Carmelle is actively involved in the tap dance community as a dancer, producer, and collaborator to promote the art of tap dance. She performs traditional pieces, original choreography, and contemporary rhythm tap dance works and encourages a continued collaboration between tap dancers and musicians.
Carmelle has been involved in the performing arts her entire life. Growing up in the world of dance, music, and theatre, she is no stranger to the stage. While living on Canada's west coast, she performed with the Vancouver Tap Dance Society later moving on to dance with The Urban Tap Squad (UTS) under the artistic leadership of Jennifer Bishop. Inspired by their fellow dancers with UTS and a passion for tap dance, Carmelle, along with Jennifer, established the West Coast Tap Dance Collective in 2003 to promote, develop and preserve the art of tap dancing.
Currently, she dances with the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative Ensemble which cultivates a lively and positive Ottawa tap dance community and the art of tap dancing. In addition, she is a member of a multi-disciplinary quartet, Speaking Vibrations, as the Rhythm Tap Dancer collaborating with artists of spoken word, song, ASL poetry, and contemporary dance. Carmelle is also a member of a Tap Dance Trio, YOW City Tap, collaborating with a pianist in the development of a new rhythm tap dance work that explores how the work of contemporary tap dance artists and jazz musicians may be inspired and informed through the study of historical tap dance repertoire and its relationship to jazz music. Recent performances as an independent artist, ORI Ensemble member, and Speaking Vibrations include: The Great Canadian Theatre Company Mainstage, Speaking Vibrations Online, The Ottawa Fringe Festival, Ex Ducere at NextFest, and The Ottawa Jazz Festival.
Her training and experience attending workshops and classes with prominent tap dancers and Tap Masters is too extensive to list, but notable inspirations and master classes that have influenced her over the years are: Max Pollak, Dianne Montgomery, Dayna Szyndrowski, Roxane Butterfly, Sam Weber, Heather Cornell, Tasha Lawson, Lisa LaTouche, Michelle Dorrance, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuels Smith, and Andrew Nemr to name a few.
At the beginning of 2022, Carmelle was selected as a Producing Fellow with the ThisGen Fellowship which is a partnership between Why Not Theatre and The National Arts Centre. This two-year program supports Fellows from across Canada and helps develop relationships with leading artists and institutions across the country and internationally. Carmelle is fortunate to be part of this exciting journey.
Carmelle also works as a Certified Sign Language Interpreter working in all areas of the field. Her passion for the arts extends into her professional life with a niche in Theatrical Interpreting working with theatre companies and organizations such as The National Arts Centre (Ottawa), Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa), Young People’s Theatre (Toronto), Segal Centre for the Performing Arts (Montréal), Geordie Productions (Montréal), and the Ottawa Fringe Festival to name a few. In her personal life, she loves playing the piano, photography and is a mother of four awesome kids who keep her busy and on her toes!
Photo Credit: Dayna Szyndrowski