pounds per square inch performance | 30th Anniversary Season
Gerry Trentham, Artistic Director
Archive - Past Programming
WEDNESDAY - Tomorrow!
AUGUST 19, 2026 from 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm EST
Love is in the Air (and so is smoke)
Writing Community Gathering
FREE
Sometimes we dance, sometimes we write
As various inspirations seek various forms
No need to register Simply show up to explore and share writing with this generous and caring community.
Over the last number of years Gerry with the help of his sister Martina Payette have offered a space to gather together in a way to inspire each other and share writing passion.
In this summer time, between our workshops, we invite you to simply gather and say hello, anew!
Gerry has been working with a specific poetic prompt this summer and would love to share that writing prompt with our growing community of Artists and Writers. Gerry meets all who join, as we are and where we are, with an open shared space to grow writing practice, imagination, and explore technique. A writing community to support the beauty of the written word together.
All writing levels are welcome to join us. Perhaps, additional sessions will emerge to offer a means to share some of the new poetry inspired by this or other provocative writing prompts.
If you are new to Gerry Trentham’s work:
Over ten years at Buffalo State College in the early 2000’s Gerry helped performers write solo shows in an advanced acting class. From there he was asked to share his own somatic writing from meditative moving with all types of writing artists from poets to playwrights and further to artists, art enthusiasts and those interested in developing a solo writing practice.
If you have any questions or need access to the Zoom information please contact Martina
CANADIAN PREMIERE OF Valley of Shadows
August 13, 2026, Toronto
Valley of Shadows has its Toronto premiere as part of Dance Made in Canada's film series
Thursday, August 13
7:00 pm
Carlton Cinema, Cinema #3
After several years of international film festival screenings and awards, we're excited to bring Valley of Shadows home for its first public screening in Toronto with Dance:Made in Canada's Dance on Film+Video Screening - Starting From Where We Are. We're excited to be programmed along with 5 diverse Canadian shorts exploring the search for belonging and strength.
Please join us in celebrating our Canadian Premiere!
Valley of Shadows has received 6 international film awards; from the Tokyo International Film Festival, Cine Paris Film Festival, Rotterdam Independent Film Festival, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival and Dublin International Film Festival, among others, for cinematography for William Yong.
Featuring Gerry Trentham, Valley of Shadows follows a man as he travels back to the landscape of his childhood, the Badlands of Alberta, Canada, a place characterised by layers; strata that are geological, historical and personal. The strange beauty and vulnerability of the Drumheller Valley converge with the nature of his queerness and the gentle toughness he has embraced to survive it.
The film tugs at the heart of identity, resilience, and the enduring connection between a person and his birthplace.
A workshop in composition with voice for our Buffalo community
June / July 2026, Buffalo, NY
More Information & Registration at:
Center Dance Contemporary Dance Workshops Info
Photo Credit — Gary Tai and Gerry Trenttham in Serge Benathan’s internationally acclaimed Chronicles of a Simple Life in
a photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann
December 21, 2025
Pre - Show GALA and Fundraiser
4:44 pm as the sun sets in Tkaronto
Join us for celebrations & festivities including a private screening of our award winning film
VALLEY OF SHADOWS
Fujiwara Dance Inventions and lbs/sq” presents a film by William Yong featuring writing and choreography by Gerry Trentham and Denise Fujiwara performed by Trentham. A special thank you to our friends at the Rosebud Theatre and School of the Arts who helped us film the work in the badlands of Alberta.
Elements of Presence
May 16 & 17, 2026
Mornings 10 am - 1 pm // Afternoons 2 pm - 6 pm
Centre for Indigenous Theatre // 180 Shaw Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto
Elements of Presence is a four session series containing structured and unstructured practices in movement and voice which serve to cultivate and encourage the participants' relationship with their present and prospective creative work.
Gerry Trentham and Cat Montgomery are seasoned creators and facilitators in the sectors of dance, music, performance, voice, film and devised theatre. They employ the maxim KIND RIGOUR in both their respective artistic practices and their approach as facilitators in a studio setting; the studio space is governed with the keen intention to: Support. Erupt. Engage. Conceive.
Program Designed by graphic artist Ellie White
December 19 - 21, 2025
We will premiere our new live quartet BUOYANCY of LIGHT with performers Tia Kushniruk (in photograph by choreographer Gerry Trentham), Calder White, Aria Evans and Michael Mortley at home in Toronto from December 19 -21, 2025. We have been creating the work over the last years in residencies in Buenos Aires, McMaster University in Hamilton, University of Winnipeg and the Catskill mountains of Upstate NY!
New Fulcrum Project
Community Engagement Event
If WE keep showing UP, Something will Emerge.
It's the l̶a̶w̶.
Thursday June 19, 7:00pm
509 Parliament St. Toronto
Save the date to see what they will reveal of the project!
The New Fulcrum Project, or NFP, is a research project aimed at examining how solo-driven artists/art companies can create networks of connection that can be sustained through the creation of artistic work.
This research is generously supported by the Metcalf Foundation. With Producer/Lead Researcher Shivani Joshi and Assistant Producer/Researcher Clarke Blair under the guiding energy of our Artistic Director Gerry Trentham.
New Fulcrum Program Opportunity:
Calling T:karonto based dance & interarts artists!
With support from the Metcalf Foundation, pounds is launching a paid research opportunity for early and mid-career participating artists exploring the balance of artistry and administrative challenges in living a creative life, as well as the opportunities and challenges of collaboration and sharing in the arts industry.
This project will run from April-August, with the majority of activity taking place between April-June. Deadline to apply: March 21, 2025
About to... Being
Somatic writing workshops with Gerry Trentham (Online)
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Tuesday, April 22, 6 - 9 pm EDST
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Friday, April 25, 6 - 9 pm EDST
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Saturday, April 26, 1 - 5 pm EDST
Connect with writers, public speakers, storytellers, performers and interdisciplinary artists from around the world through this week-long intensive discovering and developing your individual voice through a full-body explorative method conceived and led by acclaimed teacher, performer and choreographer/writer Gerry Trentham. or in-person
Resonating with Age
Voice Workshops with Gerry Trentham
Live in Toronto or Virtual
Resonating with Age is a workshop dedicated to reclaiming your moving voice as you grow older. With enjoyable and healthy voice/body practices you can begin to move and resonate more freely, once again creating sustained vocal/physical presence through your elder years.
Open Body
Garden Party
Saturday, July 6, 2024 at 7:30pm & Sunday, July 7, 2024 at 3pm in Williamsville, NY
THANK YOU ALL ARTISTS AND ART LOVERS for spending some time in the garden with us for food, drinks, festive outdoor flair, and the premiere of Open Body featuring immersive performances by Megan Rakeepile and Marisa Caruso with music by Moya Rakeepile and Drew Azzinaro, choreographed and directed by Gerry Trentham of lbs/sq” performance. What a wonderful gathering and such great support. We hope to see you again soon!
Photo by William Yong of Sylvie Bouchard & Learie McNicolls
Under Pressure: Where Roots Take Hold
Celebration & Fundraiser
Wednesday, June 12 at the CCDT (509 Parliament, Toronto, ON), 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US --- what a glorious sharing of art and its care. We hope to see you all again soon. Keep dancing!
We invited you to celebrate with us for a last evening at 509 Parliament, as our host CCDT’s time comes to an end. Thanks to all who attended!
Arrivals Legacy Voice
In collaboration with Arrivals Legacy Project & Open Heart Arts Theatre
Thursday, May 23 to Monday, May 27, 2024 at McMaster University
Thanks for all gathering --- we hope to see you soon with a next opportunity for performers, writers, singers, educators, change leaders, and artists of all disciplines to come together in a collaborative space for cross-cultural exchange and performative story-making, exploring where their ancestral histories meet.
About to... Being
Solo writing workshops with Gerry Trentham (Online)
Monday, March 18th through Saturday, March 23rd, 2024
STAY TUNED FOR OUR FALL offering of the next week-long writing intensives, participants are invited to embark on a transformative autobiographically inspired journey of self-expression and creativity. Through a full-body explorative method conceived and led by acclaimed teacher, performer and choreographer/writer Gerry Trentham, participants will transform authentic and autobiographical material into distinctive performance and literary possibilities. Register now!
THE GARDENER AND THE HORSE
Premiers FEBRUARY 22 - 24, 2024
The Gardener and the Horse, a raw exploratory duet created and performed by Michael Caldwell and Gerry Trentham, is off to Buenos Aries. In residence at the Armando Centre, their exploration with be with the local community between Thurs. Feb 22 and Sat. Feb 24 and open to an international audience on Feb 24.
Stay tuned for the live streamed public experiment on Feb 24 as virtual and live join into the intimacy of Michael and Gerry's queer sanctuary. As they move through transitions of aging with humour and blunt presence they question each’s perspectives on life, love, art and dance. They find the edge of where their queerness has been contained, subdued or sabotaged and challenge each other to jump.
WORLD PREMIERE OF ENCOUNTERS
Premiered MAY 10 - 13, 2023
Produced by BoucharDanse and Presented by Citadel + Compagnie
This double-bill featured two new works by acclaimed Canadian choreographers, commissioned by BoucharDanse.
Bob’s Last Request!
Choreographed by the late Tedd Robinson
Performed by Sylvie Bouchard and Gerry Trentham
With support and consultation by Angie Cheng
… but water is like a mirror
Choreographed by Sashar Zarif
Performed by Sylvie Bouchard
With live music by Sashar Zarif
Thank you all for attending and making the event such a success!
