Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal (FODAR)

It’s all about Community. Thanks to the generosity of the visual artists living in and around Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, we are auctioning an exceptional selection of works in support of the 2019 Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal (FODAR). This is our fifth season. Funds raised from this auction will be used to underwrite the costs of showcasing work by Canada’s finest choreographers performed by world class dancers. We’re bringing it all to the historic town of Annapolis Royal, population 450.

FESTIVAL OF DANCE ANNAPOLIS ROYAL
Set in historic Annapolis Royal, on the shores of the Annapolis Basin, FODAR takes place just across the bay from the site of the 1606 performance of "Theatre of Neptune" – reputed to be the first dramatic performance by Europeans in North America. And they did it in canoes!

That sense of adventure is what continues to inspire this community and this Festival. While we can’t promise dancing in canoes we can guarantee a five-day celebration that showcases the best in Canadian contemporary dance — exciting new creations by established and emerging choreographers, and re-mounted milestone modern dance works from the past.

In the beginning, it was a gamble. Could a festival presenting contemporary dance, run by volunteers and limited paid staff, bring in audiences from what is essentially a remote rural community? The answer was a resounding yes. FODAR plays to packed houses every season. Our core audience continues to be people from surrounding communities, but our reach is extending across Atlantic Canada and the country. Our outreach events enrich the community long after the Festival is done.

Over the years FODAR productions have included works by James Kudelka, Danny Grossman, Tedd Robinson, Guillaume Côté, Sharon Moore, Randy Glynn and David Earle; and performances by Greta Hodgkinson, Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie (now Citadel + Compagnie), Belinda McGuire, Danielle Baskerville, Michael Caldwell, Louis Laberge-Côté, Andrea Nann, Mocean Dance and Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo.

We’re proud of our Festival, proud of our community and proud to present these exceptional pieces by some of our region’s finest artists.