Diego Cervantes + Rae Fleury + Camille Huang + Rozenn Lecomte & Ariane Levasseur + Mélina Elisa Pires + Fanny Bélanger-Poulin

Rae Fleury grew up in New York, where they trained as a pre-professional and professional ballerina from the age of 6. At 14 they stopped dancing and began a profound exploration into visual and textile arts. They moved to Montréal to obtain a double major in Studio Arts, Art History, and a minor in Psychology. They worked as a visual and textile artist before deciding to return to dance in 2021. They integrate fiber art techniques with dance to explore marks on the body, the textures they add to our movement and experience; how dance can shed light on these imprints and provide moments of respite for oneself and others who are invited to witness.

I found myself perturbed by the persisting impact of our experiences on our nervous systems; how that affects our future selves and those we exchange with; how, as individuals responsible to our communities and Earth, we can approach healing these seemingly endless loops of pain and sickness, which subconsciously rule us. Taking advantage of my multidisciplinary art practice and the wisdom of varied perspectives it brings, I crocheted a worn prop that guided my movement explorations. Learning that trembling was a reoccurring element, I called upon my singing practice to investigate further benefits of vibrations in the form of humming.

Based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal, Mélina Elisa Pires is a dance and visual artist. After briefly studying fiber arts at Concordia, she enrolled in dance at UQAM. Her studies allowed her to work on performance with established artists such as Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, Alan Lake, and Esther Rousseau Morin; as well as explore choreography alongside choreographers such as Dominique Porte, Marie Béland, and Danièle Desnoyers. She also presented and performed in works at the Passerelle 840 and Usawa Production festivals. She has a college diploma in visual arts and an obsession for percussive dances and footwork, which lives within her. Mélina seeks to bring these interests together through her constantly evolving choreographic process. Her wish: to form cultural and community bridges through a rhythm that participates in decolonizing the arts.

Yann Lobono is a composer from Montréal. He began his career by first collaborating with musical artists through video, then became interested in musical composition. Dance played a fundamental role in his passion for it and became a primordial expression in his music. Depending on the project, he works alone or in collaboration with choreographers, dancers, or other musicians, with the ultimate goal of creating works that embody movement.

Based in Montréal, Patrick Maltais Verrette is a photographer passionate about portraits and documentaries. He is also active on film sets in both photo and video. He recently participated in the Making a Documentary program at INIS.

A contemporary dance artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal, Camille Gendron navigates between the roles of performer, creator and, more recently, rehearsal director. Having begun their career in history, anthropology and native studies, they nourish their practice with sociopolitical reflections and a desire for honest and challenging human connections. Now a graduate of UQAM’s undergraduate dance program, Camille’s work is imbued with a strong physicality, emphasizing the body’s perceptive capacities and interaction with the environment. Camille co-created the multidisciplinary works [re]prendre Terre (2021) and Aux effluves de fluides et de cierges (2022).

Born in Mexico, Gindo Galeana is an alumni of Amalia Hernandez’s renowned Mexican Folk Dance Ballet, where the dance is a mix of tradition and classical ballet. He decided to settle in Montréal, where he continues the transmission of Mexican dance and culture with his own group, called the Mexican Ballet of Montréal. His mission being to promote Latin American culture, he organizes an annual showcase of Mexican dances and traditions in addition to participating in several festivals and shows that allow it to spread his art through multiple platforms.

This new creation is a first solo piece in which I take on the task of questioning my artistic identity: where it is and how it is defined by my ethnic identity. I explore the legend of the witch, who for me represents an emancipated woman who follows her own ideologies. The gesture is drawn from movement, simultaneous, intuitive, partly unknown, but also familiar. I seek to honor Mexican folklore by presenting it in a minimalistic form for the purpose of focusing on an element of strength. It is also an opportunity to show myself as a Mexican and Afro-descendant performer and creator who seeks to show a body type that seems to be lacking representation in the Montréal contemporary dance scene.

Originally from Montréal/Tiohtià:ke, Fanny Bélanger-Poulin first studies visual arts at Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, graduating in 2017. In 2021, she completes a bachelor’s degree in contemporary dance, artistic practice profile, in the dance department of Université du Québec à Montréal, during which she has the chance to work with several creators, such as Frédérick Gravel and Catherine Lavoie-Marcus. She then trains with Stéphanie Decourteille at the BIG BANG workshop. Interested in combining and deploying moving images, notably through scenography, she is currently investing herself in her dance practice and wishes to continue deepening her research in movement, as well as exploring the transdisciplinary possibilities that her work in the visual arts brings.

This research follows the premature death of Jade Vernerey, a close friend of mine. Her work, of which little remains, much of it destroyed for lack of storage space, was my first source of material. So it was my memories that I had to probe, interweaving the anecdotal and the absurd that I shared with their author. I wanted to see something emerge from the images gleaned from her pieces, something that still inhabits me, something that could outlive her, and accompany me. An installation, a shopping cart filled with soapsuds, escorts me on a journey where I revisit the traces of our daily lives. The reshaping of these traces shatters them into new stories, through which I attempt to answer the following questions: How do we combine mourning and gentleness? How can we build on and with loss? How can we make the remnants blossom, weave new narratives into the wounds so that they nourish us?

Rozenn Lecomte is a dance artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. She graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal. There, she benefits from the expertise of Catherine Gaudet, Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, Danièle Desnoyers and Andrea Peña, as well as being a recipient of the William-Douglas Prize. Shortly after graduating, she took part in the Nice Try event at Usine C, where she worked with Catherine Gaudet. Rozenn Lecomte is currently working on her piece Le recueillement des tendres, and is committed to performing alongside emerging artists. She also produces the podcast Fil conducteur, in which she talks to Montréal contemporary dance artists about various issues concerning the dance industry. Rozenn Lecomte is a choreographer of space in constant mutation and creates pieces characterized by self-inflicted vulnerability, embodied in the minimalist manipulation of the body that embraces its flaws, its faults, its intimacy.

Based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal), Ariane Levasseur uses the body as her main artistic vehicle. Her studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal enabled her to work with Andrea Peña, Danièle Desnoyers, Catherine Gaudet and James Viveiros, among others. In 2021, she took part in Caroline Laurin-Beaucage’s project Habiter nos mémoires, presented at Place des Arts. Since completing her bachelor’s degree in dance, for which she was awarded the William-Douglas Prize, Ariane has worked with emerging choreographers, including Rozenn Lecomte, Lila Geneix, Miranda Chan, and Noël Vézina. In 2023, she took part in a research residency with Carré des Lombes as part of their Compagnonnage project. As a performer-creator, she continues to explore resistance, the beauty of protesting, and fragments of intimacy through movement in a variety of performative contexts.

Originally from Toronto, Brianna Lombardo completed her professional training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. As an independent dancer, she worked with Michael Trent and Matjash Mrozewski in Toronto before moving to Montréal to work with Isabelle Van Grimde and to join Jean Pierre Perreault’s Joe in 2004, before joining the O Vertigo company from 2004 to 2010. Since re-launching her independent career, she has worked closely with Mélanie Demers, Frédérick Gravel, Martin Messier and Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, as well as Daniel Léveillé, Jacques Poulin-Denis, Sasha Ivanochko, and most recently, Helen Simard and Parts+Labour_Danse. She also teaches yoga, the repertoire of O Vertigo, MAYDAY and Frédérick Gravel, and works as a rehearsal director with long-term collaborators.

A 2022 graduate of the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe theatre school, Pénélope Ducharme is a young multidisciplinary artist based in Montréal/Tiohtìa:ke. Always on the lookout for new passions, she is, among other things, an actress, a photographer, and a makeup artist. It’s with curiosity and enthusiasm that she enters the world of theatre, where she hopes to work as both a performer and a creator. Since leaving school, she has nurtured her multitalented nature by taking part in NICE TRY as a creative assistant, delving into the world of audio books by collaborating with Frédérique Marseille on audiovisual excerpts from her novel, and performing on stage on several occasions in productions by Théâtre de l’Opsis, Théâtre l’Arrière Scène, and CEAD. The year 2023 has many projects in store for her, starting with a new creation by the theatre company Le Carrousel, scheduled for the fall.

Gabriela Hébert is a multidisciplinary artist who uses sound and image to create dreamlike worlds. In her experimental approach, she exploits what technology has brought to the art world without losing the human touch. Her practice focuses on sound installation and real-time performance, immersing the viewer in an ambient narrative. Her experiences in many areas of the art world, such as sound design, scenography, installation, visual music, virtual reality, dance and clothing conceptualization, have led her to present her sound installation COEXISTENCE for the sound showcase at Sporobole (2023), a meditative performance at FieldTest.02 (2022), several fashion show soundtracks for PROCESS VISUAL presented at Société des arts technologiques and Reset/Toronto-Fashion-week (2019), and her virtual reality paradoxes&perceptions for the SOIR Festival (2018).

For us, this is not moving is rooted in a process free of pain, difficulties, and obligations. We feel blessed to have been accompanied by such gentle people, who helped us rewrite our narrative, our stories. We’re more than just the two of us on stage; there’s an army of women behind us, can’t you see it? We go through life dancing, but there’s a part of us that feels we’re not welcome. In an industry where the masculine still wins, asserting ourselves on stage and declaring ourselves as queer women is feminist and radical. Our movements, our dramaturgy, our bodies are charged with a thirst to regain power, with an injustice that eats us up from the inside. We make ourselves visible for all those whose existence has been denied.

Camille Huang is a dance artist, emerging choreographer, and visual artist. At 15, they began to choreograph contemporary solos and have continued to develop their creation skills and movement exploration at every opportunity since. As a second-generation immigrant as well as a first-generation artist in her family lineage, Camille began her journey in Montréal by studying anthropology at Concordia and McGill University. Camille is now a graduate of École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (2023), where she has worked with several notable choreographers. Camille is also an art director, movement director, and has a practice in experimental animation. They are interested in work that contains effort and pleasure and questions. She wants to dive into a creative process and let it open her to fragility and strength. She takes seriously the play of the creative process and is infinitely enlivened by it.

Evelynn Yan, originally from Vancouver Island, BC, started dancing at age 4 and later trained at École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal. Post-graduation (2021), Evelynn joined Company Van Grimde Corps Secret on their latest web series, Messis. Later in the year, she toured in Germany, performing the lead role in the dance installation Eve 2050. After meeting choreographer Virginie Brunelle in school, she was invited to take part in her new creation Fables 2022, which premiered with the company in Switzerland at Lugano Dance Project, and proceeded to perform it at Place des Arts as part of the Danse Danse season.

Rodolfo Rueda is a multidisciplinary artist mainly developing his craft in music and photography. Born in Lima, Peru, one has to learn how to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Due to this, the overwhelming constant reception to sound, images and more were a constant in Rodolfo’s growth, which has made him a hectic mixture with unexpected outcomes when it comes to art. Now based in Montréal, Rodolfo is graduating from McGill University in the Jazz Performance program. In the meantime, he’s also releasing his own music with his solo project CIBER1A, which is mainly focused on experimenting with electronic music and pop.

Ideas for what is now Feast of Fishbones started during a solo research, mentored by Angelique Willkie in 2021, exploring Chinese immigrant identity and sensations of belonging. As time passed, I began to realize that the piece I wanted to make is really about a bursting and powerful freedom and plurality of self-expression that is so powerful that it devours the limiting archetypes of identity seen from the white gaze. I have become curious about which gaze I make dance for. This piece is curious about seeing one another and then giving each other space and freedom to explore. It is inspired by self-discovery by way of metamorphosis. As an interdisciplinary maker, the process of this work has involved writing a poem and a script that led to image research with Evelynn. The set will include projections of visual material generated during the process, including film, collage and hand-drawn animation, invoking the non-linear aspects of storytelling often present in experimental film.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Diego Cervantes is a Montréal-based dancer and choreographer. Diego’s passion for the performing arts was ignited at a young age, influenced by his musician grandfather’s commitment to art and unity. This early exposure nurtured his love for dance and motivated him to pursue a career in the field in his hometown. In 2019, Diego made the pivotal decision to move to Tiohtià:ke/Montréal to further his professional journey, focusing on a BFA with a Major in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University. Diego’s artistic exploration centers around investigating human emotions and storytelling that aims to make sense of what cannot be easily expressed or articulated. He remains committed to continuous learning and growing within the realm of dance, whether as a choreographer, performer, or movement facilitator.

Santiago Lopez is a movement artist and director originally from Medellin, Colombia, based in Montréal. He has a strong foundation in physical theatre and is currently studying contemporary dance with a minor in theatre at Concordia University. Santiago Lopez also trains as an electro dancer with the collective Cypher Electro Montreal. His creative practice is informed by questions of positionality and post-colonial Western human interactions, using dance as a tool for political analysis and action. He leads the Compagnie Eblouie project, bringing together diverse artists to create performances that question critical approaches to choreography and performance creation.

Marie-Victoria Laurence is a Montréal-based multidisciplinary artist. Her desire to pursue dance emerges while studying traditional animation, breaking down action into key drawings to create the illusion of movement. Her background in raqs sharqi (belly dance), contemporary dance, yoga, theatre and clown has given her versatility and a passion for play and improvisation. She holds a Certificate of Visual Arts from Idyllwild Arts Academy, a DEC in Dance from Cégep de Saint-Laurent and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Major in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University. Her work has been qualified as poetic and moving depictions of inner landscapes.

Olivia Jaén Flores was born in Mexico and immigrated to Montréal at a young age, where she discovered her passion for dance, dedicating her studies to the arts and graduating with a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University in 2020. Despite the pandemic, she signed a contract with Sinha Danse and joined Yesenia Fuentes’ research and creation work. Olivia received a professional development grant from Conseil des arts de Montréal to participate in the Atlas Festival Mexico, where she connected with international contemporary dance artists and her cultural roots. Olivia co-founded Entre|Nos, a collective that explores movement research reflecting Montréal and Québec’s multicultural landscape. Olivia’s dance is authentic and vulnerable, reflecting her constant desire to express herself and connect with others.

Born, raised and based in Mexico, Alejandro Preisser is a composer, musician, director, music producer, and photographer. He studied composition at the National School of Music and the INBA Superior School of Music, as well as industrial design at UNAM. Alejandro Preisser plays various instruments, including piano, classical and electric guitar, banjo, cello, drums, bass, and other plucked string instruments. He composes music for film, theatre, series, dance, and circus, with a wide range of genres, including minimalist classical, folk, rock, experimental, and pop. Alejandro Preisser’s music has been performed in venues, festivals and streaming platforms around the world, including the Cervantino, Netflix, and the Lunario del Auditorio Nacional. He is also the creative director and composer for Triciclo Circus Band, which has performed at numerous festivals and events.

Based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, Irene Ruiz Muniente is a Spanish dancer and choreographer trained in contemporary dance, Spanish dance and flamenco. After graduating from the Dance Conservatory A. Ruiz Soler of Seville, she joined the Contemporary Dance program at Concordia University. Anchored in exploration, her work aims to investigate interdisciplinary languages through the use of contemporary dance vocabularies. Reflecting on poetic, rhythmic, and aesthetic choreographic dimensions plays an essential role in her creative practice. Irene Ruiz is currently immersed in the development of her choreographic language, submerging herself in creative processes with numerous artists and collaborators. Most recently, she has performed at Mainline Theatre, Festival Quartiers Danses, and Festival L’Art en soi.

Pamela Feghali is an interdisciplinary choreographer, theatre director, and performer based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. She recently graduated from the Contemporary Dance program at Concordia University, where she was awarded the Contemporary Dance Prize. She also holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Ottawa. Over the years, Pamela has collaborated alongside a wide range of artists and companies, including the National Arts Centre and Soulpepper Theatre. In 2023, she presented her choreography An Ode to Survival for So You Think That Was Dance? at MainLine Theatre. Pamela also performed in a co-creation entitled Red Lips at the FOFA Gallery.

In my creative process for Taco, I embark on a journey that blends my Mexican heritage and my Canadian experience, exploring what it means to exist between two cultures. As a choreogra-chef, I am inspired by the parallels of cooking and dancing, both of which have the power to bring people together and create shared experiences. Playfulness and rawness are key elements in my artistic approach, allowing me to express my creativity authentically. By using my mother’s recipes as a foundation, I translate the act of following them into movement phrases, exploring the embodiment of taste and texture. Through experimentation and refinement, I meticulously layer and combine choreographic elements, much like preparing a delicious dish. Collaborating with Alejandro Preisser, we create a musical accompaniment that blends traditional and contemporary sounds, capturing the essence of my heritage while adding fresh and dynamic elements. Taco challenges boundaries and explores the connections between culture, identity, and creativity, inviting audiences to embark on a multidimensional and immersive experience that resonates with people from diverse backgrounds.

Salsa verde ingredients
Green tomatillos
Green chilies (serranos)
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
A handful of fresh cilantro
Salt