emBODYment
emBODYment is back with an array of awe-inspiring movement pieces from floor to ceiling – come and experience these impactful moments in motion.
Friday, March 14 @ 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, March 15 @ 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Théâtre Servus Credit Union
La Cité Francophone (8627 91 Street)
Tickets on sale now!
Adults $27.75, Students/Seniors $22.25 (plus applicable fees). 14 Tiered Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available per performance ($5, $10, $15, $20). Group discounts available for 6+.
Festival passes available now. Get 3 shows, 5 shows or an All Access Pass!
Special Events/Discounts
- Festival Passes available now
- 14 Pay-What-You-Will tickets available per performance
- Book your group of 6 or more and get 15% off or your group of 10 or more for 20% off!
- If you require an attendant, aide, or companion, they are still required to have a ticket. Please contact coordinator@skirtsafire.com and we’ll book a ticket for the accompanying person at no extra cost.
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Accessibility Measures for emBODYment
Sensory Kits
Sensory Kits will be available to borrow for free at all shows including sunglasses, ear muffs and fidget spinners.Companion Tickets
If you require an attendant, aide, or companion, they are still required to have a ticket. Please contact coordinator@skirtsafire.com and we’ll book a ticket for the accompanying person at no extra cost.Full Venue Accessibility
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.
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Street view of the ramp located on 91 Street, between the parkade and main building.
View of the ramp’s incline, photographed from the bottom.
Building entrance located at the base of the ramp, which is also accessible from the bottom level of the parkade.
Content Warnings
- Explicit content within music
- Potential strobe lighting
- Reference to death
If you need further clarification regarding these content warnings, please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@skirtsafire.com.
Featuring:
Rebecca Bissonnette
Host
Your host for emBODYment, Rebecca combines her loves of dance, writing & stand up comedy. Trust her, she’s hilarious.
Rebecca’s Shift Happens Dance has been a part of Fruit Loop events, Mile Zero Dance’s Magpie Festival, Fierce Onstage & choreographer for musicals such as Cry Baby & Hadestown Jr.
Rebecca is Artistic Director at DEPTH Perception Productions, where she wrote, directed & acted in, sold out Fringe 2022 hit I’ll Have Another.
Rebecca is co-founder of Turn It Up Radio, an online radio station that showcases local musicians & hosted the first Golden Grove Gatherings this fall – two nights of local talent.
Rebecca Bissonnette
Host
Flying Foxes presents: Seasons of Bloom
Trio Aerial Act
Taylor Levsen, co-aerialist
Roberta Staszuk, co-aerialist
Jonah Ross, co-aerialist
Flying Foxes – Seasons of Bloom
The Flying Foxes are an Edmonton-based aerial collective celebrated for combining strength, grace, and storytelling in captivating performances. With years of experience, members Taylor Levsen, Roberta Staszuk, and Jonah Ross bring unique artistry and dynamic chemistry to every stage. Their latest production, Seasons of Bloom, is a stunning exploration of growth, transformation, and connection, brought to life through intricate choreography and breathtaking aerial work.
Having collaborated with esteemed productions such as Circus Surreal and Le Cirque de la Nuit, the Flying Foxes have become staples in Edmonton’s circus community. Their dedication to pushing creative boundaries and elevating their craft shines in every performance. Seasons of Bloom reflects their commitment to storytelling through movement, showcasing their passion, innovation, and artistic depth.
Flying Foxes presents: Season of Bloom
Trio Aerial Act
Gillian Moon and Evelyn Joy – Stronger
Duo Trapeze
she/her
Gillian Moon, performer
Evelyn Joy, performer
A duo acrobatic act performed on a single dance trapeze. Duo dance trapeze as a discipline is most often seen performed by Male/female duos (the male often almost double the size of the woman) or highly sexualized female/female duos where the two are a near mirror of each other. We are neither of those things. We are two women, aged fourteen years apart with wildly different body types, movement styles and artistic journeys. Gillian has had a long career in Musical Theatre, touring internationally with stage productions and slowly integrating aerials over the past decade. Evelyn is a competitive runner turned aerialist. She loves the challenge of athleticism, dedication and teamwork that goes into an aerial performance. The act embodies our unabashedly feminine exploration of power, strength and grace.
Gillian Moon and Evelyn Joy – Stronger
Duo Trapeze
Mars Wolfe Lafreniere – She Used To Be Mine
Aerial Hoop
she/her
Mars is a graduate of MacEwan University Theatre Arts, and her theatre background shapes her exuberant, vulnerable, athletic aerial storytelling.
A recent training highlight was taking classes with Ben Brown’s School of Hoop in London, UK.
Mars is endlessly grateful for the talented community of artists here she is so lucky to train with and learn from.
Thank you for supporting SkirtsAfire Festival!
Mars Wolfe Lafreniere – She Used To Be Mine
Aerial Hoop
Sandra Olarte – FaceCrime
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. Sandra is also the proud co-founder of the Fragmented Journeys Collective and serves as a board member of two great arts organizations in the city Good Women Dance Collective and Hit that Jive Productions.
As a performer specializing in non-traditional aerial apparatus, Sandra strives to create a deep and meaningful connection with her audience, to highlight the relevance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in the arts, and to educate and create social change. You can find more about her work at olarte.ca.
Sandra Olarte – FaceCrime
Romero Dance Collective (formerly Three Point Dance Company)
In the Event – Excerpt
In The Event of emergency please do not break. Do not fold. Do not back down. Fight. Fight like your life depends on it. In the Event of an emergency there are no exits. Working with a word “Flight” – as in to take flight and be free and the human response of fight or flight, we explore what it means to want to survive as we question existence and extinction.
Performed by Addie Pearce, Anna Rosychuk, Annabella Oster, Anne Beauvais, Bridget McFarlane, Cydnee Chaulk, Deanna Ketsa, Emily Meger, Emma Straight, Emma Monaghan, Jason Romero, Kassandre Himmelsbach, Kira Kirkpatrick, Miah Ross, Olivia Rodriguez, Rowan Stephans, Serena Malaka
Artist Adopted by
Shivamanohari Performing Arts
Romero Dance Collective – In the Event (Excerpt)
Artist Adopted by
Shivamanohari Performing Arts
Casa Adentro
Choreographer: Deviani Andrea
Assistant Choreographer: Jason Romero
Dancers: Emma Straight, Cydnee Chaulk, Deanna Ketsa, Bridget McFarlane, Annabella Oster
Casa Adentro explores the Latin American trope of the family house. Navigating through different rooms, we see family members facing their self-soothing and self-destructive behaviours.
I am a first generation Latin-American immigrant passionate about dance creation, pedagogy and advocacy. I have worked with some of the most renowned institutions in Edmonton (e.i. Citadel Theatre, Mile Zero Dance, Good Women Dance Collective, Azimuth Theatre, Concrete Theatre, Alberta Musical Theatre Company) and my independent work has been supported by the Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Foundation For The Arts, the CanDance Network, and the Canadian Dance Assembly.
I am interested in creating works where physical skill and a thoughtful use of design elements create a strong narrative that welcomes and captivates different audiences. My choreographic repertoire includes a variety of productions, such as site-specific works, pieces for the stage, and pop-up performances, with the goal of presenting dance as a dynamic, adaptable, and energetic art form.
Casa Adentro
Caitlin Mader – Five Lengths
she/her
Five lengths. When the world is ablaze in a fire of our own making, we throw our fallible human bodies between the inferno and the future we strive to protect. Are they enough?
Caitlin Mader is made up of approximately 60% water from the North Saskatchewan River. Each drop spends about two weeks sloshing around in her body, riding bikes, making excited sounds at birds, doing chinups, and typing documents about forest disturbance ecology. The inspiration for Five Lengths comes from her work as a forest ecology researcher and wildland firefighter, as well as her experience as one of the legions of human beings grappling with a future in a changing climate.
Caitlin Mader – Five Lengths
Usha Kala Niketan – Triveni
Triveni means three forms of classical dance:
- Odissi: The classical dance form of Odisha. Evolved in the ambience of the temple, it is a lyrical style of dance, following body norms of dance that are quite different from other styles of dance.
- Bharatnatyam: This is a subtle and sophisticated dance art of Tamil Nadu. Visually, it is a dynamic, earthy, and very precise style of dance.
- Kathak: “Katha Kahe So Kathak” is the story of the man and the woman, and has been related all over the world in a myriad of ways. In India, gods, goddesses, queens, and kings have been the heroes and heroines of folklore and classical art forms.
In this dance, three different styles blend with each other on one rhythm: the Teen Taal (16 beats). That is the beauty of the dance that is the rhythm in joy. Choreographed by Usha Gupta, Artistic Director of Usha Kala Niketan
Featuring dancers Thariniy Sutharsan, Siva Tharumalingam, Aastha Deepti, Sarika Pokharel, Hetvi Mavani, Priya Thapar, Biya Elsa Saji
Click here for full bios and photos of Usha Gupta and the dancers of Usha Kala Niketan.