Dancer (A Musical In Ten Furlongs) is the story of Northern Dancer, the “horse nobody wanted” — the too-small, too-ungainly, too-willful thoroughbred who overcame doubt, injury and history to become the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1964, and capture the heart of a nation. With thrilling original songs, exhilarating choreography, and a timeless feel-good story, Dancer is a captivating and unmissable new Canadian musical and the must-see show of the coming fall.

This joyful original show is written by Jim Betts, the Dora and Chalmers Award winning playwright and lyricist, with music by multi-award-winning composer Marek Norman, and choreography by Emmy-Award Nominee Stacey Tookey.

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The legend of Northern Dancer

The famed Canadian Business Tycoon and horse breeder E.P. Taylor couldn’t sell Northern Dancer as a yearling for $25,000, but years later Winfield’s Farm rejected an offer of $40 million dollars for the horse. So how did this underestimated thoroughbred become a priceless national treasure?

Northern Dancer was born in 1961 and passed over at Taylor’s yearling sale because he was considered too small to be a competitive racehorse. Mr. Taylor, however, liked Dancer’s pedigree so he was sent for training with the great horseman Horatio Luro. Dancer was soon running and winning numerous races. In fact, he won seven out of his first nine races. But it was in 1964 that Northern Dancer had his most impressive year as he won two of the three races for the Triple Crown. Not only was he the first Canadian bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, but he also set a new record by finishing the race in two minutes flat. A couple of weeks later, he won the Preakness.

Perhaps more amazing than his victories at racing is his legacy as a sire. It is estimated that roughly 70-80% of thoroughbred horses competing today can be traced back to Northern Dancer making him one of the most influential sires of all time.

In 1990 Northern Dancer died, but his legacy lives on. He is the first non-human to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame — a well-deserved honour for the little horse with unbreakable spirit.

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Telling the story of a racehorse in a musical

Taking inspiration from the hero’s name, Northern Dancer — and all the other horses in his story — are played by dancers, without the use of puppetry or costuming. Internationally acclaimed and Emmy nominated choreographer Stacey Tookey, has created a breathtaking and completely original choreographic style for the dancers playing the thoroughbreds, while the company of actor/singers playing the human characters have traditional musical theatre choreography all their own.

The cast of characters in the show include: E. P. Taylor; his wife Winnie Taylor who saw Dancer’s potential long before her husband; Horatio Luro, the flamboyant if controversial Argentinian horse trainer; Daryl, the archetypal track and race announcer; Willie Shoemaker, the world’s most successful jockey at the time; and Dancer’s quiet, enigmatic groom, Bill Brevard.