Scott Fordham, 24, Toronto/Montreal (jazz funk)
thamover Fordham was born in Deux-Montagnes, Que., and became a star athlete because his father wouldn't let him take dance lessons. He left home for Montreal at 16 and learned urban dance in the clubs. He worked at menial jobs until he got noticed tearing up the dance floor, which led to being cast in shows, concerts, industrials and music videos. He moved to Toronto two years ago to experience the Anglo rap scene. Career highlights include dancing backup for Jully Black and Divine Brown, and choreographing for Deborah Cox and CITY-TV's New Year's Bash.
thamove Fordham's signature is bending and angling the body in off-balance, awkward transitions. Hard-hitting sections that hit the beats are interspersed with smooth, lyrical movement. His jazz funk style fuses together hip hop, reggae, lyrical, African and jazz.
thameaning His choreography is an innovative paradox - an urban dance feel underpinned by jazz technique for sharpness and execution. The freshness of his style is all about contradictions, play on words and crazy movements generated by his own unique interpretation of the lyrics.
Alexandra (Spicey) Lande, 33, Montreal (hip hop)
thamover Born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Lande first became a freestyle hip hop master before taking classes to learn about choreography. At 28, she gave up her day job as a bank manager to found her company Unkut Productions. She is the organizer of Montreal's Bust A Move, Canada's largest street dance competition, and was a judge at the 2009 World Hip-Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas. Lande's brother Vladimir was killed when he was 17 in a gang shooting - her direct connection to the hip-hop culture of disaffected youth.
thamove Lande's signature is the body language, particularly the use of hands and arms, of original street hip hop. The body is grounded and the shoulders are relaxed to allow the natural flow of physicality. She connects moves to music to capture the "vibe" of rap.
thameaning Lande sees her choreography as dance theatre ingrained in "real" hip hop, which grew out of the urge to express the mean streets of ghetto life. Her choreography tells a story to make the audience see the music.
Eryn Waltman, 25, Toronto (contemporary)
thamover Toronto-born, Hamilton-raised, Waltman has been dancing since she was 3. While studying psychology at the University of Western Ontario, she founded a competitive dance team. She has since become an esteemed dance teacher, and created Breathe, a travelling workshop that brings top choreographers to university towns to give master classes. As a dancer, Waltman performed in shows such as Fashion Cares, the Molson Indy, the Grey Cup, and the Bell Celebrity Gala. As a choreographer, she attracts top professional dancers, and three from So You Think You Can Dance Canada 's top 20 are in her company.
thamove Contemporary is defined as ballet/jazz fusion with a narrative line. Waltman is known for her small details, particularly the unique use of hands and fingers for story-telling accents, such as separating the fingers, clenching or opening the fist, or twisting the wrist.
thameaning Waltman's goal is to fully express the emotion of the dance as embedded in the music's rhythm and lyrics. She believes that hands help to emphasize the story/message by bringing a different dynamic to the movement which, in turn, brings the characters to life.
The Choreographer's Ball is at Toronto's Mod Club Theatre Sunday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.