Alannah Ryane
Alannah
grew up in her mother’s Toronto dance studio and started teaching jazz and
tap at the age of 13. She was one of the first SUNSHINE GIRLS in Toronto
and the first MISS CHIN BIKINI in 1968.
Alannah started her music, film and television career in Calgary in the late 70’s. After working with her husband Ken Cooper of Brimstone Productions on such major concerts as EAGLES, SUPERTRAMP AND FLEETWOOD MAC she became a music agent with PERFORMING ARTISTS. She assisted in the handling of MOTLEY CRUE’s first Canadian booking.
Alannah spent 4 years as a WRITER/PRODUCER/HOST for ROGERS CABLE, interviewing Wayne Gretsky, Alan Thicke, Ken Read and Steve Podborski while also writing an entertainment column for 3 local papers interviewing personalities like Chris de Burgh, John Hammond and Little River Band.
As a single mother she then completed two years at S.A.I.T graduating with honors from the CINEMA, TELEVISI0N AND RADIO ARTS COURSE. She was placed immediately as a script assistant for the CBC NEWS FINAL.
Packing up her station wagon and her 8-year old son Jonn, she headed back to Toronto where she worked in the Publicity and Promotions dept of CINEPLEX ODEON under GARTH DRABINSKY. From there she followed Mr. Orville Fruitman to FILMHOUSE and BRIGHTSTAR DISTRIBUTION. She handled all the publicity and promotion for MISS PIPER LAURIE during the 1988 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL and then opened her own business ALANNAH RYANE PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION.
1989 saw Alannah handling 9 films in the TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL including ATOM EGOYAN’S SPEAKING PARTS and BRUCE MCDONALD AND DON McKELLAR’S ROADKILL. Alannah was the main publicist for ANDRE BENNETT’S CINEPHILE DISTRIBUTION, one of Canada’s largest foreign and independent film distributors.
In the early 90’s the film business slowed in Canada and Alannah decided to take a break to raise her son. She went back to teaching ballroom and latin at ARTHUR MURRAY’S and the DOREEN HAYES SCHOOL OF DANCING and started her bookkeeping and office services business. In 2002 she started producing dance recital videos and developed two television documentary series.
Alannah is now based in Simcoe County in Ontario Canada where she still teaches dancing and produces videos. In between she travels the world producing her documentaries.