&
Friday, May 30 | 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 31 | 12:00 PM
Sunday, June 1 | 12:00 PM
Exhibition Park, 81 London Rd W
Inclement Weather Location: Quebec St Mall, 55 Wyndham St N
Photo above of Thomas Oberlin by Tse Luk
ABOUT THE WORK
& is a solo performance rooted in contemporary dance which comes from a full length show titled THIS & the last caribou.
THIS & the last caribou is a series of three works; each of them explores our place in relation to history and nature. & depicts a dream sequence featuring a barebacked character, a rock, a red skirt and waves enveloping a candy coloured clown. Taking inspiration from nature, oceans, beaches and volcanoes.
& has been seen across Canada. Originally performed by Ben Kamino for Vancouver’s PuSh Festival in 2023 and by Thomas Oberlin in both Winnipeg and Regina, the piece runs 13 minutes and 31 seconds with original sound by Gary James Joynes. Recently this work has been performed both on stages and outside during Pe-Kiyoke Arts Festival, New Dance Horizons’ Secret Garden Tour and the School of Contemporary Dancer’s ‘Dance Reflections’ May showcase.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Robin Poitras C.M. & Edward Poitras
PERFORMER
Thomas Oberlin
ORIGINAL SOUND
Gary James Joynes
ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHERS
Robin Poitras C.M. is one of Saskatchewan’s most prolific dance and performance creators. Creating dance, performance and installation works, she has been actively engaged in contemporary dance practice since the early 80s. For many years Robin has traversed the formal worlds of dance and performance art. She co-founded New Dance Horizons in 1986, with Dianne Fraser where she continues to act as Artistic Director. With an interest in research into diverse fields of artistic and somatic practice she has developed a unique interdisciplinary approach. Robin’s works have been presented across Canada, in Spain, France, Germany, Mongolia and Mexico. She is a recipient of the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, 2021 recipient of the Order of Canada, 2016 Lieutenant Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2006 Mayor’s Awards for Business & The Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2004 Women of Distinction Award for the Arts.
Edward Poitras is a member of the George Gordon First Nation and resident of Treaty Four Territory. He is an artist who has always recognized his mixed heritage –Métis/Cree/Saulteaux – as a powerful source of energy, creativity and contradiction. Poitras was born in 1953 in Regina. In 1974 he studied with Sarain Stump at the Indian Art Program at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he was introduced to diverse artistic and philosophical approaches that continue to inform his art practice. In 1975–76, Poitras attended Manitou College in La Macaza, Quebec, where Mexican Aboriginal artist Domingo Cisneros imparted an experimental approach to materials and introduced Poitras to the Quebecois performance art scene. Following this time in Quebec, Poitras taught at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College and at the University of Manitoba. During much of the 1980s, he taught at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, University of Regina (now First Nations University of Canada). Poitras worked as a graphic designer for New Breed Magazine in the 1980s. Poitras has since remained connected to his community, exhibiting with and mentoring emerging artists through his involvement with groups including Tribe Inc. (Saskatoon), Sâkêwêwak Artists’ Collective (Regina), and New Dance Horizons (Regina).
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Thomas Oberlin is a Dancer and Choreographer from Treaty One territory in Winnipeg Manitoba. Thomas is a recent graduate of the School of Contemporary Dancer’s Senior Professional Program and has received his BA Honours in Dance from the University of Winnipeg! Through SCD, Thomas has had the opportunity to perform in Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers Emerging Artist Initiative for the past three seasons, perform in New Dance Horizon’s Stream of Dance Festival & Secret Garden Tour in Regina, and train at Summer Arts Blast Off intensive in Toronto! Recently, Thomas and co-creator Nat Sluis have been hard at work starting Aggregate Dance Co, a Contemporary Dance company with goals of connecting artists of the Canadian Prairies with each other and beyond! Also a teacher and choreographer at multiple studios, Thomas is passionate about sharing Contemporary dance with people of all ages and skill levels, whether it’s through class or performance. Recent projects include: WCD’s 60th Anniversary Tribute to Rachel Browne, Aggregate Dance Co’s Phantom Dances for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, Botany in Motion Arts Festival, and Pe-Kiyoke Arts Festival.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
NDH / Rouge-gorge is a project-based creation production company led by Co-Artistic Directors Robin Poitras C.M. and renowned visual artist Edward Poitras. Launched in 2009, Rouge-gorge is a foundation for research, creation, production, and touring. The company produces contemporary dance and performance works by Robin Poitras C.M., Edward Poitras, and guest artists. Traversing between fields of dance and performance art, Robin’s work brings elements of visual and performance art into an inseparable arena. Intense collaboration with artists in dance, theatre, visual, music and performance art is a mark of Robin’s creative practice.