OPEN STUDIO 2016-2017

2017

KAITLYN STEWART – BALL$

PRESENTATION – SUNDAY, APRIL 30

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
KAITLYN RAMSDEN
“As a dance artist I am interested in investigating the body, its relationship to itself, other bodies,
and space. I am in constant search of how to re-present theses bodies in new ways on stage or through the frame. Currently I am investigating ways to trigger the body’s movement that are external and that use all of our sens, such as through games, physical obstacles, or through navigating new spaces and locations. In using all of our faculties to move we let go of the perception of our bodies as aesthetic tools and can access the living, breathing, matter of our flesh and reflexes. Through this work I wish to consider how to re-frame virtuosity. I am also interested in reinvigorating our emotional response to movement, and opening the channels that have perhaps been obstructed by for the formative years of our dance training.”

GENEVIÈVE BOLLA – SUSAN PAULSON
ALL THE STRINGS ATTACHED

PRESENTATION – SUNDAY, MARCH 26

BOOKING

Photo :Isabelle Germain

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Geneviève Bolla

The issues relating to post-feminist women are of particular interest to me, and I like to revisit this subject from different angles. When exploring the themes that inspire me, one of my concerns is the accessibility of the content. Artistic creation is the avenue I take to raise questions in the minds of viewers, exposing them to a language that may be destabilizing or even jolting. I think that the resulting state of vulnerability leads to reflections that may continue long after the performance is over. The choreographic language that interests me requires a strong investment on the part of the dancer, since I like to portray the raw energy of individuals. In order to accentuate the explosive nature of my vocabulary, I prefer using a bare, unadorned set where nothing is left to chance. In short, my aesthetic is recognizable by the fire and fervour of my dance, along with the highly structured environment in which the movements unfold.

Susan Paulson
As a human, interpreter and creator I have the desire to move and be moved by people, to create authentic connections and use performance as a vessel to provoke change. Many of us carry blockages and I believe that dance and performance can provide access and the possibility to release and resolve these issues. Among my influences include, Margie Gillis, Dave St-Pierre and Ann Liv Young, artists whom provoke reaction each in their own right.

2016

NATHAN YAFFE – DUNNO WAT U KNO (CHÉ PAS KESS TU C)

PRESENTATION – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

BOOKING

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
“For me, the beauty of dance lies in the visceral expression of the body. As the field of contemporary dance grows and hybridizes with other artistic disciplines, I believe that physical expression remains fundamental to the art form. I trust in the capacity of the body to express my ideas, rather than relying on text or other references to explain them. I always aim to put the conceptual into the physical. I am inspired by concepts that can only be described physically.
I believe that if an idea is most efficiently expressed through words or music, it should be developed into an essay or a song.”

HEATHER STEWART – PULL/TIRER

PRESENTATION – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6

BOOKING

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
“My work is inherently physical, driven by the body and made to exploit the expressive potential of pure movement. Within my practice movement vocabularies arise out of physical and ethereal memory. This process is framed by an underlying interest in the abstraction and deconstruction of the classical dance body. My work engages repetition of movement phrases and patterns as a way of uncovering personal expression. Physical rigor and exhaustion is an intrinsic part of my work. I am interested in creating movement that explores wide ranges weight of suspension with an emphasis on sharp articulation and clarity of shape. Stripped of arduous stage materials my work offers a return to the simplicity of the fully present body. I develop work in collaboration with French composer Marc Bartissol. Within our process we work closely together to allow the sound and movement to both support and frame each other.”