Future Mythologies is a celebratory showcase for the new works in development that aspire to redefine the future of storytelling, and become the myths of tomorrow. Through performance excerpts and facilitated discussions between artists and audiences, this event unveils the captivating evolution of three groundbreaking new works.

This year’s Future Mythologies is set to take place at the ANNEX and Lobe Studio, and celebrate transformative and transcendent experiences in development by Ruby Singh, Jami Reimer, and Alina Sotskova/Voirelia Dance Hub.

Jump to Performances:

• Polyphonic Garden
• Future Renaissance
  
• Soft Tongues (Nov 22 at Lobe)

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Future Renaissance

About the Performance

Created by Voirelia Dance Hub; Artistic Director/Choreographer: Alina Sotskova
Set 500 years from now, Future Renaissance is a fusion of virtuosic contemporary dance, sci-fi, and Renaissance art. A dance of ephemeral sculptures in motion unfolds in a cyberpunk-esque setting. Voirelia brings together artists from dance, lighting, music, and visual art to create this unique multidisciplinary performance that blends past, present, and future. In this mesmerizing and unsettling world, creating real bonds among people is a lost art and true connection a distant memory. Yet, a deep longing for the lost is stirring a rebellious revival. Through evocative choreographic imagery and vivid lighting design, Future Renaissance explores fears of loss and the enduring search for connection, inviting reflection on how relationships define our humanity and set the stage for our collective future.

Photos by Nicolas Ventura

Meet the Crew

Alina is a professional dancer and choreographer. Alina began studying dance at a young age in Crimea, Ukraine. After immigrating to Canada as an adolescent, her connection with dance was interrupted. She returned to dance years later to focus specifically on studying contemporary dance and ballet. She has choreographed and performed in many contemporary dance works across Canada. She has presented original choreography in collaboration with Victoria Dance Theatre, Dance Victoria, Flux London Dance Festival, Broken Rhythms, Scotiabank Dance Centre, Addo Platform, and other festivals and organizations. In her dance practice, she uses movement to push her own boundaries of imagination and physicality, while exploring the psychological and philosophical questions she is interested in. To her artistic endeavors, Alina brings an academic, philosophical perspective, which she integrates with an embodied perspective of dance, movement, and the body. She holds a PhD in clinical psychology and her work emphasizes existential and psychodynamic psychology, which influences Alina’s framework of art and dance making. Alina continues to create contemporary dance works, develop dance pedagogy, and curate interdisciplinary dance and art events. Alina is the Founder and Artistic Co-Director of Voirelia: Dance, Psychology, and Philosophy Hub

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Artist Allison Brooks has spent her life in Western Canada in various unceded First Nations territories and Treaty 1 territory. Her formative training began Penticton, BC, Canada. In her continued education she trained at The Schools of Contemporary Dancers in Winnipeg.

She has been awarded a scholarship to take part in the Banff Centre for the Arts Creative Gesture Creative Composition Lab for Music and Dance (2019), and the Edam Dance scholarship (2022).

Allison has been an artist with Mascall Dance for a world premiere in New Zealand (2023), and Canada (2023/2024). She presented a self choreographed solo at Boombox in Vancouver (2023), as well as Impulse Theatres performance series Peek Show (2022). She has also worked with Constance Cooke in Victoria BC (2023). She collaborated with Amok Project as a guest artist (2022). She also worked with Impulse Theatre, collaborating in a 45 minute site specific improvisation in Victoria BC (2021 and 2024). Over 3 years Allison was a collaborator in Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers Artist in Residence Program. During this time she has participated in the creation of three world premieres with Choreographers Jera Wolf (2021), Jasmine Ellis (2019), and Jason Martin (2018). Allison was also a member of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers program Verge for three years, working with Stephanie Ballard and Brent Lott (2017-2019). She enjoys an ongoing relationship with Meagan O’Shea, appearing in O’Shea’s Pop up Dances, and performing the work in Victoria, BC and St. Johns, Newfoundland (2017-2019). Allison has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (2017-2018) under the direction of Odette Heyn. She has also performed internationally in Leon Guanajuato Mexico (2017).

Benjamin DeFaria, born in Ontario, Canada is a professional dance artist, visual artist and creative director. Benjamin began his professional dance training in 2019 by attending HSPRO, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s professional training program (Artistic Director Alexandra Wells). He has recently completed his studies with Modus Operandi in 2022 (Artistic Directors David Raymond, Tiffany Tregarthen and Kate Franklin) in Vancouver, BC. Benjamin has worked professionally with companies such as Ishida Dance Company, Ne.Sans Opera and Dance, Kinesis Dance, Voirelia, Dance Novella, Vancouver City Opera, and more. He has also been featured at the San Francisco Film Festival, Men in Dance Festival in Seattle, London Dance Festival, etc. in addition, Benjamin has been in films such as “ROOTS” by Liliya Syvytska, and “EMDR” by the Atomic Message. He has also directed two films of his own, “RORSCHACH” and “A Reflect of you”.

Brandon Lee Alley is a multi-hyphenate artist from North Carolina, now based on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples in Vancouver. Drawing on over a decade of international dance experience—including work with Ballet BC and Kidd Pivot—he brings a distinctive approach to sound design, creating immersive compositions for dance through his company, Dance//Novella, and various collaborations. Blending storytelling, digital manipulation, and rich subharmonic textures, his work evokes a visceral, emotional response. In 2023, he further honed his audio skills by earning certifications in Pro Tools, Ableton Live 11, and a diploma in electronic music production at SAE North Vancouver.

Sylvain Senez is presently the Co-Artistic Director of Belle Spirale Dance Projects. He has been active on the professional Canadian dance scene for over 45 years and danced as a soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Judith Marcuse Dance Company, Coleman Lemieux Company and Serge Bennathan’s Les Productions Figlio.
From 1991 to 2016 he worked with Ballet British Columbia as a dancer, Ballet Master and Rehearsal Director where he has had the privilege of working and assisting for the remounts and creations of many internationally renowned choreographers.

He is an accomplished ballet teacher and rehearsal director having worked with The State Ballet of Georgia in Tiblisi, Ballet Kelowna, Charlotte Ballet, Tokyo’s K-Ballet, Arts Umbrella, Harbour Dance, Lamondance, Danse a la carte and Modus Operandi.

As a photographer specializing in dance and portraiture, he has continued to pursue and expand this artistic interest by exploring videography, film and stage design. He worked on Rachel Meyer’s productions of Quartet, Transverse Orientation and Mama… do we die when we sleep?

With Belle Spirale Dance Projects, his stage design of Alexis Fletcher’s light in the rafters led him to collaborate with the stunning art work of Tiko Kerr. He also designed and built the set for Fletcher’s full-length solo assemble and her full-length duet with Arash Khakpour, All my being is a dark verse. Sylvain is a 2024 DORA Award Nominee for “Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design for Dance”

Victoria (V) is a Vancouver based scenographer (lighting, sound, set, and projection designer), technical director and Studio 58 graduate. Victoria is an ADC and IATSE 118 member, and a strong proponent for union membership and their justified authority. She is also a Stir recognized “Game Changer” in this year’s fall arts guide. She was born in Cheam, England, and immigrated to Vancouver. She grew up in the East Van arts scene and was a member of quite a few artistic collectives in her teens. Being an anarchist and a trans woman she has deep ties to the politics inherent to creating art, especially live performance.

Recently, V has been the lighting designer and TD for Maybe We Land by Kathrine Semchuck + Meghan Michalsky and returning as lighting and projection designer for the remount of Hearing Voice by Allegra Chamber Orchestra. This year she is also working with legendary Rita Ueda as the lighting and projection designer of her new show with the Chutzpah festival and with Carsoals Theatres new TYA show Papa Penguin.

Will Jessup is a professional dance artist. He attended the Edmonton School of Ballet. After two years of training in ballet and modern dance, he moved to Vancouver to train with the Source dance company under the direction of Joanne Pesusich. After two seasons with Lamondance Company, Will has recently finished his first year working professionally with Lamondance. Will has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Josh Beamish, Brandon Alley, Racheal Prince, Kirstin Wicklund, Dario Dinuzzi, and Idan Cohen.

William Higginson is a surrealist painter with international exposure. In Vancouver, his work has been shown at The Chali Rosso Art Gallery, The Space art gallery, the Vancouver Club, and others. He has been the recipient of multiple awards, such as an Award of Excellence from Canadian Federation of Artists (2011), Golden Brush, First Place (2012), and People’s Choice award, Benowa Annual Art Awards, Australia (2008), among others. William has been a participating artist in many art events, such as Art Rapture’s “Throwback” (2023) and Art Battle (2012-2014).

Production Team

Artistic Director: Alina Sotskova
Choreography: Alina Sotskova with contributions by dance artists Will Jessup, Ben DeFaria, Hana Rutka, and Allison Brooks
Dance Artists: Will Jessup, Ben DeFaria, Allison Brooks, Alina Sotskova
Lighting Design: Victoria Bell
Lighting Design Assistant: Emily Trepanier 
Sound score: Brandon Lee Alley
Images by: William Higginson
Outside eye: Sylvain Senez, Brandon Lee Alley, Rachel Helten, Racheal Prince
Text: Alina Sotskova
Costuming: Alina Sotskova with ruffs by Alaia Hamer

We thank The Dance Centre for their support through the Reboot Microgrant.

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Polyphonic Garden

About the Performance

Polyphonic Garden is a groundbreaking transdisciplinary project that melds sound, music, projections, movement and data sonification to probe the human impact on climate change through the lens of life’s key ingredient, water. Presented by artist and musician Ruby Singh, with key collaborators Tarun Nayar (Modern Biology), Fiana Kawane (Kathak), and Priyanka Chakrabati (PIU), Laine Butler, Michelle La (Ephemeral Objects) the work explores how data sonifications,visualizations and field recordings can raise ecological awareness. Using open-source data, Polyphonic Garden translates global water data into rich, immersive compositions of music, dance, poetry, and projections. This multimodal experience—set to debut at Indie Fest in Vancouver on November 23rd 2024—draws on traditional forms that look to our collective futures, with Indian Classical Voice, Tabla and Kathak dance, layered with synthesized sounds, poetic verse, and cinematic visuals, this work aims to illustrate the profound interdependence between humanity and the natural world.

Building on Singh’s award winning Polyphonic Garden series, this latest incarnation continues to cultivate sensitivity to ecological interconnectivity. This project aims to explore how the polyphonic structures and resonances of water can be expressed in multilayered music, poetry, and video to change how we perceive and understand our ecological relations. Indian classical music is deeply connected to natural cycles. Specific ragas (scales) and talas (rhythmic patterns) correspond to different seasons and times of day, embodying cycles rather than linear progressions. This mirrors both the natural world and human impact, highlighting the intertwined histories and future implications of the climate crisis. Singh’s original poetry weaves a non-linear, multilayered narrative of the climate crisis, creating a collective sensory experience that underscores our shared responsibility for our collective future.

Meet the Crew

Ruby Singh is a multi award winning performer, composer and producer residing on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh Nations (Vancouver BC.). His creativity crosses the boundaries of music, poetry, photography and film engaging with mythos, memory, justice and fantasy. The richly imaginative visual textures to his sound design have found kinship in the theatre, film and dance worlds, where he has been celebrated by multiple Jessie and Leo award nominations. His distinct approach uses traditional and emergent sonic practices to create compositions that express the vast spectrum of the human experience. In 2022 Singh received the Lieutenant Governor’s Jubilee Award for excellence in Art and Music. In 2023 he received his inaugural Juno nomination and he won both the WCMA award for best Global Music Artist of the Year and BC Touring Council’s Artist of the Year. Singh believes in art’s ability to reimagine futures, to repurpose aesthetic freedoms toward civil and environmental justice.

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Modern Biology has brought ‘plant music’ to the masses. Originally educated as a biologist, veteran musician Tarun Nayar brings his passion for nature and sound together in an ambient project that is organismic, immediate, uplifting, and deeply contextual. He uses modular synthesis, home built synthesizers and other analog equipment to improvise with the natural vibrations of a certain place and time – via plant bioelectricity, latent electromagnetic radiation, and even the earth’s resonant hum. Trained from childhood in Indian classical music, he uses the system of Indian raga to mold his musical choices for time of day and season. His performances are an effort to bring the listener into the present moment through vibration, space, and connection.

Fiana Kawane is a dance artist and choreographer trained in Kathak. She has performed independently and ensemble across the globe. Her practice has been supported by the Dance Centre, Dance Victoria, New Works, Dance West, and BC Culture Days to name a few. She dances and writes from the unsurrendered territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Piu is a musician, composer, and producer residing on the unceded territories of the Snuneymuxw, Snaw-naw-as, and Stzuminus people (Nanaimo, BC). Adorning expansive soundscapes with hard hitting synth riffs, raga-inspired vocals, and global rhythms, Piu’s work involves a fusion of organic and synthetic sounds that invites deep emotional engagement. A lifelong student of Indian classical music, her work blends genres, cultures, and identities—a reflection of how she moves in the world. Nature serves as a key inspiration for many of Piu’s works. She is an active participant in the musical and experimental sound communities across British Columbia, and collaborates with musicians worldwide.

Laine Butler is a multidisciplinary artist whose work seamlessly blends motion and interaction design, visual art, and music. With a keen focus on sensory synthesis, Butler creates immersive digital landscapes that pulsate with organic life, inviting viewers into realms where the familiar transforms into the extraordinary.

Butler’s artistic practice is rooted in exploring the intersections of technology and human experience. His digital compositions serve as portals to spaces that feel simultaneously distant and intimately close, challenging perceptions and evoking deep emotional responses. By manipulating form, color, and movement, Butler crafts visual narratives that speak to the interconnectedness of our digital and physical worlds.

Butler’s work has been featured globally. He continues to push the boundaries of digital art from his studio in Vancouver, BC, creating works that invite viewers and listeners to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the quiet spaces within themselves and the world around them.

ephemeral objects is the alias of Michelle La, a Chinese-Vietnamese-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, VJ, DJ based in “Vancouver”. True to her name, her creations carry this sense of ethereality, focusing on textures and organic forms, both ephemeral and suspended in time at once. She merges generative videos with real footage to create her own unique, audio-reactive and abstract style where rich colours, spanning the full spectrum, wash over the screen, striking the viewer’s mind with a strong image of the audio-visual (a/v) journey at play. She is passionate about how live visuals can increase the accessibility and immersiveness of in-person music events.

In 2024, she was invited as one of ten emerging Canadian artists to participate in MUTEK Montréal’s first Incubator program. ephemeral objects has produced music videos for forward thinking electronic music labels, including Mood Hut and NAGA. She has performed visuals at influential music venues and festivals in British Columbia, including Active/Passive, Fountains, and Lobe MOTHER CLOUD festivals. Her interdisciplinary practices are informed by her background in sociology and anthropology. She is also an experienced data practitioner, researcher, educator, and workshop facilitator.

Vanka Chaitra Salim (she/her) is a muslim Indonesian-Canadian theatre designer based in the Unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories, colonially known as Vancouver, BC. She is a graduate from the UBC Bachelor of Fine Arts Theatre Production and Design Program. Vanka enjoys designing Projections, Sets, and Lights and has a special place for immersive experiences. You can also find her around town freelancing as a theatre technician and scenic painter.​Apart from her involvement in the Theatre community, Vanka also works as an acrylic paint-maker at Kroma Artist’s Acrylics. She also loves gaming, game art & design, dance, videography, graphic design, illustration and XR technologies. As someone who has lived in many different parts of the world, she is keen on learning and finding new ways to connect people, culture and art through different mediums of storytelling.

CAEA Stage Manager A graduate of Theatre Humber’s Technical and Production program, with an extensive repertoire in stage management and stagehand work. Twenty-four years of industry work with Directors/Choreographers such as: Lois Anderson, Donna Spencer, Crystal Pite, Richard Wolfe, Diane Roberts, Stephen Drover, Corey Payette. Notable productions: CHILD-ish, Revisor, The Shipment, Reflections on Crooked Walking 2023, Cedar Woman, The Invisible Hand, God’s Lake, The Whipping Man, Children of God, Long Division, Annapurna, Skydive, Falling In Time. Photo courtesy of Four Eyes. To Keith for his love and support. Dedicated to my Mother.

Production Team

Artistic Lead: Ruby Singh
Collaborators: Tarun Nayar, Fiana Kawane, Piu
Performers: Ruby Singh, Tarun Nayar
Dancer: Fiana Kawane
Singer: Priyanka Chakrabari (Piu)
Projection Design and Media Assets: Laine Butler, ephemeral objects
Stage Manager: Jethelo Espaldon
Props Designer: Jen Stewart
Lighting Designer: Vanka Salim

Additional credits and thank yous:

Made possible with the funding support from CCA.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.