New waves 2015

Anne Cormerais is interested in art in all its forms. Following a 5-year course in classical ballet, she turned to contemporary dance in which she sees exciting possibilities. She pursued her training at l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (Québec, Canada), graduating in 2014. Her dance practice has flourished through instruction from choregraphers and teachers including Isabelle Poirier, Sophie Corriveau, Noam Gagnon, and Dana Gingras. Working with them allowed her to push the limits of her physicality. Artistically speaking, Anne found the meaning of dance in social commitment and sense of community. For the moment Anne is travelling to learn about life and get gain inspiration for futures creations.

Sharing, communicating, helping: these are the key words that motivate Myriam Foisy and keep her focused on health sciences and contemporary dance. Stimulated by many humanitarian experiences overseas and her strong convictions, Myriam keeps questioning art, its reach and influences. This is why engaged choreographers such as Melanie Demers and Frédérick Gravel and passionate teachers including Audrey Dunn and Sophie Corriveau are sources of inspiration for her. Myriam graduated from the Collège Montmorency in 2011 with academic honours and graduated from l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 2014. Based in Montreal, Myriam is studying ergotherapy at Université de Montréal while continuing to explore movement, expressivity, and different rhythms through dance workshops and projects.

Jean-Benoit Labrecque-Gilbert is a young dancer and graduate of l’École de danse contemporaine de Montreal (EDCMTL). His interest in the cultures of urban dance encouraged him to enrich his practice working in proximity to Angelo Ameur, a founder of the hip-hop community in Montreal. Authenticity and instinct are qualities that have emerged from this mingling of two worlds, and that have nourished his artistic research as a performer. His experiences with choreographers such as José Navas, Tedd Robinson, Estelle Clareton, Jacques Poulin-Denis, and Sasha Kleinplatz have revived his commitment to working in the performing arts. He also participated in Vue sur la relève festival in spring 2013 with 24k urban dance company Pure Gold and is involved as a performer and choreographer in the Incubator Project committee EDCMTL.

After fifteen years of classical ballet training and a college education in photography in Montreal, Christine Daigle found her way into contemporary dance. She began her professional training at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, graduating in 2014. During her studies, she worked professionally as a dancer in the opera La damnation de Faust by Robert Lepage. As part of her training, she also worked with diverse choreographers such as Dana Gingras, Estelle Clareton, Noam Gagnon, Hélène Blackburn, Manon Oligny, and Marc Boivin. AFter graduatingn, she joined the company O Vertigo.

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Raquel Lanziner was brought up in a musical household and began dancing at the age of nine. At eighteen she finished the ballet program at Proarte in North Vancouver and proceeded to further her formation at Ecole Superieure de Ballet du Quebec (ESBQ) in Montreal. During her studies, she joined the student company Le Jeune Ballet du Quebec where she had the opportunity to tour to France and Mexico. Following her graduation from ESBQ Raquel was apart of the Professional Dance Program in Banff 2012. Raquel has had the privilege of performing pieces by Aszure Barton, Shawn Hounsell, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Helene Blackburn, Thierry Malandin, Mario Radacovsky, Ron de Jesus, Claude Caron, as well as classical works by Petipa and Balanchine. Since graduation, Raquel has participate din various dance projects in Montreal and is thrilled to be apart of Quantum Collective.

Invested since his childhood in traditional Quebecois dance, Antoine Turmine is also a contemporary dancer. After completing a degree in dance (BACC) at UQAM in 2014, he is now embarking on a masters in dance to better locate and (re)question his work with sound, space, and the body. Antoine is currently involved in the work of Zogma companies, The Bang Bang collective! and La R’voyure in addition to participating in several independent creations.

Paco Ziel, originally from Mexico, studied music and arts at the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) from the age of 12. He was awarded a full scholarship at the Estudio Profesional de Danza Ema Pulido in Mexico City where he was able to develop his skills and talent as a dancer. Meanwhile, he studied physiotherapy at the Universidad del Valle de México. In 2011, Ziel traveled to Montreal to complete his studies at Ecole Superieure de Ballet du Quebec with a full scholarship under the direction of Anik Bissonette. His desire to develop greater body awareness and self improvement has brought Paco into contact with new ways of training such as, Gaga, Rubberband method, yoga, feldenkrais and meditation. Paco’s work Huapango won first prize at the Bravissimo competition in Quebec 2011. In 2012, Mexica received an outstanding review by a renowned Mexican cultural and art critic. Paco’s vision of dance goes beyond performing, he is also interested in research, cultivating new ideas, dance literature, and collaborating with others to find new ways of exploring science, philosophy, politics, and spirituality. He has worked with Montreal contemporary dance companies such as Cas Public, and Rubberbandance.

Ami Shulman performed with Compagnie Marie Chouinard and Jose Navas for several years before becoming the Artistic Director for the Chouinard Company on tour as well as the rehearsal director for both companies. Ami has set works on companies such as the Goteborg Opera, the National Ballet of Canada, and Ballet BC and has been a movement consultant on several theatre productions throughout Canada, including for the Grand Theatre Junction, Repercussion Theatre, and the award winning director Yael Farber. Ami is a highly sought after teacher, and with her unique approach to mindful, anatomical relationships in movement has been invited to teach extensively for such institutions as Juilliard, Jacob’s Pillow, Goteborgs Danskompani, the National Theatre School of Canada, the Rotterdam Danse Academy, and Cirque du Soleil. Ami is an Artistic Associate of the Springboard Project Montreal and she is a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method.

Fueled by a passion for dance that began in his native country, Mexican born Edgar Zendejas was drawn to the United States where he received a bursary to study at the United States International University in San Diego. Edgar’s career began in Chicago where he performed with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Giordano Jazz Dance. In the early nineties, Edgar joined Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, now BJM Danse, where he found himself evolving as an artist and choreographer. The company’s varied repertoire and frequent international tours nurtured Edgar’s emerging interest in creation. After the successful premiere of Zendejas’s first work, Breve Enlace, Louis Robitaille, artist director of BJM, promoted Edgar to associate choreographer with a commission for a new work, Besame. Besame Mucho! which was applauded by Montreal audiences. Recognition of this new work as well as awards from the Festival Danse Encore in 2001 and 2003, led to choreographic commissions in Mexico and the United States, most notably from Jacob’s Pillow, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, State Street Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, and Ballet de Monterrey, Mexico. Edgar Zendejas’s North American acclaim has continued to grow: he won the Hubbard Street 2 National Choreographic Competition in 2010, competed as a finalist for the Milwaukee Ballet’s choreographic competition Genesis in 2011, and won the Outstanding Choreographer Award from Youth American Grand Prix in 2012.

Nicolas Cantin creates choreographic environments in which multiple dramatic possibilities of movement co-exist. His universe bends between intimacy and savagery. He creates three shows: Ape, Beautiful way, and Mygale (FTA, 2012) which form a trilogy under the title Three romances. He then built “two English pieces” CHEESE and Klumzy (FTA, 2014) that deal with memory. Sometimes he dances as well. He participates in Frédérick Gravel’s piece Tout se pète la gueule, chérie and a few others. He has also flirted with circus, co-creating a solo for Patrick Leonard for Les 7 doigts de la main. Nicolas engages, at regular intervals, in various collective projects that all navigate the boundaries of gender. Today he is an artist in residence at Usine C, after having been an associate artist at the Chapel at L’L (Brussels) and Montevideo (Marseille).

The issue of being together is itself a re-reading of the act of creation in a collective context. The creative process is thus at the center of the work where each member participates in the construction of a shared creative space. A proposition in space, according to pre-established framework of rules set in advance (using a motion bank, a theme or concept, initiator member of a work on weight, etc.). Improvisation and freedom of the artist are completely present to the extent that all framework are open and can be proposed or altered by everyone.

The layout and organization of gestural phrases are made through inherent discussions in this process. In the space of creation emerges the movement that, in turn, seeks an interpretation (a meaning) recognized by all members. It is only from this common meaning that dramaturgy can be built. In short, the thread lies in the ability to remove the ego of the choreographic composition.

Philippe Dandonneau holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from UQAM. Throughout his studies he had the opportunity to interpret and engage with the work of established choreographers such as José Navas, Dominique Porte, Lucie Grégoire, and Deborah Dunn. In addition, he participated in the creative process of the piece Tableau de chasse (pas selon la nature) choreographed by Manon Oligny and presented at the Agora de la danse in 2012. Philippe choreographed the pieces Son of a Gun (2011) Peau de Fortune (2012), and Crematorium which was presented at the Agora de la danse (2013) as well as Vue sur la Relève festival. His latest creation Happy Birthday Mr. Prozac was also part of the programming at Zone Homa 2014. Philippe also dances for young choreographers and directors including Bruno Dufort (De Rage, Theatre LaChapelle, 2013), Julia Barrette Laperrière (Let’s Get It On, OFFTA, 2013) and Geneviève Lauzon (MOI | IOT, (Quartiers Danses, 2014). His body language is raw, physical, dynamic, sensual, and explosive. Inspired by the idea of creation as a catharsis for the viewer, Philippe critiques and reveals the quirks of society while developing a feminist intention amidst a masculine world.

Marijoe Foucher holds a degree in dance from the UQAM (2013). During her studies, she had the opportunity to delve into the universes of various choreographers such as Manon Oligny and Sylvain Émard. Furthermore, she participated in several art projects by young choreographers including Claudia Chan Tak, Philippe Dandonneau, Anne-Flore de Rochambeau and the collective Dans son salon. These collaborations have taken her to perform at Vue sur la Relève Festival (2014-2013), Zone Homa (2014) and the Fringe Festival (2013-2012). Moreover, Marijoe joined Emmanuel Jouthe’s in situ project Écoute pour voir. ALomg the way, she has explored the role of assistant producer and has put her heart into many creative processes. Marijoe wishes to use art to share sensitivity, energy, and a vision powered by imagination and instinct.

Dancer, choreographer, teacher, and speaker Geneviève Lauzon is a versatile artist interested in all forms of dance. After obtaining her degree in contemporary dance at UQAM, she continued her training with renowned choreographers (Victor Quijada, Hélène Blackburn, Mélanie Demers) and worked for many young choreographers such as Marie-Joëlle Hadd, Lynsey Billing, Andrée-Anne Ratthée, and Jade Marquis. She is currently working with Philippe Dandonneau and Ghislaine Doté in their respective projects. In 2013, Geneviève joined Sursaut Dance Company for La cigale et la fourmi and À la nuit tombante which lead her to perform throughout Quebec, United States, China, and Mexico. Alongside her performing career, Genevieve has developed her own choreographic project Moi | ioT presented at Quartiers Danses in 2014. She specializes in choreographing for large groups including the Just for Laughs Festival, numerous musicals and various outdoor events. Her expertise as a choreographer for choirs has also led her to lead conferences in Quebec and Winnipeg.

I am interested in the cathartic power of creation for the audience, as a means of relieving their urges and their fantasies towards the theatre experience. I am trying to remove the blinders of the public by directly exposing them to the crude images they are confronted with daily, but that point towards different perspectives once presented on stage, with the intent of opening reflections and discussions.

Bleach’s choreographic research has focused on the idea of madness which sometimes is interrupted by moments of joy and distraction. Given the external pressure in society some individuals suffer from anxiety or various psychological disorders that fade slowly with pills and antidepressants. I think the element of the washing machine is a beautiful transposition of body’s physical and mental state when it is controlled by various chemical elements. This piece is intended to be an intimate journey into the heads of the dancers with the audio background of a laundromat .

Camille Lacelle-Wilsey realized that she hopes to work as a choreographer while completing college studies in dance at CEGEP St-Laurent. She created the piece Bella Ciao during the summer of 2010 with her friend Rebecca Rehder in an apartment rented for the occasion. They created the artistic collective Simone & Jane. She then participated in dance workshops in Belgium, Paris, and Montreal, with choreographers and dancers who inspire her. She began studies at Concordia University in 2013 where she met Nien Tzu Weng and Guillaume Loslier-Pinard, with whom she started a process of choreographic research. In March 2015, she completed a series of four short dance films, entitled IIII, the result of filming for more than a year in the woods near Sutton, Quebec. Camille’s artistic training also includes individual encounters, trips, studies, and various small jobs.

Guillaume Loslier-Pinard quit the Canadian Forces to become a contemporary dance student at Concordia University. Before entering the Forces he went to Japan for a pilgrimage and finally understood the meaning of his life on the top of a mountain, only to forget it again back in Canada on a metro bench, as he does with his mittens every damn winter. He associated himself with choreographer Camille Lacelle-Wilsey because he wants to tour internationally and she is small enough to fit in a suitcase.

Nien Tzu Weng is a Taiwanese dancer and choreographer. She began her dance training at the age of 4, studying ballet, jazz, modern dance, hip hop, and Chinese traditional dance. In 2008 Weng moved to Vancouver to further her artistic studies. She is currently living in Montreal where she is working on her BFA in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University. Her approach to choreography is through a combination of the various disciplines to which she has been exposed. Her works are inspired by her interpretations of society and reflections on her own life.

Thomas Sauvé-Lafrance is a young drummer from Montréal who has a penchant for exploring musical diversity, especially the realms of world music, hip-hop, folk and pop. Currently, he studies jazz at McGill University. With the hip-hop collective “Urban Science”, he performed at the Montréal Jazzfest in 2015. He is also in a group with the singer Ilam, having performed at the 2015 edition of the Francofolies of Montréal. Other collaborators include Waahli (Nomadic Massive), Didier Awadi, and Noumoucounda Cissoko.

Marie-Audrey Jacques is a graduate of set design from École Supérieure de Théâtre (2014) and currently a master’s student of costumes. During her studies at École Supérieure de Théâtre, she led costume design for multiple projects under the direction of Catherine Vidal, Éric Jean, Angela Konrad, Sofia Brault and Marie-Ève Lussier. She was also responsible for the set-design and set-paraphernalia of Alice Ronfard and Jacques Lessard. Since 2013, she has created the costumes for the youth theater company Le Théâtre de laBotte Trouée (Dans l’œil du corbeau and À travers les cendres). In 2014, she and her partner, Laurence Boutin, were selected for the prize of Best Set Design at the Fringe Festival of Montréal for their work on Femmes de Ravensbrück : qui rapportera ces paroles?. As of October 2015, she is the costume designer for Macbeth, directed by Angela Konrad, to be presented at l’Usine C.

Cédric Delorme is a graduate of set-design from UQAM and is currently pursuing a master in theatre. He has done the lighting for over fifty productions, spanning the berth of the world (Canada, South America, and Europe) and a variety of fashions: theatre, opera, dance, installation, and visual arts. He was nominated for the Best Lighting for his work on Le désir de Gobi at Gala Du Cochons d’or 2014 – 2015. The piece was presented at Prospero and produced by the company Ombre Rouge, where he is also the artistic co-director since 2013.

I see fear and rage in my body, a brutal presence, succeeding each other rapidly in a single day. It’s that sensation, as of fireworks in the heart and guts, that’s creates the piece D’amour ils se gaveront, de haine ils déborderont. These fireworks, we were searching to create and bring on ourselves.

I have worked directly with the personality of the two dancers, inspired by the contradictions that can be perceived in them: Nien Tzu, at the same time cheerleader and dictator; Guillaume, a diva and a killer united in the same being. I brought these extremes together in the same space. On drums, Thomas works on these contrast’s, sometimes blending in with the rhythms and the dynamics of the dancers, sometimes far away from them.

D’amour ils se gaveront, de haine ils déborderont speaks to the violence and sensuality in each of us. It explores our relationship with our self-portrait, with which we can be successively in harmony and in contradiction.

Originally from Montreal, Dominique-Sophie has benefited from unique training specialized in urban, social, and contemporary dance forms. Her journey began with the Lindy Hop company Swing Express in Montreal, and after training in Argentine tango with Fabian Diaz in Buenos Aires, she performed with the Tango Libre company, also based in Montreal. In 2007, Dominique Sophie discovered House dance and moved to New York City to fully immerse herself in the culture. During and after her training at New York’s Peridance Center, Dominique Sophie performed with contemporary choreographers Carmen Carceres and Jason Shipley-Holmes, the companies KINEMATIK Dance Theater and Les Filles Follën. She also danced at MADE in Berlin, and in Detroit’s Movement Festival. In September 2013, Dominique Sophie presented Slow Dance as part of the festival On Occupe le bain St-Michel in Montreal. In June and July 2014, Dominique Sophie participated as co-choreographer and a dancer for Theo Parrish (legendary Detroit producer) live band tour in Europe. Dominique Sophie completed her Master’s degree in May 2012 at NYU’s Gallatin School in vernacular dance research, performance, and production. Her artistic aim as a dancer and creator is to create work that explores spectatorship in performance, specifically with the use of improvisation and site-specific work.

Tom Jarvis (UK) began as a professional guitarist in the early 2000’s working with producers such as Owen Morris (Oasis, The Verve, Electronic), Andy Green (New Order), and Jagz Kooner (Two Lone Swordsmen, Primal Scream.) With the band Reverend and the Makers, Tom performed on two UK top 20 singles and two UK top 20 albums, one of which has been certified Gold with sales over 100,000. He has also toured extensively with the band throughout the UK and at festivals across Europe and in Japan. Since moving to Montreal in 2009, Tom now performs, composes and produces music in the group Pachyderm (formed with Nico Braesch). The band has released six albums, including Parabola (2011) and T-CE! (2014) on vinyl. In 2013 the band performed a one-off, three-hour improvisation alongside legendary singer Damo Suzuki (CAN). In 2013 Tom co-founded the Brothers and Sisters collective, for which he has produced and performed on albums by artists including, Dust Bowl Era, Jack Thomas, vague mémoire and Gooseball Brown. Under the Hey Majesty moniker Tom has released three albums and performed live in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Dominique Sophie. Tom’s compositions and scores have been used in numerous documentaries and feature films shown in international film festivals and on UK television. Tom has also written commissioned pieces for dance performances (Sadlers Wells, London) and fashion shows (Montreal Fashion Week, London Fashion Week.) In 2015, Tom will be releasing the new Pachyderm album Two Weeks of Spring on double-vinyl through the Brothers and Sisters label, followed by a European tour in June. http://www.brothersandsistersrecords.com