Giller has performed for thousands of fans at Scotiabank Arena as part of the Toronto Raptors North Side Crew, danced in the opening ceremonies of the AFC Asia Cup in Qatar and brought ancient legends to life through dance and live music in Estonia.
His most recent role proved to be a testament to Giller's training and ambition. He taught himself to tango for the production of Tango for Two, a romance about a Nova Scotian sailor having to leave his partner behind told through opera and dance. He taught himself a new style and choreographed the show's duet, an experience he said broadened his experience and "knowledge of dance."
Giller also performs a three-minute freestyle solo piece in the show.
"Every person watching it will have a different take on the story and how it made them feel," he said.
Giller leaned into the ballet foundations he built throughout his George Brown training to perfect his tango performance. He graduated from two George Brown dance programs — the one-year Commercial Dance program (2018), where he studied ballet, jazz and hip hop, and returned for the two-year Dance Performance (2022), where he further developed his ballet skills.
From sporty kid to Raptors North Side Crew performer
Giller was a competitive kid who played tennis and other sports. His natural athletic abilities and dance training helped him land a coveted spot on the Toronto Raptors' North Side Crew dance team, performing during NBA games at the Scotiabank Arena.
The rigorous rehearsal schedule and challenging choreography spurred him to push his athletic training to new heights.
"I could tell everyone on the team was an athlete, and they do that on purpose to make everyone look synchronized — the only way you can look synchronized as a group is to be athletic," he said.
After graduating from his first George Brown program, Giller first landed a gig performing at Raptors 905 games (part of the NBA G League). He eventually moved up to performing during NBA games.
He performed with fellow North Side Crew dancers at George Brown College's Open House in April 2024.
In April 2024, George Brown became the official college partner of the Toronto Raptors. Learn more about the partnership at georgebrown.ca/toronto-raptors-partnership.
Networking is vital, Giller said. He landed a gig performing in Qatar at the 2023 AFC Asia Cup due to connections he made performing with the North Side Crew. And a show he performed in Toronto and Estonia, The Legend of Huli, led to his gig in Tango for Two.
Why George Brown Dance?
Giller auditioned for university dance programs but chose George Brown because of the location.
"It made my decision easy because it was in the city, so I knew that if I had like two classes that day, I could just go down to Underground Dance Centre, which was kind of the hub for so many professionals at the time," he said. "If you go into the city and you take those classes and talk to those professionals, then people are going to see you and what you can do."
Giller said some North Side Crew captains are GBC alumni who also teach at the college.
"I see them and think I could take that same path of performing with Raptors and teaching," he said. "It's cool to see because it seems realistic to me."
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Supporting GBC alumni performances
A George Brown College contingent, including President Dr. Gervan Fearon, attended the May 17, 2024, performance of Tango for Two to support dance graduate David Giller.
In all, 21 GBC fans filled the theatre, including members of the college's Alumni Relations team and Student Ambassadors (pictured).
Tango for Two premiered in Toronto in 2023 and returned for a run at Jeanne Lamon Hall at Trinity St. Paul's Centre in May 2024. The touring show will hit Montreal, Hamilton, Richmond Hill, New York City, and Rochester, N.Y., later this year.
Earlier this year, a GBC Alumni-Global delegation travelled to New York City to watch Theatre Arts (Performance) grad Evan Alexander Smith perform in Merrily We Roll Along, marking the actor's 10th year on Broadway.
