2019 - Creators Journeys

Translation

The common thread running through all the 2019 creation groups was Translation: from trio to solo, from solo to duet, from text to dance, from queer to straight, from studio creation to performance, from idea-inspiration to actual piece, between different perspective/principles, and also “conventional” translation between spoken languages of English, French, Japanese, and Greek. How do we most clearly communicate what we know?

The Creator Circle: Alexandra Winters, Sophie Dow, and Oriah Wiersma explored translating post-concussion trauma into the time and space of dance interactions. Rachel Faccini, Tavia Christina, and Brianna Clarke investigated how perceptions and mis-perceptions can be conveyed choreographically. Valerie Pitre and Claudelle Labreque literally caged their human selves in the wires of their technological existence, questioning interactions of AI, robotics and natural human behavior, and crossing language wires between French and English. Peter Kelly and Margarita Soria challenged themselves and the CM2019 community to face LGBTQ idioms of sexuality. Ayaka Miwa, Mio Sakamoto and Yui Ugai interpreted understandings of Noh Theatre into pure movement expression as well as literally translating all communications from Ayaka in Japanese, through her collaborators, to English for the group.

The Mentor Circle: included 4 mentors, 3 invited specialists, and 3 interning facilitators. They worked in studio with the creator groups to support advancing the works (ratio of creator-interpreters to facilitators was 2:1). The facilitating circle also advanced preliminary development of a mentor methodology through sessions amongst themselves when they examined their mentoring methods and approaches and the overarching approach of the Choreographic Marathon. This methodology development aims towards a future training for movement arts facilitators.

2019: Mentors and Credits

Mentors

Maxine Heppner (lead) Susan Lee, Takako Segawa, Michael Caldwell

Creation Assistants

Jessie Fraser, Kiera Shaw, Nina Milanovic

Specialists

Peter Jenkins (somatics), Junia Mason (contemporizing roots), Antigone Gyra (story to dance)

Creator-Interpreters

Ayaka Miwa, Alexandra Winters, Brianna Clarke, Claudelle Labreque, Margarita Soria, Mio Sakamoto, Oriah Wiersma, Peter Kelly, Rachel Facchini, Sophie Dow, Tavia Christina, Valérie Pitre

Production associates

Phyllis Whyte, Christos Giotis (media / documentation)

Adam Acheon, Samantha Skynner (theatre tech)

Venue

Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement, Toronto Canada

ACROSS OCEANS ARTS’ CM was SUPPORTED BY

CITY OF TORONTO through THE TORONTO ARTS COUNCIL

in cooperation with PIA BOUMAN SCHOOL of DANCE and ANGELS ACROSS OCEANS