Flight!
MAY 30, 2015, 2:30-6:00 PM
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Stefan Alexander
Stefan has yet to decide what he wants to be when he grows up. But he does know that from the moment that his older cousins stuck a red bow on his 4-year-old-nose, and paraded him through the living room singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", he has been a bit of a performer - some might even say a clown. This has lead to his current passion of physical theatre, and more specifically Clown. To this end he has studied with Sue Morrison, John Beale, and Helen Donnelly. He has his first public Clown turn on May 31, 2015 as part of the Clown Crossings show. This theatrical passion also finds him as a member of Inspired Playback Theatre Company. This company works in an improvisational physical theatre form in which audience or group members tell stories from their lives which are then enacted in formal dramatic "playback". He has also been an active member for a number of years in both the Ecstatic Dance, and the Contact Improv Dance communities. From the artistic growth engendered in these movement practices has come the opportunity to be a part of the Create-Move-Connect Collective. He previously co-created and performed in a piece called "Interloper", as part of the first CMC "Launch!" show in November 2014. |
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Elena Andriyashyna
Elena’s creative dance style emerged and developed as a result of Latin dance training combined with her spiritual journey and a devoted practice of yoga, personal development and meditation. The artist’s dance is a powerful expression of her intuitive, emotional and sensual perception of the world and the flow or Energy. Deep commitment to growth and transformation and courage to go where few have ventured enables her wide spectrum of dance expression, ranging from heavy loaded themes of sadness, darkness and struggle all the way to expanded states of bliss, abundance, love and harmony. Elena is a global citizen – she speaks six languages, lived in four countries and travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, USA, Central and Latin Americas. She combines her passion for dancing with working in organic food industry and making high energy paintings. |
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Neil Clifford
I am a sculptor, dancer and once upon a time, an actor. Currently, my art practice is the celebration and continuing dialogue I have with nature. Over the past thirty-five years I have travelled to remote areas of the planet, fascinated by artists who live in community with their natural surroundings and whose artwork is imbued with powerful connections to their ancestors and gods. I have been guided by their knowledge that art-making serves as a vehicle for understanding our place within a greater context. So, while determining form, line and aesthetic, I consider the work in the larger realm of its natural and increasingly fragile environment. Through my art I hope to affirm our ties to all wild places, and spur on further investigation into the current predicaments that all such places are faced with. |
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Tatyana Davies
Tatyana has been performing and dancing since the age of four. Drawn especially to classical ballet, she trained privately with former Prima Ballerina Evelyn Hart for four years. Since that time her goals and interests have changed; and now she is discovering love for other dances, such as salsa and ecstatic dance. Now her true interest lies in the emotional and mental effects of dancing- she is working to develop a practise that will guide individuals through the poignantly therapeutic experience of music and movement in a group environment. |
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Farah Farah
Farah has always had a creative and artistic inclination in one form or another. He is constantly finding his peace in making beautiful forms using various everyday objects, transforming the mundane into expressions of the immense love in his heart. While working as a professional accountant Farah continuously incorporates some artistic form in his daily life for creating a beautiful balance. He has been involved in theatre work for many years as a stage actor and director with Inspirato Theatre and is looking forward to branching out to the dance stage with Create-Move-Connect. |
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Sofia Farkona
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Ryan Genereaux
I have been moving, dancing, acting, creating, exploring who I am and what I am capable of in some form my whole life. I love using my body, my voice, my emotions and ideas to express the my stream of all creation. I love creating worlds with my being and inviting people to journey to and past the edge of their energetic experience. I am different and I know it. I encourage everyone to be themselves and accept others who are expressing their truth and their joy. We are here together to be whatever our being sings. And we are here to appreciate who we are when we feel our song. |
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Jennifer Gillmor
Jennifer has performed and recorded in projects ranging from funk to folk, rock to reggae, music influenced by traditions of African and Celtic cultures as well as experimental projects that can draw few comparisons. Jennifer has composed and recorded for film, video, dance, theatre and multimedia projects. She has toured internationally and appeared in nationally broadcast music videos and on various local and national television and radio shows. Jen’s current performance focus is Jennis, a duo with Dennis Gaumond whose debut album The Current was released in May 2014. Her debut solo album, High Road Haven, was released in 2013. She is an avid dancer and has DJ’d The Move and other ecstatic dance events. www.jengillmormusic.ca |
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Cesar Ginocchio
Cesar is a human. And a dancer. Trained as a child by his mother in Latin dance, his skills were honed during the awkwardness of Hispanic family reunions. Embarrassed reluctance finally gave way to a stubborn fervor when he discovered a love of imitation and a need for perfection. His wandering led him nowhere near dance, professionally, but as an avid amateur he enjoys movement. Widely regarded as a "pretty ok" dancer, his enthusiastic-bordering-manic moves laugh in the face of social norms. His extreme seriousness is matched only by his groundless confidence, and a love. A love of dance. |
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Olya Glotka
I have been given many labels: a "Yogi", when I was stretching or sitting with my eyes closed, straight back and peaceful smile; a "Dancer" when I couldn't resist moving to amazing music played on the street; a "Musician", when without any schooling I picked up guitar and started pouring my soul out; a "Leader" when I inspired others to dance to the rhythms; an "Artist" when I picked up a brush and enjoyed the traction between the paper and wet bristles. Are you "This"? Are you "That"? I kept being asked. "No", I would be calmly but strongly explaining "I'm just a Human!!!" Annoyed at first at how easily it is to fool people: A Yogi? Me? I haven't gone to a single yoga class! An artist? Me? This isn't even pretty! But later shocked and annoyed at people not realising their own talent and potential. "Yes, we are all dancers, aren't we?" I would start answering. "Sure, we are all artists at heart!" "Just as much as you are." Since that realisation my ultimate goal in life has become - to fight against labeling others and for accepting ourselves as beautiful, talented, multi-faceted human beings, artists, yogis, musicians, dancers, babies and leaders at the same time. That is my main purpose in Create-Move-Connect project. |
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Elisa Hollenberg
Elisa has danced from the young age of 7-17, with formal training in ballet, jazz and modern. She went on to focus on improvisational and less formal dance forms such as voice and movement practice and the 5Rhythms practice, which she has studied since 2001. Elisa has a keen interest in seeing how ecstatic dance practice may transform into choreography, and therefore started the Create-Move-Connect project to experiment with creating dance pieces and choreography with ecstatic dancers. |
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Michael Kogan
My journey into dance has been paved through relentless hesitation and awkward flailing. I was a closet dancer. I always knew I loved to dance, but firmly believed that was far beyond the reaches of my capabilities and rarely afforded myself the opportunity to - not even in the privy of solitude. One day as I was descending a valley in rural Argentina with the sub-tropical sun illuminating my soul and bliss emanating from my loins, I noticed my body begin to respond to the rhythmic suggestions of the titillating rock I was listening to. Intrigued by the unfamiliar, yet entrancing movements my limbs were divulging, I decided to allow this outlandish display to continue. Before I knew it, I completely surrendered to an ecstatic explosion of funky movement and descended the valley replete with the vivacious spirit of a young Baryshnikov. It was love at first dance. I was hooked. For the sake of brevity, I'll conclude with that's what ultimately led me here - to my first dance performance. And while the fear of baring my ass on that stage is undoubtedly paralyzing, my love for dance is ever stronger. |
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Alina Kouvchinova
Alina is a multi-disciplinary artist, and a graduate of George Brown Theatre School where she was first introduced to Authentic Movement and Contact Improvisation. She has since continued her exploration of movement through giving and taking workshops, and is presently working on achieving a sense of balance in her visual/theatrical artistic practices. Create-Move-Connect has been a really grounding outlet to weave deep, personal meaning into the work with people she genuinely admires, and she’s deeply nurtured by the opportunity to share it with so many people. |
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Dana Kravchenko
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Aleks Meuse
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Dana Nicole Morrison
Dana Nicole Morrison is often seen as a human being although the exact nature of her ‘being’ is still a mystery even she has yet to uncover. Through expressive movement, the mimicry of body language and the embodiment of the elements she aims to explore life through dance. |
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Michael Nickson
Michael has been a student of dance at the House of Dovercourt Studios for eight years and has spent the last 4 years learning Contact Improvisation under some pillars of our Toronto dance community. He is delighted to be performing this, his first formal dance choreography, bringing a post-modern style and story telling, under the dreamy canopy of his duet "A Dream's Presence". |
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Pablo Perez
I've been dancing for 3 years now at various ecstatic dance events. My first experience with ecstatic dance was 5 rhythms, feeling more inspired to move, i started going to a few other ecstatic dance events, eventually finding my way to contact improv. I believe contact improv has been a very important tool, i've used it to improve my ability to express myself physically in all areas of my life. It is my hope that i continue to open myself up more and more to the playful, open, and often unpredictable nature of life. Dance is a gift, for me it has become another glorious way to express my passion, as well as my thirst for connection with every moment. |
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Jesse Scott
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Shahrzad Taheri
Sha comes from a science background and always shied away from creative expression believing that art and creativity were the lot of others. However, about a decade ago she found herself on a spiritual path with Osho leading the way with dynamic meditations. After many years of spiritual growth came a yearning for creative expression. During her participation in a 5-Rhythms workshop in Costa Rica last year and after almost 2 years at The Move came the realization, dance as meditation, play and prayer and the instrument of her connection to the Whole. The pieces are finally coming together and she welcomes the opportunity to participate in a creative production and perform in front of an audience for the first time in her life |