Alison MacDonald

Alison MacDonald is a dancer and choreographer who strives to present flamenco in modern formats while respecting the rich tradition of the artform. She started dancing at the age of seven and has always been drawn to percussive dance styles. She began with lessons in tap and then dedicated many years to Irish dance which gave her the opportunity to compete regionally as well as internationally and at the World Championships in Ireland. In 2003, Alison spent three years in Spain, studying with artists such as Juan Polvillo, Soraya Clavijo, Javier Cruz, Rosa Belmonte, and Pilar Ortega. In 2011 she co-founded Triana Project, which performed at the 2013 International Flamenco Festivals in Toronto and Montreal. In 2014 she co-founded ViDAnza which won the Paula Citron Dance Award at the Freshblood series for the original work Silencio. Alison has been a member of Compañía Carmen Romero and, as a member of EESDC since 2018, she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Performing Arts Award with the ensemble of Perla Fina. She is currently developing her first solo show and is very grateful to the Ontario Arts Council for their support through the 2021 Chalmers Professional Development Grant.