Ellipses Thinking...

New Season Launches Oct 11

Shannon Litzenberger is keenly committed to the exploration and rehearsal of new ways in doing and being in the practice of art and living. As a dancer and performance maker, her work explores our relationship to land, the politics of belonging, and the forgotten wisdom of the body. She collaborates frequently with the wind in the leaves collective and has been an invited resident artist with major arts organizations nationwide. As a skilled freelance strategist, leadership developer, and embodiment facilitator, she works with organizations in the arts, academia, and the corporate sector. Sparked by her own experiences and observations of Canada's cultural reality during and emerging out of the pandemic, Shannon wrote a powerful essay titled, State of Emergence: Why we need artists right now.  Anchored in systems and policies shaping society, she asks the question: What would it mean to ambitiously mobilize artists to do their most essential work well and fully, with the aim of catalyzing transformative change?  She goes on to ask, Could the chaotic domain of the artist's creative process be the fertile ground from which a healthier and more sustainable, just, and caring society emerges?

For as long as she can remember, Cassandra Lemoine had been surrounded by pop music and show tunes.  Inspired by the acclaimed Canadian tenor, Benjamin Butterfield during a master class he delivered at her high school, she soon found herself in a classical music program at the University of Victoria, where much to her delight everything was new!  She delighted in the adventure of living in a kind of translation, not simply of language, as much as the classical opera repertoire demands but of a complete newness of her experience of learning and of music.  Sitting in a lecture hall or concert venue with classmates that appeared to her to have been immersed in classical music from infancy, cast her in this intriguing and welcomed space of curiosity.  Over the past decade, Cassandra, has established herself as a highly sought after soprano living in Copenhagen, loving living in a constant state of translation, performing roles ranging from Mozart to Puccini and Sondheim to Lloyd Webber.

Max Wyman's most recent book, "The Compassionate Imagination: How the Arts are Central to a Functioning Democracy" serves as an invitation to consider what might be possible, not if, but when we embrace culture, and creative imagination at the core of what it means to be a member of a thriving, growing, curious, healthy and functioning society. Wyman who worked as an arts critic and columnist for The Vancouver Sun and CBC Radio for over 30 years is the author of 7 books on the arts in Canada. He has served on the board of the Canada Council for the Arts and as President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, is an officer of the Order of Canada and holds the Queen's 25th, 50th and 60th Jubilee Medals.   Considered "a timely book that expertly shows how the arts contribute to human flourishing in all its manifestations" by Anne Bamford the Strategic Director of Education, Culture and Skills for the City of London. From its announcement at being named a finalist for the 2023 Basillie Prize in Public Policy, the jury called the book "a profound and beautifully written examination" in which "Wyman offers deep insights into how and why arts and cultural funding is vital to safeguarding Canada's present and future." And finally, from Angela Elster, President and CEO of Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, "At a time when our world is in crisis, this stellar book brings clear vision and strategy.  The Compassionate Imagination presents a beacon of hope."  Hope: An image that matched perfectly how I felt upon finishing the book myself.  

"Innovation = Transforming Ideas into Value" Leo Chan firmly believes that everyone is an innovator and his mission is to create space, opportunity and practice so that everyone might believe it to be true as well and then to make it so in their lives. Leo is a people and heart-first entrepreneur and the founder of Abound Innovation Inc. An innovator himself, Leo holds 55 US patents and over 20 years of experience supporting organizations looking to unleash the innovative potential of their employees by transforming them into confident innovators. A glance at Leo's schedule of appearances speaking at conferences and delivering hands-on workshops is evidence of the value placed upon innovation and creativity in the world today.   For more information on Leo and his work, visit: https://aboundinnovation.ca/  

Poet Diana Hayes has walked with grief for over 20 years since the death of her mother. The fact that both she and her mother, whom she remembers as her confidant, muse and dearest friend, were both facing a breast cancer diagnosis at the same time, added even greater complexity to her grieving process. Diana's collection of poetry, The Language of Light serves as her tribute to her mother and has been alongside and within Diana as a central part of her creative and grieving process. Since 1981, she has made her home on Salt Spring Island where she divides her time between writing, photography, producing literary events and festivals, and when possible, travel.  In 2002, she founded the Salt Spring Seals, an open-water swim team that swims year-round in the bays around Salt Spring and the Gulf Islands.

Season 3 - Oct 27, 2023

On stages across Canada for over 30 years, John Ullyatt has been fortunate to build a career as actor, worthy of being considered by any measure, successful. He has played leading roles in multiple genres, singing, dancing  and entertaining audiences while earning high praise and respect from his fellow artists. The joy he brings into a collaborative community is as infectious as his laughter. And yet, the title of 'artist' is one that he has grappled with assuming throughout his career. This theme wove itself throughout our conversation, which began however, not focused on theatre, but rather the art of making spirits, a role he was cast in during the pandemic shut down.        

Jeremy Schonfeld's powerful storytelling voice, reveals the heart of a man on a journey, vulnerably seeking to understand himself, his family and friends and his community.  Weaving across the story-threads of Jeremy's musical tome, is his own deeply genuine exploration of fatherhood.  Having been moved by his music since it first landed in my ears over a decade ago, I continue to be drawn to this recurring theme of what it means to have a father and be a father; reflective of the joys and sorrows, dreams and regrets, times of absence and presence and above all, the wisdom gathered from both sides of the role.  An award-winning Billboard-charting singer/songwriter, composer/lyricist, producer and performer, Jeremy is also co-founder of the Beacon Bonfire Music and Art Festival, held annually in Beacon, New York.  As a bonus to end Season 2, on Father's Day, Jeremy joined me in conversation about his creative process, his life as a storyteller and fatherhood.   

As a musician and producer of musical performances, Zohreh Gervais is fascinated by those all too rare moments within a musical performance, when an undeniably powerful, even transcendent experience occurred within audience members as they received the power of the art. It is her pursuit of these moments of awe that get her up and out of bed every day.  Having spent most of her life on stage connecting with audiences, Zohreh is convinced that the universal human language is not math or music alone, but the emotional resonance that they can inspire. She loves exploring the intersections and overlaps between different fields and cultures. Regardless of the medium or discipline, Zohreh is on the hunt for the common threads that connect us all and allow her to build community and beauty in every project. She and her team of innovators across multiple disciplines have recently launched the Winnipeg based company Neon Venus Productions, with the goal of creating the opportunity for audiences to experience the Magic of Awe.

When Bob Bonniol's mother took him to the opening weekend of the very first Stars Wars movie (and then every Saturday for the next 20 weeks), something stuck. While he laughs at the memory, his obsession for all things Star Wars was hardwired as a child and this core memory, well seeded would remain dormant for many years he discovered his own pathway to what has become a thrilling professional journey, working with major entertainment giants, including LucasFilm.  An Emmy Award winning Director, Production Designer, and Producer, Bob has built a reputation for his implementation of extensive media and interactive features in his productions and installations. His inter-disciplinary practice draws inspiration from traditional and groundbreaking storytelling conventions of theater, broadcast media, opera, visual art installation, and architecture.  Most recently, Bob has been deploying and integrating new interactive technology and AI to elevate live concert production, with tour designs for Billy Joel, Blake Shelton, Megan Thee Stallion, and the One Night Houston Festival.   It seems that Bob finds joy in every stage of the creative process, and has, since realizing early in his professional theatre career, that with or without the actual building, the experience of theatre exists everywhere and in all our storytelling. Just as Bob imagined himself to be George Lucas, a genius at creating a whole world picture through storytelling, he has himself come to set and expect Lucas-level standards in his own commitment to creating richly layered, and fully realized experiences that invite audiences to enter a creative space with their own imaginations firing on all cylinders.  

Christina Dempsey studied in the professional division of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School while still in high school, after which she went on to graduate from the Juilliard School in New York City in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Christina's professional career included performing with Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia for two seasons before returning home to Canada in 2007, to join Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, with whom she toured the world for eight seasons. In 2015, Christina relocated to Los Angeles to join BODYTRAFFIC, dancing until she stepped away from the floor two just years later.   To a dancer, like an elite athlete, the realization that the end of the lane that you chose to commit your life's passion and pursuit to from a very young age is coming to an end and that the choice to merge, while inevitable, can appear as wildly unfamiliar territory.   In our conversation, Christina shares the moments of clarity as she came to realize that her professional life of a contemporary dancer, the role she had always identified with was soon to be eclipsed by her next; and how her challenge lay in defining the 'next' when she had always lived in the 'now'. Her willingness to step in and stay in the discomfort long enough to remain open to possibility, led her to discover her passion for new roles including teacher, yoga instructor and Mom.

An in your bones belief that each of us can live, lead, learn and be our best version of All Of Me, is the powerful frame that anchors Lisa Strogal firmly through her unique frame of Whole Person Intelligence™.  While we might think of harnessing the energies of which we as humans are a part of, it seems for Lisa more important to listen deeply to the energies and focus on harnessing the wisdom to be gleaned from them.   As CEO and Founder of ShadowLight Consulting, Lisa Strogal brings over 20 years of leadership and consulting experience at a variety of Fortune 100 companies. She blends her diverse background and knowledge for leaders, teams, and individuals to support Whole Person Intelligence™ for those who are willing to explore and challenge outdated paradigms, belief structures, and assumptions. Doing the work at the subconscious level, her clients quickly build the competence and necessary awareness required to support goal achievement while integrating change at the conscious level. Lisa's approach to life resonates through her calm, witty, and meaningful interactions. For more information on Lisa and her work with Whole Person Intelligence™ check out her website: https://www.shadowlightconsulting.ca/ See Lisa set up and demonstrate the Sound Bowl experience: https://youtu.be/eq2RyWjequg

Lolla Devindisch's life has been a creative quest to "live fully and authentically" and through it all, she has held a channel open, at first intuitive and then intentional; a space to more fully be at peace with the little girl who left her home at 7, left a life she loved and a father she adored. In her self-published memoir, A Dancer's Pilgrimage, she acknowledges the journey has been one of seeking understanding redemption and finally serenity. Always a performer, Lolla has now found a new stage on which to express her heart's voice on the page as writer of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.  Learn More: www.ordinarypodcasts.com & www.dowlercoltman.com  

For Krista Monson, a shift from mastery to mystery feels almost seismic as she has been committed to creating breathtaking, masterful performances of virtuosity on stages around the globe.  For many artists, the work of creativity can often feel both precarious and dangerously precipitous...It's not uncommon to feel caught in the pendulum swinging between pure artistic, passionate joy and the pressure or expectation to meet conventional, external definitions of success. And while you might imagine that to be the perspective of the artist who is striving to keep the work going steadily and build their practice, who might be heard saying they feel caught in the grind, the wheel or the hustle, it may be a surprise to discover this is often felt just as powerfully by someone at the top of their game and with a very full resume of successes and an equally full docket of opportunities on the horizon.      For the past 13 years (and counting) with Cirque du Soleil, Krista has served as Artistic Director of the renowned production "O" at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, as Casting Director for Cirque du Soleil's resident shows worldwide and most currently, as a writer, stage and creative director with the company. Her resume of outstanding productions and unique one-off creative adventures with and beyond Cirque, reads like a storybook and yet in this moment in her path, she looks to fully invest in meaningful relationships and projects that "make (her) heart fly!" and the mystery that lives in that promise. 

If you live in Edmonton, Alberta, have been in any number of schools, community centres and places where people meet, you have likely passed by, hopefully admired some of  Theo Harasymiw's visual art.  She is best known for her large colourful, graphic, and often whimsical murals found all over the city.  Her visual palette includes equally vivid collections of acrylic paint and assembled bits and pieces of porcelain, bone china, artifacts and the miscellany that will find new meaning and pattern in the creation of one of her mosaics. She draws much inspiration from her travels to Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, but is perhaps most influenced by her strong Ukrainian heritage and the various forms of traditional craft. Theo describes herself as seeker of all things creative, nurturer of Art in others, mother, and life enthusiast; all of which our conversation touched upon and more.

At the heart of Miranda Lucas' PhD in human behaviour and evolution lies her curiosity in understanding how people engage with visual art, and what physical and social affordances public art galleries use (or lack) to encourage a deeper human experience, one that can lead to curiosity and meaningful encounters with art, rather than feeling alienated or that these public spaces are a place reserved for someone else.  While admittedly spending a lot of time focusing on her academic studies on art as research, Miranda embraces a similar commitment to inquiry, in all aspects of life, allowing for her curiosity to lead her from one path to the next and the next and the next. Our conversation was rooted in how her approach to learning and living fuse her passions as artist and scientist.  

At the outset of the pandemic, writer and theatre director, Dennis Garnhum found himself facing a crisis of confidence and the despair that so many artists around the world were experiencing when their primary venues for creative expression went dark. Garnhum, who has directed theatre and opera productions across North America, has written and co-written several award-winning plays and adaptations and is generally acknowledged to be one of the country's most admired and highly respected Artistic Directors, felt completely lost. Surrounded by a loving community, he agreed to withdraw his letter of resignation as Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre in London, and instead pick up a backpack, buy a plane ticket and head to Spain to tackle a grueling 830 km Camino walk.  A choice that would prove to be a kind of personal rehearsal hall allowing him to commit fully to the work of reigniting his creative spirit.  As he walked, he captured moments in writing and upon returning published Toward Beauty, in which he poignantly shares his discoveries through the relationships with fellow pilgrims and most essentially, through the deepening of his relationship with himself. Throughout the book, Garnhum's story shines a light on the power of the human spirit to overcome heartbreak and fear and move toward beauty on soft step at a time.  

Award winning actor and playwright, Beth Graham, has come to know the voices of her inner critic(s) well, having adopted the term Weasels to capture the sometimes playful, more often threatening nature of such characters to the creative temperament.  She was so familiar with the nature of her own Weasels, that she chose to give them the title role in one of her latest plays, examining the turmoil we can experience when our voices turn from curiosity to doubt, to fear and to the abandonment of courage and confidence.   As an actor, Beth Graham, has worked professionally at theatres across the country and toured internationally. As a playwright, she has received the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Literary Award twice and has been a finalist for the Governor Generals Award for Drama. Currently, Beth is the Lee Playwright in Residence at the University of Alberta. At the time of our conversation, her play Weasel had just opened in Edmonton, Dora Maar: The Wicked One, which she cowrote with longtime collaborate Daniela Vlaskalic was back in rehearsals for its Edmonton production at Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre and I caught up with her in St. John's, Newfoundland where she was working as dramaturge on a dance show based on a collection of poetry. 

As someone who loves to walk, wander and wonder, Katharine Weinmann travelled to Spain last fall to walk the famed Camino de Santiago. Our conversation touches on her actual Camino experience and more so, how she has found inspiration to continue to live life artfully with a true Camino spirit.   One of Katharine many gifts is her ability to be fully present and pay attention to the world and ourselves within it. Her professional and personal careers have been dedicated in service to the growth of others in leadership and living.   Always drawn to writing, Katharine has recently come to embrace and honour her poet's voice, paying fresh attention to each moment.  Through poetry and  contemplative creative non-fiction, Katharine shares the beauty in her imperfect, sometimes broken, mostly well lived and much loved life in her weekly blog, A Wabi Sabi Life, a celebration of existence unfolding in all its mess and mystery, with all its grit and grace. A globally recognized practitioner, teacher and mentor of the Circle Way, Katharine is adept at the art of hosting...ensuring the space for others to be seen and understood as they navigate their own learning pathways.  A Wabi Sabi Life blog and its page on her Camino: http://awabisabilife.ca/the-portuguese-coastal-camino/ Katharine's essay, "A Creative Walks Her Camino," is forthcoming in SAGE-ING: The Journal of Creative Aging, December 2022, Issue 43 – online publication around December 21: http://www.sageing.ca/