Physical Therapy Cabaret

Wanna laugh? Wanna be inspired? Wanna go the Auburn with some pals and be entertained by sublime physical movement artists?

Physical Therapy is all about bringing together great performance-based artists, big ideas, and an audience to witness and celebrate their fabulous creations — in a bar. Calgary style. Come on down, just for the fun of it.

On the bill this year:

DENISE CLARKE

Friday only
The platform monologue from Clarke’s solo, Sign Language.

Denise Clarke began working with One Yellow Rabbit in 1983 and became Associate Artist and a permanent member of the OYR Ensemble in 1986. She has created or co-created several shows for OYR including The Erotic Irony of Old Glory, Touch, Breeder, So Low, Permission, Featherland, Sign Language, Heavens To Murgatroid and A Fabulous Disaster. Denise created and became director of the OYR Summer Lab Intensive School in 1997.
She continues to teach, give master classes, and lecture, most recently at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at University of British Columbia Okanagan.

TERRANCE HOULE

Terrance Houle has created a new performance piece for the Physical Therapy Cabaret that involves music, video and compassion relating to his Blackfoot namesake iinniiwahkiimah — buffalo herder.

Terrance Houle is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary media artist and a member of the Blood Tribe. Involved with Aboriginal communities all his life, he has traveled to reservations throughout North America participating in Powwow dancing along with his native ceremonies. Houle utilizes at his discretion performance, photography, video/film, music and painting.

MARK IKEDA

This work stems from a love of classical music, theatre, and contemporary dance.

Mark Ikeda enjoys classical music, climbing trees and tea. After training in theatre Mark has emerged into the world of dance. His passion for theatre and contemporary dance has brought him endless amounts of joy and possibility. Large amounts of gratitude rest with One Yellow Rabbit, Springboard Performance the University of Calgary and the Canadian Improv Games — for the wonderful experience and friendship.

KYRSTEN BLAIR

Appearing in Kyrsten Blair’s piece are: Joanne Baker, Kyrsten Blair, Tara Blue, Cathy Courage, Christine Cox, Sarisa Figueroa de Toledo, Jamie Freeman-Cormack, Tina Guthrie, Krista Hanson, Sheahan Keinick, Laura Kleiner, Melodie Lacey, Anita Miotti, Jaime Mitchell, Natalie Poissant, Jenny Repond, Nicole Tritter and Tara Wilson.

Kyrsten Blair’s choreography has been seen at Dancers’ Studio West, Calgary Opera, Corps Bara Dance Theatre and others. She has also performed with the One Yellow Rabbit Ensemble. Kyrsten is Director of Be Love Yoga Studio, Dance Specialist at the Calgary Girls’ School, and a sessional instructor in the faculties of Fine Arts and Kinesiology at the University of Calgary.

PAMELA TZENG

Two confused bodies with inarticulate voices reaching out to each other to find common ground.

An Alberta-based independent dance artist, Pamela Tzeng holds a BSc in Biology with a Minor in Dance from the University of Calgary. Tzeng’s artistic journey has brought her to train and perform in Vancouver, across Europe and Brazil. Passionate about movement exploration, Tzeng has presented her own choreographic works in Alberta Dance Explosions, Sage Theatres Ignite!, Fluid Festival’s Spark and EnCorps Dance Collective’s Move.

DANIELLE WENSLEY

Saturday only
I am grounded but my head is filled with stars. My neck gets sore from looking up at the sky.

Danielle Wensley has danced with the Young Canadians, EKO Dance Projects and performed in independent productions including Dance Montage, Dance Explosions, Freak Show for OYR’s High Performance Rodeo. She has danced with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks since 2008. She is also a choreographer. Her work has been featured in two of DJD’s dancer choreographed shows, Alberta Dance Theatre’s 2010 production of Alice in Wonderland and in the High Performance Rodeo’s “Freak Show”.

STEPHEN THOMPSON

Étude: arms (gauche / droite)
This body is mortal, temporary, organizational, yet not organized, subject to disciplines yet not defined by discipline. It is not settled, sculptural or architectural, it’s on the move, it is choreographing. (Spangbergianism, 2011)

Stephen Thompson is a performer, choreographer, and pedagogue from Calgary, who has bases in Montreal and Paris. His introduction to movement and performing was through competitive figure skating. He received a Bachelor of Kinesiology (art and science of movement) minor in Contemporary Dance from the University of Calgary. He is a choreographer and frequently teaches workshops and classes in Canadian and European schools, communities and universities.

ALISON BRYAN

This is a new work by Alison Bryan. In her creation process she has allowed the uniqueness of the venue to influence the movement and concept of her piece.

Originally from Victoria, Alison Bryan graduated with a BFA in dance and performing arts from Ryerson University. She also completed Decidedly Jazz DanceWorks’s professional training program in 2008. Alison’s has choreographed and performed in several performances in Ontario and Alberta. Currently she is the Artistic Associate for Alberta Dance Theatre for Young People, an instructor for Decidedly Jazz DanceWorks and she choreographs and performs in the Calgary dance community.

MOMO MIXED ABILITY DANCE THEATRE

Friday only
Title: 5x5x5x5x5
Dancers: Kathy Austin and Jennifer Stewart
Staged by Kyrsten Blair
5 movements, 5 emotions, 5 points of interest, 5 areas of the stage, in 5 minutes.

Through improvisation and choreography MoMo Mixed Ability Dance Theatre has been creating performance work for local festivals and events, as well as our own shows, since 2004. We are very pleased and honoured to be presenting this new work with Jennifer and Kathy as our second time participating in Fluid Festival’s Physical Cabaret.

JUDITH MENDELSOHN

Saturday only
Is it Paris or My • ?

Performance: Judith Mendelsohn
Music: Susan Faulkner
The answer should become clear in this clown/bouffonesque comedic physical romp.

Judith Mendelsohn is fresh off the boat, having returned to her hometown after having spent three years in Paris, France. In 2008, Judith was awarded funding by the Canadian Development Initiative Program and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to pursue an intensive two-year acting program with the infamous clown, Philippe Gaulier, in Paris, France. In 2010-2011, Judith wrote and performed her show, Bienvenue à Paris with Harlan Chambers and Balthazar Gaulier in Paris, France, while studying sports at the Université Nouvelle Sorbonne. Judith has been creating and performing her bouffon/clownesque shows since 2006.

EMCEE: THE DIVINE JAMIE TEA

Multidisciplinary artist Jamie (Tea) Tognazzini is a singer, dancer, costumer, puppeteer, circus performer, visual installation artist and animator. Jamie’s animation Fish & Bird In Space screened in Hiroshima, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary. She has appeared on stage in various theatre and musical theatre performances in Canada. Jamie’s original performance material includes highlights Fish & Bird, Our Lady of the Pitz, Barring an Act of Gawd’, and Sisters of the Oyster Cloister.

WHEN AND WHERE

Auburn Saloon
Saturday, October 15
Friday, October 21
9:30 PM
$15