Parts+Labour_Danse

PARTS+LABOUR, based in Montreal / Tiohtià:ke and led by co-choreographers David Albert-Toth and Emily Gualtieri, is a bold and fast-rising voice in contemporary dance. The company is celebrated for its daring collaborations and commitment to challenging traditional hierarchies in dance. For over a decade, David and Emily have crafted works that explore human identity and moral complexity, blending dynamic physicality with distinctive theatricality. Central to their artistic ethos is the belief that friction, rather than resolution, drives their creative process—embracing the collision of divergent ideas and visions. Drawing inspiration from literature, mythology, and philosophy, their movement language balances precise choreography and state work with shifting, improvisational elements, creating performances that blur the lines between script and spontaneity. PARTS+LABOUR’s visually compelling works invite audiences to reflect on the shifting nature of personal and collective experiences, while excavating the liminal spaces that make us unique and bind us together.

In 2013, David and Emily introduced their work to Montreal audiences with La chute and In Mixed Company, presented at Tangente to public and critical acclaim. La chute went on to tour nationally and won the Audience Choice Award at the Dance Made In Canada festival in 2015. In Mixed Company was reprised by Tangente the following season and presented again at the 2015 Vue sur la relève Festival, where it won the Dance Award. In 2017, they presented La vie attend in Montreal (Danse-Cité / La Chapelle). After two sold-out weeks, the work toured the Atlantic Provinces and Toronto, where it was nominated for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Ensemble, before concluding with a CAM en tournée presentation in Montreal. In 2021, the duo presented Efer at Danse Danse with a cast of seven dancers at Cinquième Salle, Place des Arts. Efer was part of the official selection of the Biennale Parcours Danse 2021, where it won the RIDEAU Prize. In 2022, PARTS+LABOUR presented À bout de bras, a solo performed by David and directed by Emily, a coproduction with Agora de la danse, recently presented at Dancing on the Edge festival in Vancouver and part of the official selection at the Biennale Parcours Danse 2023. The company also produced and released a cinematic counterpart to the work, At Arm's Length (Official selection, FIFA 2023), directed by longtime collaborator Robin Pineda Gould.

Their philosophy of embracing multiplicity and challenging traditional norms extends beyond their performances into their roles as educators and mentors. Coming from families and cultures shaped by disparity, David and Emily’s personal backgrounds deeply inform their approach to art, fostering an inclusive, multifaceted perspective. They are committed to nurturing the next generation of dance artists and sharing their approach through teaching and mentorship. They have created works for both stage and screen and are active mentors to independent artists, as well as educators and artists in residence at some of Canada’s leading institutions, including École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, École de danse de Québec, Ottawa School of Dance, UQAM, Concordia University, Springboard Danse, TransFormation Danse, and others. The company’s artistic distinctions have earned them national acclaim, multiple awards, and nominations. Their repertoire features several short pieces and five full-length dance works, with over a dozen commissioned pieces created nationwide.