MICHELE SLATTERY Co-Producer/Choreographer for the Griffintown Project
Montreal-born but raised on the East coast, Michele returned to her roots to pursue her education in dance at Concordia University. Upon exploring her creativity within 4 years of study she realized the ocean had a larger affect on her than initially thought with the image of the power and fluid nature of waves crashing against a Nova Scotian shoreline influencing the movement. Physical in nature with a focus on power in femininity, her movement forms a middle ground between fluidity and strength. While very interested in exploring the capabilities of the human body and with a very apparent focus on movement, her drive to create stems from personal experiences bound by emotion. As she often sees her work as a sneak peak into something bigger, in the work we will be seeing this coming May Michele found the opportunity to explore her movement more fully into a longer more complete piece of choreography.
photo by SummerRayne Photography
Montreal-born but raised on the East coast, Michele returned to her roots to pursue her education in dance at Concordia University. Upon exploring her creativity within 4 years of study she realized the ocean had a larger affect on her than initially thought with the image of the power and fluid nature of waves crashing against a Nova Scotian shoreline influencing the movement. Physical in nature with a focus on power in femininity, her movement forms a middle ground between fluidity and strength. While very interested in exploring the capabilities of the human body and with a very apparent focus on movement, her drive to create stems from personal experiences bound by emotion. As she often sees her work as a sneak peak into something bigger, in the work we will be seeing this coming May Michele found the opportunity to explore her movement more fully into a longer more complete piece of choreography.
photo by SummerRayne Photography
SOPHIA WRIGHT Co-Producer/Creator for the Griffintown Project
Sophia Wright is a dancer, choreographer and event producer working and living in Montreal. She grew up in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Montreal to study in the Contemporary Dance Department at Concordia University in 2009. Her work fluctuates between purely movement based pieces and work that is more in the realm of image and architecture with her developing love of installation, photography and video. She feels these two directions are representative of the dichotomy of where she came from and where she is now, being as it is that both Calgary and Montreal have had influence on her as an artist. Sophia is fuelled by a desire to continually discover new mediums but also by an overriding love of dance that brings her back to where she started
SARAH GRENIER Curator for the Griffintown Project
La/les histoire(s) de l’art, ou l’étude des pratiques artistiques est/sont l’art d’attaquer par la bande ce qui doit changer. Rester alerte, sur la pointe des pieds, s’éloigner du confort, des idées préconçues. Appliquer ses réflexions dans ses textes, dans sa pratique. Rester alerte. Ne pas s’asseoir sur ses réussites, se repousser sans cesse. Du moins, c’est ce que j’essaie de réaliser en tant qu’organisatrice/étudiante/personne.
La/les histoire(s) de l’art, ou l’étude des pratiques artistiques est/sont l’art d’attaquer par la bande ce qui doit changer. Rester alerte, sur la pointe des pieds, s’éloigner du confort, des idées préconçues. Appliquer ses réflexions dans ses textes, dans sa pratique. Rester alerte. Ne pas s’asseoir sur ses réussites, se repousser sans cesse. Du moins, c’est ce que j’essaie de réaliser en tant qu’organisatrice/étudiante/personne.
DELILAH RAYNE Photographer for the Griffintown Project
Delilah Rayne has had a passion for art since a very young age. Her mother was a painter so she was influenced by her and found that being creative was a good outlet and a way to express herself. After taking handfuls of art classes throughout high school, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in something that would allow her to be creative 24/7. Being inspired by the beautiful rural environment of her home on Vancouver Island and the interesting faces of the people around her, she learned to combine the two to create portrait/fashion photographs. She loves the process of bringing a vision to life through makeup, wardrobe, an intriguing location and the natural beauty of her subject. Delilah will be graduating in May 2014 and will be bringing her knowledge and talent back to British Columbia to begin her professional photography career.
www.summerraynephoto.com or www.facebook.com/summerraynephoto
LAURIE-ANNE BERGERON Designer Graphique The Griffintown Project
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
KATHLEEN DOHERTY Performer for The Griffintown Project
VOTIVE DANCE
Kathleen Doherty is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Halifax, NS. She attended Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ Professional Training Program in Calgary from 2009-2011 in which she regularly worked with Vicki Adams Willis, Kimberley Cooper, Hannah Stilwell & Michele Moss. Upon returning to Halifax in 2012 Kathleen co-founded the non for profit dance company, Votive Dance and has worked as Artistic Director since its inception. Her choreography has been presented in/by: “Footprints” (DJD), “Works in Progress” (DJD), Kinetic Studio, Votive Dance, Maritime Dance Performance Group, Thirty-Something Dance Co-op, “Salt Truck Follies” (Live Art Dance Productions), Soulocentric Festival (Calgary), CrossCurrents Dance (Calgary) and No Parachute Theatre (Toronto). Kathleen has performed independently and with Halifax based companies: Mocean, Dance, SINS Dance, Votive Dance, and 1313 Music Association. In the 2012/2013 season she apprenticed Mocean Dance as a part of the “Fresh Tracks Mentorship Program”, touring with the company throughout Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Kathleen teaches at Maritime Dance Academy, and is Artistic Associate for Maritime Dance Performance Group. She has recently been appointed Administrator for Halifax dance presenter, Kinetic Studio, and is a part of the new leadership team for the organization. Kathleen has recently returned from creating and performing for various projects in Saint John (Connection Dance Works), Toronto (No Parachute Theatre) & Calgary (CrossCurrents Dance).
VOTIVE DANCE
Kathleen Doherty is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Halifax, NS. She attended Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ Professional Training Program in Calgary from 2009-2011 in which she regularly worked with Vicki Adams Willis, Kimberley Cooper, Hannah Stilwell & Michele Moss. Upon returning to Halifax in 2012 Kathleen co-founded the non for profit dance company, Votive Dance and has worked as Artistic Director since its inception. Her choreography has been presented in/by: “Footprints” (DJD), “Works in Progress” (DJD), Kinetic Studio, Votive Dance, Maritime Dance Performance Group, Thirty-Something Dance Co-op, “Salt Truck Follies” (Live Art Dance Productions), Soulocentric Festival (Calgary), CrossCurrents Dance (Calgary) and No Parachute Theatre (Toronto). Kathleen has performed independently and with Halifax based companies: Mocean, Dance, SINS Dance, Votive Dance, and 1313 Music Association. In the 2012/2013 season she apprenticed Mocean Dance as a part of the “Fresh Tracks Mentorship Program”, touring with the company throughout Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Kathleen teaches at Maritime Dance Academy, and is Artistic Associate for Maritime Dance Performance Group. She has recently been appointed Administrator for Halifax dance presenter, Kinetic Studio, and is a part of the new leadership team for the organization. Kathleen has recently returned from creating and performing for various projects in Saint John (Connection Dance Works), Toronto (No Parachute Theatre) & Calgary (CrossCurrents Dance).
BAILEY ENG Performer for The Griffintown Project
Inspired to challenge the physical capacity of the human body, Bailey is searching to develop a style of body movement influenced by circus and acrobatics – with and through contemporary dance. She is fascinated by objects as an extension of the body; objects, like the body, also as living and breathing structures. Whether it be a circus apparatus, a physical space, or the urban environment, she challenges the function of structures and explores (path)ways of negotiating movement with architecture. The ability to move is not limited to the learned habits of performing a task. Bailey is interested in transforming the spectacular into the accustomed. How can the body and movement be absurd and disorienting, yet habitual, natural, and human? She resists the quotidian, but seeks its essence. She str e e e tches interpretation. She thrives off of the (un)restrictions of gravity. Driven by (un)limited (im)possibilities, there is no upRight or upWrong. Movement is her way of life, Body Language is what she speaks – carried by the ideal of “translation not required”.
Inspired to challenge the physical capacity of the human body, Bailey is searching to develop a style of body movement influenced by circus and acrobatics – with and through contemporary dance. She is fascinated by objects as an extension of the body; objects, like the body, also as living and breathing structures. Whether it be a circus apparatus, a physical space, or the urban environment, she challenges the function of structures and explores (path)ways of negotiating movement with architecture. The ability to move is not limited to the learned habits of performing a task. Bailey is interested in transforming the spectacular into the accustomed. How can the body and movement be absurd and disorienting, yet habitual, natural, and human? She resists the quotidian, but seeks its essence. She str e e e tches interpretation. She thrives off of the (un)restrictions of gravity. Driven by (un)limited (im)possibilities, there is no upRight or upWrong. Movement is her way of life, Body Language is what she speaks – carried by the ideal of “translation not required”.
MARIE-ANDRÉE POULIN Artist for The Griffintown Project
Je suis une étudiante au baccalauréat en arts visuels et médiatiques profil pratique à l'université du Québec à Montréal. Ma pratique est essentiellement performative, mais j’exploite aussi les formes vidéographiques, photographiques, sculpturales et installatives. Mes recherches tournent autour des thèmes des relations humaines ainsi que de la quête d’authenticité de soi. Ces derniers s'activent principalement par des contacts corps à corps ou par la mise à l’épreuve du corps. Je m’inspire des situations conflictuelles ou de confort entre moi et les autres, j’exploite beaucoup la relation complexe que j’ai entretenue et entretiens toujours avec mon père. Cette tendance à me nourrir des blessures relationnelles, je la puise aussi dans l'amitié, dans mes relations de couple, face à moi-même et, de façon moins intime, en tant qu’humaine, étudiante, citoyenne, femme et artiste.
Je suis une étudiante au baccalauréat en arts visuels et médiatiques profil pratique à l'université du Québec à Montréal. Ma pratique est essentiellement performative, mais j’exploite aussi les formes vidéographiques, photographiques, sculpturales et installatives. Mes recherches tournent autour des thèmes des relations humaines ainsi que de la quête d’authenticité de soi. Ces derniers s'activent principalement par des contacts corps à corps ou par la mise à l’épreuve du corps. Je m’inspire des situations conflictuelles ou de confort entre moi et les autres, j’exploite beaucoup la relation complexe que j’ai entretenue et entretiens toujours avec mon père. Cette tendance à me nourrir des blessures relationnelles, je la puise aussi dans l'amitié, dans mes relations de couple, face à moi-même et, de façon moins intime, en tant qu’humaine, étudiante, citoyenne, femme et artiste.
AUDREY STE-MARIE Artist for The Griffintown Project
Mes illustrations sont liés à des situations auxquelles tout le monde peuts'identifier. La simplicité de la ligne contraste avec les sujets plus lourds abordés, tel que la
nostalgie ou la solutide. La narration est faite de manière légère, dans un style de "jeu" des formes.
L'incohérence narrative sert de toile de fond à l'évolution des personnages. Je me questionne aussi
sur la complexité de la mémoire et des souvenirs.
Mes illustrations sont liés à des situations auxquelles tout le monde peuts'identifier. La simplicité de la ligne contraste avec les sujets plus lourds abordés, tel que la
nostalgie ou la solutide. La narration est faite de manière légère, dans un style de "jeu" des formes.
L'incohérence narrative sert de toile de fond à l'évolution des personnages. Je me questionne aussi
sur la complexité de la mémoire et des souvenirs.
EMILY LEBLANC Choreographer for the Griffintown Project
Emily LeBlanc is a choreographer, interpreter and contemporary dance teacher based in Montreal and Toronto. In 2011, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Contemporary Dance. Since graduation, she has participated in several Montreal dance events such as; Nuit Blanche, Short and Sweet, Bouge d’Ici, Montreal Fringe Festival and Journee de la Culture. Currently she is a regular student of Axis Syllabus and Continuum. In addition she is working towards her Cranial Sacral Therapy Certification. She is drawn to these practices because, they underline the importance of body awareness, wellness and physical integration to our well-being in dance class as well as our everyday. She is inspired by dance as a means to living a healthy and creatively rich life.
Emily LeBlanc is a choreographer, interpreter and contemporary dance teacher based in Montreal and Toronto. In 2011, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Contemporary Dance. Since graduation, she has participated in several Montreal dance events such as; Nuit Blanche, Short and Sweet, Bouge d’Ici, Montreal Fringe Festival and Journee de la Culture. Currently she is a regular student of Axis Syllabus and Continuum. In addition she is working towards her Cranial Sacral Therapy Certification. She is drawn to these practices because, they underline the importance of body awareness, wellness and physical integration to our well-being in dance class as well as our everyday. She is inspired by dance as a means to living a healthy and creatively rich life.
THE SECRET BIRTHDAY SHOW Performance for The Griffintown Project
I hope you like surprises because we've got one for you!
It's an overloaded, candy-coated, hyper-active, interactive, entertaining, installation and a birthday party performance!
Music, dancing, balloons and that's all we can tell you.
(Shhhhhhhhhhh....)
I hope you like surprises because we've got one for you!
It's an overloaded, candy-coated, hyper-active, interactive, entertaining, installation and a birthday party performance!
Music, dancing, balloons and that's all we can tell you.
(Shhhhhhhhhhh....)
LAURENCE N. BELAND Artist for The Griffintown ProjectLaurence N. Béland interroge la fabrication de la figure d’artiste à travers des interventions contextuelles et des installations conceptuelles. Son travail cherche à réduire au minimum la production d’œuvres matérielles pour prioriser la mise en scène des mécanismes de diffusion et de légitimation de l’art contemporain. Par cette feinte ludique, Béland s’applique à remettre en cause l’image et le statut de l’artiste en interrogeant certaines idées acquises sur les préalables au métier d’artiste, sur le cheminement idéal/attendu, sur les réseaux de contacts, ou encore sur l’attitude et la consécration en art. Ainsi, Béland s’adresse directement au spectateur en lui donnant à voir ce qu’il reconnait d’emblée en contexte d’exposition : murs blancs, texte de présentation en vinyle noir, cartels, catalogue, communiqué de presse, etc. Dans le même mouvement, et c’est là où réside toute la complexité et la richesse de sa démarche, elle incite le spectateur à renégocier sa relation aux outils et aux conventions de présentation qui forgent ses attentes et qui tendent à structurer le marché de l’art et la constitution d’une histoire de l’art « officielle ». Ultimement, Béland parvient à exhiber à la fois le contexte et le sous-texte de l’exposition, perçue comme microcosme du système de l’art, mais, à plus forte raison, elle révèle le devoir critique du spectateur à lui-même.
Béland approfondit actuellement les présupposés inhérents à sa propre posture d’artiste en début de carrière et vise conséquemment à mettre à profit chaque étape de son parcours comme source d’autoréflexion et d’inspiration pour de nouvelles interventions.
Béland approfondit actuellement les présupposés inhérents à sa propre posture d’artiste en début de carrière et vise conséquemment à mettre à profit chaque étape de son parcours comme source d’autoréflexion et d’inspiration pour de nouvelles interventions.
RAE PELLERIN Artist for The Griffintown Project
Rae Pellerin is a photo and installation based artist from Los Angeles, California. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in photography at Concordia University. Her work is mainly focused on the object as a means of transmission of memory, knowledge and emotion. She is interested in the infinite but fragmented knowledge on persons and situations that can be conveyed by objects, and how we inadvertantly speak to each other through these objects. In sum, her work aims constructs narratives through instances of the everyday, and shows how the commonplace and specific can become a representation of global human experience.
Rae Pellerin is a photo and installation based artist from Los Angeles, California. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in photography at Concordia University. Her work is mainly focused on the object as a means of transmission of memory, knowledge and emotion. She is interested in the infinite but fragmented knowledge on persons and situations that can be conveyed by objects, and how we inadvertantly speak to each other through these objects. In sum, her work aims constructs narratives through instances of the everyday, and shows how the commonplace and specific can become a representation of global human experience.
LEVANA PRUD'HOMME Choreographer for The Griffintown Project
Levana has been researching, processing, and performing in ways influenced by their passions of dance and social justice, and tries to use performance as a means to question social standards. Past choreographies and collaborative projects have touched on themes such as gentrification, community strength, personal struggle and triumph, and have often questioned the audience-performer dichotomy. They believe that looking at how we relate with and within a community can help us see parallels with how we relate to our own bodies, and that the more we can learn to understand and support our body and its movements, the more we can be open to understanding and supporting each other. Since graduating from Concordia University in 2013, with a BFA double major in Contemporary Dance and Women’s Studies, Levana has been working towards becoming a teacher-in-training within the Axis Syllabus Research Community, and will be taking part in Biblioteca Do Corpo education project this summer in Vienna, as part of the Impulstanz Dance Festival.
Levana has been researching, processing, and performing in ways influenced by their passions of dance and social justice, and tries to use performance as a means to question social standards. Past choreographies and collaborative projects have touched on themes such as gentrification, community strength, personal struggle and triumph, and have often questioned the audience-performer dichotomy. They believe that looking at how we relate with and within a community can help us see parallels with how we relate to our own bodies, and that the more we can learn to understand and support our body and its movements, the more we can be open to understanding and supporting each other. Since graduating from Concordia University in 2013, with a BFA double major in Contemporary Dance and Women’s Studies, Levana has been working towards becoming a teacher-in-training within the Axis Syllabus Research Community, and will be taking part in Biblioteca Do Corpo education project this summer in Vienna, as part of the Impulstanz Dance Festival.
MICHAELA GERUSSI Choreographer for The Griffintown Project
Michaela is a choreographer and dance artist living in Montreal. She came here from Toronto in 2008 to study contemporary dance at Concordia University, where she is to receive her BFA in June. There she developed her interests in choreography, event production and curation, sound engineering and the partnership of dance and film. She often works collaboratively, and her dance works have been presented at Art Matters, Nuit Blanche, La Poële, the Montreal FRINGE and La Généreuse. Michaela currently writes about dance on the blog Where Are The Shows and is on the production team of the Bouge D'ici dance festival.
Michaela is a committed student of the Axis Syllabus, which offers an opportunity to investigate, sense and question our understanding of the moving body.
Michaela is interested in dance not only as an art form but as a way to integrate awareness and expression into our lives as human beings.
Michaela is a choreographer and dance artist living in Montreal. She came here from Toronto in 2008 to study contemporary dance at Concordia University, where she is to receive her BFA in June. There she developed her interests in choreography, event production and curation, sound engineering and the partnership of dance and film. She often works collaboratively, and her dance works have been presented at Art Matters, Nuit Blanche, La Poële, the Montreal FRINGE and La Généreuse. Michaela currently writes about dance on the blog Where Are The Shows and is on the production team of the Bouge D'ici dance festival.
Michaela is a committed student of the Axis Syllabus, which offers an opportunity to investigate, sense and question our understanding of the moving body.
Michaela is interested in dance not only as an art form but as a way to integrate awareness and expression into our lives as human beings.