John MacLean and Bienvenue Bazie, photo by Jennifer Dallas
The market, photo by Jennifer Dallas
Court yard of the auberge in Ouagadougou, photo by Jennifer Dallas
Always a community, photo by John MacLean
The studio, photo by John MacLean
It's snowing in Toronto, though the sun is shining and the air is not a cold as it has been. We are close to departure and as I finish my preparations I take a moment to glance and the world I am about to enter.
Dusty red streets, and motorcycles will replace the crunchy snow and my bicycle. I remember the first time I went back to a familiar place in Africa, its a wonderful feeling to return. We will be staying in the same auberge and frequenting the same markets, we did however bring our own coffee this time! Seems ridiculous.
Most of our time will be spent in the studio creating Converse, but I am also looking forward to deepening relationships, speaking more french, and catching inspiration from all directions.
Between preparations to travel to Burkina Faso on Saturday I have have spent time with Andrea Roberts and Fiona Griffiths on Zetetica my new solo for Longer Than a Shadow. I have gained and new understanding and curiosity for the work after performing Zetetica at Danceweekend last Saturday.
I find myself returning to these images of the ancient and spiritual city of Lalibela.
Priest Lalibela Ethiopia, Photo by Nadine McNaulty
Pilgrims Lalibela Ethiopia, Photos by Nadine McNaulty
Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, second only toAksum, and is a center of pilgrimage for much of the country. Unlike Aksum, the population of Lalibela is almost completely Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. Lalibela was intended to be a New Jerusalem in response to the capture of Jerusalem by Muslims, and many of its historic buildings take their name and layout from buildings in Jerusalem.
Pilgrim Lalibela Ethiopia, Photo by Nadine McNaulty
The Church of Saint George, Photo by Nadine McNaulty
This rural town is known around the world for itsmonolithic churcheswhich play an important part in the history ofrock-cut architecture. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. There are 13 churches, assembled in four groups.
Photo by John MacLean Bema, Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
One of the exciting parts of going to Burkina to create our new work is the opportunity to work with Bema. When we were in Burkina last year we met Bema near the end of our trip, we quickly realized that we would be working together again.
Photo by John MacLean
Photo of Bema's band at a christening in Ouagadougou, and of course the West African Balaphone!
Photo by John MacLean, Bienvenue Bazié, Jennifer Dallas
Kẹmi Contemporary Dance Projects presents
Longer Than a Shadow
A DanceWorks CoWorks event
February 24 - 26, 8pm
February 27, 2pm
(TORONTO – JANUARY 24, 2011)
Longer Than a Shadow, presented by KẹmiContemporary Dance Projects, features two new works – Zetetica and Converse.
Zetetica – A solo by Jennifer Dallas (Toronto, Canada)
Dallas has created a series of unsentimental portraits, each one an effort to present separate experiences of ‘everyday’ as they are absorbed and reflected by human bodies of divergent experiences. Of course, dramatically different lives leave dramatically different impressions on the bodies that live them. Dallas’ current perspectives on art, society and creation have been shaped in part by extended times in West Africa and Ethiopia. She is acutely sensitized to the damages that remote interests inflict on ancient societies.
Converse – Aduet by Jennifer Dallas (Toronto, Canada) and Bienvenue Bazié (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
This work took shape at Bazié’s impressive facility in Ouagadougou after initial contact at an international dance festival held in Lagos, Nigeria where the creators found a strong continuity in one another’s practice and artistic sensibilities. The product is an ingenious and original duet. Bazié and Dallas will collaboratively finalize Converse with original music by John MacLean in January 2011.
Costume Designer: Cheryl Lalonde, Music Engineer: John MacLean, Lighting Designer: Roelof Peter (Ron) Snippe
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About Kẹmi Contemporary Dance Projects
Kẹmi Contemporary Dance Projects (Kemi) was founded in 2007 and incorporated in 2008 by Artistic Director Jennifer Dallas. Kẹmi is a not-for-profit dance organization dedicated to creating a dialogue between our perceptions of our bodies and the virtual age. Dallas was recenty nominated for the K.M. Hunter Artist Award.She has created commissioned work for Crazyfish Collective, the Scream Literary Festival and Canada’s leading dance institution TheSchool of Toronto Dance Theatre. In 2010, she was an intern with Tedd Robinson’s 10 Gates Dancing, with the support of the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation.
Bienvenue Bazié is the co-director of Art' Dév / Cie Auguste Bienvenue, the company that he founded in 2000. His work has taken him all over Europe, North America and Africa. His direct influences include Burkinabe choreographers (Salia Sanou and Seydou Boro) as well as European choreographers (Claude Brumachon, Benjamin Lamarche, Mattéo Molles, Xavier Lot, and Eric Mézino).
Kẹmi Contemporary Dance Projects présente
Longer Than a Shadow
Une co-production avec DanceWorks CoWorks
24 au 26 février, 20h
27 février, 14h
(TORONTO – le 24 janvier 2011)
Longer Than a Shadow, présenté par KẹmiContemporary Dance Projects, est composé de deux nouvelles chorégraphies: Zetetica et Converse.
Zetetica – un solo par Jennifer Dallas (Toronto, Canada)
Dallas a créé une série de portraits non-sentimentaux, chaque portrait étant la présentation de différentes expériences du quotidien pour différents corps humains vivants des expériences uniques. Des vies extrêmement différentes laissent des impressions très différentes sur les personnes qui les vivent. Le point de vue actuel de Dallas en ce qui concerne l’art, la création et notre société a été inspiré en partie par ses voyages en Afrique de l’ouest et en Éthiopie. Elle est sensibilisée à l’extrême aux dommages causés par les intérêts étrangers sur les sociétés anciennes.
Converse – un duo par Jennifer Dallas (Toronto, Canada) et Bienvenue Bazié (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
Cette création a pris naissance dans l’impressionnant studio de Bazié à Ouagadougou après une rencontre initiale à un festival international de danse à Lagos au Nigéria et ou les deux créateurs ont découvert que leur pratique et leur sensibilité artistique se rejoignaient fortement. Le résultat est un duo original et ingénieux. Bazié travaillera avec Dallas pour collaborer à la touche finale de Converse avec la musique originale de John MacLean en janvier 2011.
Costume: Cheryl Lalonde, Musique: John MacLean, Éclairage: Roelof Peter (Ron) Snippe
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A propos de Kẹmi Contemporary Dance Projects
Kemi Contemporary Dance Projects (Kemi) fut fondée en 2007, et incorporée en 2008, par la directrice artistique Jennifer Dallas. Kemi est une organisation à but non lucratif qui se dédie à maintenir des connexions et à créer un dialogue entre le corps humain et l’âge virtuel. Dallas à récemment été nominée pour le prix K.M. Hunter Artist Award. Elle a créé de nouvelles chorégraphies pour Crazyfish Collective, le Scream Literary Festival ainsi que pour une des meilleures écoles d'enseignement de la danse contemporaine au Canada, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. En 2010, elle était stagière avec la compagnie de Tedd Robinson, 10 Gates Dancing, avec l’appui de la foundation George Cedric Metcalf.
Bienvenue Bazié est le co-directeur de Art’Dév/Cie Auguste Bienvenue, la compagnie qu’il a fondée en 2000. Ses oeuvres lui ont fait faire le tour de l’Europe, de l’Amérique du nord, et de l’Afrique. Parmi ses influences artistiques on retrouve des chorégraphes burkinabés (Salia Sanou et Seydou Boro) et européens (Claude Brumachon, Benjamin Lamarche, Mattéo Molles, Xavier Lot, et Eric Mézino).
Live theatre has many aspects, put together with the skills of several specialized artists. I have been fortunate enough to work with Cheryl Lalonde, long time Technical Director, Costume Designer and Stage Manager for Toronto Dance Theatre and The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
This Green Jacket, photographed under construction, was conceived of by myself and beautifully crafted and designed by Cheryl. The fabric is hand woven, I brought back with me from Brukina Faso. I remember buying it:
Burkina Faso is a small country, located in the centre of West Africa, on the edge of the Sahara desert. John and I spent two weeks in Ouagadougou, the capital city. We found a bar we liked to spend some of the hottest hours of the day in, often sipping pom pom (a carbonated fruit juice) or one of the local beers. In the corner of the bar a young man was often shining shoes and so you might notice that many of the customers were wearing plastic flip flops.
On this particular day an older man entered the bar draped in fabrics. Venders often walk up and down the streets selling their goods to people passing by. I had been looking for fabric, different from the typical wax prints I have come to love. He made an easy sale, I bought two! The green cloth in this jacket is one of them.
More on Cheryl:
Born and raised in Toronto, Cheryl Lalonde began her career in the arts with Act IV Theatre at Adelaide Court. After two years backstage at Toronto Workshop Productions, her design debut was for the premiere production of Tomson Highway's The Rez Sisters under mentor and director Larry Lewis. Splitting her time between design and stage management has allowed her to travel the world as well as collaborate with many companies, including: Desrosiers Dance Theatre, Danny Grossman Dance Company, Fujiwara Dance Inventions, Eclectic Theatre, Alberta Ballet, Dreamwalker Dance Company, Theatre Smith Gilmour, and Kaeja d'Dance. Ms. Lalonde has been nominated for four Dora Mavor Moore Awards for design and was honored in 1997 for her design of Eclectic Theatre's Chutzpah a-go-go. She has served on the faculty of Theatre Arts at The Banff Centre for seven summers, and recently participated in a panel of Canadian Stage Managers to establish a DACUM occupational analysis for Stage Management.
Photos by Nadine Mcnulty, Coffee ceremony in Addis Ababa
I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, usually brewed in a stove top espresso maker with a dash of warm almond milk. Sometimes in the afternoon I will reach for a second, sweeter cup, adding some maple syrup or honey. We buy our fair trade organic beans from Cherry Bomb on Roncesvalles.
While I was in Ethiopia I was invited to several coffee ceremony’s. The coffee ceremony is an integral part of the social and cultural life in Ethiopia. The beans are roasted, ground and brewed by a young woman in traditional dress. Coffee is taken with plenty of sugar (or in the countryside,salt) but no milk. Often it is complemented by a traditional snackfood, such as popcorn.
If you want to experience it for yourself I recommend Lalibela in Toronto just west of Ossinigton on Bloor. Ask for the ceremony when you arrive, good things take time.
Photo by John Goddard, Addis Ababa, Oromo dance teacher
I have the great pleasure of working with music from Ethiopiques a collectionfeaturing Ethiopianand Eritrean singers and musicians, produced by Francis Falceto. I had the pleasure of meeting Fransis while in Addis.
I have put together short bios of the musicians I have selected from the Ethiopiques collection. If you are curious about the sounds I encourage you to look for them on iTunes!
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou is a nun currently living in Jerusalem. She grew up as the daughter of a prominent Ethiopian intellectual, but spent much of her young life in exile, first for schooling, and then again during Mussolini's occupation of Ethiopia's capitol city, Addis Ababa, in 1936. Her musical career was often tragically thwarted by class and gender politics, and when the Emperor himself actually went so far as to personally veto an opportunity for Guèbrou to study abroad in England, she sank into a deep depression before fleeing to a monastery in 1948. Today, she spends up to seven hours a day playing the piano in seclusion and even gave a concert to some lucky ducks in Washington D.C. a few years ago.
Mulatu Astatke (born 1943; surname sometimes spelled Astatqé on French-language releases) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger best known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston where he combined his jazz and latin-music interests with traditional Ethiopian music. Astatke led his band while playing vibraphone and conga drums—instruments that he introduced into Ethiopian popular music—as well as other percussion instruments,keyboards and organ. His albums focus primarily on instrumental music.
Tilahun Gessesse (also spelledTelahun GesesseorTlahoun Gèssèssè) (September 29, 1940-April 19, 2009) was anEthiopiansinger regarded as one of the most popular of his country's "Golden Age" in the 1960s. During the 1960s he became famous throughout the country, nicknamed "The Voice". He raised money for aid during the famines of the 1970s and 1980s and earned the affection of the nation, being awarded a doctorate by theUniversity of Addis Ababaand also winning a lifetime achievement award from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust.
This soft-spoken woman came to wish us a safe journey home at the end of our time in Ethiopia. This woman’s spirit has influenced a section of my current work, Zetetica.
She is elegant and clam, offering generosity that comes with years, and the images of a lifetime. Who knew that day an idea was born.
The snow dusted streets this morning in Toronto made me think of this photo I snapped in Nigeria last year. There are very few bicycles in Nigeria so this one caught my eye.
I travel through the city mostly by bike, I revel in the concentrated quiet it brings to my day. Today will be no different.
I am an independent contemporary dancer, choreographer, and costume designer based in Toronto. I collaborate regularly with dance artists and musicians in divergent cultural and economic settings.
