MODUS OPERANDI (M.O.): method, approach, manner, way of working
Created in 2007, Modus Operandi provides meaningful and rigorous post-secondary education through a multi-year program dedicated to young emerging and aspiring professionals. The M.O. student body is a small and determined group of rebellious thinkers and movers who are inspired by radical and relevant philosophies and who hail from different backgrounds and points of view. Within a process-and-practice-driven curriculum, we help them to uncover what it means to be a professional contemporary dance artist, to take hold of their own learning, give them freedom to explore, and to empower them to ask and answer their own artistic questions. As an institution, M.O. does not dictate what the next generation’s dance practice should be. Instead, we provide the means for them to joyfully discover and pursue their futures with the highest professional standards and nurture a healthy relationship to dance. Students form relationships with the professional community and build their own institutions that carry them through ours and into healthy, purposeful and long-lasting careers. The M.O. Show is an opportunity for the students to share some of the projects that were part of the curriculum this season and to share their passion for contemporary dance with their families, friends, and the dance community that inspires them.
Congratulations to our exceptional graduates of 2023; Alesandra, Emily Clarke, Madeleine Cruz, Abby Hunter, Bridget Lee, Kluane Peabody, Jamie Ranney, Allie Shiff, Audrey Sides, Bennett Tracz, Kaya Tsurumi and Emma Wallace!
Thank you so much for coming!
Modus Operandi would like to acknowledge that we are on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. www.musqueam.bc.ca www.squamish.net www.twnation.ca
M.O. ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE;
National and International performances with Batsheva, Kidd Pivot, Ballet BC, Alan Lucien Øyen /winter guests, Company 605, Co. Erasga, Hessisches Staatsballett, Daina Ashbee, dumb instrument Dance, Justine A. Chambers, Animals of Distinction, Hong Kong Exile, Kinesis Dance Somatheatro, EDAM, Mascall Dance, Ballet Edmonton, Move: the company, Raven Spirit Dance, Radical System Art, Out Innerspace, Vanessa Goodman, Ouro Collective, Vision Impure, and Wen Wei Dance amongst others.
MO Alumni choreographic works presented in oktoberdans festival (Norway), Chelsea Theatre (London), La Bodega and Casa del Cultura (Mexico), La Briqueterie Centre de Development Chorégraphique (France), Venice Biennale (Italy), CanAsian Dance Festival (Toronto), PS: we are all here (Toronto), The MAI, Parcours Danse, OFFTA & La Petit Scene (Quebec), Canadian National Arts Centre, Dancing on the Edge, Dance Victoria, Talking Stick Festival, Infringing Festival, Dance Matters, Art for Impact, Interplay, Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival, and rEvolver Festival, amongst others.
Out Innerspace Board of Directors: Marc-Andre Boyes-Manseau, Dylan Connelly, Tara Fanara-Palko, Darcy McKitrick, Michael Mussachio and Manoj Shankar
Artistic Directors: Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond
Modus Operandi Associate Directors: Kate Franklin and Maiko Miyauchi
Executive Director for New Works: Jason Dubois
General Manager for New Works: Charlotte Newman
Administrative Manager: Francesca Fung
Administration and Marketing: Jade Chong
Front of House Manager: Brianne Chan
Modus Operandi gratefully acknowledges the support from The Department of Canadian Heritage, British Columbia Arts Council, and The City of Vancouver.
SPECIAL THANKS
To New Works, Jason Dubois, Francesca Fung, Charlotte Newman, Jade Chong, Brianne Chan & the Out Innerspace Board of Directors.
To b. solomon, Shay Kuebler, Spenser Theberge and Nicolas Ventura for bringing their exceptional example, creation & process to the students.
To Eric Chad for supporting the light designs.
To Sarah Hutton for your assistance with rehearsal directing Shay Kuebler’s work.
To Ryan Land for sourcing props for b. solomon’s work.
To Grace Garvey, Esrael Haile and Josh Ongcol for their treasured contributions to MO 2023.
To volunteers Sarah, Aiden, Samantha, Polina, Ben, and Shayna for their time, support & spirit.
To the Modus Operandi members past & present for shaping the program through their passion, individuality & dedication.
To all the remarkable guest artists who have so significantly educated & inspired MO Full Program and MO Link Program:
Brandon Lee Alley, Bryan Arias, Daina Ashbee, Oksana Augustine, Beverley Bagg, Lara Barclay, Karissa Barry, Andrew Bartee, Josh Beamish, Eric Beauchesne, Gabi Beier, Serge Bennathan, Yossi Berg, Jenna Berlyn, Peter Bingham, Nicole Rose Bond, Barbara Bourget, Delia Brett, Sara Brewer-Clowes, Mike Browne, Valerie Calam, Aiden Cass, Justine A. Chambers, Eric Cheung, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Marisa Christogeorge, Peter Chu, Sara Coffin, Idan Cohen, Crystal Costa, Alison Denham, Dario Dinuzzi, Sophie Dow, Livona Ellis, Shauna Elton, Ralph Escamillan, Rachel Patrice Fallon, Anusha Fernando, Lina Fitzner, Emmalena Fredriksson, Francesca Frewer, Amber Funk Barton, Noam Gagnon, Natalie Tin Yin Gan, Issac Gasangwa, Lisa Mariko Gelley, Dana Gingras, Miriam Gittens, James Gnam, Vanessa Goodman, Natasha Gorrie, Jai Govinda, Oded Graf, Elya Grant, Caitlin Griffin, Daelik Hackenbrook, Mikey Harris, David Harvey, Anna Herrmann, Jay Hirabayashi, Yoshi Hisanaga, Josh Hite, Sarah Hutton, Stewart Iguidez, Sasha Ivanochko, Farley Johansson, Adam Khazhmuradov, Edmond Kilpatrick, Patricia Kim, Rob Kitsos, Jeanette Kotowich, Alanna Kraaijeveld, Shay Kuebler, Greg Lau, Joe Laughlin, Natalie LeFebvre Gnam, Emmanuelle Lê Phan, Doug Letheren, Kevin Li, Ted Littlemore, Margarida Macieira, Billy Marchenski, Alexa Mardon, Sandra Marin Garcia, Josh Martin, Ganna Martynova, Jennifer Mascall, Kylie Miller, Momo, Davida Monk, Shannon Moreno, Michele Moss, Heather Myers, Rena Narumi, David Norsworthy, Jeremy O’Neill, David Norsworthy, Simone Orlando, Jane Osborne, Suzanne Ouellette, Rina Pellerin, Deanna Peters, Sarah Pippin, Crystal Pite, Racheal Prince, Justin Rapaport, Ella Rothschild, Cindy Salgado, Dominic Santia, Anita Seiz, Sylvain Senez, Olivia Shaffer, Zahra Shahab, Renée Sigouin, Peter Smida, Avery Smith, b. solomon, Jermaine Spivey, Grant Strate, Lee Su-Feh, Rianne Svelnis, Lesley Telford, Paras Terezakis, Spenser Theberge, Alvin Tolentino, Khoudia Touré, Erica Trivett, Lexi Vajda, Adrian Vendiola, Mikhail Morris aka Venom, Nicolas Ventura, James Viveiros, Helen Walkley, Makaila Wallace, Wen Wei Wang, Michael Watts, Calder White, Kirsten Wicklund, Sophia Wolfe, ‘RubberLegz’ Rauf Yasit, Akira Yoshida, Jeff Younger and Yin Yue.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MO Summer Dance Intensive/Full Program Audition
July 31 – August 4, 2023
10am – 3pm
Contemporary Dance Technique, Movement Generation, Repertoire & Improvisation with Kate, Tiffany & David.
ages 16+
OIS Summer Workshop for Professionals
Adam Khazmuradov & Maiko Kakizaki
August 7-11, 2023
9am – 3:30pm
ages 19+
Seoljin Kim & Cree Barnett Williams
August 14-18, 2023
9am – 3:30pm
ages 19+
MO Link Program
Term 1 – September – December Saturdays & Sundays 10am-2pm
Term 2 – January – May Saturdays & Sundays 10am-2pm
MO Link provides 8 hours per week of contemporary dance development with MO educators for serious dancers ages 15-45. It provides a wide range of contemporary repertoire and dance techniques including release technique, floor work, partnering, hip hop, street and social dance forms, improvisation, and movement generation led by MO guest artists and leading professionals.
Out Innerspace Q7 Studios, 77 East 7th, Vancouver
info + application + registration forms: modusoperandi.dance/m-o-link/ or reach out to modusoperandi@outinnerspace.ca
PROGRAM
7 YEARS LATER
Created by Nicolas Ventura in collaboration with the performers
Music:
Just – David Lang
An Original Score – Nicolas Ventura
The Kidnap – Hildur Guðnadóttir
You & I – Jeff Buckley
Loss of a loved one is a natural, universally experienced life event. It is also amongst life’s most challenging experiences.
“7 YEARS LATER” intertwines memories with emotions surrounding the consequential magnitude and impact that the death of a loved one has, as those that remain behind are tossed helplessly on waves of intense emotion and internal conflict.
Having to let go,
June 2016
Maria Lucrecia Calderon
Performed by Elizabeth Armitage, Samantha Buss, Kaitlin Cheung, Emily Clarke, Madeleine Cruz, Emma Galvin, Abby Hunter, Ryan Jackson, Natasa Kong, Lamont, Rachel Lui, Amélie MacDonald, Satya Mari, Kluane Peabody, Jamie Ranney, Nikki Schenk, Allie Shiff, Audrey Sides, Jada Tang, Yuha Tomita, Bennett Tracz, Emma Wallace
excerpts
This material is drawn from the ensemble work “Fathoms” created by Out Innerspace and commissioned by Netherlands Danstheatre 2.
Music by Bendik Giske
Performed by Alesandra, Bridget Lee, Julian Hunt, Abby Hunter, Emma Wallace, Emily Clarke, Kaya Tsurumi
MORNING STAR
Created by b. solomon in collaboration with the performers
Music:
Risae and Tanto Iontano – Piero Umiliani
Where Is My Mind? – The Pixies, piano arrangement and performance by Samantha Buss
Like a Prayer – Madonna, piano arrangement and performance by Samantha Buss
Her love as full as it can be and her life set out before her, Morning Star was to be married in the spring. After embarking on a long journey across the land to the South West, and passing through a dark, narrow and thickly forested path, something else came to be.
Performed by Alesandra, Elizabeth Armitage, Samantha Buss, Kaitlin Cheung, Emily Clarke, Madeleine Cruz, Emma Galvin, Denae Harpham, Abby Hunter, Ryan Jackson, Natasa Kong, Lamont, Bridget Lee, Rianna Logan, Rachel Lui, Amélie MacDonald, Satya Mari, Kluane Peabody, Jamie Ranney, Nikki Schenk, Allie Shiff, Audrey Sides, Jada Tang, Yuha Tomita, Bennett Tracz, Emma Wallace
Intermission – 15 minutes
Of A Copy
Created by Spenser Theberge in collaboration with the performers
Music: Original Composition by Jermaine Spivey
The choreography and text for Of A Copy was created in collaboration with the performers. I’m very grateful to them for so generously contributing themselves. X Spenser
Performed by:
June 8, 9, 10, 7:30pm:
Kaitlin Cheung, Emily Clarke, Abby Hunter, Ryan Jackson, Natasa Kong, Bridget Lee, Rianna Logan, Rachel Lui, Satya Mari, Jamie Ranney, Nikki Schenk, Allie Shiff, Audrey Sides, Yuha Tomita, Bennett Tracz
June 9, 3pm:
Alesandra, Elizabeth Armitage, Samantha Buss, Madeleine Cruz, Emma Galvin, Natasa Kong, Lamont, Rachel Lui, Amélie MacDonald, Satya Mari, Kluane Peabody, Nikki Schenk, Audrey Sides, Jada Tang, Emma Wallace
excerpts continued
This material is drawn from the ensemble work “Fathoms” created by Out Innerspace and commissioned by Netherlands Danstheatre 2.
Music by Bendik Giske
Performed by
June 8, 9, 10, 7:30pm: Amélie MacDonald, Kluane Peabody, Kaitlin Cheung
June 9, 3pm: Yuha Tomita, Jamie Ranney, Emma Galvin
animus/amity
Created by: Shay Kuebler
Music: Groundwork
Sound Design & Composition by Shay Kuebler
Sound Sample: Ground by G.H.
This work is another stanza in my curiosity around dynamic opposition: form v. formlessness & group v. individual. My first full-length work explored the notion that when one idea/concept gains prominence, it opens up the necessity for the direct opposite to be expressed. As people, we so deeply require group connection, but can easily be pulled into factions that separate us from others. We instinctively require social connection and intuitively need individual expression. The push and pull of oneness and groupness – Shay Kuebler
Performed by:
June 8, 9, 7:30pm:
Alesandra, Elizabeth Armitage, Samantha Buss, Madeleine Cruz, Emma Galvin, Julian Hunt, Lamont, Rianna Logan, Amélie MacDonald, Kluane Peabody, Nikki Schenk, Audrey Sides, Jada Tang, Bennett Tracz, Emma Wallace
June 9, 3pm:
Samantha Buss, Kaitlin Cheung, Emily Clarke, Madeleine Cruz, Abby Hunter, Ryan Jackson, Natasa Kong, Bridget Lee, Rianna Logan, Rachel Lui, Kluane Peabody, Jamie Ranney, Yuha Tomita, Bennett Tracz, Emma Wallace
June 10, 7:30pm:
Alesandra, Elizabeth Armitage, Samantha Buss, Madeleine Cruz, Emma Galvin, Ryan Jackson, Natasa Kong, Lamont, Rianna Logan, Amélie MacDonald, Kluane Peabody, Audrey Sides, Jada Tang, Bennett Tracz, Emma Wallace
Please consider further supporting Modus Operandi by making a donation. Your support goes directly towards furthering exceptional, accessible contemporary dance education.
Creators biographies in order of performance:
Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nicolas Ventura obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in the United Kingdom, followed by his career in dance beginning in Israel. Nicolas is a former dancer of the internationally renowned ensemble Batsheva Dance Company where he performed acclaimed works under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin.
Since 2015, Nicolas has worked as a dancer and/or rehearsal director alongside creative forces such as Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Roy Assaf, Medhi Walerski, Imre and Marne Van Opstal, Crystal Pite, Jiri Pokorny, Felix Landerer, Idan Sharabi and more. Nicolas currently acts as Rehearsal Director for Ballet British Columbia, alongside choreographing and teaching internationally.
attending conservatories/universities such as The Juilliard School and the University of Southern California. A current aspiration is to direct his focus to choreographing for film.
Multi-award nominated, winner and loser, creator b. solomon is of Anishinaabe and settler heritage, born in Shebahonaning on the North Channel of Lake Huron. As a creator his work is multidisciplinary, raw, challenging and full of spirit. His commissions have ranged from community-rooted works with over 50 interpreters, solos in trees, to animated installations of landfill. His works have been presented and toured across Turtle Island and many nations abroad. Since he was a teenager, much of solomon’s work has been committed to community activation with a focus on the unacknowledged and underserved ones across the land, and the land itself. He is passionate about helping people relearn the nature of their ancient bodies, and take back the space those bodies occupy as caretakers. More info at: electricmoose.ca
Spenser Theberge is a multi-hyphenate performer and creator, working across the fields of choreography, dance, movement direction, text, costume design, pedagogy, and installation work. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and a former company member with the Nederlands Dans Theater I & II and The Forsythe Company, as well as a guest artist with Kidd Pivot, the Goteborgs Operans Danskompani, the ARIAS Company, and RGWW.
partner Jermaine Spivey have been additionally supported by Hollins University, PACT Zollverein, Nuova Officina della Danza, and presented by The Korzo Theater, The Frankfurt LAB, Place des Arts, Oregon Contemporary, Reed College, and NAVEL.
As a movement director and performer, Spenser has worked with artists, brands, and organizations such as Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, LANY, UGG, Rami Malek, Ryan Pfluger, the Tune-yards, Seaworthy Jewelry, and the New York Times Magazine. He has also designed costumes for Andrea Miller, the ARIAS Company, and performing artist Frances Chiaverini, and is the text writer behind Alexander Ekman’s award winning “Cacti” and “Hubbub”.
Spenser has been dance faculty at California Institute of the Arts, a guest faculty at The Juilliard School and USC Kaufman School of Dance, as well as at conservatories, schools, and programs across America, Europe, and Asia. Spenser is a YoungArts award winner, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and a Princess Grace Award winner.
As a child of the 80’s, Shay Kuebler grew up with a passion for The Ninja Turtles and action movies. Naturally, this would bring him to martial arts, theatre and dance at the age of 5. As he became a professional performer and budding choreographer, his value for versatility and exposure to new things continued to grow. This connected to his belief that art and creativity are empowered through collaboration and continual rediscovery. He considers himself a very good generalist and is grateful for his experiences in numerous forms of dance, music, theatre and martial arts. He has continued to invest in his interdisciplinary background through intensive study periods in Brazil, Japan, China and The USA in everything from Shaolin Kung Fu to Taiko Drumming.
In 2014, Shay founded his performing arts company Radical System Art (RSA). RSA creates live dance-theatre works that look to captivate audiences through impactful themes, visceral physicality and rich visuals. As a director, choreographer, producer, composer and performer, Shay and RSA have created 7 full-evening shows that have toured all over the world. For Shay, RSA is a cradle for unbridled creativity and exploration.
Shay has lived and worked in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for 19 years. His range of experiences and training enable him to be an asset on any production. He feels immense purpose in creating and supporting others in their creative pursuits, and believes creativity is what makes us human. It is our greatest gift.