≈ 75 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: May 28, 2024
A note from the Executive Producer, NAC Dance
Dear audiences,
Here we are (already!) at the final show of the 2023-2024 NAC Dance season. As the season draws to a close, I’d like to acknowledge Cathy Levy and thank her for providing us with some unforgettable moments. It has been an honour to present this season.
We sign off with a unique production, a symphony of movement orchestrated by choreographer Rhodnie Désir. Rhodnie has studied the heart from every angle to create a work that explores the depths of the human experience through the universal language of movement. Every step, every gesture, every expression is a note in this visual symphony, an invitation to feel and understand the emotions within us.
I’d like to highlight the incredible contribution of the NAC Orchestra to this sensory experience. The power of music weaves a timeless dialogue with movement.
Allow yourself to be transported by the power of Symphony of hearts. Let every movement, every note resonate within you, awakening a range of emotions and inspirations.
It’s an honour to welcome you to a place where art comes alive, where music and dance come together in harmony.
Enjoy the show!
A note from the choreographer
I became interested in the heart.
The organ that pumps inside us: in its gilded chest.
This treasure that we carry, that allows us to connect with others
Which in turn transports us.
Like nature, it fascinated me with its abundant, generous and sacred mystery;
Then by its lightning storms, with the power to suddenly disconnect us from earthly life.
From trajectory to trajectory, from conversation to conversation, I tried to understand the cardiovascular system and its power of interconnection.
What I’ve learned has nurtured in me the young girl in search of answers.
I’m still searching
From emotions of love to life’s trials.
In this ritual, and while the world is collapsing, let us embrace this moment for which we are so fortunate.
I took an interest in this abundant cluster of hearts, without knowing what it would transform in me in return.
From fragility to strength: I hope our hearts will unite around a big heart drum.
For the healing of our societies
For the celebration of life.
Love
Symphony of hearts
An original idea by Rhodnie Désir
A choreographic-documentary production by RD Créations
Developed with the support from the NAC's National Creation Fund.
Synopsis
A churning, beating humanity is evoked in this social symphony in constant evolution, a work that proposes a tempest of bodies, sound compositions, and immersive visual installations inspired by data culled from citizens and scientists. This grand gesture composed of musicians and dancers will attempt to illuminate and transform the stage into a great heart pulsing humanity. Tensions in a dance-music duet, a decagon of violins combining the impressive physicality of plural bodies and songs in invented language. The sum of it all will spring forth like an ode to the polyrhythmic power of the heart.
Description
The company's new work is Symphony of hearts (SYDC), a large-scale project combining the arts of dance and music about the heart, created for the first time in partnership with three philharmonic orchestras: Orchestre Métropolitain (Montreal), National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa (Ottawa) and Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (Lugano). The work is also supported by three producers, Danse Danse, the National Arts Centre of Ottawa and LAC Lugano arte e cultura (Switzerland). Based on Rhodnie Désir's choreographic-documentary approach, the research was supported by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec and carried out at two medical institutions: the Montreal Heart Institute and the Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino of Lugano. The research was also completed with testimonials from citizens and young students from Collège Jean Eudes (Montreal), as well as patient-partners living with heart disease.
Symphony of hearts combines arts and sciences to address the beauty and flaws of the heart and cardiovascular system.
SYDC is the original idea of Rhodnie Désir, following an inspiring meeting with maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin in 2021. Since 2022, following extensive documentary research at two institutions specializing in heart health, and over forty people interviewed, and more than a dozen recognized creators, the work proposes a tempest of bodies, sound compositions, and immersive visual installations inspired by data culled from citizens and scientists. This grand gesture made up of musicians and dancers will seek to transform the stage into a great choir, drawing on the storms and beats of the cardiovascular system as well as the romantic heart.
Choreographic Process
Rhodnie Désir has developed a new creative approach through choreographic-documentary. This unique transmission process is inspired by encounters in order to arrive at choreographic creation. These sessions take the form of interviews with those whom she calls "bearers of memory," citizens from all walks of life who share their history and experience. These accounts nourish and inspire the choreographer who manifests this accumulation of new knowledge through movement. A movement that is first made rhythmically, in collaboration with a local musician, allows the essence of these voices to be conveyed in the form of rhythm. From this exchange, a first gesture is born. Then, through the body, Rhodnie Désir crystallizes all these experiences and discoveries. A new choreographic work thus sees the light of day. The gesture is therefore anchored in the terrain in which it was created, becoming both tribute and memory.
“Perhaps creation is being able to accept that with each thousandth of a second,
one can indefinitely recreate oneself in order to better transform the world in which we exist.” – Rhodnie Désir
Performances (Tour)
World premiere at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, co-presented by Danse Danse, April 4, 5, 6, 2024 (3 performances) in Montreal.
National Arts Centre, May 30, 2024, in Ottawa.
Lugano Dance Project (Switzerland), June 15, 2024.
At the heart of documentary research…
These quotes are taken from interviews with heart health specialists and patient-partners.
“Everyone has the right to a
dignified end to their own
existence.” – Tiziano
“The heart is the seat
of the soul.” – Dora
“I need to announce it to myself
before I say anything to the
patient. I ask them to be patient
and give me some time.” – Laura
“You want to stop time, time is moving
too quickly, I'm no longer in control,
everything is going too quickly,
there’s a feverishness, everything
is palpable.” – Roxanne
“I had a breakdown of the
heart instead of a
psychological
breakdown.” – Ronald
“Courage comes from thinking
about those who are still
with us.” – Serge
“The team is always there and will always be
there. When you go into the operating room,
you can count on each other. There is no
room for error, it's like playing with Lego.
You need to have character, or you die.” – Julie
“In removing my heart, they took
away all the love that
came with it.” – Marc
Artists
Choreographer-documentalist and artistic director of RD Créations, Rhodnie Désir has created about fifteen pieces, like BOW'T TRAIL Retrospek and her pioneering memoir journey BOW'T TRAIL have earned her two awards from the Prix de la danse de Montréal (2020): The Prix Envol and the Grand Prix. In 2021, she was chosen as one of the "25 to watch" by Dance Magazine in New York and nominated for the prestigious career award “The APAP Award of Merit”. In 2022, she received the “Danseuse de l’année” award at the Gala Dynastie and she became the first Associate Artist of the famous Place des Arts institution in Montreal.
Her documentary and Afro-contemporary choreographic signature is rooted in rhythmic languages. A performer and orator of remarkable power, her words and her international civic actions unite beyond dance, and then shine as at UNESCO.
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Jorane is the recipient of the prestigious André Gagnon Award from the SPACQ (2015) and received an honourable mention for the Her Music Award bestowed by SOCAN (2023). Her musical career has spanned more than 20 years and has been marked by ambitious accomplishments that have been recognized by the industry. Her most recent album, Hemenetset, earned her nods at the Junos, Adisq, and GAMIQ.
With a dozen albums to her credit and tours that have taken her to the four corners of the world, Jorane emerges as a sonic explorer and an artist of rare freedom, at times at the command of her own projects, and other times at the service of art in its various forms. She has created the soundtracks for numerous theatrical, cinematographic, televisual and documentary works, most notably for the plays Le Journal d'Anne Frank (Gascon-Roux Award) and Albertine en cinq temps, as well as for the film Un dimanche à Kigali, which earned her a Jutra in 2007.
Her achievements include work with the OSQ, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the I Musici ensemble, Margie Gillis, Michael Brook, and Sara Maclachlan and most recently with the Felix & Paul Studios, Award-winning creator of immersive entertainment experiences, highly engaging and inspired virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality experiences for audiences worldwide. During her career, Jorane has also shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin, Daniel Lanois, and Anne Sylvestre, to name only a few. Jorane is a spokesperson for Le Phare, Enfants et Familles and a very involved member of the community. She is also an advocate for various organizations working with women in vulnerable situations.
Conductor Naomi Woo, named by CBC in 2019 as a “Top 30 Classical Musicians under 30”, is the Assistant Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Music Director of Sistema Winnipeg. Born in Newfoundland and raised in North Vancouver, Naomi conducts across Canada and is noted for her work as a socially-engaged artist and educator, with appearances at the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. An advocate for opera and new music, Naomi recently led the Canadian premiere of Du Yun’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel’s Bone (re:Naissance Opera) and the world premiere of Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s The Night Falls (BalletCollective, American Opera Projects). She holds degrees from Yale, Université de Montréal, and Cambridge.
Musician/Beatmaker/Composer - Producer, beat-maker, field recordist and Instrument of Ancestors, Engone Endong offers an alternative approach to music and gabonese tradition by cleverly mixing ancestral knowledge with contemporary electronic, hip-hop and experimental sounds. Collaborating internationally as a DJ/producer with such artists as Elom 20ce from Togo, Pamela Badjogo/Prix RFI Découverte finalist, and Société des Arts Technologiques, he also composed soundtracks for the movie “Les Etats-Unis d’Afrique: au-delà du hip-hop” by Yanick Létourneau (PERIPHERIA, Prix de la Critique RIDM 2011). He performed alongside the legendary American DJ Rich Medina and was the headline of the Piknic Electronik festival in 2013. His politically instrumental album #OKENG was critically acclaimed by OKAYAFRICA and AFROPUNK. Since 2017, he has collaborated with Rhodnie Désir on many works as Dusk Society (2017), BOW'T TRAIL Retrospek (2020), BOW’T-Tio’tia:ke (2021), Conversations (2021), MWON’D (2022) and he is currently working on her new piece Symphony of hearts (2024).
Salif Sanou, known as Lasso, was born into a griot family established in Bwaba village
called Konkuy-Boho, in the province of Kossi in northwestern Burkina Faso. Being a griot
from father to son for several generations, he grew up in a world where music is at the heart
of life. He discovered very early on his talents for several african traditional instruments
and for singing. First introduced to percussion with the balafon, the doum-doums, the tam-
tam, the tamarind, the bara and the djembe, he continued his discovery of talents with the
chamaillé n'goni in 1999. In 2004, Lasso discovered an incredible passion and skill for the
Fulani flute (Mandingo flute or speaking flute), with his cousin and master Dramane
Dembélé. He quickly became one of the most gifted flutists and some of his friends even
called him “Las flûte”.
After playing for several years with renowned artists in Burkina Faso, Lasso arrived in
Quebec in 2009. He performed in several events including the opening of the Olympic
Games in Nanaimo (Vancouver), the Festival de la Musique de Québec, the benefit evening
for young world musicians and the Fête Nationale du Québec. He participated in street
theatrical events and shows in small venues, bars and cafes in addition to performing with
the Motus theater troupe for the internationally renowned play “Baobab”. He has also
accompanied several artists in various festivals including the Festival International Nuits
d'Afrique, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and the Francofolies. Lasso is also
part of other projects as a musician artist and founding member since 2016 of '' KUNÉ ''
Canada's Global Orchestra (from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto). A group
of 12 musicians from different nationalities in Canada. Two albums were released in April
2018 and in 2023.
As a singer-songwriter, he formed his own group in November 2009 called Lasso & SINI-
KAN (the voice of tomorrow). It shares a mix of several traditional instruments (balafon,
Fulani flute, kambélé n'goni, tamani, percussion) and modern sounds (vibraphone, drums,
guitar, bass). Together, they create harmony between traditional Mandinka music and
several other musical styles (jazz, blues, rock, reggae). Lasso created his own musical genre
: Fusion Reggae Afro Mandingue Métissé (F.R.A.M.M.). The group has performed many
times at Balattou (Montreal), Bobards (Montreal), Ninkasi du Faubourg (Quebec), Fou Bar
(Quebec), Agitée (Quebec), Mouton Noir (Baie -St-Paul), in the North-West (Trois-
Rivières) at Laval University (Quebec), at the Quebec Days of International Solidarity
(cégep de Victoriaville) as well as at several African village festivals. Lasso & Sini-Kan
has participated in several festivals including: l'Afrique en Fête (Québec), the Journées
d'Afrique festival (Trois-Pistoles), the Festival International Nuits d'Afrique and the
national holidays of Canada and Quebec. (Ottawa, Quebec and Montreal), the Mondo
Karnaval festival (Quebec), the Intercultural Week of Lévis Lauzon (Quebec) The African
Party in Inverness.
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Marilyne Cyr completed her performance training at the École supérieure de ballet du Québec in 2014. Since then, she has danced with the RUBBERBANDance Group, with the circus company Les 7 Fingers, with Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Ballet Ouest de Montreal, Andrea Pena & Artists, the Opéra de Québec and Ampleman Danse. Marilyne has worked with several emerging choreographers for stage or video-dance, such as Vanesa Garcia, Eva Kolarova, Geneviève Gagné, Kunal Ranchod, Kaitlyn Ramsden, Pauline Gervais, Olivia St-Jacques, Charles-Alexis Desgagnés, Nicholas Bellefleur-Bondu and Vanessa Brazeau. Marilyne is currently working with the companies PPS Danse, Sylvain Émard Danse, Rhodnie Désir Créations and Janie et Marcio. She collaborates as a performer with choreographer Andrew Skeels (Skeels Danse) and assists him with commissions from other companies. These various experiences brought Marilyne to several cities in Quebec, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, the United States, Serbia and Lithuania.
Mara Dupas is a French-Canadian artist of Martinican descent.
After moving to Montreal at age 9 with their family, they quickly discovered their love for movement.
Mara studied classical ballet before integrating the Montreal school of contemporary dance (EDCM) in 2019. Since graduating, they had the opportunity to collaborate with choreographers such as Charlie Prince and Louise Bédard, in addition to developing their own practice as a creator.
Mara mainly uses writing and movement as mediums, allowing them to speak out on societal and individual issues. Their work explores West Indian culture, and ways in which traditional dances from Martinique can be mixed with a contemporary dance practice.
Camille Gendron is a contemporary dance artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal. During their time at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), they acquired a rich interpretive and creative experience working with Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, Alan Lake, Danièle Desnoyers, Anne Thériault, James Viveiros, Kelly Keenan and Melina Pires.
Amazed by the perceptive capacity of the human body, Camille enjoys diving into sensations to turn them into a fertile playground to redefine our relationship with ourselves, others and the land. They nourish a fluid movement imbued with density, driven by the search for gateways to self-transcendence and interrelation with the environment.
Having begun their career in History, Anthropology and Native Studies before choosing movement as a career path, Camille now nourishes their practice with socio-political reflections and a desire for honest and challenging human connections. These values are embodied in their choreographic practice, leading to the multidisciplinary co-creations [re]prendre Terre (2021) and Aux effluves de fluides et de cierges (2022).
Aly Keita commence son parcours artistique à l'âge de 13 ans, en Guinée. Il étudie les arts du cirque, la danse et la musique au Centre d'art acrobatique Keita Fodeba. En 2016, il arrive au Canada dans le cadre d'une initiative d'échange culturel entre jeunes Inuits et Guinéens, qui débouche sur la production du documentaire "Cirque sans frontières". Depuis, il collabore avec divers organismes, notamment les Productions Kalabanté, le Cirque Eloize, Cavalia, Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, MAPP_Montréal, Collectif White Wash, Jobel Art for Earth, Fondation de la Place des Arts et plus encore. À partir de 2020, il crée et présente sa propre production, "Djata : Conversations du Manden". Il a également participé à "Afro Canada", un documentaire en quatre parties sur 400 ans d'histoire des afro-descendants, diffusé par Radio-Canada. Il possède une vaste expérience de l'enseignement et de la médiation culturelle.
Parallel to her studies at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, Luce began practicing authentic movement with Sarah Dell'Ava, which enabled her to further develop her ability to listen to her own body and to meet that of others. This encounter with Sarah led to several shows, including O presented at Festival Trans Amérique 2020 and O2 presented at Tangente 2022.
Luce is one of the performers in FLY 2021, with guest choreographer Katia Marie Germain. From here, the piece Mascarades is born, in development for late 2023.
At the beginning of 2022, Luce meets Aurélie Pédron, with whom she works on the creation of Invisible, presented at OFFTA 2022, on the research project Faire Corps and on the teaching project Poésie.
For Luce, teaching, sharing and transmitting are important pillars for reaching out to others and building tomorrow's world. In autumn 2022, she begins an apprenticeship with Andrew Harwood, whom she assists at the École de danse Contemporaine de Montréal.
Sensitive to the transversality of the arts, Luce takes courses in theater and painting.
In 2023, she begins a new creation Symphony oh hearts, choreographed by Rhodnie Désir.
Luce works as a performer for other emerging choreographers such as Rachelle Bourget (Meridian
Response), Philipe Dépelteau in (Les briques), Marie Lévêque in (25 kilomètres), Julianne Decerf (Can you
feel the burn?).
Emmanuelle Martin holds a bachelor's degree in dance and has trained in France, the United States, and Canada. She specializes in contemporary and urban dance and is known for her versatility, improvisation skills, and strong presence. With over ten years of experience, Emmanuelle has collaborated with artists and companies internationally and currently works with Van Grimde Corps Secret, Trip the Light Fantastic, Bouge de là, Audrey Gaussiran, Barbara Diabo, Jobel Art, Early Morning Opera and Sinha Danse.
Emmanuelle founded Nouena Danse in 2019, and her work includes Angel, Encounter, presented at both the ZemmourBallet and Quartiers Danses festivals, the award-winning Chimion, and Anges Lumières.
Born in Tio’tia:ke (Montreal), Mya Thérésa Métellus’ passion for dance develops quite early and leads them to classical ballet. Twelve years later, turning towards contemporary dance allows a sort of liberation and a feeling of inclusivity through which a career seems conceivable. All the while, Mya discovers multiple styles including lyrical, tap, musical comedy, hip hop and Haitian folk dances. These gave them access to the different facets of their dance and enabled them to explore their Haitian heritage. After completing two- years in the bachelor program in dance at UQAM, Mya enrolled at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, where the creative processes - with Stacey Désilier, Sébastien Provencher, Hélène Remoué, Edgar Zendejas, Stefania Skoryna, Parts+Labour_Danse and Alanna Kraaijeveld - as well as the reworking of repertoires - with Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Jacques Poulin-Denis and Stephanie Lake - were richly rewarding. Mya tries to carry their voice as an assertive leader and their artistic singularity through all encounters, as well as delving into their origins.
Carlos-Alexis Mendoza is a multidisciplinary dancer specializing in electro dance. Born in Montreal to Peruvian parents, he has traveled to France, Spain and all over South America for compete and to interact with other electro dance specialists. His expertise in this style and his desire to deepen his knowledge of dance led him to continue his studies at École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. Thus, he collaborated in the creations of José Navas, Lucie Grégoire, Alan Lake, as well as the revival of the repertoire piece Les corps avalés by Virginie Brunelle, before graduating in 2022. At the same time, in 2019, Carlos-Alexis creates Cypher Electro in order to share his knowledge and his vision of this style of dance. Today, he collaborates with choreographers such as Rhodnie Désir (RD Créations), Hélène Langevin (Bouge De Là) and Alexandre Morin (Other Animals) from whom he draws inspiration to deepen his choreographic research and the aesthetics by incorporating everything that inspires him: his identity, his origins and his vision of the contemporary world.
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Gregory Krypto Selinger has interpreted for Solid State Breakdance Collective and choreographed the trio Still Milking the New Sacred Cow under the mentorship of Victor Quijada. Greg’s work often blends dance and spoken word. His autobiographical danced monologue A Piece of: My Heart (Breaking) has been presented in Montreal, Quebec City, Ontario, Germany, and Mexico. He is the founder of the interdisciplinary improvisation collective Body Slam. In 2015, he interpreted for The Dietrich Group’s Dora award-winning piece This is a Costume Drama. He is currently in creation for Geneviève Duong’s The Northwest Passages and Rhodnie Désir’s Symphonie of hearts. He is also a collaborator on The Mars Project: a sci-fi musical directed by tap dance artist Travis Knights.
After his soccer training and guitar studies in the Netherlands, Abe Simon Mijnheer moved to
Montréal in 2012. He discovers a passion for dance and enrols into the contemporary dance
department of Concordia University. In 2016 he continued in this field of study and
commenced the formation at the École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal. During this time
at EDCM he has performed the works of Marie Chouinard, Alan Lake, Viginie Brunelle,
Catherine Tardif, Ginette Laurin and Manuel Roque, to name a few. He started his professional
career as a performer within the pieces of Sebastien Provencher, Teoma Naccarato, Bettina
Hoffmann, Aurélie Pédron, Lina Cruz, Frédérick Gravel, Le Carré Des Lombes, Maribé sors
de ce corps and Alan Lake Factori(e). Abe enjoys integrating other practices, such as soccer,
yoga, running, singing and music, to his dance training.
Credits
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
**Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Marjolaine Lambert
Emily Kruspe
Manuela Milani
Emily Westell
*Martine Dubé
*Erica Miller
*Oleg Chelpanov
Second Violins
Carissa Klopoushak
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Frédéric Moisan
Leah Roseman
Winston Webber
Edvard Skerjanc
Zhengdong Liang
Mark Friedman
Karoly Sziladi
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal / solo)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Tovin Allers
David Thies-Thompson
Paul Casey
Cellos
**Rachel Mercer (principal)
Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Leah Wyber
Marc-André Riberdy
Timothy McCoy
*Karen Kang
*Sonya Matoussova
Double Basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
*Paul Mach
Flutes
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
Horns
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Lawrence Vine
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
**Lauren Anker
*Olivier Brisson
Trumpets / Trompettes
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
Trombones
*Steve Dyer (guest principal)
Colin Traquair
Bass Trombone
Zachary Bond
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal / solo)
Timpani
*Marc-André Lalonde (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Alexandre Lavoie
*Corinne René
Harp
*Angela Schwarzkopf (guest principal)
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Orchestra Personnel Coordinator
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On Leave
Creative Team
Creative Director (choreographer, documentalist, artistic director, vocal composer)
Rhodnie Désir
Conductor
Naomi Woo
Musical composer
Jorane
Orchestrator
François Vallières
Beatmaker and Sound Designer
Engone Endong
Costume Designer
Mélanie Ferrero
Scenographer
Olivier Landreville
Lighting designer
Chantal Labonté
Video and digital designer
Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin
Creative support
Isabelle Poirier
Dancers
Marilyne Cyr, Mara Dupas, Camille Gendron, Aly Keita, Luce Lainé, Emmanuelle Martin, Carlos-Alexis Mendoza-Bustinza, Ernesto Queseda Perez, Greg «Krypto» Selinger, Abe Simon Mijnheer
Musicians
The National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and the House Band of RD Créations with Engone Endong and Lasso Sanou.
Percussion arrangements
Rhodnie Désir and Jahsun
Artistic consultant
Philip Szporer
Researcher
Pascale Bilodeau (ONF)
Production Team
Main producer
RD Créations
Associate producer
Frédérick Lalonde - JKFL Production
Production director
Cécile Doo-Kingué - RD Créations
Technical director
Bruno Lauzon
Stage managers
Julie Abran and Angie Pelletier
Communications officer
Caroline Rousseau - RD Créations
Representation agency
Avec Sheila (Sheila Skaiem)
Partners
Principal producer
RD Créations
Co-producers and diffusers
Danse Danse, National Arts Centre, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura
Major partners
National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, Canada Council for the Arts
Principal partner
Fonds de Recherche du Québec
Creative partners
Montreal Heart Institute (MHI), Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino, National Film Board (NFB), Place des arts, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, Conseil des Arts de Montréal
Artistic associate
Orchestre Métropolitain
Music
Symphony of hearts
Work composed for the choreographic production Symphony of hearts by Rhodnie Désir
Composition
Jorane, Engone Endong, R.Désir, A.Keita
Percussion arr.
R.Désir, Jahsun
Orchestration
F.Vallières
©2024 All rights reserved
Songs
1. Neïa’yanga / vocal composition: R.Désir, interpretation: R.Désir et A.Keita, vocal arrangement: C.Doo-Kingué / 2023
2. Fwô / vocal composition: R.Désir, interprétations: R.Désir & A.Keita, arrangements: Engone Endong / 2023
3. Bognè / vocal composition: A.Keita, interprétations : A.Keita & R.Désir, arrangements: Engone Endong / 2023
4. Nanayeom / vocal composition: R.Desir, interpretation: R.Désir, vocal composition: C.Doo-Kingué / 2024
Thanks
Thanks to Cathy Levy for her great trust in us and for opening the doors of the NAC a second time, and to Caroline Ohrt for taking up the torch so generously. And thanks to Sarah Conn of the National Creation Fund for her invaluable support.
RD Créations would like to thank all the heart health specialists, patient-partners at the Montreal Heart Institute and the Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino in Lugano, the young people at Collège Jean-Eudes, and all the people who agreed to testify during the Symphony of Hearts documentary research begun in 2022. Your powerful testimonials on the heart and cardiovascular system brought the work to life.
Production Team, Southam Hall
Head Carpenter
James Reynolds
Head Electrician
Shane Learmonth
Assistant Electrician
Fred Malpass
Property Master
Timothy Shannon
Head Sound Engineer
Dan Holmes
Assistant Sound Engineer
Thomas Stubinski
Head Flyman
Ross Brayne
Electronic Services
Head
Michael St. Onge
Assistant
Michael Blanchard
Warehouse
Head
Kevin Kenny
Projectionist
Head
David Milliard
NAC Dance Team
Executive Producer
Caroline Ohrt
Senior Producer
Tina Legari
Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer
Mireille Nicholas
Company Manager
Sophie Anka
Education Associate and Teaching Artist
Siôned Watkins
Technical Director
Brian Britton
Communications Strategist
Alexandra Campeau
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Chantale Labbé-Jacques
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees