Connections//Collisions Cabaret

Connections//Collisions Cabaret

The last Connections//Collisions Cabaret is coming up and we have some exciting news! MZD is adding a second night. Connections//Collisions Cabaret is on April 4+5. Get your tickets early.

Featuring a variety of artists, this exciting series welcomes audiences to experience a series of multiple new art pieces. The curatorial theme of the upcoming Cabaret is Horizons!

APRIL 4 + APRIL 5
$25/$20 MZD Members
7:30 PM
MZD is located at 9931 78 Ave NW, Edmonton
Please note, the April 5 Cabaret will be ASL interpreted 

Curatorial Statement | Josh Languedoc

We are in a time of transition. Life is happening fast. It’s as if a new consciousness is awakening around the world. During times of transition, there is only one place to be: in the present, looking onwards to the horizon. We are not at that horizon yet, but we can see it from where we are standing. The horizon roots us in the present and is a glimmer of what’s to come. And in this cabaret tonight, we dare to dream about what is to come. What could be coming up on our horizon? Let’s take a glimpse into some possibilities! 

Connections//Collisions Cabaret features artists: 

Jody Faulkner
Hemali Boorada
Mpoe Mogale
Dahlia Waller
Jackie Latendresse
Stephanie Lilley
Rainier Pearl-Styles

Band: Kaeley Jade
Visual Artist: Liza Xenzova

PERFORMANCES

Hemali Boorada with Jesitta Jilju and Sneha Chandrababu

Performance Name: ‘Tarang’ – Wave
Marulu Minchera (ma-roo-loo  min-chey-rah)

The first piece presented will be Marulu Minchera. Here we see a young maiden inviting her lover to spend time with her. She expresses how she is overflowing with love for him and cannot bear to be separated. She complains that he always leaves, promising to stay the next time. She pleads for him to stay as she cannot bear to be without him.

Marakatha Manimaya Chela (mah-ra-cutha  mun-ee my-ah  chey-lah)

This unique piece celebrates the splendor of Lord Krishna. Describing him to be more beautiful than 100,000 cupids. Krishna who wears golden, gem studded anklets as he dances. It is he who conquered, and danced upon the head of the evil snake Kālinga. The dancer will perform this piece on the edge of a brass plate, a technique very unique to Kuchipudi.

Mpoe Mogale with Cassandra Woit and Cecilie Fenger-Andersen

Awaken is a performance reflecting the transformative process of Heels Training which allows one to crack open for that hour of class or rehearsal to explore the sensuality and strength of the body. As touch ignites the body’s awakening, both self-imposed and societal inhibitions are briefly paused, revealing a deep and unapologetic love for one’s body.

Though short-lived, the process and performance are a celebration of this escape—a momentary departure from a world that detaches itself from the very vessel that carries us. It’s an invitation to relish the freedom before reentering the reality of societal norms.

Jackie Latendresse with Meghann Michalsky

Stutter
Choreography: Jackie Latendresse
Dancer: Meghann Michalsky
Music: Cliff Burns
Lighting design: Jackie Latendresse

This highly emotional work offers a physically demanding exploration of how we can become our own biggest obstacle to progress, pushing the limits of endurance and self-reflection.

This project was supported by Canada Council for the Arts, SKArts

Stephanie Lilley with Dancers: June Chen, Hannah Chyz, Ruby Chyz, Hannah Ilkiw, Rebecca McLeod, Jason Romero, Allison San Martin Feeney, Kelsey Wright

Fear
In a world of change, we must constantly reinvent ourselves; shedding what no longer serves us and bringing with us the parts that remain relevant and inspired. This flux means we often play different roles in various contexts of our lives. “Fear” explores the notion of hunter and hunted. Are you waiting for your prey or are you trapped and waiting to be eaten? Perhaps the divide between the two roles isn’t binary.

The musical stylings of Kaeley Jade, with Gabriel Gagnon, Alex Downey and Kelsey Wood

Under the sweeping gaze of Edmonton’s prairie skies, Métis artist Kaeley Jade has carved out a space where art and soul converge. Her vibrant debut full-length album, Turpentine, has earned her significant recognition as a singer/songwriter in the Canadian music scene with accolades that include a Canadian Folk Music Award, Western Canadian Music Award Nomination, and Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Award. Her music has received radio play across the globe, has been reviewed by publications worldwide, and has been featured in several film and television productions. Blending folk, pop and indie rock, Kaeley’s lush imagery, stunning vocals, and electric stage presence have enthralled listeners at hundreds of venues and festivals across the country, including the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, JUNOfest, International Indigenous Music Summit, and Canmore Folk Music Festival. Kaeley will be joined by musicians Gabriel Gagnon, Alex Downey and Kelsey Wood.

Visual Artist | Liza Xenzova (Ksenzo)
FIGURE//DIARY

FIGURE//DIARY is a display of select works of Ksenzo (Liza Xenzova) after her arrival back to Canada 1.5 years ago. The work presented at Connections//Collisions Cabaret is a look into her routine of keeping a “diary” of her figurative sessions, experiments in different materials, and compositional approaches.