Dance@Night

April 5 & 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
University Theatre, University of Calgary

$14 (adults) /$11 (students*/seniors)

*Part of the Claim Your Seat program. UCalgary students can request their free ticket in-person at the box office or online, limited quantity available! UCalgary employees, emeriti and alumni receive 50% off for themselves and one guest.

 

UCalgary School of Creative and Performing Arts, Dance@Night

Dance@Night presents the choreographic works of Bachelor of Fine Arts dance students. This year's Dance@Night presents works by Olyvia Hoban, Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk, Sierra Oszust, Margarita (Rita) Rebetskaia, Jamie Stock and Shayla Waschuk, performed by the BFA Dance graduates of 2024.

Marie France Forcier, School of Creative Performing Arts, Dance

Welcome to Dance@Night, a presentation of our Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance graduant's individual summative choreographic projects. This year, exceptionally, they are joined by MFA candidate Margarita Rebetskaia, who, like them, is presenting work performed by undergraduate dance majors at all levels within our programs. Bringing a choreographic work to completion and production requires a substantial amount of consideration. There were many challenges along the road, and those students met those challenges with curiosity and audacity. I sincerely congratulate them and hope you will respond to their work's intelligence this evening and join me in applauding their accomplishments. 
 

Marie France Forcier
Artistic Director, Dance@Night

Rochelle Marie Gartner-Primiterra

The Rochelle Gartner-Primiterra Memorial Award in Dance Endowment celebrates the life of Miss Rochelle, a talented performer, exceptional dance educator, and dedicated leader in the Calgary dance community. Rochelle was a long-time business owner of Dance With France Studio and Artist’s Elite Int’l, where she mentored, encouraged and spread the love of dance to so many of her students, dancers, choreographers, and talent in the entertainment industry. Rochelle led her life with positive leadership, cutting edge business ideas, passion, drive and determination.

Rochelle understood and promoted the enormous value for her students to continue and further their dance education by going on to get a dance degree at the UofC Dance Program, as she did herself, being one of the 1st to graduate in 1997. During her career, she performed with Calgary-based organizations such as The Young Canadians and The Calgary Stampeder Outriders, then internationally with contracts in Japan and Poland. She also worked on cruise lines for seven years all over the world – from the US, Mediterranean, Asia, Caribbean, and South America to name a few.

Made possible by The Gartner Family and Friends, this new fund honours Rochelle’s memory and her legacy while keeping her lifelong love of performing and teaching dance alive.

By creating this award, we hope to support students by encouraging and inspiring them to continue dance education and further develop their passion for the dance arts for generations to come.

Rochelle's legacy is to inspire our dancers, teachers, and leaders of tomorrow.

Miss Rochelle Gartner-Primiterra   
Jan 1, 1975 - Aug 23, 2021

Choreographer: Margarita Rebetskaia

Dancers: Kiauna Harder, Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk, Rachel McKinnon, Rachel Merchant, Allison Vliet

Music: Diogo de Haro "Todos Aguardam a Explosão de Betelgeuse" and "Às Portas de Enlil", as well as Mary Oliver interview for The On Being Project with Krista Tippett

Costume Design: Katya Petukhova

Text: When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn... by Mary Oliver

Choreographer’s Notes: I was struck by the dissonance between the therapeutic aspect of Mary Oliver's poetry and the heavy fate from which, it seems, this poetry grew. Her quotes can be found on bloggers' Instagram pages and  on yoga centers' walls, these "cut-out" wisdoms are tought to inspire and help other people. But my main feeling from reading her poems and knowing about her life is that her poetry is a way to survive. A way to emerge from the darkness into the light. A relentless resistance to darkness, which is immensely admirable. All her dogs were rescue dogs.

Special Thanks: Special thanks to the artist Katya Petukhova for her assistance in creating the wigs, Daniel Galvao for editing the sound track, and Katharina Schier for lending her outside eye.

Choreographer: Shayla Waschuk

Dancers: Lane Sayer, Jamie Stock, Jenna Wadden, Lavender Wong

Music: Insuif by Machinefabriek, ready, set, go. by Kenichi Kasamatsu, Fragment by Rival Consoles

Choreographer’s Notes: This work explores the interplay of movement, body and breath as a means to relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. Amidst life's demands, seeking conscious connection between breath and body can provide transformative healing and nurturing for the soul.

Special Thanks: Thank you to the remarkable dancers who have contributed greatly in shaping this piece and bringing it to life. A huge thank you to Marie France Forcier and those who have guided and supported me throughout this process.

Choreographer: Olyvia Hoban

Dancers: Jaidyn Bloemraad, Eva Chalifoux, Sophia Frenette, Morgan Lawrence, Caitlin Towers, Shayla Waschuk

Music: Spring Birds Chirping Sound Effect, Not My Responsibility (Instrumental) by Billie Eilish, Game Of Survival (Instrumental) by Ruelle, Hostage (Instrumental) by Billie Eilish, Overheated (Instrumental) by Billie Eilish

Choreographer’s Notes: “When we become fixed in our perceptions, we lose our ability to fly.” -Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche 
The idea of bird watching was derived from the concept of perception. Perception is intertwined into our identities and influence who we are, what we feel, how we act, etc. Birdwatching invites you to observe the act of watching and being watched. “Birdwatching goes both ways.”

Special Thanks: This piece is dedicated to my second family, Dinos Football. Thank you to Marie France Forcier for her continuous support, guidance, and mentorship. Thank you to my dancers for their participation and trust through this process.

Choreographer: Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk (they*/she)

Dancers: Madeleine Graham (she/her), Anastaciya Knoll (she/they), Dorothée Tölgyesi (she/her/elle)

Music: And The Flower Have Time For Me' by Felicia Atkinson & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Mr. Cellophane by John C. Reilly from Chicago (Music from the Motion Picture)

Additional Credits: The crux of this work is based upon Hélène Cixous' work, 'The Laugh of Medusa'. I credit the additional feminist discourses that I am adding to/commenting on around the woman's body, how it is always being simultaneously stolen and reclaimed by those stolen from.
Choreographer’s Notes: Hélène Cixous, the French feminist said, “We must learn to speak the language that women speak when there is no one there to correct us.” How are women to become permanent at all? Were we ever here? What courage is required of women to remember what our bodies have known but our lives have taken the memory of? What revolution occurs when we demand our bodies back, from patriarchy, from violence, through honesty? Through grief? Through honesty about our grief? To not be written in the language of men, but to write ourselves, our grief, our insistence, is to experience our lives in a body that is self-determined. ‘How Do I Stay?’ explores what it means to come back to a body, what you’ve denied it, what it’s been denied of, and begin writing this body yourself.

Special Thanks: Thank you to Marie France Forcier for her sincere eye she kept on & through my work. To the women / queers in my life who insist on telling the truth about the world around them; about their lives. You help me tell mine, unwaveringly.

Choreographer: Sierra Oszust 

Dancers: Emilie Field, Cydney Jackson, Kiki Roberts & Elexie Tracy 

Music: HYbr:ID Ectopia Quarks Minus/ HYbr:d:ID Ectopia Gravitation by Alva Noto 

Choreographer’s Notes: THE HOLE narratively explores a group of individuals stuck underground. They must learn to behave collaboratively for survival while  experiencing the situation on independent scales. In the end, natural selection prevails. 

Special Thanks: I want to dedicate a special thank you to the dancers who performed this work. I am grateful for your commitment, devotion, and creative interpretation. I also thank Marie France Forcier for her creative direction throughout the creative process. 

Choreographer: Jamie Stock 

Dancers: Jolie Che, Sophia Frenette, Olyvia Hoban, Hazel Lewis, Gabriella Rybar 

Music: QKThr by Aphex Twin, green to blue by daniel.mp3, Beyond by Empty Set, A Sparrow Alighted upon Our Should by Johann Johannsson, Sea Of Love by Cat Power 

Choreographer’s Notes: Sometimes, rather than reminiscing, we are deeply mourning the simplicity of what once was. Reminiscing and mourning are two qualities I believe are interchangeable and I wanted to explore these through organic, individualized movement. We can still appreciate what we once had while understanding how to accept the now. 

Special Thanks: Special thank you to the dancers who made this piece come alive so beautifully. I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness and individuality you each collaborated on in the making of this work. 

Choreographer: Marie France Forcier, with the 2024 BFA graduands

Dancers: Olyvia Hoban, Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk, Sierra Oszust, Jamie Stock, Shayla Waschuk

Music: Metronome 168bpm, Sabotage by Beastie Boys

Other Credits: Marie France Forcier and the performers

Choreographer’s Notes: This piece came together under unexpected and challenging circumstances. While less than ideal, these conditions and the piece itself in the end aptly mirror this cohort of students' university trajectory. Having entered September 2020, they have had to constantly re-adjust their learning to rapidly changing pandemic and endemic realities. There was a lot of grit on the way, and they pushed. And they pushed through.  

Special Thanks: Special thanks and congratulations to the BFA cohort, who effectively put this work together in under 5 rehearsals.

Lighting Designer: Matt Levesque

Margarita (Rita) Rebetskaia, Dance@Noon 2024

Margarita (Rita) Rebetskaia was born in Moscow, Russia, where she began her training in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 5. At 14, Rita was admitted to the Igor Moiseyev Dance Academy and, upon graduation, she joined the Igor Moiseyev Ballet. With this company, Rita had the privilege of traveling and performing around the world. Rita is also a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, specializing in theatre criticism. In 2016, she founded an inclusive theater called InterAction. Rita relocated to Canada with her family in 2021 and was employed as a character and ballet teacher at the Alberta Ballet School. In 2021-2022, Rita participated in the Professional Training Program offered at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks.

During the past three years in Canada, Rita has worked as an independent artist on projects such as Dancing Monkey Laboratory and Error 404 Dance Found. She has also served as a choreographer and movement director for productions such as "Monster's Call" and "Shakespeare in Love," directed by Steven Conde. Since the fall of 2023, Rita has been pursuing her MFA degree at the University of Calgary as an interdisciplinary artist.

Shayla Waschuk, Dance@Noon 2024

Born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, Shayla Waschuk is an ambitious dance artist, performer and choreographer, who strives to emphasize intricate movement as a source of expression. She is currently completing her final year at the University of Calgary, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. With her prominent style being contemporary, Shayla had the opportunity to pre-professionally train with Ember Dance Company. While progressing through her undergraduate degree, Shayla had the opportunity to perform in pieces for Mainstage, Dance@Noon and the Alchemy Festival. Shayla is ecstatic to continue exploring her journey as a dance artist, in hopes of expanding her performance and choreographic opportunities.     

Photo Credit: Sentient Forms

Olyvia Hoban, Dance@Noon 2024

Olyvia Hoban is a young, emerging artist and researcher originally born in Houston, Texas. Her dance career began at a young age following her arrival in Canada. Calgary, Alberta has been the home of her extensive dance training primarily under the direction of Natalie Madden and Nicole Charlton-Goodbrand. She has developed a strong interest in dance science throughout her undergraduate degree. Following graduation, she will continue working in football operations, predominantly with Dinos Football and the Calgary Stampeders with plans to obtain her CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), AEMA (Athletic Equipment Managers Association) Certification, and in the future, a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a thesis.

Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk, Dance@Night 2024

Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk (they*/she) is a Mohkinstis-based woman, dancer, physical agent, and feminist deeply committed to embodying Contemporary dance forms and street dances, mainly Popping. They are interested in feminist body theory and remembering through movement as an act of reclamation and politics: how the oppressed body reclaims through remembering what it has endured, and not moving on without this memory. Kalyna has spent their life with their body as a gymnast, dancer and dance facilitator, and aims to live their life through a FELT body while guiding their students in accessing their own bodily autonomy and agency through dance.

Photo Credit: Eugenio Hipolito

Sierra Oszust, Dance@Night 2024

Sierra Oszust is an emerging Canadian dance artist who brings a unique perspective to her craft. Currently in the last phses of earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Calgary, and with over a decade of dedication to her dance practive, she aspires to continue pursuing creative endeavours locally and internationally. Sierra's interests circle ideas and concepts through an interceptive scope, connecting with imagery strategies in order to generate movement and vocabulary. Her understanding of contemporary dance techniques is a foundation for all improvisational, developmental movement research she engages in. Sierra's aims to create art from the physical body and emotional interpretiveness of the mind to elucidate the unexpected.

Photo Credit: Christopher Zacharias

Jamie Stock, Dance@Night 2024

Jamie Stock is an emerging dance artist and student in the Calgary area. Originally from outside of Edmonton, Jamie's love for dance brought her to the University of Calgary. Currently in her 4th and final year toward earning a BFA in dance, Jamie plans to continue to perform, choreograph and teach after graduation. Jamie is currently a teacher at Snap Dance Studios and strives to bring her passion and creativity to her young students.

Photo Credit: Christopher Zacharias

Matt Lévesque, Lighting Designer

Matt is a lighting designer currently based in Calgary, Alberta. He has had a wonderful time working together with student choreographers for Dance @ Night to complement and enhance the story of the pieces through light. Matt has an intense passion for light and is often found studying the quality of light hitting nearby objects (and friends). In his spare time, he experiments with film photography and photo development in his makeshift darkroom. Notable productions include; Table (Drama Studio London), Error 404 (Error 404 Dance Found), and O’Kosi (Making Treaty 7). He is currently, and very happily, the Head of Lighting at The Grand.


School of Creative and Performing Arts

Staff

Director BRUCE BARTON
Associate Director ALLAN BELL
Dance Division Lead MELANIE KLOETZEL
Drama Division Lead CHRISTINE BRUBAKER
Music Division Lead JEREMY BROWN
Production Manager ANDREW NORTH
Performance and Artist Coordinator ALIDA LOWE
Communications and Marketing Specialist SATOKO (TOKIE) ONODA
Department Operations Manager MARY LOU MENDYK
Administrative Assistant ALEXANDRA LYONS
Academic Program Specialist ROSABEL CHOI
Academic Program Specialist CONSTANTINA CALDIS ROBERTS
Graduate Program Advisor ALISON SCHMAL

Theatre Services

Venue & Client Relations Manager DAVID FRASER
Venue Business Administrator ABIR BACHIR
Booking Administrator CATHERINE ROULEAU
Front of House Manager KRISTINE ASTOP
Audio Technician ALEX BOHN
Lighting Technician JASON SCHWARZ
Scenic Carpenter SCOTT FREEMAN
Stage Technician IAN WILSON