Kay Kenney

Kay Kenney is a professional contemporary dance artist based in Kingston, ON. She trained at the Professional Contemporary Dance Program at The School of Dance in Ottawa, where she was trained by many great national and international dance artists. Throughout Kay's professional dance career, she has worked with youth, pre-professional, emerging, and professional artists across Ontario, Quebec, and Europe. A company dancer of Ottawa Dance Directive since 2013, collaborating with artists like Tedd Robinson, Chick Snipper, Andrew Turner, Mélanie Dermers, Harold Rhéaume, Jocelyn Todd, Jesse Stewart, and artistic director Yvonne Coutts. Kay is also a company dancer for Social Growl Dance (Toronto) and is the rehearsal director for the company.

In YGK, Kay is an advocate for the arts and a developer of artistic opportunities.  She is the only Fletcher Pilates instructor in the city, and is known for her exceptional teaching of movement in many forms.  She founded Movement Market Collective in 2016 as a group of pre-professional and professional dance artists who support and celebrate local, professional dance. Through the collective, Kenney developed the first professional dance festival in Kingston, The Ground UP Dance Festival, which is currently in it's third year.  As director of Ground UP Festival, Kenney curates the production week and all residencies leading up to it, involving artists from all over the country.  

In 2019 she was selected as a Youth Arts Ambassador representing Ontario Culture Days and was a recipient of the 2020 Kingston Mayor's Arts Award. Most recently, was awarded for Best Dance Film in the Shortwave Film Festival in Munich, Germany for a film project created in collaboration with Josh Lyon & Rachel Shaen. Kenney has collaborated with local festivals, such as The Skeleton Park Arts Festival, The Reel Out Queer Film Festival, The Juvenis Festival, The Kick & Push Festival, AnArch Theatre, The Cellar Door Project, and Calliope Collective. Kenney has received residencies from The Grand Theater and Isabel Bader's IMAGINE Project.  

Since 2021, Kenney has served as Artistic Director of Kingston School of Dance, Kingston's only non-profit dance institution.  Kay is passionate about making Kingston a hub for pre-professional development and a major presenter of professional art works from all over the world.   Kay is passionate about making Kingston a hub for pre-professional development and a major presenter of professional artworks from all over the world.  

Artistic Director of the Kingston School of Dance 2021-present
- non-for-profit organization
- leads all programming and events (64 classes per week, 3-5 events/productions per year)
- works closely with the board of directors 
- grant writer
- detailed arts administration work and managing of finances
- networking through community engagement opportunities

Director of the Ground UP Dance Festival (Kingston) 2021 - present
- curating and directing the xfestival 
- artist liaison
- manager of all finances and funding, grant writer
- networking through community engagement opportunities
- leading production and technical team during performance

Guest Speaker/Educator for Faculty of Education(Queens University) 2023
- Early mathematics conference
- designed program for Primary/Elementary level learners (NumerARTSy)
- working with movement and math workshop to primary - grade 3 educators

Guest Educator for LiterARTSy and NumerARTSy workshops (2017-present)
- Winston Churchill School
- Central Public School
- St Martha's Catholic School
- Sydenham Public School

Ottawa Dance Directive, January 2013- 2022 - company dancer
Artistic Director: Yvonne Coutts
Start(Imagine Now)(Yvonne Coutts) La Ca(Marilou Lepine), - ODD is OFF/Canada Dance Festival 2016, The Eventual De-expression of RGS2(Yvonne Coutts)- Ontario Scene 2015/Quartiers Danse 2016, Love Birds(Yvonne Coutts) 2014, Too Near(Yvonne Coutts) - Fougue, Salle Jean Despréz 2013/CDF Presenters Showcase 2014, PULSE, Conference 2016, FDMS 2016), Pop-up dances(Canada Dance Festival 2013), Speeds and Slownesses 2A(Andrew Turner) - Ontario Scene 2015, Mere Human(Melanie Dermers/Mayday danse)- Ontario Scene 2015/Quartiers Danse 2016, Compagnie ODD at La Nouvelle Scene, Fever(Harold Rheume), CURVE(Yvonne Coutts) 

Social Growl Dance(Toronto), 2013 - 2022 - company dancer + rehearsal director
Artistic Director: Riley Sims
Everything we’ve ever(Dances by Youth for Youth(Ottawa)2012/Dance Matters Series(Toronto)2013), Are you still coming tonight? (Residencey at Centre Q, Quoyon/Company Series 2014/Summerworks Festival 2015), Stewardess(Rough Cuts Creation/Performance Residencey 2015), Pretending to listen until I can talk about myself again(Summerworks Festival, Fresh Blood/The Chimera Project 2016), Drunk On Fiction(Toronto) 2017, Creative Residency(Berlin, Germany)2018, Amorous Playlist(Toronto)2019 

Mayday Danse(Monreal), 2016 - dancer
Artistic Director: Melanie Dermers
Mere Human(Ontario Scene, Ottawa 2015/Quartiers Danse Festival 2016), Mayday LABO(Cirqu-est, Montreal 2016)

2023 Advanced 1 Cecchetti Ballet Certificate
2019 Certified Fletcher Pilates Instructor: Spine Corrector/Mat Work 1/2/3/Reformer
2013 Fletcher Pilates Licensed Provider
2005 Intermediate Cecchetti Ballet  Certificate