SEASON

Everything's Coming Up Roses WCD's Emerging Artist Initiative

Thursday, October 19, 1:30pm
Friday, October 20, 7:30pm

 

The future is bright in our first ticketed performance of the season! Featuring new work + new and returning dancers! Witness a fun and exciting evening of talent as ten dancers dive deep into themselves and their dance practice!

For decades, WCD has created opportunities for emerging dancers. For 23/24, WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative runs for six and a half weeks, with dancers gathering in WCD’s studio for rehearsals, new creation, research and coaching; culminating in two public performances.

WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative is in partnership with The School of Contemporary Dancers.

Everything's Coming Up Roses:

Choreography:
Jolene Bailie

Additional Rehearsal Directors:
Carol-Ann Bohrn for "in between here and now", Julious Gambalan for "Space or Place", Warren McClelland for "Last Schema"

Original Sound:
Emma Hendrix for "in between here and now"

Projection Design :
Hugh Conacher for "Space or Place"

Dancers:
Alejandra Cortes Rodino, Zeus Gonzales, Aileen Holzrichter, Ellice Kynman, Freya Macdonald-Johnsen, Thomas Oberlin, Monica Schilling, Citlali Solis Hernandez, Natalie Sluis 

Photo (above):
Photo: Leif Norman, Choreography: Jolene Bailie, Dancers: Thomas Oberlin and Zeus Gonzales

Jolene Bailie

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Jolene Bailie

Choreographer

Photo: Kristen Sawatsky

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Carol-Ann Bohrn

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Carol-Ann Bohrn

Additional Rehearsal Director for in between here and now

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Julious Gambalan

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Julious Gambalan

Additional Rehearsal Director for Space or Place

Photo: Mark Dela Cruz

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Warren McClelland

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Warren McClelland

Additional Rehearsal Director for Last Schema

Photo: Leif Norman

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Emma Hendrix

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Emma Hendrix

Original Sound for in between here and now

Photo: Unknown

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Hugh Conacher

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Hugh Conacher

Projection Design for Space or Place

Photo: Leif Norman

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Alejandra Cortes Rodino              

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Alejandra Cortes Rodino              

Dancer

Photo: Citlali Solis Hernandez

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Zeus Gonzales  

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Zeus Gonzales  

Dancer

Photo: Xena Gonzales

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Aileen Holzrichter

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Aileen Holzrichter

Dancer

Photo: DJ Green

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Ellice Kynman

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Ellice Kynman

Dancer

Photo: Alexis Taylor

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Freya Macdonald-Johnsen

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Freya Macdonald-Johnsen

Dancer

Photo: Natalie Sluis

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Thomas Oberlin 

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Thomas Oberlin 

Dancer

Photo: Natalie Sluis

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Monica Schilling 

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Monica Schilling 

Dancer

Photo: Lucas Tielman

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Citlali Solis Hernandez                  

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Citlali Solis Hernandez                  

Dancer

Photo: Citlali Solis Hernandez

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Natalie Sluis 

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Natalie Sluis 

Dancer

Photo: Courtney Maertens

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The Impossible Has Already Happened

November 17-18 7:30pm
November 19 4:00pm

The Impossible Has Already Happened investigates the power and purpose of water. Water sustains, nourishes, disrupts and dazzles our planet. It draws parallels to our flowing lives, to stagnated situations, and presence of being. With a sense of urgency, this work highlights our precious natural resource and all it can achieve.

An international collaborative co-creation between Jennifer Mascall of MascallDance (Vancouver) and Claire O’Neil of Footnote New Zealand Dance, motivated by the incredible scale and enormity of the climate crisis.

Inspired by dialogue with climate scientists, activists, and knowledge-keepers, a fantastic cast of diverse Canadian and New Zealand artists bring laughter and momentum to the challenges of coming to terms with today’s world. Contemporary dance, live music, theatre, and storytelling come together with relevance and purpose in this exciting new work. Coming to Canada on the heels of a recent tour of New Zealand!

Artist Talk to follow Sunday matinee.

Buy tickets here

The Impossible Has Already Happened:

Creation/Choreography:
Jennifer Mascall, Claire O’Neil

Live Musician:
Kathleen Nisbet

Sound Design:
Kathleen Nisbet, Jason Wright

AV Design:
Claire O'Neil, Jennifer Mascall, Jason Wright

Lighting and Set Design:
Marcus McShane

Lighting and Set design, Adaptation:
Jack Chipman

Costume Design:
Anne de Geus

Costume Assistant:
Ysadora Dias

Costume Consultant:
Ralph Escamillan

Voice/Text/Theatre Coach:
Peter Daubé

Performers:
Allison Brooks, Ysadora Dias, Marisa Gold, Tobias Macfarlane, Iris Mae Shepperd, Claire O'Neil

Rehearsal Direction:
Hayley Gawthrop, Francesca Frewer

Character Development:
Kat Single-Dain

Community Engagement Coordinator:
Sierra Megas

Technical Director:
Jack Chipman

Technical Consultant:
John Macfarlane

Tour Manager:
Beatriz Orbegoso

Photo (above):
Caio Silva

Jennifer Mascall

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Jennifer Mascall

Choreographer

Canadian choreographer, teacher, improviser, mentor, and advocate for the art form.

Mascall, a first-generation settler of Norman/Celt descent, is a ceaseless investigator and unquenchable source of ideas. She and her over 200 works have received many awards and continue to challenge dancers and audiences. As a committed dance innovator, practitioner, educator, mentor, and advocate, she encourages new generations of artists through collaboration, creation, choreographic residencies, intensives, and dialogue.

Jennifer Mascall’s somatic movement inquiry is informed by studies with two American master teachers Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Linda Putnam. MascallDance has flourished since 1982.

Previous to !982 Mascall had an international career as a solo improviser and co-founded GRID, TIDE and EDAM, all collectives. Early interests were written dances, which developed into Dial A Dance phone-in dance orders and Footnotes, an anthology containing the written notes of 60 choreographers.

She has received the Canada 125 Confederation Commemorative Medal, the Clifford E. Lee Choreographic Award, the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, a Dora Mavor Moore Award, a Jessie Richardson Award, the Ann O’Connor Award, International Woman’s Day Award, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Best Performers Award (The Brutal Telling), the F.A.N.S. Distinguished Artist Award, and an Isadora for outstanding contribution to dance in B.C.

http://www.mascalldance.ca

Photo: Yukiko Onley

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Claire O’Neil

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Claire O’Neil

Choreographer

For over 20 years, Claire has been an international performer, choreographer and dance educator.

She lived in Belgium for a decade and worked with some of Europes’ most prestigious contemporary dance companies. In 2016 she achieved a Masters in Dance with first class honours from the University of Auckland.

Claire has researched, experienced and integrated various forms of contemporary dance and related physical practice, movement systems, social philosophy, and somatic inquiries such as Laban, Axis Syllabus, Feldonkrais, Body Weather, Action Theatre Improvisation, Body Mind Centering, yoga and Contact Improvisation.

As the Artistic Director of Fidget Collective, she has created, collaborated, and presented over 35 performances. Her performance works have won awards (Tempo Festival 2008 Best Choreography from an Established Choreographer (‘MTYland’); Wellington Fringe Festival Best Dance Production 2015 (‘Just Between Us’) and she has received several grants and scholarships furthering her investigations in the field of contemporary dance.

Claire features in Sue Healy’s award-winning dance documentary ‘Virtuosi’. She is currently a dance lecturer at Unitec Performing and Screen Arts and a movement coach for well-being programs in corporate business. She sits on the Artistic Advisor Panel for Footnote New Zealand Dance and mentors choreographers with The New Zealand Dance Company.

Photo: Ruthie Stoeffels

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Kathleen Nisbet

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Kathleen Nisbet

Musician

Classically trained early on, Vancouver fiddle player, singer and songwriter Kathleen Nisbet has returned to her Métis roots, pursuing more traditional fiddle music, and working in a variety of genres.

She has composed and contributed to multiple theatre and dance productions and collaborates regularly with V’ni Dansi Métis traditional dance, and Acuhko Simowuk Collective.

She’s an active member of Vancouver’s thriving bluegrass and folk scene, performing and touring with her band, Viper Central. With numerous studio recording credits to her name, she’s well known locally for her live music productions, including the annual East Van Opry in Vancouver.

Photo: Gillian Moranz

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Allison Brooks

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Allison Brooks

Performer

Artist Allison Brooks, rooted in Western Canada’s First Nations territories, embarked on her creative journey in Penticton, BC.

Training at The Schools of Contemporary Dancers in Winnipeg ignited her passion for contemporary dance. A recipient of the Banff Centre for the Arts scholarship (2019) and Edam Dance scholarship (2022), Allison thrives at the intersection of music and dance.

Her recent collaborations with Constance Cooke and Mascall Dance span Canada and New Zealand (2023). Notable performances include self-choreographed solos at Boombox (2023) and Impulse Theatre’s Peek Show (2022). With Impulse Theatre and Amok Project, she’s pushed artistic boundaries. Allison danced with Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers for Guest Artist in Residence projects with choreographers Jason Martin and Jasmine Ellis and for the online premiere of Begin Again, by Jera Wolfe. Allison’s artistry resonates globally, leaving an indelible mark.

Photo: Kendra Hope Penner

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Ysadora Dias

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Ysadora Dias

Performer, Choreographic Assistant

A contemporary dance artist from Brazil, Ysadora’s dance training began at Escola de Danças de Caraguá. After graduating she joined CBMC Dance Company and the collective “Pé na Areia” as creative interpreter having the opportunity to collaborate in the creation and production of several performances throughout Brazil.

She moved to Vancouver to enrich her dance training with Coastal City Ballet, where she stayed for three seasons as a company member. In 2021 she joined Amok Project under the direction of Carol Mendes.  Most recently she has worked with Co.Erasga and MascallDance.

Photo: Caio Silva

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Marisa Gold

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Marisa Gold

Performer

Marisa Gold is an intuitive multidisciplinary dance artist with a passion for all things soulful.

She has trained in a variety of Modern/Contemporary styles, with a BFA in dance (SFU), certificate of completion from The Ailey school Independent Study program (NYC), and The Graham school(NYC).

She is an expressive dancer, poet, vocalist, choreographer, stylist, and actor whose work is embedded in self reflection, a deep love for humanity and reverence for our planet earth.

Photo: Kristine Cotsky

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Tobias Macfarlane

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Tobias Macfarlane

Performer

Canadian actor and creator Tobias Macfarlane is interested in storytelling and technology.

For several years he has been General Manager of MascallDance, and has made several films about dogs. He has studied Business Economics and Theatre, and currently finds all three immensely useful.

Currently preparing for MD’s Canadian tour of The Impossible Has Already Happened, the environment is on his mind.

Photo: Caio Silva

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Iris Mae Shepperd

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Iris Mae Shepperd

 

Photo: Unknown

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Jack Chipman

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Jack Chipman

Technical Director

Jack is a Vancouver based projection designer and technologist. His work integrates physical elements into digital spaces through the use of cameras, digital props, and image filtering. He is excited by the merging of different mediums to create an immersive experience. Jack’s past credits include The Flying Dutchman (Vancouver Opera), An Undeveloped Sound (Electric Company Theatre), Szepty/Whispers (Rumble Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), Dance Craft (Joe Ink), and Ghost Forest (Simon Fraser University).

Jchipman.com

Photo: Lisa Lauter

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John Macfarlane

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John Macfarlane

Technical Consultant

John Macfarlane is a lighting designer and technical director for dance and theatre.

Began touring internationally with New York’s Nikolais Dance Theatre in 1973 and continues to maintain a professional career.

Senior Faculty (retired) Simon Fraser University Contemporary Arts. Teaches technical theatre, lighting design, stage and production management and arts administration.

Photo: John Macfarlane

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Beatriz Orbegoso

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Beatriz Orbegoso

Tour Manager

MascallDance Operations Manager Bea is of Scottish/Swiss/Spanish descent, Canadian-born of Peruvian parents.

In 2003 she became General Manager of Peru’s largest theatre, managing over 50 productions in Lima throughout the years.

Her sound designs have accompanied works such as Moo (Sally Clark), Lawrence and Hollowman (Morris Panych), Birthday Party (Harold Pinter) and Life is a Dream (Calderon de la Barca).

She has worked in Canadian documentary film production and arts management since 2017.

BA, Languages and Theatre, Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec; MBA, Management and Administration, UPC, Lima, Peru.

Photo: Luisa Orbegoso

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NEW CREATION by JERA WOLFE

February 23-24 7:30pm

February 25 4:00pm

February 22 7:30pm Preview performance

“Dancing is powerful. It has the strength to heal, tell stories and break down societal walls. Dance has been with us since the earliest moments of existence. Let it be the conduit of ritual, a passing of energy from those who have come before us.” – Jera Wolfe

Wolfe is an artist of Métis heritage. His captivating choreography awarded him the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Original Choreography for Trace by Red Sky Performance. His repertoire has been presented by Canadian Stage, Fall For Dance North, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, Danse Danse, Jacob’s Pillow, and more.

A celebrated choreographer and performer, Jera’s work has brought him to many stages of the world, including across Canada, Europe, and the United States.

WCD is thrilled to commission Jera Wolfe to create a new work for WCD! WCD first commissioned Wolfe in Fall of 2020, only to have the in-person performances cancelled due to COVID-19. WCD is excited to work with Wolfe once again and present his work the way we intended to!

Featuring an ensemble of Winnipeg-based dancers and lighting by Hugh Conacher!

Opportunities for dancers are by way of a public call to artists. Info here

New Creation by Jera Wolfe:

Choreography:
Jera Wolfe

Photo (above):
Aleksandar Antonijevic

Jera Wolfe

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Jera Wolfe

Choreographer

Photo: Ally Gonzalo

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NEW CREATION by JOLENE BAILIE

May 3-4 7:30pm

May 5 4:00pm

May 2 7:30pm Preview performance

“…dynamic, highly visceral choreography, with dancers often flying through the air, leaping onto each other’s backs… Kudos to all performers for their clear commitment to Bailie’s no-holds-barred lexicon of movement vocabulary… their trust in each other is palpable.” – Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press

A New Creation by Artistic Director, Jolene Bailie, showcasing an all-Winnipeg team including an ensemble of dancers, plus original sound by Emma Hendrix and lighting by long-time collaborator, Hugh Conacher!

Known for highly physical and complex work, Bailie creates experimental works that are visual, abstract, and reflective. Always athletic, Bailie has presented new creations for Winnipeg audiences annually for over 20 years!

More information and artists to be announced soon!

New Creation by Jolene Bailie:

Choreography:
Jolene Bailie

Photo(above):
Leif Norman

Jolene Bailie

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Jolene Bailie

Choreographer

Photo: Kristen Sawatsky

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