ALLISON TOFFAN

Allison Toffan has established herself as a leader in the Canadian tap dance scene by consistently stirring up momentum as a producer, curator, dancer and choreographer. Her mentors include world-renowned tap dance artists Heather Cornell, Brenda Bufalino, and Max Pollak.
Her work has been presented at Fall For Dance North (Union Station Series), Dusk Dances, The Edwards Summer Music Series, Toronto Body Percussion Festival, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, and the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival. Other career highlights include: 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Warehouse 13 (Jeff Dimitriou), TapCity (NYC) and Vancouver International Tap Festival with Lisa La Touche, Festival Dance Encore with Tasha Lawson, Montreal Tap Festival with Tanya Knights alongside the legendary Arthur Duncan, and establishing the Toronto Rhythm Initiative [TRI] in 2011 – a platform Allison created to voice the artistry of Toronto’s tap dancers in collaboration with live music, co-produced with Juliana Kelly since 2016.
Teaching credits include: Artist in Residence – Ottawa Rhythm Initiative, Dance Faculty at Sheridan College, Randolph Academy, Montreal Tap Festival, Vancouver International Tap Festival, BC Performing Arts Festival, Manitoba Dance Festival, Eastern Canadian Tap Conference, Triple Threat, MOVE, The Dance Project conventions, as well as multiple workshops across Canada.
Other notable projects include The Big Band Tap Revue – created with Toronto Jazz Orchestra’s Artistic Director Josh Grossman, co-produced by Soraya Peerbaye and directed by Emmy Award winner Ted Louis Levy, dancing on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed video game Cuphead, nominated for a 2018 Juno award for best orchestration, Artistic Direction of the Toronto International Tap Dance Festival, produced in partnership with Harbourfront Centre, the creation of Ripple Effect, an outreach company offering free programming set to tour community centres and libraries in 2024, and serving on the production team for the Heather Cornell Legacy Project. To stay up to date with Allison, please visit: www.toffanrhythmprojects.com.