(openPR) - Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (WCD) and GroundSwell join together with Toronto’s Chartier Danse for the Winnipeg premiere of Screaming Popes. Described by the Toronto Star as ‘arresting in every way’ this stunning full evening work is directed, choreographed and designed by Marie-Josée Chartier. Screaming Popes is a surrealistic expedition into the world of three figures where power, vanity, desire, torment, faith and serenity collide to create a canvas exploding with sensation.

The imagery is infused with religious and cultural symbols, which in turn becomes a search for the essence of man. The male character and psych, the social behaviour and rituals of a man’s world are central themes of the production. Inspired by a series of paintings by Francis Bacon, Screaming Popes is the result of an original collaboration between Chartier Danse (Toronto) and fabrik Potsdam (Germany).

Screaming Popes features three male dancers, Danny Wild, Michael Sean Marye (Canada) and Sven Till (Germany) who interact with live music composed and performed by German virtuoso Alex Nowitz. Original lighting design by Raiko Epperlein with costumes by Heather MacCrimmon

Co-presented by WCD, Chartier Danse and GroundSwell with additional support from the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Toronto.

Dates & Times:

Thursday April 12th – 8pm, pre-show chat 7:30pm *

Friday April 13th – 8pm, pre-show chat 7:30pm *

Saturday April 14th – MATINÉE - 2:30pm, pre-show chat 2pm *

Saturday April 14th – 8pm, pre-show chat 7:30pm *

* All pre-show chats with choreographer Marie-Josée Chartier & WCD Artistic Director Brent Lott

Location: WCD Studio Theatre, 211 Bannatyne Ave – 2nd Floor. Rush seating, no admittance after performance has started.

Prices: $22 adult - $18 Senior - $15 student

Tickets may be purchased through TICKEMASTER or directly from WCD.

This is also the LAST CHANCE to save money on a 3 pack! See Screaming Popes in April plus Alvin Erasga Tolentino’s Field: Land is the belly of man in May and a new work this June from Sharon B. Moore all for one low 3 pack price. $48 Adults - $39 Seniors - $30 Students

WCD Box Office: (204) 452-0229. Fax: (204) 287-8618.
tickets@winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca
www.winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca
Ticketmaster: 204.780.3333 or www.ticketmaster.ca

PRESS QUOTES

‘Silent screams reveal the tortured, complex souls of men…Choreographer Marie-Josée Chartier is deep…’
Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail

‘Best dance performances of 2004 in The Toronto Star: Marie-Josée Chartier’s Screaming Popes, arresting in every way.’
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

BIOGRAPHY – Marie-Josée Chartier

Montreal native and Toronto based, Marie-Josée Chartier is a choreographer, director, dancer, vocalist, teacher and the Artistic Director of Chartier Danse. Her performing career has taken her on international and national stages as a solo artist and with dance companies, most notably with Dancemakers. Her choreographic work has been presented in prestigious dance series and festivals largely in Canada, Europe and Latin America as well as being broadcasted through documentaries on Canadian Television.

Ms. Chartier has received numerous choreographic commissions from solo artists and companies such as Vestige for Toronto Dance Theatre, Quicksilver for Yvonne Ng, A short voyage for Jolene Bailie, étude pour deux mammifères for Kaeja d'Dance and La Lourdeur des Cendres for Four Chambers dance Project. Since 2000, she has been increasingly involved as a choreographer and director of Contemporary Opera working with such music groups as Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, l’Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, Numus and the Gryphon Trio. She has garnered the 2001 K.M. Hunter Award for Dance as well as six Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations for her work as a performer, choreographer and director, winning the 2002 in choreography for fifty-one pieces of silver for Dancemakers and sharing two awards with the collective URGE for the writing and co-directing of And by the Way Miss. She has directed the successful Constantinople, a 90 minute music/multi-media work presented in Banff, Toronto, New Haven Ct. and the Covent Garden in London. In December 2006, Chartier Danse premiered Bas-Reliefs at l’Espace Libre in Montreal a full-evening work featuring Marie-Josée Chartier and Dan Wild.

Ms. Chartier continues to be a guest teacher in major centres in Canada as well as in Latin America in the field of modern dance, movement for singers and musicians, voice exploration and improvisation. Marie-Josée Chartier had the opportunity to study dance in Canada and the U.S. in numerous intensive workshops (Jacob’s Pillow, Lar Lubovitch, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, York University) and with a very long list of incredible teachers in all disciplines of modern dance, anatomy and voice. She is a member and co-founder of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists.

www.chartierdanse.com/

BIOGRAPHY – Alex Nowitz

Alex Nowitz is a composer of vocal music, chamber music, music for small orchestra, electronic music as well as music for dance, theatre and music theatre. In spring 2006 his first opera, Die Bestmannoper (The Best Man Opera) of an entire evening's length written for vocal ensemble, choir, orchestra, harmonium and Theremin was performed at Theater Osnabrueck, Germany.
Alex Nowitz studied music in Munich, Berlin, Potsdam (USA) und Potsdam (Germany). He was artist in residence at the Schloss Wiepersdorf (2002/2006), at the Kuenstlerhaus Lukas Ahrenshoop and at the Leighton Studios Banff Center for the Arts (Canada, 2005/2007).
He is also a voice artist, a whistling and singing virtuoso who is performing in collaboration with musicians from various stylistic areas as well as interpreting composed new music. He has given concerts in Europe, Russia and North America.

www.nowitz.de/

A note from the composer

The music from Screaming Popes will be presented instantly and lively with compositions for male voices, piano, gongs and plastic bottle. Other pieces like the ones for bass clarinet, string trio and voice are produced in the studio and will be heard through a surround sound system. This set-up allows the spatial isolation of each single instrument and the movement of sound in general. There is a focus on using the male voice for the dance piece. Unusual vocal techniques meet those of the dancers natural voices. The uncovered, unravelled, direct expressions and outcome of archaic and powerful elements meet moments of fragility, vulnerability and longing.

About WCD

Founded by Order of Canada award winner Rachel Browne in 1964, Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers (WCD) creates, produces, teaches, presents, and promotes professional contemporary dance with a view to furthering the art form for professional artists and audiences alike. All WCD performances this season take place in the WCD Studio Theatre, second floor, 211 Bannatyne Avenue in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District.

For interviews or further information please contact WCD:

James Botaitis, Communications Coordinator
communications@winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca
T: (204) 452-0229(x221) F: (204) 287-8618
Visit: www.winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca