical patrons worldwide.

Established in 1970 by current and founding Artistic Director Ken Gass, Factory Theatre was the first company in the nation to devote itself exclusively to producing Canadian plays. For over three decades, Factory has been at the forefront of the national theatre scene, building a theatre predicated on the Canadian playwright. Currently the country’s largest producer of 100% homegrown creation, Factory is truly a home for Canadian theatre.

Necessary Angel has been an influential and original presence on the national and international theatre scene for 26 years, with 48 productions, including 22 world premieres and 8 North American premieres. The company’s plays have been nominated for and have won numerous Governor-General’s Awards for Drama, Chalmers Awards for Outstanding New Play and countless Dora Mavor Moore Awards.

Nightwood Theatre is Canada's oldest professional women's theatre company, formed with a vision for a different kind of theatre based on collaboration and a shared imagistic aesthetic. Now over 30 years old, Nightwood is one of Canada's top operating theatres with respect to professional success, audience and financial growth. It is nationally recognized for the creation of original plays written and directed by women with different racial, national, sexual, and social backgrounds.

Since 1982, Soundstreams Canada has explored the world of new music, bringing outstanding Canadian and international composers and musicians to Toronto audiences. Each season, Soundstreams presents concerts ranging from intimate chamber music experiences to multi-choir spectaculars.

Theatre Passe Muraille
The Duchess A.K.A. Wallis Simpson
Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann
 

Elmer Iseler Singers
Photo: Stormi Greener
 

Tarragon Theatre is primarily a playwright's theatre. Its mandate is to develop, encourage and produce new work; to attract or train artists and technicians to interpret new work; and to inform and develop an audience for new work. Tarragon's mandate also deems it important to produce new work from all parts of this country---from the west, from the east, and from Quebec---as a complement to the new work which is created here; and also, on occasion, to revive a significant Canadian work from our dramatic literature both to provide a context for new creation, and to introduce these received texts to a new audience.

Since 1976, Theatre Direct Canada has produced over 80 productions for 2 million young people across the country. Of these, over 40 were directly commissioned and developed by the company. Theatre Direct Canada has developed a unique relationship with the theatre community by offering creative opportunities for both emerging and established talent. An important component of its artistic approach is the involvement of youth. This involvement is limitless, flexible and ever changing. Each play, each writer, each director and each new season sees the evolution of new ways in which to involve young people in the process of creation.

Theatre Passe Muraille develops and produces innovative and provocative Canadian theatre and nurtures new theatre artists and theatre companies. We are dedicated to reflecting the hearts and minds of the country through producing affordable, accessible, culturally diverse, and entertaining live theatre. We passe through walls by working collaboratively with fresh voices and new partnerships. Our goal is to create theatre that engages the heart as well as the mind. To produce work that has an open agenda. To connect on a visceral level with our audience through stories and humour. As we enter our fourth decade we celebrate the creation of over 400 plays and a rich legacy of ground-breaking theatre.

Founded in 1978 by Jean Ashworth Bartle, the Toronto Children's Chorus enters its 30th season this year under new Artistic Director Elise Bradley. Recognized as one of the world's leading choral ensembles for children, the Chorus performs with an artistry that inspires audiences and critics alike. Providing life-enhancing experiences through the study and performance of the choral art, the TCC stands as a model in the international children's choir movement. Over 300 Toronto-area children, aged 7-17, perform with the choir annually. The TCC offers children unique musical, educational and social experiences through the learning and performance of fine repertoire.