emBODYment - SkirtsAfire Festival

March 8 & 9
March 8 @ 7:30pm
March 9 @ 12:00pm

Théâtre Servus Credit Union
La Cité Francophone (8627 91 Street)

Tickets are $27 for adults and $21 for students/seniors (plus applicable fees) and there are 10 Pay-What-You-Can tickets available. Purchase your tickets here!

Festival passes available now. Get 3 shows, 5 shows or an All Access Pass!

Click here for SkirtsAfire’s Accessibility Information & FAQ

emBODYment is back with an array of awe-inspiring movement pieces from floor to ceiling – celebrate International Women’s Day with impactful moments in motion.

Click Here for the Plain Language Description

emBODYment is back for the 3rd year in a row with various short performances in dance, aerial, and circus movements. The pieces use dancing, silks and suspension from the ceiling.

Click here for Venue Accessibility information

The theatre is located in the lower level of the building. There is a ramp on the north side of the building next to the car park, or an elevator located inside the top, street-level floor.

The car park has reserved spots for people with disabilities.

The public washrooms are wheelchair accessible.

Featuring:

Sandra Olarte, Aerial Curator

Sanrda Olarte, Aerial Curator

Sandra Olarte (she/her) is a Mexican-Canadian aerial artist who has been teaching and performing aerial arts for over 10 years. Now residing in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), she has performed in theatre productions, multidisciplinary arts festivals, and private and public events, using mainly experimental aerial apparatus, silks, corde lisse (aka rope), and cloudswing.

As a performer, Sandra strives to create a deep and meaningful connection with her audience, to highlight the relevance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in the arts, to educate and create social change. She also happens to hold an M.Sc. in Statistics and knows a thing or two about social research.

Artist Adopted by

Roxy Perich, Grief (Contemporary Pole Performance)

Roxy Perich, Grief (Contemporary Pole Performance)
she/her

Roxy was born and raised in Venezuela and has been living in Canada for 16 years, she is proudly Canadian. She has been dancing all her life, from Flamenco, to hip hop, house and contemporary. She fell in love with aerials, specifically pole, nearly 8 years ago and has been teaching it for nearly 6 years. She is passionate about contemporary spin pole, finds it challenging yet meditative. Pole art has helped her find herself, her strength and beauty and is excited to showcase a different side of pole that not many have experienced.

uncoupling

uncoupling

Nina Milanovski, Choreographer
Victoria Gubiani & Paige Sayles, Performers
Jane Berry, Composer
Jane Berry & Laura Hawley, Vocalists
Amy Nicholson and Josephine van Lier, Cellists

uncoupling follows a complex relationship between two women, punctuated with beautiful moments of intimacy and their eventual breaking apart. By examining the highs and lows of a relationship the dancers perform the truth that exists behind closed doors: the vulnerability, pleasure, and pain of relationships.

Samara Von Rad, The Audition

Samara Von Rad, The Audition
she/her

Samara Von Rad is an Actor/ Stunt Performer/ Musician who in 2009 discovered Firefly Theater and Circus and never looked back, becoming an multi-apparatus Aerialist and coach. Samara has recently worked as a Stunt Performer on HBO’s The Last of Us, as an Actor on Paramount+’s on Billy the Kid, and her music can be heard on all streaming platforms. Samara created this act, The Audition, based on real life experiences in her journey thus far in her performance career. Samara would like to thank Annie Dugan for her support in creating this act, and Gillian Moon for lending her voice.

Artist Adopted by Bernadette Gasslein

Flying Foxes presents: Duplexity

Taylor Levsen, Duo Aerialist
Roberta Staszuk, Duo Aerialist

Roberta and Taylor (she/her), performing as the Flying Foxes Aerial Collective, are an aerial hoop duo who have been practicing and performing aerial arts, as solo and duo acts for the past 6 years.

This duo act is thrilled to make their debut at SkirtsAfire Festival 2024. This act encompasses dualistic themes of melancholy/hope, disconnection/reconnection, and losing/finding oneself throughout their creative expression on aerial hoop.

Avery Denington

Avery Denington, Contortion Dance

This act mixes contortion, acro and contemporary dance to take you on a extraterrestrial journey of discovery and self love.

Artist Adopted by Rebecca Schulte

Amélia Boutin, Dance

Amélia Boutin, Dance
she/her

Amélia Boutin is a dancer and choreographer based in Edmonton. She prides herself of spreading her French heritage through the love of dance. Amélia hopes to inspire and empower more women to dance. Her most recent choreographed works include Frozen at Holy Family School (May 2023) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat with Elope musical theatre (June 2023). Her next project is Rent with Elope musical theatre which will be performed in May 2024.

Artist Adopted by Lilli Chevrier

Janita Frantsi & Viktoria Grynenko, Lacrimosa et Muto

Lacrimosa et Muto is performed by violinist Viktoria Grynenko and dancer Janita Frantsi. It consists of two parts: (1) Lacrimosa, a sorrowful violin solo piece written by Ihor Zavhorodnii in Kyiv, Ukraine, in March 2023 at the beginning of full-scale Russian invasion, and (2) Muto, an improvisation between dance and violin based on images of removed Soviet monuments around Europe. Muto translates to changing, moving, and shifting, often following times of struggle. Lacrimosa et Muto showcases how new hope can arise from times of sorrow.

Artists Adopted by Treva Swick, Design Consultant, Cottswood Interiors

Shivamanohari Company, Dvaita-Duality “The Paradox of Opposites”

Gomathi Boorada, Choreographer
Viamaya Bhagawathi Parambath, Company Dancer
Hemali Boorada, Company Dancer
Avani Aji, Company Dancer
Angeline Manu, Company Dancer
Meegan Sweet, Contemporary Dancer

“Dvaita – Duality” is a collaborative dance drama of Kuchipudi and contemporary dance styles exploring the existence of two sexes simultaneously yet independently called “Ardhanareeswara” – a concept from Indian mythology. India’s Third Gender (Hijra) was a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community for centuries. In 1870 The British stamped them “Contagion” and eliminated their existence under British colonial law. This is our small attempt to remind them of the pre-colonial beliefs that offered an inclusive society.

Usha Kala Niketan, Layam Lassym: Fusion of Classical Bharatanatyam and Folk

Layam Lasyam: Fusion of Classical Bharatanatyam and Folk
presented by Usha Kala Niketan

Usha Kala Niketan is presenting a fusion between classical Bharatanatyam and Folk Dance. Bharatanatyam performed by Siva Kannan and Thariniy Sutharsan. The Folk being performed by Nitu Jiwnani, Sarika, Hetwi, Palana, Moushmi Bhatla and Asta.

As the name suggests, Layam – Lasyam is all about rhythm and grace. As an experiment and probably not for the first time an attempt has been made to bring the classical style and folk style of dancing together.

India is a land rich in music and dance, be it folk or classical. Here in Layam-Lasyam, we are presenting Bharatanatyam, the traditional classical dance style of South Indian alongside the Garba. The traditional folk style of Gujarat. Come, savor and revel in this judicious, ecstatic blend of classical, folk-music, and dance. Just as we enthrall you with Layam-the intricacies of Rhythm and Lasyam-the endless swirls of grace, of two of the most wonderful dance styles of India.

Click here for full bios and photos of the dancers

Click here to read Usha Gupta’s Full Bio

Movement, Storytelling And Found Spaces
by Azimuth Theatre’s Lobbyists

Movement, Storytelling And Found Spaces.

Azimuth Theatre’s Lobbyists are an emerging artist ensemble that activate alternative spaces with site-specific performances in places like… the lobby.

The Lobbyists program provides professional training to emerging artists interested in exploring physical/dance theatre and site-specific performance as a part of the Azimuth Theatre’s Expanse Festival and now beyond with SkirtsAfire. We are determined to bring our performance to the community, breaking boundaries and creating a lasting impact.

Members:
– Daniyal Daar
– Asia Bowman
– Katelyn Cabalo
– Kijo Gatama
– Rhiannon Eldridge
– Lauren Brady

Full credits at: www.azimuththeatre.com/the-lobbyists

*Featured at the March 8th performance of emBODYment

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