Love, guts, brain and brawn are the stuffs of blackandblue dance projects. Born out of Artistic Director Sasha Ivanochko’s insistence on getting to the heart of the matter, the work is body centric, economical, dramatic and candid. Working from the belief that the body’s range of physical coordination has unlimited communicative potential, her artistic discourse is informed by rigorous and playful in-studio investigation of the psyche/somatic connection, movement exploration and character study. Marked by an unusual sense of beauty and an intuitive musicality, Ivanochko’s work explores aspects of human nature with an unflinching eye, challenging audiences with her candid and intimate work. The art of blackandblue, and the artist, are driven by a great longing, a love of the under-dog, and a sense of inner flight.

blackandblue believes that art is a non-violent medium for thought and discourse, and has an important and positively influential status in society. Through creation, dissemination and educational activities, our intent is to push the boundaries of excellence within the form and to and introduce and promote the power of art to our audience and participants.

blackandblue dance projects is a nonprofit charitable organization and relies on your support.  All donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt.
charitable number 856282090 RR 0001

Sasha Ivanochko is a Toronto based dancer, teacher and choreographer.

Leaping into this world feet first from her mother's belly, Ivanochko hit the ground running and spent her early life covered in chalk and sweat competing for the Canadian National Gymnastics team. Her dance training began at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, and she continued her modern dance studies at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. She started working professionally in 1991, and since then has graced the stage with The Judith Marcuse Dance Company, Toronto Dance Theatre, Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, and many independents including Tedd Robinson, Peter Chin, Michael Trent, Peggy Baker and Denise Fujiwara.

Ivanochko made her choreographic debut in 1997. Presentations of her choreography include DanceWorks, the Canada Dance Festival, Spring Rites, Dusk Dances, Tangente, Dancing on the Edge Festival and commissions by Toronto Dance Theatre, Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, TILT sound+motion, and DanceOntario’s 2004 DanceWeekend, and independent dance artists Helen Husak (Calgary) and Naoko Murakoshi (Kobe, Japan). Recognized as “a mover and shaker” (The Globe and Mail, 2001), her body of work has become renowned for its economy, passion and beauty.

Ivanochko founded blackandblue dance projects in January 2005 and past company projects include the premiere of her critically acclaimed solo "Is this love?" as part of her two-program season at The Winchester Street Theatre in Toronto, June 2005. Also featured was "The Suite of Black Miniature Dances" danced by Susie Burpee, Kate Holden, Julia Sasso and Michael Trent, some of Canada's most talented performers. In July 2006 she made her international choreographic debut with “Cold Night”, at the Aichi Arts Centre in Nagoya, Japan. In November 2006, Ivanochko premiered her first full-length piece “Heaven” at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, DanceWorks Mainstage Series, with continued performances since then, most notably, the 2008 Canada Dance Festival and at the VI International Theatre Festival of Santo Domingo, 2009. In December 2008, the company premiered Ivanochko's “The future memory heartbreak junction”, a fifty-minute dance and song tour de force, at the Dancemakers Centre for Creation.

A highly sought after teacher, Ivanochko has worked at all the major universities, dance schools and festivals across Canada, and teaches regularly at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and at LADMMI, l'ecole de danse contemporaine. A rigorous and serious teacher, her highly physical and challenging classes have propelled and inspired many students towards high levels of artistic achievement. Having been recently awarded her second Chalmers Family Fellowship, Ivanochko has developed a new training methodology to both facilitate the learning of her idiosyncratic choreography and to enable participants to access a range of tools needed for a career in contemporary dance.

Ivanochko is a four time Dora Mavor Moore nominee, two-time recipient of the Chalmers Family Fellowship, the 2007 K.M. Hunter Award recipient, and has been featured in the Bravo Documentary Freedom Series.