Performer Bios In Show Order
ACT ONE - Solstice
Tamara Hajsky & Mike Broesky - Solstice Opening Ritual
Tamara & Mike are both light workers in their own rite, with strong backgrounds in the facilitation of ceremonies of different kinds.
Tamara is a Shiatsu practitioner and a Nia instructor, with a mosaic of dance forms in her repertoire, including Bellydance. Nia draws it's movement skill from Martial Arts, Dance Arts, and the Healing Arts.
Mike Broesky is an avid fire dancer. Using fire staff, poi and other props, Mike performs at Festivals throughout Canada.
Jenna – Egyptian Shaabi Solo
Jenna began bellydance classes at AuSet when she was 17. She soon fell in love with the dance, and took as many classes and workshops as she could. Five years later, she has performed at numerous recitals and shows. Her performance this evening is in the style of Cairo street dancing, known as Shaabi.
Maia Musa - Fusion Bellydance Group
Featuring Amanda Corp, Andrea Tait, Dréa Smith-Fernandez, Lindi Lord, and Meghann Eyjolfsson. Choreographed and directed by Accalia Robertson of Deep Roots ॐ Strong Dance, this piece incorporates fusion bellydance with classical improv-style bellydance movement.
Sacred Flames Dance Company - Myth of Pallas Athena:
Glow Tribal Fusion Duet
Sacred Flames is a multi-disciplinary dance company that utilizes fire and blacklight to honour the Divine Feminine through ritual theatre and performance.
Pallas and Athena: Daughters of the Gods, Chosen Sisters, Fierce Warriors
Give me eyes to see far, see true and see within. Give me heart to bear it and strength to hold fast.
Brett & Alix – Theatrical Acro Yoga & Gymnastics Fusion
Alix: A gymnast. Brett: A guy. Forming in the summer of 2013, First as acrobatic partners and later as partners in life. Alix and Brett bring their style of Adagio Acrobatics to Winnipeg.
Sidramara – Tribal Fusion Solo
Sidramara (Andréa Smith-Fernández) first fell madly in love with tribal fusion after watching Rachel Brice perform on Youtube. Without any prior dance experience, she threw herself down the rabbit-hole that is tribal bellydance - where she has been living for the past four years. She originally began dancing with Prairie Caravan, but has recently decide to pursue her initial love - tribal fusion - both as a soloist and with Deep Roots Strong Dance. Dance has always had a special place in her heart, because as Balanchine once said: "Dance is music made visible".
Kevla – Classical Bellydance Solo
Kevla has been studying Egyptian and American Cabaret style bellydance for two years under the tutelage of Winnipeg's own Nicola, and has had the opportunity to take workshops with several internationally sought after masters, such as Yasmina Ramzy, Aziza, Virginia Mendez, Suhaila Salimpour, and Ruby Beh.
Accalia Robertson & Tamara Hajsky - Fusion Bellydance Duet
Accalia has been bellydancing for 8 years, and performing professionally and teaching for the past 4 years. Working primarily as a soloist, Accalia also loves to collaborate with different artists. She recently trained in Portland to complete Rachel Brice’s 8 Elements™ of Bellydance, Phase 1: Initiation.
Tamara was introduced to bellydance in 2007 and in the past three years, her passion for bellydance was ignited upon moving to Winnipeg. She’s recently fallen in love with fusion style and is excited to integrate it with her improvised tribal bellydance repertoire as well as concepts and movements from the Nia technique. She’s excited and open to delve into new collaborations with other artists.
Edward - Martial Arts Dance
‘Guro’ Eddie holds black belts in Kung Fu and Filipino Arnis/Kali. A former professional dancer, Eddie enjoys blending his love of martial arts and dance into artistic and fun performances. This piece was originally performed at Blacksmith’s Ball, where the storytelling blacksmith came across a Martial Arts Monk in his world travels…and how he met the playful and inventive warrior monk.
Leyna - Aerial Hoop
Leyna has been practicing aerial arts for 8 years. She uses aerial silks, static trapeze and aerial hoop. The piece she has prepared for Solstice is a moody and dynamic showcase of graceful flexibility and dramatic stunts.
ACT TWO - Spectacular
Erinne Bartel Roth & the CoLabratory - LIVE ART EXHIBITION
Operatic vocals by Erinne.
Live art renderings by the CoLabratory - GMB Chomichuk, David Oro, Jason Cabredo, Nyco Rudolph.
Beset by emotions, overcome by the changing way of life and facing possible annihilation, Lakme decides that she will combat the darkness with a celebration of the beauty of nature all around her. Such stoic beauty has inspired the brushes of artists through out the ages. We stand at the threshold of such change once again. We shall meet it with art and song. Creation.
LunaSol – Tribal Fusion Bellydance Duet
Luna Sol, A tribal fusion belly dance duet that will surely catch your attention. They have been performing tribal belly dance together since 2007. In the past couple years, they have started to fuse in a little Sol. Inspired by ats, pop n lock, jazz, and contemporary - influenced by dancers such as Rachael Brice and Zoe Jakes and various other teachers they've had over the years.
Brittany Roginson & Amy Simoes - LED Hula Hoop
Brittany and Amy both perform with fire & LED hula hoops, at various festivals, events, & shows across Canada & the United States.
Prairie Caravan – Tribal Style Bellydance
Prairie Caravan is a troupe of Tribal Style Bellydancers. Tribal style has very little choreography, rather the dancers learn different moves and combinations, and through subtle cues and gestures, “tell” the dancers what is coming next. Prairie Caravan is proud to say their group of women represent five decades of age ranges! Which goes to show, any age, any size, you can dance!
Their troupe motto? Forget what you THINK about bellydance . . .
Dan & Carissa - Circus Style Acro Yoga
Carissa and Dan are part of Winnipeg's growing Acro Yoga community, which focuses on the acrobatic and therapeutic components of this relatively new and interesting discipline. Together, they've attended acro yoga intensives in Arizona and Saskatoon, to learn skills from other acro yoga communities. They’ll be sharing these skills with you tonight, and at the Winnipeg Folk Fest's Pope's Hill Fire Show this July.
Monika – Eurythmy Group Performance
The piece “sunfire” is developed through improvisation of Eurythmy and music together at the same time. Eurythmy is visible music and visible speech. The Eurythmy dancers are creating the music through how they move and the other way round the musician gives inspiration to them for the next moves. The musician is part of the performance. Out of the improvisation, there are choreographed passages, with some improvised on the spot. It is vivid sunny, blazing, sometimes calm, like in a midsummer nights dream!
Asra - American Cabaret Solo
Asra's performance is a modern interpretation of classic American Cabaret wine glass dance. The tray of candles celebrates the light of summer while the addition of the glasses adds an element of drama.
Manohar - Classical Indian Dance
Manohar Performing Arts use the classical Indian dance theatre format with originally recorded world music and dialogue in either of Canada's official languages. Their productions integrate classical Bharatanatyam and Kathak into the contemporary Canadian dance scene.
Manohar (rhymes with “I know her!”) is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to capture the mind.’
“Bilvashtakam”, the item being presented at the Solstice Spectacular, was the first dance item we choreographed independently. It has undergone a few variations, but is still the potent invocation we first presented in 1991! The lyrics are from an ancient Hindu scripture, and glorify the God Shiva – creator and destroyer of worlds – with the offering of a single, simple leaf. Shiva represents the cosmic life force, and only the humble yet glorious example of nature itself can be a suitable offering. In turn, we offer the audience this one small dance, in hopes of a summer of vitality and creativity!
Tara – Tribal Fusion Solo
Tara Cole-McCaffrey is a performance artist, fusion dancer (bellydance, hip hop, popping), instructor and choreographer. She’s a frequent performer at The Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition (MEME). Tara brings the art of fusion bellydance to the mainstream by free-styling with DJ’s, modeling for award winning graphic novels and performing in art shows, music videos and movies. When she’s not performing, Tara is a wardrobe stylist, production designer and artistic director as the Patron of Dreams.
Victoria & Emily – Modern Dance Duet
We are Emily and Victoria, best friends and colleagues who were reunited in a theatre class after 7 years apart. Realizing we had overcome shared life experiences in our time apart, we combined our individual passions and art forms to create pieces that meant something to us and (fingers crossed) to others. With this piece we wanted to create something that connected both movement and acting, and to portray women in abusive situations as more than victims, but as warriors and sisters. We hope to touch your hearts and inspire your creative sensibilities, cheers!