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DJ Shane Percy of Grapefruit fame kicks off our 20th Anniversary Festival. Co-hosted with RBC Royal Bank - Performances by the tantalizing Boylesque
DJ Shane Percy is best known as the mind behind Grapefruit, Toronto's #1 monthly gay event. He started spinning eight years ago and has DJ'd all over Toronto from Fly Nightclub to The Barn, Buddies and Pride Toronto. He is also an occasional contributor to Xtra.
Boylesque TO is proud to be Canada's first and only all-male burlesque troupe. This talented group of dancers, actors, and performance artists has been busting their buns to put male nudity back on the legitimate stage where it belongs. A Boylesque TO show is guaranteed to leave you hot under the collar, howling with laughter, and screaming for more!
The Beaver, 1192 Queen Street W. DJ Nik Red and DJ Relentless Performances by Chromatically Correct
Celebrate Toronto's finest! Music Performances by Dance Yourself To Death and Diamond Rings DEAD WRONG TEENZ: DJs Elle Nino and Sammy (YES YES Y'ALL)
Formed in 2005, Toronto's Dance Yourself to Death had only played a handful of gigs before a copy of their independent EP found its way into the hands of knighted larger-than-life pop icon Elton John. Sir Elton was taken by the band's addictive hooks and heart-tugging melodies, which seamlessly fuse elements of '70s rock, '80s synth-pop and '90s dance music. He cast DYTD to play in the prom scene of It's A Boy Girl Thing, the film he was producing, and included one of their original songs on the film's soundtrack.
Dance Yourself to Death has recently joined forces with the Queerbeat Agency in Germany (Gentleman Reg, Bell Orchestre, Le Tigre, The Hidden Cameras) and will be embarking on their third European tour in Autumn 2010.
Diamond Rings is a creative outlet for Toronto based artist and musician John O. His first single "All Yr Songs" was released on limited edition vinyl via his own boutique label in August 2009. Thanks in large part to a music video that attracted positive reviews from Pitchfork and countless international fashion and music critics the entire pressing sold out in little more than a month. Diamond Rings has most recently performed alongside La Roux and Owen Pallett in addition to showcasing at SXSW and Pop Montreal. 2010 has already seen the release of a new vinyl and video for the follow up single "Wait & See", to be followed by another in the summer. Diamond Rings is currently hard at work in Toronto mixing his debut album, Special Affections.
DEAD WRONG TEENZ: DJs Elle Nino and Sammy (YES YES Y'ALL)
DJs Denise Benson and Cozmic Cat of Cherry Bomb throw down on the decks for our Closing Gala party. Performances by the fabulously sexy ILL NANA!
CHERRY BOMB co-founders, Denise Benson and Cozmic Cat, are two multi award winning DJs with years of experience rocking dance floors between them. Their combined musical tastes and expertise make Coz and DB a dynamic DJ duo many agree to be the best in the city. Both have the ability to ignite ANY crowd with a tightly mixed, booty-shaking blend of house, electro, hip-hop, soul, rock, reggae and where ever the mood and the crowd take them. Their fresh mix keeps more than 500 party people bumpin' and jumpin' the second-to-last Saturday of each month at Andy Poolhall. Sweat. Dance. Cruise! www.cherrybombtoronto.com
ILL NANA began in November of 2007, while Jelani Ade was in his last year at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, when he entered his piece with a cast of five men of color performing hip- hop in Drag in the annual student choreography show. It was the first piece of its kind at a school that is predominantly white, and traditionally heteronormative and uninclusive to urban expressions of art. Realizing they had something special and unique to offer ILL NANA formed and took their act into gay night clubs. In 2010 with growing success in Toronto, ILL NANA believed it was time to change the contemporary dance scene and formed DiverseCity Dance Company a queer positive multiracial contemporary dance company that embraces difference as strength, and combats oppressive power structures.
