Renata Soutter

A co-founder of Propeller Dance, Renata Soutter has dedicated her professional career to socially-engaged dance innovation through creation, performance, community outreach, and education. Numerous creations for Propeller include Living the Desirable Life (2017), The Wild Life (2017),  Flesh and Spokes (2015), Drifting Up (2013), a commission by Dusk Dances Ottawa, and collaborations with the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre and Royal Ottawa Place. Renata co-developed (with Weaver and company dancers) a methodology of collaborative creation that focuses on the unique aesthetics of artists with disability and the primacy of self-expression. Her influences include the natural world, extensive travel and a strong belief in the power and beauty of diverse cultural expression. Renata holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University and further specialized in integrated dance with Candoco in London UK and Alito Alessi among others. She is a Diamond Jubilee recipient (2012) and a recent finalist for the Ottawa Arts Council Mid-Career Artist Award (2019).