Mainstage B
Two distinct Mainstage programs showcase diverse, accomplished and innovative Canadian artists.

Saturday, June 6th

Performance | 8pm
Talkback | 9:30pm

$25
| $5

Co-operators Hall, River Run Centre, Guelph, Ontario

THE TOMORROW COLLECTIVE [Vancouver]
lunar rouge (2008)
Choreographer:  Chick Snipper

"Not only physically charged but absolutely gorgeous to look at."
Andrew Templeton, Plank Magazine

Mara Branscombe, Katy Harris-McLeod, Jennifer McLeish-Lewis, photo by Chris Randle.

lunar rouge, a piece on 3 powerful female dancers, takes place in an atmospheric world reminiscent of a lunar landscape. This exotic environment is full of visual and sonic beauty. The stunning score by Jesse Zubot, lighting design by Itai Erdal and costumes by Lindsay Keegan complete the journey to a place familiar yet unknown. lunar rouge was commissioned in 2008 from Chick Snipper by The Tomorrow Collective, who in turn were commissioned by The Dancing on the Edge Festival in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

The Tomorrow Collective was formed in 2005 by Vancouver dance artists Mara Branscombe, Katy Harris-McLeod, and Jennifer McLeish-Lewis.  The collective members have been presented in dance festivals across Canada. They have worked together or independently with diverse dance/theatre artists including Crystal Pite, Peter Bingham, Chick Snipper, Susan Elliott, Martha Carter, David Pressault, Karl Frost, Radix Theatre, Machine Noisy and Josh Beamish.  They have collaborated with musicians Jesse Zubot and Cris Derksen and with filmmakers Brian Johnson, Sebnum Ozepta, Amy Kazymerchyk and Flick Harrison.   In 2006, the collective commissioned choreographer Susan Elliott and sound designer Jesse Zubot to create a new dance piece titled "You Are Here", which consequently won the People's Choice Award at The Dancing on The Edge Festival (DOTE).  In 2008, The Tomorrow Collective received a residency at The Banff Centre for the Arts to remount "You Are Here" which the Scotia Bank Dance Centre presented in March 2008.   In the summer of 2008, The Tomorrow Collective was commission by DOTE and Arts Partners for Creative development for the festivals 20th anniversary.  For this event the collective hired a team of creators: Chick Snipper (choreography), Jesse Zubot (sound), Itai Erdal (lighting), and Lindsay Keegan (costumes). The resulting work, "lunar rouge" will be presented at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in June of 2009.www.tomorrowcollective.com

CanDance Touring Exchange / CanDanse: échanges-tournées*

JUNG-AH CHUNG [Victoria]
Connection
Choreographer: Jung-Ah Chung

Discovering symbolical meanings immanent in minds and culture, and then conveys them to the audience by using new modern-dance techniques. Harmonizing Korean-style dance motions and traditional aesthetics with the techniques of Western modern dance.

Jung-Ah Chung, photo by Larry Du Fresne.

Jung-Ah graduated from the Ewha Women's University in Seoul, Korea. Appearing in Empty Space at the 4th Recontres Choreographiques Internationales De Seine-Saint Denis, she was awarded a Best Dancers Prize. She also performed for Ae-Soon Ahn in 1998 in the Grand Prize of the Centre Internationales De Bagnolet in Paris. Her own choreography has included Shape, A shout of Joy, Woman in the House, beginning and Being, Duet. Since she moved to BC and has worked with Constance Cooke , Ballet Victoria, Tripod Dance Collective, Out of the Box Productions, Suddenly Dance Theatre, Wen Wei Dance and Battery Opera. Recently Jung-Ah’s solo Connection is invited to Tangente in Montreal which she created for Pulse at the Dance Center and Dancing on the Edge, ROMP 2006. She also participated in Suddenly Dance Theatre’s film Nature ecstasy and Opium and Aisling for Bravo and directed, choreographed and performed in her first film Drive in 2005.She toured with Suddenly Dance Theatre to three cities in Korea in summer 2008 and was invited for The 10th Next Wave Dance Festival. With her non stop versatile performances she was chosen as Victoria’s Favourite Choreographer in 2006 and favourite Dancer in 2004 by M-Awards, Monday Magazine. She will continue to dance in gratitude with the mind of infinite possibility.

Adelheid [Toronto])
Ohne (2008)
Choreographer: Heidi Strauss

Rich in imagery, imagination and mystery, this solo works create an intimacy between artist and audience, each responding to the push and pull of memory, experience and emotion. Reflecting on this idea of a relationship with history, past and present, the word Adelheid is a loose translation of old high German meaning 'the shape of noble conviction' or 'exalted nature.' It is the name under which Strauss presents her own work.

"Strauss is one of Toronto's most highly regarded indie choreographers and dancers.." Paula Citron

Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh

Heidi Strauss is a Toronto based dancer and choreographer.  Since 1994 she has worked as a performer and collaborator with choreographers and directors for stage, film and opera. She danced with Sylvain Emard Danse, Fujiwara Dance Inventions, Tribal Crackling Wind and Deja Donne.  Her solo work has been presented in Europe and Canada; AtLast,(2005) and adelheid solos (2008) received Dora Award nominations for choreography, and choreography and production respectively.  She has given workshops in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and many Canadian cities, and created numerous works for young companies, and for professional training programs. In other capacities, Strauss has worked as a movement coach (Necessary Angel Theatre Company), choreographer for opera (the Frankfurt Opera and the Canadian Opera Company) and rehearsal director (Chartier Danse and OVertigo). She has taught movement for actors in the Theatre Program at Humber College since 1999 and this year is dance-artist-in-residence at the Factory Theatre where, in May, she will premiere as it is.