For La Probabilité du Néant, Alexandra 'Spicey' Landé brings together seven virtuoso street dancers, who magnificently inhabit her choreographic work: Banks, 'Bibiman', 'Jigsaw', 'Kiddi', Kosi, 'Tealeaf', 'Hurricane Tina' and 'Rawss'.
Will indifference to the Other get the better of us? How can we make sense of our actions when we witness extreme situations that drive us to the edge of nothingness? Continuing her exploration of the human psyche, Spicey grounds the genesis of this work in the “bystander effect”. Is the witness an observer or an accomplice? Spicey blurs the lines and perspectives depending on who is watching. Seated on stage, the audience is surrounded by projection screens. Spicey has always been influenced by film and theatre, but this is the first time she has used video in her choreography.
With its incisive dance, La Probabilité du Néant challenges our perceptions, our judgments, and the consequences of our choices. In the strange possibility of our own self-destruction, it also reminds us of our luminous capacity for resistance and resilience.
Show Credits:
Artistic director and choreographer: Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé
Dancers on stage: Nindy Banks, Ja James 'Jigsaw' Britton Johnson , Kosisochukwu 'Kosi' Ese , Christina 'Hurricane Tina' Paquette, Elie-Anne 'Rawss' Ross , Junior 'DJüngle' Dorsaint, Kalianne 'Yofi' Brémault
Dancers who participated in the creation process: Jaleesa 'Tealeaf' Coligny, Alexandre 'Bibiman' Philippe-Beaudoin, Mukoma-K ‘JStyle’ Nshinga, James-Lee 'Kiddy' Joseph
Composer and sound designer, on stage: Richard ‘Shash’U’ St-Aubin
Rehearsals and coach: Frédérique ‘Pax’ Dumas
Music ‘Trapped’ written et rapped by: Vladimir ‘7Starr’ Laurore, produced by Richard ‘Shash’U’ St-Aubin
Set design: Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé and Leticia Hamaoui
Costumes design: Polina Boltova and Frédérique ‘Pax’ Dumas
Lighting design: Leticia Hamaoui
Technical director: Zachary Dupuis
Artistic advisor: Helen Simard
Dramaturgy advisor: Mathieu Leroux
Acting coach: Étienne Lou
Outside eyes: Frédérique ‘Pax’ Dumas, Natasha ‘Tash’ Jean-Bart et Jean-Edouard ‘Sangwn’ Pierre-Toussaint
Production manager: Florence Cardinal-Tang (Parbleux)
Booking Agency: Résonances
Communications and writing: Guilaine Royer and Quentin Amelaine (Parbleux)
Funding Agencies:
Canada Council for the Arts
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Conseil des arts de Montréal
Partners - Artistic Residencies: Danse Danse (MAC et Cinquième Salle), CCOV – Centre de Création O Vertigo, Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique, Agora de la danse, Danse à la Carte chez Par B.L.eux, Zab Maboungou/compagnie danse Nyata-Nyata, Mandoline Hybride-Salon58
Ebnflōh is a company associated with Parbleux.
Ebnflōh is a member of Circuit-Est, centre chorégraphique
Unmasked | Tara Wilson
Unmasked is a dance project that delves into the profound theme of concealed emotions, hidden identities, and the intricate layers that lie beneath the surface of human expression. Through a fusion of dance and video projections, this project endeavors to expose the unseen, challenging audiences to contemplate what truly resides behind the masks we construct in our daily lives.
Credits:
Choreographer: Tara Wilson in collaboration with the dancers, heavily influenced by our study and implementation of Kaeja Elevations of Kaeja D’Dance.
Dancers: Eli Everett, Ryan Everett, Ryan Iwanaka, Aaron Strickland, Isabella Tarasoff
Music: Flying Lotus, Emra Grid, Stefan Jos
Lighting Designer: Kris Mish
Filming: Tara Wilson, Abby Weeks
Thanks to Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer for mentorship and inspiration.
Thanks to AFA and Calgary Arts Development for support of this project.
Featured Artists
Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé ·
Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé began her career as a performer and teacher. Eager to further expand her artistic aspirations and to actively promote street dance and its performers, ‘Spicey’ founded the dance company Ebnflōh in 2015. With the support of collaborators and peers, her approach to hip-hop as choreography evolved, becoming more exploratory, radical and authentic. Faithful to intention and form, she continued to pursue research and experimentation. Music, theatre, cinema and visual arts have been sources of inspiration for her choreography, as has her degree in psychology. Her works powerfully probe our social and intimate relationships. In recent years, she has trained in filmmaking for dance.
During the pandemic she created two works for webcasting: Hanging by a Thread (8 dancers) presented by DanceWorks in Toronto, and the duo Ever Endeavor – a piece commissioned by the National Arts Centre (#DansEnvol). In 2021 ‘Spicey’ was captured in a moment of freestyling in Esie Mensah film TESSEL, which featured the stories of 14 black artists from across Canada. Danse Danse presented her most recent work, La Probabilité du Néant (8 dancers), in October 2021 at Place des Arts in Montreal. It will be presented in Vancouver at the end of 2023. She is currently working on a new piece that will be featured at Théâtre La Chapelle in spring 2024, in a co-production with Danse-Cité. She is also directing and choreographing her first dance film entitled Le Néant.
A performer and teacher of hip-hop for the past twenty years, ‘Spicey’ is regularly asked to teach classes (TransFormation Danse, Concordia University’s Focus on Dance Research, École nationale de cirque de Montréal, Circuit-Est, Studio 303, RQD, etc.), and to judge street dance competitions both here and abroad.
The Ebnflōh Dance Company ·
The Ebnflōh Dance Company, founded in 2015 by Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé, offers a unique choreographic language and artistic vision. She promotes creative exploration by broadening the field of research for street dance in Canada while remaining true and faithful to the base of Hip-Hop’s origins. Her artistic signature, her community involvement, and her contribution to the growth and development of dancers and the discipline itself, make the company an acclaimed actor in the dance milieu in Quebec. Inclusive at the core, it equally values the practices of emerging talent along with those of the culturally diverse. The company hopes to make street dance more accessible - its diversified public is a testament to the company’s success.
Ebnflōh (pronounced Ebenflo) comes from the English expression “to ebb and flow” denoting action and reaction, rising and falling, the constant and everchanging movement of the tides. As with waves lapping up and receding, the company’s choreographic language is steeped in its fluidity of movement. With meticulous precision and laying bare the multifarious details and nuances found in its choreography since 2008, these densely layered works possess an informed commentary. Spicey’s singularly insightful outlook sharply contrasts with what most of us usually dismiss as being trite, and superficial. With theatre and cinema as influences, among other intersecting disciplines in the arts, music holds a special place for her.
Ebnflōh’s chief goal is to spread its artistic endeavors through the Montreal contemporary dance scene but, also promote street dancers in other Canadian cities, and beyond. Inclusive at the core, it equally values the practices of emerging talent along with those of the culturally diverse. The company hopes to make street dance more accessible, and to generate greater interest from a growing audience. Its diversified public is a testament to the company’s success. Lastly, although street dance is not seriously taught in academia, the transmission of Hip-Hop language to future generations of dancers remains a focal point and a total commitment to the form. Although the proliferation of contemporary street dance companies is a recent phenomenon in Canada, Ebnflōh remains fundamentally committed to creating dynamic, and uncompromised original work.
Tara Wilson ·
Tara is best known as one of the many pioneers of Hip Hop and Streetdance in Calgary, Alberta. A graduate of the University of Calgary, Tara holds a BA in Contemporary Dance and has presented her work in Calgary and several cities across Canada. She has had the privilege of training, performing, sharing, creating, competing and teaching all over the world and has spent many years training extensively with many pioneers and creators of Streetdance. Tara not only devotes herself to running and teaching at PULSE -she is also a session instructor at the University of Calgary and active in the Calgary dance community. "Dance and Hip Hop have been the most positive influence in my life and I feel blessed that my life’s work revolves around sharing it!"
ELIE-ANNE 'RAWSS' ROSS ·
'Rawss' was introduced to popping in 2006. She trained in Montreal and internationally with different pioneers, then decided to develop her own style. She is one of the few women in Canada who specialize in popping. In 2016 she obtained a bachelor’s degree in dance from UQAM, and joined Symbiotic Monsters the following year. She continues to evolve as a performer and creative artist. This is her third show with Ebnflōh.
CHRISTINA 'HURRICANE TINA' PAQUETTE ·
An artist well versed in the bgirling/bboying style, 'Hurricane Tina' has a B.A. in dance from UQAM, and combines various dance techniques in her performances. She has been with Ebnflōh since its inception, and has also collaborated with several other companies. Involved for the past few years with 100Lux, an organization that supports street dancers, she became its co-director in 2021.
Nindy Banks ·
Nindy Banks has a B.A. in dance from UQAM, and for over a decade trained in Montreal and the United States with pioneers in various street dance styles, particularly hip-hop and krump. She recently gave a remarkable performance in Papillon, a piece by Helen Simard (We All Fall Down), and has danced in three different Ebnflōh shows.
JA JAMES 'JIGSAW' BRITTON JOHNSON ·
‘Jigsaw' has been dedicated to the art of dance for over 15 years. A versatile performer, he has a deep knowledge of many styles, including hip-hop and krump, a form where he is renowned as one of Canada's best. He was recently seen in Sovann Rochon-Prom Tep's Un temps pour tout, presented at FTA 2020 and on tour.
KALLIANE 'YOFI' BRÉMAULT ·
Born in Winnipeg to a family of musicians, Kalliane is a Hip Hop freestyle dancer, movement director, teacher and choreographer. Kalliane dove into Hip Hop music from age 5, Breaking at age 7, then Hip Hop, Popping and House in her teenage years. She moved to Toronto in 2017 to pursue her career and is now based in Montreal. Kalliane has worked for notable street dance companies/choreographers (Tentacle Tribe, Lady C, Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Landé, FRGMNT), co-choreographed for Cakes Da Killa and Breakin’ Convention, acted and danced in Netflix, Disney and Cirque Éloize productions. Kalliane continues to battle and perform internationally.
DELANDE 'DJÜNGLE' DORSAINT ·
The Montreal-born artist Delande Jr. Dorsaint is a professional dancer part Ör Pür, a dance company specializing in urban dance. Having explored several different styles, the dance styles in which Delande specializes today are House and Hip-Hop. His skills have allowed him to take part in important events such as the Just for Laughs Festival, Breaking Convention, 100lux, World of Dance Qualifier, Danser pour Gagner and many more. Delande has also worked with some of the great choreographers in the business, such as Cindy McAuliffe, Director of the Ör Pür company, and with the Urban-Element Zone studio, with people such as Andy Michel, Handy Yacinthe, Angelo Ameur and Angelique Willkie. For Delande, dancing is much more than a hobby or an art form in which he excels. For him, dancing has become a way of life which allows him to fully express himself. In a boundless pursuit of growth and fulfilment, the street dance culture has allowed him to maintain his integrity as a person and a dancer.