THE MAGPIE COLLECTION: A DANCE FESTIVAL
Mile Zero Dance's summer dance festival is happening now until JULY 28!
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR
The Magpie Collection is a bright and attractive gathering of dances that will inspire, delight, and move audiences with the language of dance which crosses many boundaries. The festival includes artists talks, classes and workshops, performances and more. Get your festival passes and tickets through the links below!
All festival events take place at Mile Zero Dance (located at 9931- 78 Avenue).
FESTIVAL TICKETS
FESTIVAL PASS | $80 all access pass to shows, classes and workshops
SHOW | $25/$20 MZD Members
CLASS | $15/class
ARTIST TALK | FREE
Lead artists include:
Minggao Zhang (Singapore)
Josh Martin/Company 605 (Vancouver)
Aly Keita (Montreal)
Johanna Bundon (Regina)
Eric Awuah
Jane Ogilvie/Rosanna Terracciano
Tia Kushniruk
Alison Kause and Marynia Fekecz
Jason Romero
Phany Peña
Alicia Ortega Servín
Busyrawk
Aimee Rushton
Afroduetix
Thank you:
Catalyst Theatre
Theatre Prospero
Production Lighting
Crew:
Technicians
Curtis Gauthier
Andrew Ratcliffe
Technical Director / Lighting Designer
Trent Crosby
Stage Manager
Andrea Handal Rivera*
Assistant Stage Manager
Andraya Diogo*
*The participation of this Artist (these Artists) is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT).
The Magpie Collection: A Dance Festival is supported by
Interested in volunteering for MZD's summer dance festival? View available positions and complete the volunteer form!
Featuring
Minggao Zhang
Minggao Zhang (Singapore) has received his formal professional dance training in Chinese classical dance, Tai Ji and Chinese folk dance from Shanghai Dance School in 1992. He continues to pursue his profession in dance as a career with Shanghai Orient Youth Dance Company upon graduated in 1998. Minggao took up Diploma in dance from Lasalle College of The Arts in Singapore in 2003, upon completion in 2006, he moves on to pursue his Degree and received his Bachelor of Arts (Honors) majoring in Contemporary Dance and Ballet in 2008.
Minggao has completed his Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Practice, under the supervision of Professor Lin Snelling in 2021. He was adjunct lecturer who taught dance and movement and physical theatre at Department of Drama at University of Alberta Canada since 2021. His research works with Professor Lin Snelling and other Canadian academics and artists that are ‘Sounding Line’, ‘The Collective Body’, and ‘The Amazing Nature’.
Minggao was also appointed as guest lecturer and choreographer at the Central Academy of Drama Beijing, Beijing Film Academy and Nan Yang Academy of Fine Arts Singapore. He is currently appointed as adjunct lecturer in Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practice at Nan Yang Academy of Fines Arts Singapore (University of Arts Singapore).
Xiaodan Wu
Xiaodan Wu graduated from from Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a Master's degree in Guqin Performance under the tutelage of Prof Dai Xiaolian. She is currently a PhD Candidate of Chinese traditional music theory at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, tutored by Prof Liu Hong. Since 2019, she has served as the Vice President of Guqin Association of Singapore. She also participated in the compilation of "Repertoire of Guqin Grading Examination" (2021) by Shanghai Musician Association.
Josh Martin
Josh Martin is a dance artist residing in Vancouver, on the unceded ancestral territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. As a performer and collaborator, he has worked with many creators such as Justine A. Chambers, Out Innerspace, Dana Gingras, Serge Bennathan, Vanessa Goodman, Wen Wei Wang and as a member of Le Groupe Dance Lab (Ottawa). For over 15 years, Josh Martin has been an Artistic Co-Director of Company 605, a Vancouver-based arts organization producing and presenting various dance projects, regularly touring its collaborative creations throughout Canada, and internationally in the USA, Central America, Europe, Asia and Australia. www.company605.ca
Aly Keita
Aly Keita is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Guinea and based in Tiohtià:ke, Montreal. He began his artistic journey at 13 at the Keita Fodeba Acrobatic Art Center in Conakry, where he trained in circus arts, dance, and music. In 2016, he joined a cultural exchange in Canada between young Inuit and Guinean acrobats, resulting in the documentary "Circus Without Borders." He's collaborated with companies like Productions Kalabanté, Cavalia, Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, MAPP_Montréal, Jobel Art for Earth, RD Créations, Audrey Gaussiran and more. He also participated in the four-part documentary "Afro Canada," broadcasted by Radio-Canada, which explores 400 years of history of Afro-descendants. He shares his expertise in dance, music, and circus arts with both young and adult audiences. Notably, he serves as an artist-mediator at Place des Arts. Since 2021, he has been presenting his stage work "Djata: Conversations of the Manden," which has been presented in several provinces of Canada and the US.
Johanna Bundon
Johanna Bundon is an independent artist whose practice includes dance and theatre performance, choreography, teaching & gathering. Johanna has made robust contributions to the development of new work & creation processes in Saskatchewan in both dance & theatre over the past 15 years. Her capacity to embody ideas, and to create a generative space for new work to thrive, has made her a sought after collaborator by performers and artists across disciplines. www.johannabundon.com
Eric Awuah
Awuah has been active in the world of Traditional and Neo-Traditional Ghanaian dances, as well as Contemporary African Dance, for nearly two decades. With a deep commitment to the art form, Awuah has dedicated his career to practicing, performing, teaching, and researching these vibrant dance traditions. As a performer, Awuah explores and experiments with neo-traditional movement structures, using them as a means to understand and embody the 'African Genius' concept. This approach not only underscores Black artistic excellence but also serves as a powerful conduit for cultural expression and identity.
Jane Ogilvie
Jane has been a flamenco performer, choreographer, teacher, and leader in the Edmonton arts community since 2001. For over 25
years she has trained extensively with prominent Spanish artists giving her an in-depth understanding of flamenco dance, song, rhythm, and musical structure. Known for her rhythmic experimentation and precision, she has collaborated with professional flamenco artists from across Canada. Jane regularly returns to Spain to further her artistic development. Most recently, for an intensive month of study in July 2023. Jane was the Edmonton Flamenco Festival’s co-founder and Artistic Director, bringing renowned Spanish artists to the Winspear
stage, and featuring workshops, flashmobs, and guest Canadian artists for fundraiser performances. She is a 2023 recipient of the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Award. Supported by
the Edmonton Arts Council and the Edmonton Community Foundation, this award is dedicated to the artistic development of Edmonton artists.
Rosanna Terracciano
Rosanna Terracciano experiments within and around the boundaries of flamenco, dance, contemporary performance and short film, driven by an urgency to expose the
introverted and vulnerable aspects of flamenco dance. Her solo work has been presented throughout Canada and Europe, with notable performances including the Bienal de Flamenco (Sevilla, 2014), Coetani Experimental Flamenco Festival (Athens, 2015), Flamenco Empirico
(Barcelona, 2011, 2012) and National Arts Centre online (Ottawa, 2021). In 2018, she created the ongoing online short film project, a quiet flamenco. She was Associate Artist at Dancers’ Studio West (Calgary) for the 2020-2022 seasons. Significant recent collaborations include creation and production periods in Hamburg (Germany), at the Dusseldorf Flamenco Festival
(tanzhaus nrw) and at Barcelona’s house of dance, Mercat de les Flors. She is the 2017 recipient of the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize for dance from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Tia Ashley Kushniruk (亚 女弟)
Tia Ashley Kushniruk (亚 女弟) is a Chinese-Ukrainian Queer dance artist based in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan) Treaty 6/Métis Territory of Edmonton AB. Since 2013 she has been affiliated with the Cirque Du Soleil and is artistic producer at Toy Guns Dance Theatre.
Her work has been presented by Festival Internacional Nomada, the Beijing International Dance Festival, Dancing on the Edge, Fluid Festival, commonGround Arts Festival, Found Festival, and Mile Zero. She is the first recipient of the Catalyst Theatre Confluence Fellowship, a 2023 EATF recipient and completed a mentorship with Toronto-based performance artist Bridget Moser.
Alison Kause
Alison Kause is a founding member of the Good Women Dance Collective and a
teacher in Dance Education with Edmonton Public Schools. She is a graduate of the
Grant MacEwan Dance Program and the School of Contemporary Dance at SFU, as
well as the Education program at the University of Alberta. She has trained and
performed across Canada and been inspired by work with local and international
colleagues. Alison is inspired by the challenge of finding an intersection between being
an artist, mother and teacher - these roles constantly demand attention, inform one
another and provide diverse perspectives.
Marynia Fekecz-Mangan
Marynia Fekecz-Mangan is a Polish-born and educated (Poznań School of Social
Sciences in Poznań, Poland) dancer, performer, choreographer, teacher, and producer
based in Edmonton. She has collaborated with several dance ensembles and festivals
including Kokyu Studio of the Grotowski’s Institute, Calgary’s W&M Physical Theatre,
Alberta Dance Festival, Edmonton’s Good Women Dance Collective and Harcourt
House Artist Run Centre (project “Transportation” for the Harcourt House’s Alberta
Culture Days 2022 with Kate Stashko, Tatiana Warszynski, and Shawn Pinchbeck), as
well as individual artists and choreographers: Nicole Charlton Goodbrand, Davida
Monk, Melissa Monteros, Wojciech Mochniej, Anna Krysiak, and Przemysław
Błaszczak, among many others.
Jason Romero
Jason Romero is performing artist born in Canada to Latin America immigrants. Jason has worked in both film and stage reaching audiences across many audiences. Jason’s successes span a multitude of mediums and is recognized for his versatility within his crafts. Working nationally and presenting works internationally Jason has most recently worked with The Jen Mesch Dance Conspiracy, Three Point Dance Company and Diaspora Diaries choreographing their play El Funeral for Found Festival 2023.
Bridget McFarlane
Bridget McFarlane was born and raised in Edmonton where she began dancing at Marr Mac Dance at the age of 3. She trained and competed in many disciplines including lyrical, contemporary, jazz, and ballet. She has completed her Advanced ISTD ballet exam. She is always looking for ways to continue her dance education and pass more knowledge along to her students.
Deanna Ketsa
Deanna Ketsa has trained at multiple studios across Edmonton, including Marr Mac, since the age of 3. She has trained in multiple styles including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and contemporary. She has also completed many RAD, ISTD, AL Gilbert Examinations.
Cydnee Chaulk
Cydnee Chaulk was born and raised in so-called Edmonton where she began dancing at the age of 3 at Marr Mac Dance. She trained and competed in many styles and completed her Advanced ISTD ballet exam. She has also trained at different pre-professional programs across including Ballet Divertemento (Montreal) and is a graduate of ITP through Harbour Dance Center (Vancouver.)
Estephanía Peña-Torre
Phany Peña, an Edmonton-based artist, immigrant, and member of the BIPOC community, is determined to immerse herself in her dancing skills and artistic creation. She has practiced several dance techniques, prominent among them are: Polynesian dance, classical ballet, and a few contemporary styles. These techniques have very precise forms of expression that sometimes wouldn’t fulfill what she’s trying to express, so that emboldened her to incorporate the study of performance techniques that would contribute to her artistic statements as part of her creative process.
She understands art as a communication channel that the artists use to express themselves, make a point, or encourage the audience to wonder about a topic. Having said this, she is committed to using her artistic knowledge and talents to tell stories and draw attention to topics that are important in today's context.
Alicia Ortega Servín
Alicia Ortega Servín graduated from the National School of Mexican Traditional Dance of the National Institute of Fine Arts, has over 30 years of experience as a professional dancer and dance teacher in Mexico and Edmonton.
Gerardo Arturo Ortega Servín started playing drums at the age of 10 and he graduated from the Contemporary Music Program at MaCewan University in 2021. After graduation he has participated in various musical assembles.
Together they have collaborated with various Cultural Associations and have performed in many festivals such as Heritage Festival and Dia de Muertos celebrations.
Busyrawk
Young Ick "Busyrawk" Cha is a South Korean multi-disciplinary artist based in amiskwacîwâskahikan, Treaty 6 Territory. He is a mural artist, DJ, and street dancer, earning his name through his diverse talents. As a street dancer, Busyrawk was deeply inspired by the Bronx approach to breaking and rock dance from New York City. The cultural foundations of these dance styles, rooted in Afro-American, Native American, and Nuyorican communities, motivated him to explore his own heritage.
Aimee Rushton
Aimee Rushton is a performing artist with a practice rooted in phenomenological inquiry, theoretical physics, and making wider and wider circles, at once, with a light touch. My work is informed and inspired by my teacher, Deborah Hay.
Afroduetix
Afroduetix is a dynamic dance duo consisting of Àshe and Obi, Nigerian dancers from Lagos, currently living and sharing their art in Edmonton. They bring the vibrant rhythms of Afrobeats to life through captivating performances, showcasing the beauty and power of Afro music and dance.
Jacob Audrey Taves
Communicating in a language of errors, hum, crackle, feedback and found sounds and images, audio and visual artist Jacob Audrey Taves explores themes of alienation, post-industrial anxiety and the push and pull between macro and micro social, political and sonic frameworks. Utilizing the fragile nature of malfunctioning equipment and exposing unintentional media artifacts, Taves' work gives errors room to develop and to have voices of their own in an emotive, free-form structure.
Jacob Audrey Taves is best known for their ongoing plunderphonic industrial project HOLZKOPF. They are also a member of ORGANS WITHOUT BODIES (with percussionist John Brennan) as well as ASSAULT CHARGE (a punk/digital hardcore band with songwriter and author Eamon McGrath). Taves was the guitar player for the short lived no-wave three piece OTHER JESUS. They are curator of the audio/video collage series INTERIOR NETWORK and host of OFF-WORLD, Mondays at 8pm local time, on CJSR 88.5FM in Edmonton, Canada.
Throughout their various bands and projects they have toured Europe, Canada, USA, Mexico and Japan, sharing billing with Merzbow, Keiji Haino, Venetian Snares, Freida Abtan, John Oswald, Mark Hosler (Negativland), People Like Us, DJ Olive, William Hooker, Zea, Andy Moor, Robert Henke and others. They have performed at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Canada), Hamsylet (Ukraine), Body Machine Body (Estonia), ZNFI (Slovenia), Yaga Gathering (Lithuania), 4D Festival (Japan) and have been an artist in residence at Les Pixels Transverseux (Sevres, France), Hammock (Vancouver, Canada) and PAVED Art and New Media (Saskatoon, Canada). Photo credit | Dzestra