Sydney McManus

Summer Guest Teaching Artist

Sydney McManus, originally from London, Ontario, is a multidisciplinary queer artist based in Tiohti:áke (Montreal), Quebec. Carrying a passion for dance and visual arts since childhood, they studied at OCAD University from 2014 to 2016 while working independently performing with TOES for Dance, Frog in Hand and Alysa Pires Dance Projects, to name a few. They worked with RUBBERBAND Contemporary Dance Company from 2016-2021 as a fulltime dancer, collaborator, and educator where they were involved in four creations, a film project, and international tours. Their work for the company continues as an assistant and educator of the RUBBERBAND Method created by Victor Quijada. Currently, Syd has returned to school to further their studies in design with hopes of integrating their performance practice with visual art. Alongside Jean Bui, they are the co-creator of the performance collective jean & syd, which was part of the La Serre – arts vivants Delegate Production program from 2020-2023. The collective premiered their first full length work “1, 2, maybe 3” as part of the Wildside Festival in March 2022 with La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines and the Centaur Theatre. The project was then expanded into a publication in the form of an artbook and released in October 2022. Syd spent the summer of 2022 working as an assistant for visual artist and designer Andrew Lewis where they assisted a site intervention and mural project. They continue to expand their movement practice through teaching and collaboration. They see each project as an opportunity to play, to collect and to let go.