Workshop: DIY Solo Creation & Dance Improv

A workshop for all performers and improvisers.

February 17, 2022
6:00 – 9:00 pm
At The Output, 100 Arthur St, 2nd floor

For building access info, click here https://art-space.ca/accessibility-info/, or email younglungs.wpg@gmail.com.

Venue will be at reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing, limited spots are available. Payment is sliding scale $5-$50.

Click HERE to register!

As per the current Provincial Health Orders, proof of vaccination is required upon entry. Participants who are not able to provide proof of double vaccination will not be given entry to the facility. Face masks are mandatory.

About the Workshop:
Meagan O’Shea teaches DIY Solo Creation and Ensemble Improv throughout North America, Europe and beyond.

This workshop will focus on generative improv strategies, working with each individual’s source material. Moving together in-person with physical distancing in place, we will expand the exploration to the social body and practice composing together in real time. We will also work on solo sourcing and developing material that we will share with each other at the end of the workshop.

Meagan fuses contemporary dance and performance practices with theatre, storytelling, clown, comedy, DIY spectacle in her interdisciplinary, interactive solo works. Using some of her favourite tools, we’ll play with extrapolating from a theme to generate material and about it in interesting ways.

Meagan has developed her Oblique/Switch creative methodology through her training and work with Keith Hennessy, Ruth Zaporah, Nina Martin and voice work with Katherine Duncanson, Fides Krucker, Allessio Castonelli (The World is Sound), John Turner, Karen Hines, devised theatre with One Yellow Rabbit, and countless other workshops and trainings. Her work is supported through her dance, somatic, pilates, and yoga practices.

About Meagan O’Shea (she | her) Canada/Germany

Working across forms and borders, queer, contemporary dance+ artist Meagan O’Shea devises “Uplifting, energetic and totally out of the ordinary” performances for real and imagined spaces.

Working with Oblique/Switch as a generative research method to reach beyond the Obvious/1^st Impulse and Opposite/2^nd Impulse to discover The Oblique/3^rd Impulse; the potential to disrupt dominant paradigms, and offer an alternative to binary systems, she creates content-driven, problem-finding, contemporary solo work, treating the process like a science experiment, she uses body and the interaction with the audience as test site.

Meagan’s award-nominated solo work has been presented across Canada, in New York, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Austria, Greece and Germany. Meagan has also refined an ensemble improv practice through the ongoing “dance like no one is watching” performance project, which animates/disrupts public space, has included over 200 dancers and reached 30,000 incidental audience. She is currently working on Anatomalia (anatomy+anomaly+femalia), 7 choreographies set in immersive, installed environments tracking the transformation in healing trauma to find joy.

Meagan teaches DIY Solo Making and Ensemble Improv in North America and Europe. In 2007 Meagan founded Stand Up Dance as a platform to amplify her vision and support her work and that of other artists and communities. She is co-founder of hub14 in Toronto, was International Associate Artist at Dance Ireland for three seasons, Associate Artist at Theatre Direct, BIDE Artistic Collaborator (12-14), and has created much of her work through international residencies. She is a recipient of the KM Hunter Award in Dance and twice been shortlisted for the Guggenheim Fellowship.

This workshop is made possible with the generous support from Manitoba Arts Council. Thanks also to our partner Video Pool Media Arts Centre.

2020/21 YLDE Annual Report

Thanks to all those who came out to our AGM on November 21! We are so pleased to welcome Yuri Karube, Neilla Hawley, and Ella Steele to our board of directors! You can see our full board list HERE. If you missed the AGM and would like a summary, please check out our 2020-2021 Annual Report by clicking the link below.

202021-YLDE-Annual-Report Download

Photo Credit: Emily Solstice Tait, 2021 Research Series Artist-In-Residence by Michelle Panting

ID: Emily is lunging forward, gaze forward to the right of the camera, one arm on the earth, one out to the side, hand pressing against the open air, she is outside in the late fall in a lightly wooded area, no leaves are on the trees or bushes behind her.

Agreement Making for Creative Practice with Alex Elliott and Ali Robson

This workshop is FREE, and includes ASL interpretation

Friday, December 10, 2021
2:30 – 4:30 pm (CST)
Online over Zoom

Please click HERE to register.

For over a year Alex and Ali have been having conversations about the agreements that we make when we engage in creative work in a studio together and how those agreements can contribute to safer and braver creative spaces. This workshop will share their considerations and engage participants in dialogue about writing letters of agreement and contracts. The workshop will be geared towards independent artists, collectives and groups.

Participants will be invited to read/write/share their own ideas and experiences with agreement making. The workshop will be recorded for future reference.

Alex and Ali have a shared history as students, performers, artists, travellers and studio mates. They bring many years of experience, as independent dancers, choreographers, dance company members, teachers, producers and presenters in both dance and theatre, to the task of writing letters of agreement and to the thoughtful inquiry of how we make safer and braver creative spaces.

YLDE’s programming is made possible with the generous support from Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council.

2022 Research Series – Artist-In-Residence Call For Submissions

Research Series Runs February – April 2022
Winnipeg, MB

The Research Series is a residency program designed to support the kinesthetic and choreographic inquiries of artists from all disciplines engaging in dance and/or movement-based research by providing resources such as artists fees, studio space, and public presentation and discussion opportunities. The purpose of the residency is to allow for in-depth research, critical thinking, risk-taking, professional development, skill enhancement and an exchange of ideas, without the pressure of a finished work or conclusion.

Two (2) artists or artistic teams will be selected to participate in the 2022 Research Series via the following application process. No less than one (1) of these teams will be Manitoban-led, and up to one (1) of these teams will be out-of-town-led. The Residency will take place in Winnipeg, MB. We encourage applicants from local and national contexts to apply. *YLDE is happy to provide letters of support for selected out of town artist(s) seeking additional funding to cover travel and living costs while in residence.

Young Lungs Dance Exchange (YLDE) is committed to the principle of equitable access and strives for a fair, cooperative, respectful, and safe environment that protects and promotes human rights and affirms the dignity of all persons. A minimum of one (1) Black, Indigenous, or artist of colour (or artistic team-lead) will be selected of the two (2) projects. We encourage you to self-identify.

YLDE has funds set aside to support a portion of accessibility-related costs. We are happy to work together with artists to secure the appropriate and necessary budgeting requirements.

Applications will be reviewed and chosen by a selection committee.

Context and Criteria:

Resources facilitated by YLDE during the residency:

• A budget of $3,500 for artist fees, travel costs (if applicable), and additional labour and/or materials
• Access to an accessible studio space (up to 40 hrs) provided by YLDE
• Concluding roundtable discussion regarding the research undergone during the residency
• Public presentations of the research
• Video and Photo documentation of research presented
• Research will be considered in both written and visual essays published on the YLDE website

Each artist/group is required to adhere to the following:

• Adapt research to meet current Covid-19 safety protocols
• All artists involved must be available for, and demonstrate/share their research at the public Research Series Presentation on Saturday April 2, 2022, as well as being available for the public Endnote Essayist Presentations and Discussion on Sunday April 10, 2022
• Participate in public discussion/talk back sessions on the artist’s research
• Share their process with two essayists-in-residence (a writer and a visual artist/photographer), and other participating artists-in-residence through studio visits, cohort meet-ups, and postmortem
• Submit a final report at the end of the residency detailing activities, experience, and feedback

Submission Guidelines:

To apply, please submit the following information by email with the subject line: Research Series Submission to younglungs.wpg@gmail.com.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Sunday, November 28, 2021

1. Contact information: Full name, preferred pronouns, email, address, phone number.

2. A description of the research inquiry (800 words max.): Explain the inspiration for your inquiry and why you wish to dive into it at this time. Discuss your proposed research process.

3. Artistic statement (400 words max.): For collaborations, this can be a combined statement or include the statements of each applicant.

4. CV (two-pages max. per CV): For collaborations, please include one CV per collaborator.

5. Biography of the lead artist(s) (each 250 words max.): If you are selected, this text will be used for promotional purposes (press release, website, social media, etc.).

6. Two items of support material: This can include recent dance or movement work/research, or relevant materials to provide context for your research proposal. Support material can be sent in the form of weblinks or attached documents with your emailed application. The jury will be asked to spend no more than 8 minutes on each submission’s support material. Please provide information on what you would like the jury to focus on if you are providing material that is longer than 4 minutes/1 written page/5 images each.

7. Budget: This is a critical part of the application. Make sure you are allocating enough funds towards maintaining a professional rate for all collaborators. YLDE suggests using the following guideline for dance artist fees – The CADA/West recommended MINIMUM for an hourly wage is $26.00/hr for professional artists. Materials, mentorship/consultation, travel costs, and specific requirements should also be considered in the budget. Note: YLDE covers up to 40 hours of studio rental outside of $3,500 artist fee.

For questions, including further accessibility funds information, please do not hesitate to contact Zorya Arrow at younglungs.wpg@gmail.com.

Young Lungs Dance Exchange is a not-for-profit artist-run support organization committed to the development, creation, and presentation of contemporary dance and performance on Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

More information about Young Lungs Dance Exchange at www.younglungs.ca.

The 2022 Research Series is made possible with the generous support of Winnipeg Arts Council and Manitoba Arts Council.

Photo Credit: Calvin Lee Joseph

YLDE Annual General Meeting

YLDE Annual General Meeting + Essay Reading by Cierra Bettens

Date: Sunday, November 21, 2021
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Where: Online over Zoom

To register, please click HERE.

This event is FREE, all are welcome to attend.

In her written essay, Cierra will respond to the choreographic research of Meryem Alaoui and Sasha Amaya who recently completed a Research Series residency with YLDE.

About Cierra:

Cierra Bettens (she/her/elle) is a prairie writer, editor and student based in Treaty 1 & the Homeland of the Métis Nation. She currently edits the small but mighty arts and culture section of The Uniter and covers activism, culture and life for Lithium Magazine. With a fierce commitment to community-centred journalism, Cierra has written extensively on labour issues, politics and grassroots organizing. Her research interests include political economy and urban development. She’s thrilled to explore the intersections of dance and writing through the Young Lung Dance Exchange Research Series.

YLDE’s programming is made possible with the generous support from Winnipeg Arts Council and Manitoba Arts Council.

Research Series Showing with Artists Meryem Alaoui & Sasha Amaya

Research Series Showing with Artists-In-Residence

This is an in-person event, with limited space.

When: Friday, October 15, 2021
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Where: The Output – part of the Video Pool Media Arts Centre – 218 – 100 Arthur Street

(For access info please email younglungs.wpg@gmail.com)

Payment is sliding scale $0 – $30
Click here to register!

As per the current Provincial Health Orders, proof of vaccination is required upon entry. People who are not able to provide proof of vaccination will not be given entry. Mask wearing is mandatory.

About the Research:

Meryem Alaoui (TO) & Sasha Amaya (WPG) will share with the public the culmination of their research project in residence with YLDE.

During their residency, Meryem Alaoui and Sasha Amaya are interested in the concept of incompletion in relation to the environment and the body, specifically with forms of materiality and objects alongside the moving body. An image that was initially presented as a point of departure is that of the Hassan Tower, a never-completed Mosque in Rabat, Morocco. Drawn to the unusual power and beauty of the tower’s uncompleted state, Meryem and Sasha are interested in exploring this state of incompletion in their bodies, through movement, touch, and voice.

The artists’ interest also lies in how our somatic bodies hold knowledge and how our past experiences affect our way of creating now, in dance, but also in daily life. Meryem and Sasha are curious about how they can dialogue through movement, as they research and create together, in an effort to encourage a human meeting beyond the mere presence of two opinions, perspectives, and cultures brought side by side.

About the Artists:

Artistic Director of Jasad Dance Projects, Meryem Alaoui is a dancer-choreographer from Morocco, living in Toronto. Her work is often an invitation towards a softer and sensorial experience of dance. Through her work at Jasad, she aims to increase the visibility of North African/Arab/Middle Eastern contemporary dance artists in Canada and internationally. A graduate of the School of TDT, she has danced for multiple choreographers in Toronto, including Amanda Acorn, Peggy Baker, Anthony Hamilton and Karen Kaeja. Her choreographic works have been shown in Ontario and Quebec. Meryem has received residency support nationally and internationally, and funding from the CCA, the OAC and the TAC. She also enjoys breaking the silos between professional and community art, by being involved in arts-education and community arts projects.

Sasha Amaya studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and the School of Contemporary Dancers before obtaining her BA in Philosophy, Literature, and the History of Ideas from the University of Winnipeg. Going on to graduate studies at the University of Cambridge and the Royal Institute of Art Stockholm, and dance studies in Germany and France, Sasha works in dance, choreography, installation, and direction. In her practice, Sasha is particularly interested in how we frame, utilize, reject, and repurpose historical narratives and techniques in contemporary art, how we think about and define craft, and the relationship between space, sound, and movement. As a collaborator, Sasha finds great pleasure in the adventure that is creating shared vocabularies and building up new worlds with others. www.sasha-amaya.com

This programming is made possible with the generous support from Winnipeg Arts Council & Manitoba Arts Council.

Movement Practice: Body Language with Jen Otisi

SOLD OUT! Movement Practice: Body Language with Jen Otisi

This is a FREE in-person class, with limited space.

When: Saturday, October 23, 2021
Time: 4:00 – 5:45 pm
Where: Drop-In Dance Winnipeg – 1381 Portage Avenue

(For access info please email younglungs.wpg@gmail.com)

Click here to register!

As per the current Provincial Health Orders, proof of vaccination is required upon entry. Participants who are not able to provide proof of vaccination will not be given entry to the facility. Masks are mandatory in all public spaces of the facility.

About Movement Practice:

YLDE invites all movers and thinkers to learn new skills, experience alternative pathways, and engage in dialogue at our free Movement Practice sessions. At every session a different guest is invited to share whatever is currently inspiring them about their movement practice, bringing their own unique knowledge, experience, and inquiry to the floor.

In this movement practice session, Jen will lead attendees through the popular heels/stiletto style dance genre. The focus will be on musicality with R&B and Soul music, highlighting the lines of the body and improving self confidence through body language. Heels are not essential for the practice, some might say dancing with bare feet feels better.

Jen Otisi is a Nigerian dance artist and choreographer based in Winnipeg, MB. Her dance style draws influence from traditional Nigerian styles, Afrobeat/Afrofusion and Dancehall. Moving from Nigeria to Winnipeg, She gradually submerged into the Winnipeg dance scene under the direction of B.O.S.S dance team, training in various dance styles such as Hip Hop, Dancehall, Vogue and Waacking.

In Winnipeg, she has performed in productions such as Artist Within, Afropeg, Step Threat, competed in street styles dance battles and has appeared in live performances for Canadian music artists including Alexa Dirks “Begonia”, Carine Bado and Ben Tamana.

YLDE’s programming is made possible with the generous support from Manitoba Arts Council.

Photo credit: @bnbstudioswpg
IG: @jenotisi

Hip Hop Intensive with Shaqueel Lawrence

Cancelled: Hip Hop Intensive with Shaqueel Lawrence

This is a week-long in-person workshop with an option to sign-up for individual classes. If you choose to take the whole workshop make sure to sign up for each day’s class separately. Limited space available.

Date: October 18 – 22, 2021
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Where: Drop-In Dance Winnipeg – 1381 Portage Avenue

Payment is sliding scale $0 – $30 per class.
Click here to register!

(For access info please email younglungs.wpg@gmail.com)

As per the current Provincial Health Orders, proof of vaccination is required upon entry. People who are not able to provide proof of vaccination will not be given entry. Mask wearing is mandatory.

About the Workshop:

Shaq’s classes will be high energy and choreography-based with influences from a number of different styles. Some of those styles include breaking, popping and animation to name a few. The focus for each class will vary but the overall intent will be to grow, share energy, and have fun while doing so.

Shaqueel Lawrence was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Shaq currently co-directs a dance team out of Winnipeg called IKIGAI Collective and teaches a weekly drop in slot out of Muse Dance Studio. All of this while also travelling to teach classes across the continent. Recent studios include Millennium Dance Complex Toronto, Pas De Deux Hawaii, Studio 604 (Vancouver), EXPG in New York, The Jukebox Grounds and Elektro Academy both in Arizona and many more. Shaq is also coming in hot off the stage after backup dancing for the popular Kpop band BTS out of the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey/New York and recently added to the KAOS Cast!

This workshop is made possible with the generous support from Manitoba Arts Council.

YLDE Book Club

The YLDE board and staff, invites you to join us in reading Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water

This anthology of Aboriginal writings from Manitoba takes readers back through the millennia and forward to the present day, painting a dynamic picture of a territory interconnected through words, ideas, and experiences. A rich collection of stories, poetry, nonfiction, and speeches.

Join us in a reading discussion of Manitowapow online over Zoom, Sunday, November 14 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Visit the Winnipeg Public Library to borrow a copy of Manitowapow from their collection, or purchase your own copy, available for $35 at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

If you have trouble with getting ahold of a copy email us at younglungs.wpg@gmail.com.

Call for Board Treasurer

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!

Title: Board Treasurer

Board Term: 2 years

Volunteer Hours: Averaging 5-10 hours a month

Meeting Location: Online over Zoom

Start: As soon as possible

DESCRIPTION

Young Lungs Dance Exchange (YLDE) is a not-for-profit artist-run support organization committed to the development, creation and presentation of contemporary dance and performance on Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, MB. More info: https://younglungs.ca/about/

YLDE seeks a motivated individual to fill the role of treasurer on our volunteer board of directors. Our artist-run organization is looking forward to welcoming someone with a large degree of financial savvy. Ideally, we would love to work with a Certified Professional Accountant to assist us in our organization’s financial goals. The ideal candidate will share with us a love for dance and the desire to support the evolution of dance in Manitoba.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF YLDE’S BOARD TREASURER

Oversee annual budgets created and presented by Managing Artistic Director
Check in with Managing Artistic Director one week prior to board meetings, prompting Quarterly Financial Update, so that a proper review of the budget by the Treasurer can occur before the board meeting
Assist in providing the board with a greater understanding of the financial condition of the organization by reporting on the statements at board meetings
Ensuring that the books of account and accounting records of the organization are kept as required by law
Reviewing the audited financial statements and reporting on them at the organization’s Annual General Meeting

Our Board of directors, Johanna Riley, Jill Groening, Susie Burpee, Trevor Pick, Kayla Jeanson, Hillarie Tasche, Jennifer Otisi, and Sam Penner welcomes all humans to participate in YLDE activities, and strives to work on/with accessible platforms, and in physically accessible studios and venues. YLDE has a zero tolerance policy for any racial discrimination, transphobia, gender discrimination, misogyny, bullying, or sexual harassment. YLDE strives to be a safer space for everyone.

YLDE is committed to the principle of equitable access to opportunities, and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds. We encourage you to self-identify in your email to us.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please email us with a little bit about yourself and why you are interested in joining our board by end of day, Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 to Zorya Arrow, Managing Artistic Director, Young Lungs Dance Exchange.

Email younglungs.wpg@gmail.com with the subject line YLDE Board Treasurer. We thank all candidates for their expression of interest.