Susan McKenzie

unison duet:  51 minutes

Choreographed by
 Jennifer Mascall
Performed by 

Susan McKenzie, Jennifer Mascall
Photo:  

Jane Ellison

Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise
Western Front, 1977
Toured Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco
Western Front Archive

Premiered 
15 Dance Lab in Toronto. 

Also involved: 

 Sara Sheard.

TIDE was formed in the 

spring of '77 by Denise 

Fujiwara, Seth Levinson 

Jennifer Mascall, Susan 

McKenzie and Paula Ravitz.  

Later that year, Unicycle 

Blues was performed as 

a half evening of a tour;

the rest of the evening 

featured several shorter 

works by Paula Ravitz.

TIDE's tour included 

Tournesol (Edmonton) 

Western Front (Vancouver) 

and a parallel gallery 

in San Francisco.  

unison duet:  51 minutes

Choreographed by 

Jennifer Mascall
Performed by 

Susan McKenzie, Jennifer Mascall

Photo:  

Jane Ellison

Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise
Western Front, 1977
Western Front Archive

Jennifer composed Unicycle Blues 
in the spring of 1977.  We 

rehearsed at Pavylchenko in

the small studio, and premiered

the work at 15 Dance Lab. 

The creation process was 

interrupted by our attendance 

at the First Canadian National 

Choreographic Seminar at 

York University.

unison duet:  51 minutes

Choreographed by Jennifer Mascall
Performed by Susan McKenzie, Jennifer Mascall


Photo:  Jane Ellison

Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise

Western Front, 1977

Toured Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco

Western Front Archive

Discussing Unicycle Blues 
with her students, Vancouver 

dance teacher Dianne Miller 

reportedly talked about the 

contrast between the two 

performers, as examples of 

two different performance 

approaches: Despite the 

power and allure of one 

dancer's visual impact -  

height, long elegant bones 

and outstanding beauty - 

the second performer, 

short, stocky and by contrast 

non-descript, drew the eye.  

The first dancer was focussing

on line and shape, said Miller, 

which allowed the eye to fall 

upon and look "at" her.  

The second drew you into her

and exuded warmth. 

This was probably like 

Nijinsky's teacher who told

 young Vaslav he was so ugly 

he'd better learn to keep moving.

Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise

seen here:  Susan McKenzie, Seth Levinson


Premiered Toronto, 1977
Choreography:  Paula Ravitz
Performers:  Denise Fujiwara, Seth Levinson, Susan McKenzie, Paula Ravitz

Paula Ravitz's Rushes 
was a long series of 

images, spiced together 

and "jumpcut".  
This is a cherished 

photograph.  At Western 

Front, my nearest and 

dearest under one roof 

- elders seated on the 

floor (on a wooden lip 

that then surrounded 

3 sides of the dance 

studio).  

My foot is inches from 

my Dad's huge shoe, on 

his right Anne Furness, 

my godmother, on his 

left Huddy and Sam

 Roddan, family friends 

I considered aunt and 

uncle, and just out of 

frame, my mother.



Rushes

Premiered Toronto, 1977.  
Western Front performance, Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise.
Choreography:  Paula Ravitz
Performers:  Denise Fujiwara, Seth Levinson, Susan McKenzie, Paula Ravitz

Denise Fujiwara, Paula Ravitz, 
a playful, brilliant team.
Choreography:  Pula Ravitz


Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise on tour

1977  Western Front, Vancouver

Susan McKenzie, Paula Ravitz 
and Denise Fujiwara in 
Paula Ravitz's Cheetah (1977)
Photo:  Jane Ellison

Toronto Independent Dance Enterprise western tour

Western Front, Vancouvet