Ghost Forest
April 7 – 9, 2022 | 7:00 PM | Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU School for the Contemporary Arts, 149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver | $7 SFU Students / $10 SFU Staff/Faculty/Alumni / $15 General Public
A collaboration between SCA Dance, Music + Sound, Theatre Production and Design, and Film, performed on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish people of the Musqueam, Sqamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
Taken from Being a Beast, by Charles Foster, Ghost Forest examines how we move through this place, traces of movement from the past, and the navigation of our changing landscapes. Built from a central score, the team of artists focused on walking, psychogeographical navigation, embodied archives, and vast landscapes.
Content warning: moments of intense audio levels.
Please note: only limited rush tickets will be available. Please buy tickets in advance to guarantee a seat. Latecomers will not be admitted.
Credits
Dancers: Emily Bosak, Abby Blanchard, Sydney Bluck, Alexandra Clancy, Natasha Dennison, Greer Harper, Desiree James, Olivia Johnson, Sarah Kennedy, Kaitlyn La Vigne, Zaarah Lopez, Myah McCarthy, Fiona McCreadie, Jessica McKeown, Breyanna Oldham, Jullianna Oke, Elyza Samson, Marin Smith, Emma Tweedie, Shaolin Temrick-Young, Mikela Vuorensivu, Anna Wang-Albini, and Paige Wichers
Choreographers: Justine Chambers, NiNi Dongnier, Rob Kitsos, and the dancers
Rehearsal Assistant: Tin Gamboa
Lead Designer (Faculty): Wladimiro Woyno Rodriguez
Scenography Team: Jelra (Jela) Ahn, Leo Chang, Jack Chipman, Isabelle Romas, Georgia Turner, and Shervin Zarkalam, with a special thanks to Sydney Bunning and Colleen Bayati
Film / Animation: Lauren Toporowski
Music & Sound Director (Faculty): Mauricio Pauly
Music Ensemble (performers / composers): Alex Abahmed (live sound mixing), Kittie Cooper, Nic Savoie, Rohini Soedhwa, and Stella Da Yun Song
Production and Design Faculty: Kyla Gardiner
Stage Management: Joy Wu and assistant Carson Keller
Production Management: Nicole Lamb and assistant Brittany Martyshuk
SCA Technical Director: Ben Rogalsky
SCA Production and Events Coordinator: Gillian Hanemayer
Technical Support: GCA Production and Event Services
The School for the Contemporary Arts recognizes that we are on the unceded and occupied territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Video: Joseph Malbon
Biographies
Dancers
Abby Blanchard
Abby Blanchard is a 2nd year student of British, Norwegian, and Métis descent and was raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on Treaty 6 territory. She is currently working on implementing the various movement practices she is learning to discover her individuality as a dancer. In the future she hopes to continue performing within a professional environment and to eventually teach young dancers.
Sydney Bluck
Sydney Bluck was born and raised on the Indigenous lands of the Missisaugas of the Credit First Nations in the place now known as Guelph, Ontario. Currently, she is focusing on developing her choreographic and creative abilities, along with pushing beyond her instinctual habits in movement practice. In the future, she aspires to continue with this art form by pursuing opportunities that will allow her to train, perform, choreograph and teach.
Emily Bosak
Emily Bosak (she/her) was raised in Abbotsford on the unceded ancestral lands of the Matsqui and Sumas First Nations and currently practices in Vancouver on the unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Emily is interested in working with movement to physicalize different images and prompts while mindfully pushing the boundaries of her body. Emily loves to perform and aspires to work with more of Vancouver’s amazing dance artists and companies/collectives.
Alexandra Clancy
Alexandra Clancy is a dance artist currently living on the ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səl̓ilw̓ ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in the place now commonly known as Vancouver. Her practice explores storytelling through sound and movement. She seeks to move from a place of curiosity and joy during her creative process and aims to express the interconnectedness of human nature in her work. Alexandra hopes to further develop her somatic awareness and embodied movement practice as well as continue to create and perform wherever the dance and music take her next.
Natasha Dennison
Natasha Dennison was Born in white rock, BC, the unceded homelands of the Semiahmoo First Nation and the broader territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. She was raised on homelands of the Algonquin, Kinakwii First Nations, in a place now commonly known as North Augusta, Ontario. Within her art form, Natasha places her energy towards exploration, expansion, and learning. She works to be genuine and honest with her movement and impulses, while having a good time with it. Her future aspiration is to nurture the freedom to make what she feels and loves— to find things to be curious about.
Greer Harper
Greer Harper, a second year SFU student of Jamaican, German, and French descent, was raised on the lands of the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Pueblo, Shoshone, and Ute nations, in the place now commonly known as Broomfield, Colorado. Greer is investigating various movement methods via dance training, theory courses, and collaborations at SFU, as a means to pick and choose aspects of dance that would eventually comprise a sustainable arts practice.
Desiree Keresztes James
Desiree Keresztes James was born and raised on the Indigenous homelands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation which is part of the Anishinaabe First Nation, now known as Oakville, Ontario. She is currently focusing on indulging her explorations of the choreographic process while utilizing different qualities of movement within her technical practice. Desiree would like to continue her work within this art form to pursue a path that allows her to strengthen and adapt her technical and choreographic practices.
Olivia Johnson
Olivia is a 2nd year student born on the traditional meeting grounds and homelands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Niisitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux, in the place now commonly known as Edmonton. She is currently working on expanding her dance practice by immersing herself in various movement techniques. In the future, she hopes to continue performing and learning with embodied curiosity.
Sarah Kennedy
Sarah Kennedy was born and raised on the traditional territories of the Wendat, Haudeno-saunee and the Anishinaabe peoples, the place now commonly known as Newmarket, Ontario. Sarah is currently incorporating her love of acrobatics into her practice of contemporary dance and hopes to continue this in the future. She aims to share this knowledge and passion for dance with children with varying communication and developmental disabilities.
Kaitlyn La Vigne
Kaitlyn La Vigne (she/her) was born in Vancouver and raised in Surrey, British Columbia, on the traditional territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt and Tsawwassen First Nations. Kaitlyn continues to explore and find curiosity in her own movement practice and choreographic work as she moves through SFU’s dance program. She aspires to create and collaborate with other artists as a choreographer and mover in the professional dance scene. In addition, Kaitlyn hopes to take her work and appreciation for movement into more therapeutic practices within her community.
Zaarah Lopez
Zaarah Lopez is an emerging dance and interdisciplinary artist born in the indigenous lands of the Mayan people in the South of Mexico. She is particularly interested in the art practice of merging dance and film together, and choreographing the camera.
Myah McCarthy
Myah McCarthy was born and raised on the Indigenous homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh First Nations, in the place now commonly known as Vancouver. Her current focus in her dance practice is finding self-expression in her personal practices and choreographies. Myah hopes to one day have her own successful contemporary dance company.
Fiona McCreadie
Fiona McCreadie is a second year student born and raised on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot confederacy, the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda nations and the Métis nation, in the place now commonly known as Calgary. She has a new found love for contemporary dance and is focusing on finding her signature in dance. Fiona has a passion to perform in both dance and theatre, and hopes to teach dance.
Jessica McKeown
Jessica was born on the ancestral territories of the Ligwiłda’xw people, the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, and Kwiakah First Nations, the place now commonly known as Campbell River, BC. Her current interest in her art practice is choreography and expanding her knowledge of movement vocabulary. As a dance artist, she hopes to have the opportunity to perform, choreograph, and produce her performances.
Jullianna Oke
With Japanese and French-Canadian ancestry, Jullianna works and plays on the Indigenous homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, in the place now commonly known as Vancouver, and resides on the homelands of the Qayqayt First Nation, in the place now commonly known as New Westminster. In her third year of study at SFU as a dance major and criminology minor, she is interested in the embodied empathy and passage of information expressed from one body to another in movement. As her own practice continues to evolve, Jullianna hopes to express this kinesthetic knowledge through various means and mediums.
Breyanna Oldham
Breyanna Oldham is a 4th year student, born and raised on the Indigenous homelands of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc, in the place now commonly known as Kamloops B.C. Breyanna is currently exploring the collaboration between movement and film and researching choreographic practices in hopes to start choreographing more in the future. After graduation Breyanna hopes to continue working in the commercial industry and perform for as long as she can.
Elyza Samson
Elyza Samson was born and raised on the traditional Indigenous territory of the Qayqayt First Nations, in the place now commonly known as New Westminster. Elyza is a 3rd year Dance Major who transferred from Arts Umbrella Dance Company as a Dance Diploma Graduate. Upon completion of the SFU dance program, Elyza will pursue a career in performance and continue deepening in her artistic practice.
Marin Smith
Marin, a 2nd-year dance major at SFU, was born and raised on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, in the place now commonly known as Fall River, Nova Scotia. She is currently immersing herself in the wide range of dance techniques and collaboration tools at SFU, in order to strengthen her dancing and deepen her knowledge of 'dance.' Once Marin completes her studies at SFU, she hopes to perform with professional companies.
Shäolin Temrick-Young
Shäolin Temrick-Young (she/her) is an Canadian Dance Artist and Performer. Adopted from Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam Shäolin has grown living, learning and working in Vancouver, British Columbia on the unceded, traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples. Currently, working towards finishing her BFA with SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts; Shäolin is developing and discovering herself through movement research and technique. She looks forward to launching her career as a professional dance artist once she graduates.
Emma Tweedie
Emma Tweedie was born in Vancouver and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, which are on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Her current focus within dance is to expose herself to as much growth and experience possible in the duration of her training at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Her future aspirations include traveling the world to share her artwork with others and to perform in a professional company.
Mikela Vuorensivu
Mikela Vuorensivu was born with Finnish ancestry on the Indigenous homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-waututh First Nations, the place now commonly known as Vancouver. She has greatly missed performing live and continues to rediscover her love for in-person shows. Mikela pursues her interest in capturing movement on film and photography and aspires to expand her portfolio in these areas.
Anna Wang-Albini
Anna is a third year dance student of Chinese and Uruguayan descent born on the territories of the Tsuut’ina, Stoney Nakoda, and Siksika Nation, commonly known as Calgary by settlers and uninvited guests. She is currently working on communicating clear intention through movement and exploring the relationship between momentum and form. In the future, Anna hopes to expand her creative practice and cultivate a strong ability to learn from every opportunity that is available to her.
Paige Wichers
Paige Wichers was born and raised on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy (the Siksika, Kainai), Piikani, the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, and the Métis Nation (Region 3), in the place now commonly known as Lethbridge. Paige is currently working on finding her own personal practice that aligns with her lifestyle and personal values. She hopes to achieve an arts practice that both supports and fuels her growing love of dance and creation.
Choreographers
Justine A. Chambers
Justine A. Chambers, born in Edmonton, Alberta on the Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4, is a dance artist of African, Scottish and Irish descent. Her movement based practice considers how choreography can be an empathic practice rooted in collaborative creation, close observation, and the body as a site of a cumulative embodied archive. Chambers is Max Tyler-Hite's mother.
NiNi Dongnier
NiNi Dongnier was born in Inner Mongolia and works between Vancouver, New York and Beijing as a choreographer and artist, recently as an assistant professor in the School for the Contemporary Arts of SFU. Rooted in the northern trans-border nomadic culture, views of nature, philosophies, and art, her practice is a continuous exploration of metaphysics of the human body, motion and its relation to specific space and time. She works to cultivate new choreography, experiences, and objects that broaden the notion of the art of choreography, intervention by artistic uses of technology and visual arts. She is the founder of Field Motion and co-founder of NUUM Collective.
Rob Kitsos
Born on the lands of the Kaskaskaia, Kikaapoi, and Myaamia tribes, in a place now commonly known as Urbana Illinois, Rob currently lives and works on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. A Professor in the school for the contemporary Arts, Rob teaches and centers his research around composition and interdisciplinary collaboration. He is grateful for the amazing team of artists of Ghost Forrest and the support of the SCA in nurturing collaboration across the school.
Tin Gamboa (Rehearsal Assistant)
Tin Gamboa, a 2nd-year MFA SFU student of Filipino descent, was born and raised on the ancestral homelands of Austronesian peoples, specifically in a place now commonly known as Manila, Philippines. Tin is currently exploring gestures, patterns and stories with what might be called embodied mathematics. She hopes to create artistic works that can be received in both the Philippines and Canada.
Music Ensemble
Alex Abahmed
Alex is an Egyptian-Canadian composer, instrumentalist, and audio engineer residing on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. Through interests in sound, technology, and all kinds of instruments he aims to create visceral experiences that contain varying levels of reference to both Middle Eastern and Western styles of music.
Kittie Cooper
Kittie Cooper, a first-year MFA student, was raised as a guest in the ahupua'a of Mokulēʻia in the pae‘āina of Hawai‘i—the ancestral homelands of Kānaka Maoli or Native Hawaiians. Kittie's work explores the spectrum between seriousness and silliness, and in particular areas where each of those overlap with spookiness. In the future, Kittie hopes to further develop her artistic and teaching practices by learning from the people, sounds, words, shapes, plants, cats, and other beings around her.
Mauricio Pauly
Mauricio Pauly is an artist born and raised in Costa Rican central valley, in the ancestral land of the Cabécar and Huetar peoples. Mauricio is best known for his music for hybrid (electronic and acoustic) ensembles. In his work he collaborates, as a composer and performer, with ensembles, writers, theatre-makers, and programmers.
Nic Savoie
Nic Savoie, a 3rd year SFU undergraduate student, was born on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the Musqueam Nation (North Vancouver). Nic is currently exploring non-normative practices within audio production, specifically how phase relationships within composition can be instrumentalized in different ways. He hopes to create works that challenge the conventions of what is “accepted” within audio production in order to discover a new approach to the practice.
Rohini Soedhwa
Rohini Soedhwa, a 4th-year Music student of Indo-Caribbean descent, was born and raised in Paramaribo, Suriname. Rohini is interested in working with noise, digital processing, and a fusion of sounds that can include Surinamese and Caribbean influences, different music genres and a blend of Surinamese languages. Currently, she is exploring the movement of bodies in space and is hoping to shift her music practice into an interdisciplinary activity.
Stella Da Yun Song
Stella Da Yun Song, a 3rd-year BFA SFU student of Korean descent, was born and raised on the ancestral homelands of Choson peoples, in a place now commonly known as Seoul, Republic of Korea. Stella is currently exploring traditional Korean music and sound crossover with other World music. She hopes to bring the sound of Korea out to the World and to create a new dialogue from it.
Scenography team
Jelra (Jela) Ahn
Jelra (Jela) Ahn is from Ahn of Sunheung, whose first ancestor is Ja-mi Ahn of the Goryeo dynasty. She was born in Daejeon whose original name was “Hanbat,” and raised in Seoul which was called “Hanyang” in the Joseon dynasty, South Korea. Jela studies Theatre Production & Design at SFU and focuses more on set design this semester. She'd like to spread out her own story based on her culture.
Isabelle Romas
Isabelle Romas was born on Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii, in the place now known as Queen Charlotte. She is studying theatre production and design, with a focus on scenography. Through continuing and engaging in her studies, Isabelle hopes to further her career in the arts.
Leo Chang
Leo Chang, a third year SFU Production & Design student, was Born on Coast Salish territory, specifically in the place now commonly known as Vancouver, and was raised in Taipei, Taiwan. Within his practice, Leo focuses primarily on photography and cinematography, taking his skills and incorporating them into his production work. Leo has grown his experience in the industry by attending several collaborations as well as taking on individual production projects outside of school.
Jack Chipman
Jack has been studying Theatre Production and Design at SFU since moving from the ancestral lands of the Akokisa people, in the place commonly known as Houston, Texas. With his focus primarily being in lighting and design, he explores in design-led creation and unique mediums to create visuals in conjunction with performances. He hopes to continue exploring these concepts in the future.
Lauren Toporowski
Lauren Toporowski is a student attending SFU’s film program and was born and raised on the ancestral homeland and gathering place of the Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/ Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, and Inuit people, a land also commonly known as Alberta, Canada. Lauren’s current focus resides within experimental film and animation. She hopes that she can explore more by collaborating within new disciplines so she can continue to explore the possibilities that come with multimedia expression.
Georgia Turner
Georgia Turner, a second year BFA SFU student of British, Scottish and Ukrainian descent, was born and raised on the traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-waututh, and Musqueam First Nations, in the place now commonly known as Vancouver, Canada. Georgia is currently studying Production and Design. Through various collaborations and courses at SFU, she hopes to develop a more specialized practice within production, theatre, and film.
Wladimiro A. Woyno Rodriguez
Wladimiro A. Woyno Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor at SFU in SCA's Production and Design Program and was born and raised in the ancestral homelands of the Muisca peoples, in a place now known as Bogotá, Colombia. Wlad is currently interested in live staged cinematography and design-led creation approaches to show building. He is leading SFU's new Precursor Lab that will explore, assess, analyze and design emerging technologies to advance the formal, narrative and scenographic potential of live performance making.
Shervin Zarkalam
Shervin Zarkalam is a first-year MFA SFU student, born in Strasbourg, France and raised in Tehran, Iran. Shervin is currently focused on Dramaturgy and Performance Art, working on ideas such as personal movement/presentation, pressure points and body, Ready-made and bodies and exploring different approaches to dramaturgy. His favourite metaphors for the role of a dramaturg are "midwife" and "diagnostician", he is interested in playing these roles in a collective creative process.
Production team
Gillian Hanemayer
Gillian is an interdisciplinary theatre artist with a focus on design and production management, born on the ancestral lands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation). She hopes to create and contribute to artworks that tell stories of the current shifting geopolitical landscape, with an interest in gender and women's studies.
Carson Keller
Carson Keller was raised on the traditional, unceded territories of the Coast Salish people, including the Nooksack, Katzie, Kwantlen, Stó:lō, and Tsawwassen First Nations. He is currently a third-year student at SFU’s Beedie School of Business and a practicing dance artist in both SFU's School of Contemporary Arts and the Vancouver dance industry. He is a strong advocate for mental wellness and inclusivity— both of which, bring a healthy focus to the emotional expression in his work.
Nicole Lamb
Nicole is happy to counter her MBA studies with another foray at the SCA. She was raised on the Stó:lō unceded traditional territory, in the place now commonly known as Chilliwack. While currently pursuing business studies, don’t fret, she will forever be dedicated to the arts and will continue to be lured back to support creation.
Brittany Martyshuk
Brittany Martyshuk is a 4th year BFA SFU student who (was born in/is from) Treaty 6 Territory, in the place now commonly known as Edmonton, Alberta. She is currently focused on theatre performance and theatre of production. After she graduates, she hopes to continue working in these fields in a professional capacity.
Ben Rogalsky
SCA Technical Director, Ben Rogalsky, is of mixed Scottish, Irish, English, German Mennonite, Russian, and Estonian ancestry. He was born in colonially named Ottawa on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, and grew up in S'olh Temexw, unceded Sto:lo territory. He is a parent, musician, composer, designer, sound engineer, technical director, and collaborator. He is currently thoroughly enjoying an ongoing project exploring the sounds of mid-20th century classic country music.
Zhengyi Wu (Joy)
Zhengyi Wu (Joy), a 3rd-year SFU student major in Theatre Production and design, was born and raised in Changsha, a city in Hunan province in China. Joy is working hard to improve her ability and knowledge in lighting and stage management. She is also doing some research in voice and emotional expression. Joy wants to be a part of a team that makes a really good show that is toured in various countries.