October Monthly & Member Feature
Meet the Production and Movement mentees for
PLUNGE Mentorship Project
Catch all of the mentee’s work, live in performance
October 20th | 7:30pm & October 21st| 2:00pm
@ The New Massey Theatre's Black Box
Tickets are by donation (suggested donation $10) and all proceeds go back to the artists:
Natasha Dennison | Costume Design Mentee
Natasha Dennison (She/They) is an emerging multi-disciplinary artist working in Dance, Visual Arts, and Costume Design. She comes from the traditional territory of the Anishnabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Oneida and Haudenosaunee people, also known as North Augusta, Ontario. Natasha recently graduated from Simon Fraser University School for the Contemporary Arts. Growing up in a rural environment spurred an abundance of creativity coming from the enticement of bigger metropolitan areas, as well as the natural elements surrounding her. This was channelled through working with dance, linocut printmaking, illustration, textiles, and painting. She is inspired by colour, queer identity and history, memory, texture, and camp.
Photo by: Natasha Dennison
Emily Trepanier | Lighting Design Mentee
Emily Trepanier is an emerging artist from Coquitlam, BC. She recently graduated from the University of Victoria's Phoenix Theatre where she focused in theatrical lighting design and technical theatre. Since graduating she has had the pleasure of working as a designer, technician, and producer, for various companies in Victoria such as Theatre SKAM, the Belfry Theatre, and Pacific Opera Victoria. She is also fortunate to have presented work this year internationally at the Prague Quadrennial in the Canada+Quebec Student Exhibition. She is excited to be working with Celeste and The Falling Company to help bring this show to life.
Photo by: Dean Kalyan
Cormac Dowdall |Sound Design Mentee
Cormac Dowdall is an emerging composer and sound designer from Kildare, Ireland. Based in Vancouver since March 2023, his compositional work to date has focused on melding field recordings with synthesis - in an effort to create textural, timbre-driven work. Cormac holds an MA in Experimental Sound Practice from University College Cork and has been releasing electronic works since 2022 under the moniker coldcall. He recently designed sound for Scaoilte’s debut work Misdirect, written by fellow alum of Kildare Youth Theatre, Cian Ó Náraigh. The performance was showcased as part of Smock Alley’s (Dublin) Scene+Heard Festival of new work. Cormac hopes to continue creating work of this type, while allowing the landscape and sounds of BC to influence and inform his future endeavours.
Photo by: Annalee Delaney
Agnes Hui | Stage Management Mentee
Agnes Hui [she/her/佢] is a veteran arts and cultural event planner, as well as a new stage manager in town. A settler from Hong Kong, Agnes is currently based in Vancouver, B.C., on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. A passionate team player, Agnes always enjoys the arts and has recently stage managed Discounted Hotpot Centre by Anthony Lee (presented by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) and Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night! ONLINE By Davey Samuel Calderon at rEvolver Festival 2023. She is excited about joining the performing arts community here.
Photo by: Agnes Hui
What has been your experience working with The Falling Company?
Natasha Dennison
I chose to work with The Falling Company on The PLUNGE Project because of the mentorship it provided. Being able to experience working on a creative team while also having support is ideal, and also being able to bridge the gap more easily between education and practical work experience.
Emily Trepanier
I really admire the company’s dedication to creating mentorship opportunities that nurture, inspire, and equip emerging artists with tools and experiences to help them further their careers. I appreciate the commitment to fostering connections with established artists who are interested in taking the time to share their valuable knowledge and skills.
Cormac Dowdall
I chose to work with The Falling Company on PLUNGE as I thought the experience gained in combining emerging and established creators would be invaluable. As someone new to Vancouver, I felt this would be a great opportunity to develop professionally as well as meeting and working with people at similar stages of their career.
Agnes Hui
The hands-on and guided experience that the PLUNGE Program offers answers the need of an early-career artist like me. What also drew me to The Falling Company is its mission in strengthening the arts community with creativity and education which resonates so much with my beliefs.
Anna Wang-Albini | Dancer Mentee
Anna (they/she) is a queer emerging contemporary dance artist based in Vancouver BC on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Anna approaches the body as a means to hold texture, various subtexts, and space. They are interested in finding ways to integrate other practices such as costume design and visual arts in their research, choreographic process, and presentation of their work. Anna has a BFA Honours in Dance from SFU and has worked with Bard on the Beach, Robert Kitsos, and Salome Nieto and is beyond excited to be with The Falling Company this season.
Photo by: Mikela Vuorensivu
Bennet Tracz | Dancer Mentee
Bennett Tracz (they/them) is a dance and visual artist currently based in so-called Vancouver, on the traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Bennett trained at the Toronto Metropolitan University's dance program for two years before moving out west. As of June 2023, they are a graduate of the Modus Operandi Contemporary Training Program, under the direction of Tiffany Tregarthen, David Raymond and Kate Franklin. Bennett has worked professionally for Mascall Dance, Josh Beamish and Kinesis Dance Somatheatro.
Photo by: Julian Hunt
Brianne Chan | Dancer Mentee
Brianne Chan (she/her) is a “Vancouver” based emerging dance artist and choreographer. Since completing her training at Modus Operandi, she has had the pleasure of working professionally and collaborating with many dancers in the vibrant dance community. Brianne reinforces the belief that creativity knows no bounds, and remains invested in pushing the limits of her mental and physical resilience. She likes being upside down, building partner work and navigating intricate floor work. With an open mind and a willingness to explore, she is trilled to be a part of this years PLUNGE mentorship with the Falling Company.
Photo by: Julian Hunt
Elle Derkitt | Dancer Mentee
Hailing from Regina, Saskatchewan, Elle began her early professional training at the Alberta Ballet School in Calgary, Alberta. In 2020, she continued her studies at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver under the direction of Artemis Gordon. Since then, Elle has been fortunate to work with incredible artists such as Crystal Pite, Fernando Hernando Magadan, Aszure Barton, Anne Plamondon, and Amy Raymond, among others. This past season, Elle was a part of Ballet BC Annex under the direction of Medhi Walerski, performed at the Korzo Theatre in The Hague, and is a proud recipient of the Prince Edward Arts Scholarship from SK Arts.
Photo by: Michael Slobodian
Punit Sin | Dancer Mentee
Punit is a versatile dance artist with extensive training in diverse styles such as Contemporary, Hip-hop, Krump, House, Breaking, and Contact Improvisation. He has demonstrated his creative abilities through choreography and performances in various commercial projects, including music videos for independent artists like Amanda Silvera and Timi Cru, as well as independent films such as 'Manifesto of Surrealism' from Vancouver Film School and the recent 'Genki' by Halfie Films. In addition to his dance career, Punit completed a 2-year Acting for Film and TV program at New Image College. His acting skills have been featured in independent films showcased at festivals like the VQFF and Crazy 8s. Beyond the arts, Punit holds a degree in Computer Science and stays updated on the latest technological advancements, which he aims to incorporate into his artistic endeavors. Punit's vision is to amalgamate his passions for dance, storytelling, and technology to create original, independent works that raise awareness of mental health-related issues prevalent in contemporary society.
Photo by: Manit Singh
What has been your experience working with The Falling Company?
Anna Wang-Albini
I am so excited to work with The Falling Company since, as an emerging artist, I am so hungry to learn from those who have made a career in the arts, and the PLUNGE Project provides a wonderful opportunity to learn from amazing mentors and allow me to connect with the Vancouver dance community. I am also very grateful for this opportunity as The Falling Company’s mission to make accessible interdisciplinary arts is incredibly important to me.
Bennet Tracz
Working with The Falling Company is an opportunity for me to bridge the gap post-dance education. I’m looking forward to working in a professional environment where there’s still space to ask questions and learn.
Brianne Chan
I am thrilled to collaborate with The Falling Company as their core values strongly resonate with me. Marissa and the team have assembled an exceptional lineup of mentors, and I can’t wait to witness the collective effort in creating our show.
Elle Derkitt
Elle is excited to be working with Marissa Wong since seeing her work Family Room performed in 2021. She is thrilled to be a part of the first PLUNGE Project and to experience the technicalities of dance with fellow emerging artists in Vancouver.
Punit Sin
I chose to collaborate with The Falling Company after being deeply moved by their previous work, which resonated with my own artistic expression and style. This connection sparked my interest in learning from and sharing with them.
