RUBBERBAND
Thank you for joining us tonight for the White Bird debut of RUBBERBAND, one of Canada’s most exciting and original contemporary dance companies. For over 20 years the company has dedicated itself to the artistic vision of choreographer Victor Quijada, with stunning results. Quijada’s repertory is so wide-ranging that it was genuinely difficult to choose just one work that gives you something approaching the full picture of RUBBERBAND. With Vic’s Mix, a kind of “best of” spanning the immense creative territory explored by Quijada, you will get a taste of his versatility this evening. Enjoy what you see tonight? Share your thoughts in our post-show survey and help shape future seasons of White Bird!
Keep an eye out for the release of our exciting 2025-26 season, coming later this month on April 17, 2025. And remember that subscriptions, which also open later this month, are the way to snag the best tickets at the best prices. You’ll always be among the first to get on-sale notifications if you are signed up to receive our e-newsletter.
At the end of the month Grupo Corpo, the leading contemporary dance company of Brazil, closes our White Bird Dance Series at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. For one night only on April 30, join us in celebrating the end of our 2024-25 season. Tickets for Grupo Corpo, and more information on subscriptions, can be found at whitebird.org.
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Walter Jaffe & Paul King, Co-Presidents
Ken Edwards, Vice-President
Kim Allchurch Flick, Treasurer
Sandra Holmes, Secretary
Leroy E. Bynum, Jr.
Graham Cole
Lisa Mangum
Shawn K. Mangum
Nancy & George Thorn, Founding Board Members Emereti
White Bird Team
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Christopher Carvalho, Deputy Director
Jeff Forbes, Technical Director
Deanna Reeves, Director of Communication
Gretchen Westlight, Operations Manager/Executive Assistant
Mia Chavez Lysaght, Patron Services Associate
Natalie Anthony, Graphic Designer
Alexandra Kuhle, Graphic Designer
Photo by Jingzi Zhao
Mix
Production date: 2016
Choreography: Victor Quijada
Casting 2024 - 2025: Rion Taylor, Jovick Pavajeau-Orostegui, Wyeth Walker, Dareon Blowe, Jessica Muszynski, Cindy Mateus, Mackenzie Corrales
Original Cast: Jean Bui, Amara Barner, Lavinia Vago, Sydney McManus, Sovann
Rochon Prom-Tep, Paco Ziel, Zack Tang
Artistic Coordinator: Rion Taylor
Lightning Designer: Yan Lee Chan
Music Composition: Jasper Gahunia
Costume Design: Camille Thibault-Bédard
Executive Direction: Fannie Bellefeuille
Production and Tour Management: Diana Catalina Cárdenas
Communications Direction: Salomé Boniface
Repertoire Music: various composers
ACT 1
Secret Service – Sergei Prokofiev Meditations on the Gift – Jasper Gahunia
sHip sHop Shape Shifting – J.S Bach
Mi Verano – Antonio Vivaldi
Before Back Then – Marin Marais
The Traviattle – Guiseppe Verdi
ACT 2
Dr Ib Erif – Igor Stravinsky
Soft Watching the First Explosion – Antonio Vivaldi
Second Coming (excerpt) – Jasper Gahunia (with Beethoven, Paganini, Bach)
Punto Ciego (excerpt) – Jasper Gahunia
Vic’s Mix is a RUBBERBAND production supported by Festival international DansEncore, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the Ontario Arts Council.
The presentation of TRENZADO was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation.
VIC'S MIX
With both humorous and serious moments, Vic’s Mix is a kind of “best of” spanning the immense creative territory explored by Quijada, extracting jewels from the choreographer’s repertoire.
In a remix of his own work , orchestrating the clash between urban pop and classical composition , Quijada goes further in his experiments defying notions of theatricality and audience expectations, while making sure that each body gravitating onstage in the highly athletic segments exemplifies the RUBBERBAND Method
The premiere of Vic’s Mix took place in June 2016 as part of the Festival International DansEncore in the Salle Anaïs-Allard-Rousseau of the Maison de la Culture in Trois-Rivières.
COMPANY HISTORY
Founded in Montreal in 2002 by Victor Quijada, RUBBERBAND quickly captivated audiences and critics with three creations presented at Espace Tangente over two seasons. At the same time, the company participates in mixed programs and organizes events in various venues in Montreal that highlight more confidential pieces. Tender Loving Care and Hasta la Próxima share a place in Le Devoir's top five dance productions, while Elastic Perspective begins a series of over 100 performances in 2003 after winning the Prix RIDEAU at the Festival Vue sur la Relève. RUBBERBAND then obtained a residency at Usine C for the 2003-2004 season, where the piece Slicing Static was born. This creation was named Best Dance Production in 2004 by Hour (now Cult MTL).
In 2005, Anne Plamondon joined Victor Quijada as Artistic Director. A second residency at Usine C was granted to the company in 2006, followed by another four-year residency at Place des Arts. During this period, four new pieces were created with the support of multiple partners: Punto Ciego and AV Input/Output in 2008, Loan Sharking in 2009 and Gravity of Center in 2011.
In 2013, Quijada created Empiric Quotient, a show for six performers trained in the RUBBERBAND Method. In 2016, the company created Vic's Mix, a condensed version of the best moments of the choreographer's work. During the festivities for the 375th anniversary of Montreal (2017), the members of the company were joined by some thirty students from the Écolesupérieure de ballet du Québec and the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal to take over the Esplanade of Place des Arts with the multidisciplinary performance City Thread
In 2018, for the first time in RUBBERBAND, Victor Quijada called upon a large ensemble by directing ten dancers on the huge stage of Théâtre Maisonneuve with Ever So Slightly, presented by Danse Danse. In 2019, RUBBERBAND was a finalist for the Grand Prix du Conseil des arts de Montréal for its production Ever So Slightly
The year 2020 marks Victor Quijada's return to the stage as a dancer in Trenzado, a piece that addresses the theme of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Created in 2022, Reckless Underdog, takes the company's achievements of the last twenty years to new heights. Twelve dancers make up the cast of this larger-than-life three-act choreography with music by Jasper Gahunia, Kid Koala, Vlooper from Alaclair Ensemble and Chilly Gonzales.
RUBBERBAND’s newest creation, Second Chances, invites Quijada and the audience to delve deep inside themselves, reflecting on origin, belonging and displacement, between universal questions and intimate, personal thoughts.
MAY 8TH - 17TH BODYVOX DANCE CENTER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
VICTOR QUIJADA
Since 2002, Victor Quijada and RUBBERBAND have not only redefined the codes of breaking within an institutional context and enlivened the Quebec dance scene, but have opened the way for new creators fascinated by this dance form. Armed with a technique he conceived for dancers, the RUBBERBAND Method – an electrifying vocabulary combining the energy of hip-hop, the refinement of classical ballet, and the angular quality of contemporary dance – and some 40 creations and collaborations in Canada and abroad behind him, Victor Quijada has always continued to evolve and innovate throughout his prolific career.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, the child of Mexican parents, Victor first danced in the b-boying circles and hip-hop clubs of his native city. He performed with Rudy Perez from 1994 to 1996, then moved to New York City to join THARP!. After spending three years with that company and following a stint with Ballets Tech, in 2000 he came to Montreal to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
In 2002, he founded RUBBERBAND, throwing himself into deconstructing the choreographic principles he had learned by blending them with the raw ideology of his street dance origins. His creations – numerous short works and 15 full-length
productions – are distinguished by a powerful theatricality, the energy of improvisation, and certain codes of film language, the whole sculpted with an incomparable precision of movement.
For several years now, Victor has taught the RUBBERBAND Method throughout the world in workshops and internships for many dance companies, dance schools, and universities, as well as on a yearly basis in RUBBERBAND’s workshop for professional dancers, the Summer and Winter Intensive in Montreal. As guest choreographer, he has created new works for dance and circus companies; notably in return commissions for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Scottish Dance Theatre. Besides his stage productions, Victor has been involved in almost a dozen dance films, as director, choreographer, or dramaturge. His short film, Hasta La Próxima, was a finalist at the American Choreography Awards in 2004. He also choreographed the music videos Man I Used to Be by k-os, Lagarde by Alexandre Désilets, and Elton John’s Blue Wonderful. His GravityofCenter – The Movie won Best Experimental Short at the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival of 2012, among other awards, and was shown at several exhibitions and national and international festivals.
In the area of peer recognition, Victor Quijada was artist-in-residence at Usine C (2004 and 2006) and at Place des Arts (2007-2011), and has won many awards, including Britain’s National Dance Award for Outstanding Modern Repertory (2003), the Bonnie Bird North American Award (2003, U.K.), the Peter Darrell Choreography Award (2003, U.K.), the International Touring Award of the Canadian Dance Alliance (2012), and two awards from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA (Choreography Fellowship, 2010; Work in Progress Residency, 2016).
In December 2017, Victor Quijada received the award for Cultural Diversity at the Prix de la danse de Montréal and was, in 2019, one of the finalists for the 34th Grand Prix du Conseil des arts de Montréal as well as among the four finalists for the 2019 CharlesBiddle Prize, instigated by Culture pour tous and the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation and Inclusion (MIFI). In 2024, Victor has been named Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for his choreographic work, a prestigious recognition for all his achievements.
Jasper Gahunia, Composer
Jasper Gahunia is a DJ, producer, songwriter, musician, and teacher. He began his ground-breaking musical career as a specialized DJ, competing in Toronto-area DMC competitions in the mid 1990s, winning the competition title three times, and becoming the Canadian DMC Champion in 1998.
During this competitive run, he also shared the International Turntablist Federation (ITF) Western Hemisphere Team title with his crew, Turnstylez, and became ITF World Beat Juggling Champ a year later. Jasper has graced stages worldwide as a DJ and keyboardist with Nelly Furtado and k-os. He taught the first-ever “Scratch from Scratch: DJ Fundamentals” course at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music, the institution from which he obtained his classical music degree in piano. He has created the musical scores for many of RUBBERBAND's stage productions and commissions, over the years.
Jessica Joy Muszynski is a Canadian dancer and choreographer originally from Burnaby, B.C., where she trained in ballet at the Richmond Academy of Dance before moving to Calgary in 2012. In May 2019, she earned a BFA in dance from the University of Southern California, performing in excerpts of works by William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, and Victor Quijada. After graduation, Jessica starred in a music video by the band half•alive, which received over two million views. She danced with Aszure Barton & Artists during the creation process of the company’s work, Where There’s Form Jessica moved to Montreal to dance with RUBBERBAND in 2019.
Jovick Pavajeau-Orostegui was born in Miami, Florida, and began his formal dance training in Bogotá, Colombia, at the age of 15 under the direction of Jaime Otálora. Later, he attended George Mason University where he received the Kidd/Stearns Dance Talent Scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Dance in 2020. He has attended workshops with RUBBERBAND, VIM VIGOR, David Dorfman Dance and Springboard Danse Montreal under the direction of Alexandra Wells - where he performed work by Lior Lazarof and Johannes Wieland. After graduating in 2020, Jovick moved to New York City where he was an apprentice with David Dorfman Dance. In his time in NYC, he also performed with VIM VIGOR and collaborated with other New York based artists such as Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Robert Rubama, and Cameron McKinney of Kizuna Dance. Jovick relocated to Montreal in 2021 to join RUBBERBAND.
Wyeth Walker grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he began his training under Denise Wall. This led him to attendthe USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, where he was able to study with and perform work by Peter Chu, Barak Marshall, Jermaine Spivey, and William Forsythe, among others. After graduating in 2022, Wyeth attended Springboard Danse Montreal. He joined RUBBERBAND in 2022.
Rion Taylor established his roots in dance through the hip-hop culture of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Nurtured by Bad Taste Cru, he joined Battalions Crew in 2013 and competed throughout the UK and Europe. Training under Akram Khan with the National Youth Dance Company inspired him to continue his exploration at London Contemporary Dance School, where he worked with Hofesh Shechter, Dane Hurst, and Punch Drunk, among other artists. At the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, he performed with the James Cousins Company in Rosalind, which won an award for Best Moments of the Festival. Moving to Montreal in 2018 to work with RUBBERBAND, he has continued to represent the company performing throughout Canada, USA and internationally, as well as recently taking on the role of Artistic Coordinator.
Cindy Mateus , from Montreal, trained in rhythmic gymnastics, hiphop, and contemporary dance, deciding on a dance career after her meeting with choreographer Amy Gardner. She specialized in classical ballet and contemporary dance at L’Académie du Ballet Métropolitain from 2012 to 2018. She stood out in several competitions, winning a first prize in the Youth America Grand Prix (2019), and for two years, was invited to attend the Junior Training Program of the Broadway Dance Center in New York, concentrating on jazz and classical ballet. Among her television appearances, she was the winner of the second season of the Quebec TV dance program, “Révolution”. Cindy teaches dance and has choreographed works for numerous studios and events. She discovered RUBBERBAND during the intensive workshopat Domaine Forget and joined the company in 2021.
Mackenzie Corrales hails from the town of Templeton, California. She started her dance training at a local studio before moving to San Jose, California at the age of 15 to train with Nor Cal Dance Arts under the direction of Tawnya Kuzia. After graduating high school in 2020 Mackenzie moved to Vancouver, British Columbia to dance with Arts Umbrella’s prestigious Graduate Program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. During her studies she had the opportunity to work with dance artists such as Eric Beauchesne, Francsico Martinez, Acacia Schachte, Cindy Selgado, Anna Herrmann, among others. She has performed pieces by world renowned artists such as Crystal Pite, Sidi Larbi, Anne Plamondon, Fernando Hernando Magadan, and Nacho Duato. Mackenzie joined RUBBERBAND in 2022.
Dareon Blowe, originally from Norfolk, Virginia, is a dancer and choreographer interested in movement research, disrupting hierarchical patterns in the body and listening to impulses. He graduated from George Mason School of Dance on full scholarship, under the artistic direction of Susan Shields and Karen Reedy. During his studies, Dareon wasawarded the Excellence in Performance Award for his adaptability in multiple residencies. Throughout his career, he has worked with artists such as Kyle Abraham, Rena Butler, Sidra Bell, Doug Varone, Wayne Mcgregor, Robert Battle, Rafael Bonachela, Micaela Taylor, Camille Brown and many others. He has participated in professional development programs such as Spring Board Danse Montréal, The School at Jacob's Pillow and Bodytraffic SI. He is entering his second year of apprenticeship with RUBBERBAND.
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