{{short description|Canadian choreographer (born 1955)}} {{for|the house in New York City|Christopher House (Staten Island)}} {{Infobox writer | name = Christopher House | image = File:Christopher House 02.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|5|30}} | birth_place = | occupation = choreographer, performer | language = | nationality = Canadian | period = | notableworks = Glass Houses, Early Departures, Vena Cava, Nest, Martingales | spouse = | partner = | awards = | website = }} '''Christopher House''' (born May 30, 1955) is a Canadian choreographer, performer and educator.<ref name="LLC1985">{{cite journal|author=New York Media, LLC|title=New York Magazine|journal=Newyorkmetro.com.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dM0BAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85|date=6 May 1985|publisher=New York Media, LLC|page=85|issn=0028-7369}}</ref> For many years he was the artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre.
==Early life and education== House was born in St.John's, Newfoundland. He moved to Ottawa at the age of 19 where he completed a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at the University of Ottawa. House began his dance training in 1975 with the acclaimed dance educator Elizabeth Langley.<ref name=rose>[http://www.thetelegram.com/living/christopher-house-still-ahead-of-the-curve-232761/ "Christopher House still ‘Ahead of the Curve’"]. ''The Telegram'', Toronto, August 9, 2018. Wendy Rose.</ref> House later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from York University in Toronto.
==Career== House joined the Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT) in 1979. In 1981, he was appointed that company's choreographer-in-residence.<ref name=rose /> He remained in that post until 1994 when he was hired as the artistic director at the TDT, a position he held until 2020.<ref>[https://www.straight.com/arts/1035381/toronto-dance-theatres-christopher-house-transforms-past-works "Toronto Dance Theatre's Christopher House transforms past works"]. ''Georgia Straight''. by Janet Smith on February 21st, 2018</ref> House is credited with reshaping the company's image to unprecedented international acclaim with new approaches to choreographic creation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Since 2006 House has been influenced by his close collaboration with American post-modern dance pioneer Deborah Hay on works such as ''News'' and ''I'll Crane for You''. He has also choreographed works for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Ballet BC, and the National Ballet of Canada, among many others.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/christopher-maxwell-house/ "Christopher Maxwell House"]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''</ref> In 1989, New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff called House "a fresh voice in modern dance."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kisselgoff |first1=Anna |title=DANCE VIEW; From Toronto, A Fresh Voice In Modern Dance |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/16/arts/dance-view-from-toronto-a-fresh-voice-in-modern-dance.html |work=New York Times |date=16 April 1989 |access-date=15 February 2022}}</ref>
In 2007, a documentary of House's life and works, ''Ahead of the Curve'', was co-produced by Rock Island Productions and Rink Rat Productions.<ref name=rose /> He was also profiled in Moze Mossanen's 1987 documentary film ''Dance for Modern Times'', alongside David Earle, James Kudelka, Ginette Laurin and Danny Grossman.<ref name=littler>William Littler, "Dance feature puts viewers on stage". ''Toronto Star'', November 27, 1987.</ref> In 2019, House was the subject of an episode of the CBC television art series ''In the Making''. The show focused on ''Marienbad'', a full-length work he created and performed with writer Jordan Tannahill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jordan Tannahill was an acclaimed playwright — but not a dancer. Then he met Christopher House |url=https://www.cbc.ca/arts/inthemaking/jordan-tannahill-was-an-acclaimed-playwright-but-not-a-dancer-then-he-met-christopher-house-1.5342520 |website=In the Making |publisher=CBC |access-date=15 February 2022}}</ref>
In 2017, House was appointed to the Order of Canada.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/order-of-canada2017/article35500532/ "Order of Canada honorees desire a better country"]. ''The Globe and Mail'', June 30, 2017</ref>
Christopher House left his longtime position at Toronto Dance Theatre in 2020. His final program as artistic director was House Mix,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Kathleen |date=February 12, 2020 |title=House Mix marks a satisfying end to Christopher House's Toronto Dance Theatre tenure |url=https://nowtoronto.com/culture/house-mix-marks-a-satisfying-end-to-christopher-houses-toronto-dance-theatre-tenure/ |access-date=September 24, 2024 |website=nowtoronto.com}}</ref> a series of remounted works from House’s choreographic oeuvre that toured 14 cities across Canada and to Medellin and Bogota before making its final performances in Toronto.
In 2022, House debuted New Tricks,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crabb |first=Michael |date=March 28, 2022 |title=In New Tricks, choreographer and dancer Christopher House is his most intimate version of himself |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage/in-new-tricks-choreographer-and-dancer-christopher-house-is-his-most-intimate-version-of-himself/article_752739b4-5082-517e-9e21-d1f4bc142a3d.html |access-date=September 24, 2024 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref> a solo work that he performs. The work has toured nationally and is being remounted by Citadel Live in Toronto in 2025.
==Teaching== Christopher House has taught technique, repertoire and creative process at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Juilliard School, Rotterdam Dansacademie, Jacob's Pillow, Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), Simon Fraser University and Canada's National Ballet School and the Banff Centre for the Arts.<ref name=":0">[https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/dancer-christopher-house-explores-the-risk-of-performance "Dancer Christopher House explores the risk of performance"]. Stephen Hunt, ''Calgary Herald'', January 8, 2016</ref> He taught Creative Practice for Contemporary Dance Online at the Banff Centre in 2020 and 2021, and Composition at the Dance Arts Institute in 2022-24.
==Awards== *[https://dcd.ca/christopher-house-2024-inductee/ Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame] (2024) *York University Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award (2021) *Member of the Order of Canada (2017) *Silver Ticket Award (2012) *Honorary Doctorate, Memorial University of Newfoundland (2010) *Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance (2009)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110213092318/http://www.torontoartsfoundation.org/TAF-Awards/2009-Christopher-House "Christopher House"]. Toronto Arts Foundation website</ref> *Dora Mavor Moore Award (1986, 1988, 2007) *Clifford E. Lee Award (1986) *Jean A. Chalmers Award (1983)
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:House, Christopher}} Category:Living people Category:1955 births Category:Canadian choreographers Category:Dora Mavor Moore Award winners Category:York University alumni Category:Artists from Newfoundland and Labrador