One967 Series: UJE[CI]-FRAMED

Choreographer

Wojciech Mochniej is a Polish-Canadian choreographer, performer, dance filmmaker, and teacher, and the Artistic Director of W&M Physical Theatre. For the Pro Series One967, he brings decades of international creative leadership, a rigorous physical practice, and a deep commitment to risk-driven contemporary performance.

Mochniej began his professional career as an original member of Silesian Dance Theatre (1991–1994), widely recognized as Poland’s first contemporary dance company. During this formative period, he met Melissa Monteros, launching a creative partnership that led to the founding of Gdanski Teatr Tania (Dance Theatre of Gdansk)  in 1995 and a sustained body of work presented across Europe and Canada. Their collaboration has generated stage works, screendance projects, and major international initiatives, including the Wilddogs International Screendance Festival, Dance Explosions Poland, and the International Festival of Improvisation in Poland.

As a performer, Mochniej has worked with influential choreographers such as Anna Sokolow, Talley Beatty, Mark Haim, Stephanie Skura, Alpo Aaltokoski, Avi Kaiser, Davida Monk, and Darcy McGehee. His improvisational practice has been shaped by study and performance with Ray Chung, David Dorfman, Chris Aiken, and Martin Keough, alongside theatre training with leading Polish artists Jan Peszek, Grzegorz Bral, and Jacek Ozimek—an influence evident in his physically charged, dramaturgically grounded choreographic voice.

Mochniej’s solo and ensemble works have been presented at major festivals and venues throughout Poland, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada. His solo Just Po Prostu was named “Best Performance by a Male Dancer” by Dance in Europe, and his choreography Weselle became the most toured contemporary dance work in Poland.

An active screendance creator, editor, and mentor, Mochniej is Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Calgary. His work as Artistic Director of One967 reflects a long-standing commitment to challenging artists to move beyond habit, sharpen presence, and engage performance as both inquiry and encounter.

Performer

Nicole Charlton Goodbrand is a contemporary dance artist whose practice is driven by curiosity, using movement and performance art to explore the complexities of human behavior and distorted personal realities. Nicole has performed locally, nationally, and internationally with various Alberta-based dance companies and has presented her own artistic work throughout Alberta. She was a recognized as the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s Emerging Artist Award recipient in dance, 2024, where her work was described as ‘both creative and spontaneous, yet authentic and methodical’. Nicole is a dance interpreter with W&M Physical Theatre, is the Artistic Associate of WM2 dance company, is a certified dance educator, and is a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary's School of Creative and Performing Arts.

Collaborator

Melissa Monteros is a performer, choreographer, dance filmmaker, and Professor Emerita whose international career spans performance, creation, and the shaping of complex contemporary works. For the Pro Series’ One967, she serves as collaborator and Rehearsal Director, guiding the detailed artistic development of the work and its performers.

Monteros holds a Master of Arts in Dance from UCLA and a BFA in Dance from the University of Utah. Her formative training includes study with Kai Ganado, Bill T. Jones, Kei Takei, Ronald Brown, Angelina Leung, and extensive work in New York with Risa Steinberg, Leni Williams, Armgard von Bardeleben, Milton Myers, Lynn Simonson, and Christine Wright. This lineage informs a practice grounded in physical clarity, compositional intelligence, and embodied inquiry.

Her choreographic and performance work has been presented internationally, with invitations across Europe, Canada, and the United States, including Austria, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and Lithuania. She has created work for independent artists and companies such as Risa Steinberg, JoJo Oulu Dance, Springboard Dance Collective, and theatre director Michael Hackett, and has performed in works by Avi Kaiser, Davida Monk, Darcy McGehee, and Alpo Aaltokoski, among others.

Monteros is co-founder of W&M Physical Theatre with Wojciech Mochniej. Their long-term collaboration has generated a substantial body of stage, screen, and international festival work, including Dance Explosions, the International Festival of Improvisation in Poland, and the Wilddogs International Screendance Festival.

A Fulbright Scholar, Monteros has received honorary awards in Gdańsk and Lublin for her contributions to contemporary dance. Her role in One967 reflects her long-standing commitment to shaping performance from the inside—where structure, risk, and meaning are forged through practice.

Light Design

Matt is a lighting designer currently based in Calgary, Alberta. He very excited to be lighting for W&M and UCalgary SCPA’s Proseries II: UJE, and has had a wonderful time working with the cast and crew on this production! He has an intense passion for light and is often found studying the quality of light hitting objects (and friends). In his spare time, he experiments with film photography and photo development in his makeshift darkroom. Notable dance productions include; Mainstage 2025 (UCalgary SCPA), and WM2: Upside Down (W&M Physical Theatre), and Quick and Dirty: Skin (Dancer’s Studio West).

One967 Projections

Colin Barden is an established Calgary-based theatre technician, with specialization in audio and video. He holds a BFA in Technical Theatre from the University of Calgary (2011) and served for nearly a decade as Head of Audio with University Theatre Services. His expertise bridges live performance and multimedia integration, with a practice rooted in precision, collaboration, and adaptability.

Barden has worked extensively with W&M Physical Theatre, contributing to productions such as Co-Action, Waiting Rooms in Heaven, Weselle, Displaced, When Language Fails, and Triangular Theories of Love. His work supports the emotional architecture of each piece, blending sound and image into an immersive world.

Currently, Barden works with IATSE 212 and contributes to productions at Alberta Theatre Projects (ATP), The GRAND, and other prominent Calgary venues. Known for his calm presence and technical fluency, he is a valued collaborator in the city’s performance community.

Performer

Will is a professional dance artist based in Vancouver, BC, originally from Alberta. He began his professional training with Lamondance under the artistic direction of Davi Rodrigues. After three years with the company, he transitioned to freelance work, performing with Ne.Sans Opera and Dance, Voirelia: Dance, Psychology & Philosophy Hub, Okams Racer, and Dance//Novella.

In 2022, Will performed on the Queen Elizabeth Stage in Orpheus and Eurydice, directed by Idan Cohen and presented by Vancouver Opera. He also participated in The Devil's Intervals with Zimmerdans in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Will’s choreographic work has been presented at The Annex (Vancouver, BC), The BlueShore Centre for the Performing Arts, and Men in Dance in Seattle. Most recently, he collaborated with Belle Spirale Dance Projects on Universus, performing works by artistic directors Alexis Fletcher, Sylvain Senez, and internationally acclaimed choreographer Fernando Hernando Magadan. This work was presented at the Vancouver Playhouse in March 2025.”  This is his 2nd performance with W&M Physical Theatre.

Original Lighting Design

Steve Isom is a Calgary-based lighting designer with over 40 years of experience in dance, theatre, ballet, and opera. Trained in design and theatre production at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario, Isom’s work has been seen across Canada and Europe. He has designed for many of Calgary and Edmonton’s leading dance and theatre companies, and was a fixture in the University of Calgary’s Division of Dance for over 30 years.

Steve has been a core collaborator with W&M Physical Theatre since 1994, designing for productions in both Canada and Europe. His intuitive, sculptural lighting has been integral to the company’s visual identity. His recent designs include Olio, Reminiscing in Tempo, and Rare Beauties for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Songs Without Words (video) for Davida Monk, Triangular Theories of Love and When Language Fails for W&M Physical Theatre.

Known for his deep respect collaboration and the creative process, Isom brings a rare blend of technical mastery and artistic insight to every project.