SaSaSa

Originally from Alberta, Rae Bowhay receives her training in contemporary dance with Charles Edmondson in Los Angeles. From 1991 to 1994, she performs with Collage Dance Theater and Christensen Dance Company, and collaborates in the development and performance of several experimental and interdisciplinary events. She continues her training in New York, moves to Montreal in 1996 to pursue her choreographic work, and begins studying flamenco with Patrick Schupp, Lynne McGee and Marie Parisella. In 2000, Rae travels to Spain with a grant from the Canada for the Arts to study with Belen Maya, Manuel Reyes, Domingo Ortega, Javier Cruz, Juana Amaya and Concha Vargas.

Rae’s desire to create and perform with live musicians leads to the collaboration with guitarist Martin Trudel, and the creation of SaSaSa. Since 1997, this innovative and iconoclastic duo, along with many talented collaborators, perform in Montreal (Club Soda, Lion d’Or, Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Tangente, la Piscine, Théâtre de la Verdure, Studio 303, Peña Flamenca de Montréal), Toronto (Toronto International Dance Festival: Grand Scale Event), India (festival of contemporary arts INTERFACE Calcutta) and China (shows celebrations on 1 May in Shenzhen).

As guest artist and collaborator, Rae performs with Malambo Fusion, Flamenco Loco, and guitarists Ricardo Garcia and Juan Carranza, in shows at the TOHU, Théâtre Corona, Lion d’Or, the Maisons de la Culture de Montréal, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, plus numerous festivals throughout Quebec and Western Canada. In 2008, she dances in an adaptation of The New World Symphony directed by Luc Boivin, presented at Théâtre Corona, XII Francophonie Summit (Quebec) and on ARTV.

Recognized as a vibrant and talented performer, choreographer and musician, Rae synchronizes meaning, humor and ambiguity from day to day life. On stage, she sees herself as a “person responding to circumstance”, more than a dancer in the strict sense of the word. Her fertile imagination and presence stimulates, challenges and reaches out to her co-performers and audience alike. As a valued teacher, she offers creative imagery and sound advice.

In 2005, Rae received the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for outstanding achievement in dance.

“Rae Bowhay, who dances a flamenco that will send shivers down your spine. This performance is pure magic.”
MacRAE CAMPBELL, The Gazette, Montreal, Tuesday, June13, 2006

"I must say that I really have a weakness for the rendering and inventiveness of Rae Bowhay. So, these are choreographers who are versed in flamenco, but seek to renew the language and aesthetics, and Rae Bowhay really struck me. It was very, very subtle... really a girl to look out for... "
Stephanie Brody, CIBL Kinecitta (Studio Trend), Montreal, February 27, 2008

Martin was born in Ste-Thècle, Mauricie, Québec. At the age of 4-5, he built his own guitars out of Kleenex boxes and elastics. He started playing electric guitar (heavy metal) when he was 13.

He began his formal training in 1987, studying classical guitar with Jean-Paul Rajotte, and jazz with Alain Hénault at Cégep de Drummondville. He specialized in contemporary music at Université du Québec with Alvaro Pierri.

Interested in uniting his musical pursuits with other artistic mediums, primarily dance, he looked to an existing art form where the guitar plays a principal role - flamenco. He began his studies with Patrick Schupp for the accompaniment of singing and dance, and attended many workshops with visiting guitarists from Spain such as Antonio Jero, Arcadio Marin, Pasqual de Lorca, Oscar Guzman and Angel de Cordoba.

The exploration of the dramatic and emotional qualities in flamenco, integrated into the cerebral and conceptual aspects of contemporary music, greatly influenced Martin’s artistic direction. It was through flamenco that he reinforced his capacities to read dance as a partition.

His artistic goals have been dedicated to uniting, confronting, and innovating dance, music, flamenco, and improvisation in the most authentic and original manner possible. Examples: the use of electric and/or prepared guitar in flamenco, invented techniques with objects such as knitting needles, rocks, paper and hammers, and a physical/choreographic approach to playing inspired by dance. Along with his research, composition and performances in SaSaSa, he has played with different artists in traditional flamenco tablaos (Gitano, l’Escogriffe, Taza Flores) in Montréal and in Drummondville, Nicolet, and Sherbrooke. He also teaches guitar and accompanies flamenco dance classes. In contemporary music, he has performed with guitarist Martin Verreault (improvisation/composition), as well as various multi-media performances involving poetry, puppetry, painting and cooking…

Renowned for his intuition and creativity, Martin is on an unending quest for new sounds, techniques and musical inspirations.

Iris Godbout is a young multidisciplinary artist (music, singing, graphic design and drawing).

In 1995, she had the chance to begin in classical singing with the renowned professor Anica Noveillée, through the creation of Aria Atelier du chant in Montreal. Anica helped her develop a very good classical base, an invaluable technique that she could transpose to other vocal styles.

The young singer later became interested in the techniques of Lucette Tremblay, focused on the discovery of "sa propre couleur de voix" through a series of vocalizations based on the resonance of consonants. With this approach, Iris explored popular singing for four years with Marie Josée Vallée before joining the music school Vincent d'Indy to study classical singing with David Doan.

In parallel, she studied Indian Hindustani (northern India) singing for two years with Lakshmi Mathur.

Iris enrolled at Concordia University in 2005 to complete a major in jazz with the renowned professor, Madeleine Thériault.

Iris develops her own language, both dark and luminous, merging Indian influences and vocal eccentricity to electronic sounds. She is the composer and singer for the new groups, NIM and Wanderlust. She is also a voice teacher and singer for several other projects, each as unique as the other.

This passionate artist is always fervent in exploring new vocal avenues.

Miguel's passion for art stems from his childhood. At the age of 11, he devotes himself to drums and accompanies rock bands. At the age of 16, along with studies in classical percussion and composition at the Conservatory of Music Manuel M. Ponce in Mexico, he is a substitute for the symphony orchestra of Aguascalientes, plays for various bands, tours and records albums.

In 2000, Miguel moves to France and meets the choreographer and director Ruben Segal (Spain, Argentina). They develop a workshop aimed at theater and dance companies. The primary objective of this workshop is to help the interpreter deepen his or her sense of play through the aid of rhythm. It is offered in several European cities, Mexico and Canada.

During a visit to Montreal, he meets Michael Montanaro, director of the Concordia University dance department, who offers him a job as an accompanist for contemporary dance classes, a position he still holds today.

Since then, Miguel continues his career in Montreal, playing, recording and touring festivals across Canada with several different artists and groups. He accompanies the flamenco guitarist Jorge Martinez, with whom he plays in the first part of Cesaria Evora at the Salle Wilfred-Pelletier at the Place des Arts (Montreal) in September 2008. He also works with, amongst others: the Compagnie Ballet Arte de España in the show Azafran, or rouge, the group Malade Mantra, and for the choreographer Rae Bowhay.

In addition, Miguel composes for emerging circus and contemporary dance artists.

Outside of music, Miguel is interested in cinema. Since 2004, he directed several short films including Les Autres, which was presented during the festival MICA in Bosnia, 2005. He worked as an editor for the film Masturbation libre, by the eccentric François Gourd, presented in 2006 at the Festival of New Cinema, and in 2007 at the Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois.

Today, Miguel looks at new forms of expression such as digital animation. He is currently working on a theater and interactive media project, all the while continuing in music and film.

At age 12 Michael Gasselsdorfer decided he would deliver newspapers in order to buy a drum set. Seven years later he was off to the United States (Seattle) where he practiced his craft in a woodshed converted into drum room. Upon his return he entered Vanier College of music where he obtained degrees in composition, arranging, as well as performance (drums).

He has studied privately with such teachers as Aldo Mazza, Nassyr Abdul Al-Khabbyr, Jacob Kaye. He also attended four Kosa international percussion workshops taking classes with such masters as Horacio Hernandez, Zoro, Adam Nussbaum amongst others.

He has played drums with a wide variety of artists: Kingpins (ska), Lynn Taitt (rocksteady), Lo and the Magnetics (pop), Maia Davies (pop), Arden Arapyan (jazz), Richy Farkas (roots,folk), just to name a few.

This music took him around the world several times playing at festivals such as the Vans Warped Tour, Hornucopia Festival, Toronto International Jazz Festival, Rhythmes du Monde, and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Mike also teaches practice and has taught at several music camps including Camp Rock and the Mickey Mozart Music Tours. In 2005 Mike had the opportunity to tour china as both a member of Lo and the Magnetics and SaSaSa, an experience he claims was life changing.

His most recent accomplishments include winning the 10,000$ grand prize of the "Propulsion Jazz" contest, as well as le Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, as part of the Arden Arapyan music ensemble.