2011 Artistic Staff Bios
LAURA BOLENDER, Dance Program Specialist
Laura is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and community artist with deep interest and zeal for all art forms. She holds a Honors BFA in dance and a Community Arts Practice Certificate from York University. Most recently, Laura has been travelling and experiencing dance and art in Australia and New Zealand. She has choreographed work for Jasmyn Fyffe Dance, rad (random acts of dance) and has participated in a variety collaborative projects in various communities, both facilitating workshops and performing with professional companies. Laura has performed and choreographed for Nuit Blanche, Junction Arts Festival and the London Fringe Festival. She has over nineteen years of dance training and continues to teach a wide range of techniques including creative movement, modern, improvisation, jazz, ballet, tap and hip hop. Laura is a member of The Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, Ontario Chapter and is an advocate for dance in Toronto and beyond. Laura is excited to join Horizon Arts Camp for another great summer!
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MARINA NICOLAOU, Visual Arts Program Specialist
Marina completed her Studio Art degree at the University of Guelph, where she specialized in drawing and photography. While there she also coordinated a department wide juried exhibition, and was the recipient of the annual Drawing Award. She has volunteered at many professional galleries including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the White Water Gallery and the Power Plant, where she participated in installation, advertising and general service. Her own work has been exhibited in student, members and community shows. She also has a Bachelor of Education in Visual Art, History, and Special Education, with experience teaching from the pre-school to the high school level. She is passionate about arts education, and is interested in developing arts based teaching strategies. Over the last year she has been actively involved with Horizon Arts Camp and is looking forward to the upcoming summer!
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NICKY PHILLIPS, Music Major Program Specialist
Nicky Phillips is an actor, a composer and an arts educator. A graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School, Nicky’s many credits include spending three seasons performing with Theatre Direct Canada on Dora Nominated Productions. As an emerging musical theatre writer Nicky is the composer and co-lyricist for the musical In Flanders Fields. First commissioned and produced by Smile Theatre Company, the show will receive its second production at Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre in the 2010/2011 Season. She is also currently working on two new musicals that are in development. Last summer Nicky was one of 14 songwriters accepted into the Johnny Mercer Songwriter’s Project in Chicago. Nicky and her collaborator were the first Canadians to be asked to participate in this week-long song-writing master class led by Tony Nominee Craig Carnelia and Tony Winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. Nicky is an accomplished musician as both a singer and pianist with over 15 years of training and experience in her field. She currently teaches at the Avenue Road Arts School, Mooredale, and coaches privately. Nicky is a proud member of ACTRA, Canadian Actors’ Equity and the Dramatists Guild of America.
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ANDREW TRIBE, Theatre Program Specialist
Hailing from London, Ontario, Andrew is a graduate of the actor-training program between the University of Toronto & Sheridan College and holds his Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. Andrew has spent thirteen wonderful summers at the Original Kids Summer Theatre Camp, in a variety of capacities including Artistic Staff. In May, he directed Jason Robert Brown?s musical, *13* for the Original Kids Theatre Company. Acting credits: *Mr. Marmalade* (Fly By Night), *The Producers* (Pacheco
Theatre), his solo show, *Kicked* (London Fringe), *The Real Inspector Hound* (Passionfool), *Andromache* (Theatre Erindale), *Never Swim Alone* (Erindale Fringe), *The Sound of Music* (Grand Theatre) and two productions with his sketch comedy troupe, Spilt Milk (winners of ?Funniest Show? 2010). Andrew is looking forward to an exciting summer with Horizon!
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KATIE ROBINSON, Dance Major Program Specialist
Katie is a graduate of Queen’s University, where she received her B.A.H. in Drama, as well as her B.Ed. within the Artist in Community Education program track. Upon graduation, she continued her dance training at George Brown College and the Alvin Ailey School in New York, and currently works as a professional dancer/actor in Toronto. Past professional experiences include working as a dancer/dance captain for Norwegian Cruise Lines, dancing several seasons with the Toronto Rock, and performing as a member of Evoke Movement Dance Theatre. Katie has also been seen dancing at various high profile events throughout Toronto, including the Toronto Jazz Festival, the MMVA’s Rockstar Hotel, and the ROM’s Solid Gold Prom. In addition to performing, Katie is also a passionate teacher, who works for both the York Region District School Board and the Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
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CLAIRE WYNVEEN, Theatre Major Program Specialist
Claire is a professional actor who has been teaching theatre to children and young adults for nearly ten years. She has recently completed her MFA in Acting at York University, where she also taught acting to first-year students. Claire also holds an honours degree from Queen's University in Stage and Screen Studies -- an interdisciplinary program that fuses the study of film and theatre. Claire has lived and worked in Toronto, Kingston, Ontario and Galway, Ireland. She is currently working with the Classical Theatre Projects as an actor and teacher. Her roles for the company include Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Ophelia in Hamlet and others. When she is not performing, Claire is writing for her theatre company, singing as part of Toronto's Cowgirl Choir and making short documentaries for festivals such as Hot Docs. Claire is thrilled to be involved with Horizon Arts Camp, and looks forward to an exciting and creative summer!
