Camellia Teas of Ottawa (www.CamelliaTeas.net) provides lessons, demonstrations, courses and more celebrating World Tea Cultures.

With a special focus on the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony known as Chanoyu, Camellia House (a private residence, open by appointment only) and its Tea practitioners welcome guests to experience the tranquility of this ancient practice.
Camellia House offers Tea lessons, Private Tea Ceremony Events, demonstrations and 5 annual Open House Introductory sessions (Ochakai).

Contact us at info@camelliateas.net

Phone number: (h) 613-439-4649 (w) same (c) 613-296-5507

The Ottawa Stilt Union is a bilingual company of performers based in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, creating work that uses stilts, acrobatics and other forms of extreme physical action to tell stories.

Laura Astwood taught a series of stilt workshops at the University of Ottawa in 2006. She then recruited some of those student-performers to participate in the NAC’s Snow Show in January and February of 2007. The idea of the Ottawa Stilt Union arose during those rehearsals. Seven of us were involved in that performance, portraying the characters of the Winds as stilt figures. People were impressed and delighted by our work and it seemed to us that there was an audience for more stilt performance in Ottawa. Almost immediately an opportunity arose to make a performance for The Magnetic North Theatre Festival and so we established the Ottawa Stilt Union and created BEOWULF, co-produced by the University of Ottawa Theatre Department. We spent the month of March 2007 developing new skills appropriate to the new work, then the months of April and May 2007 building the performance itself. We performed for three weekends in May and June 2007, the last weekend forming part of The Magnetic North Festival, then again in August 2007 when we were invited to perform at Andrew Haydon Park as part of the City of Ottawa’s cultural programming.

Our upcoming work is THIS IS A VERY OLD STORY: a 40 minute stilt ballet with live music, acrobatics, masks and monsters and magic. We’ll be performing in this year’s Fringe Festival on Tabaret Lawn at the corner of Laurier and Cumberland.

The members of the Ottawa Stilt Union are:

Laura Astwood
Marie Claude Dicaire
Céleste Dubé
Jean-François Dubé
Bryony Etherington
Élise Gauthier
Brandon Groves
Lauren Hart
Alexandra Lent
Guy Marsan
Laura Montgomery
Fletcher Gailey Snell
Kaitlin St-Jacques
Sarah Waisvisz
Emma Zabloski

The mexican folklore dancing group Aguila o Sol was formed on July 3rd 2005. With a new generation of Mexican-Canadians and Mexicans, our intention is to promote the Mexican culture through musical and dance expressions. Aguila o Sol, which means Eagle or Sun, has participated in many events such as the Tulip Festival, Wabano Day, Tlamacazapa fundraiser, Canada International Day, Rockland Mexico Day and many more.

For the Lantern festival, we will perform dances from 3 different regions:

Region of Michoacan
The 4 dances performed are inspired by watching play, with such joy and excitement. The dances are:
1. The ratlle
2. The dance of 3 guests
3.The Twins
4. Dianas which means morning calls

Region of Mexico City
The dance of Concheros that will be performed is a ceremonial dance that carry ancient beliefs of the people of Mexico. Fire, wind and rain are honored in this dance. The costumes are adorned in trimmings of gold and feathers, and conch shells are used to call to the past.

Region of Veracruz
The gentlemen Jarocho dancer and the female Jarocha dancer move to vibrant, rhytmic stomping steps called zapateados.

The dances performed will be La Bruja and an Acapella. La Bruja (which means the witch) is a sensual  dance where the Jarochas dance with lit candles on their head. The theme of woman being the enchantress is dominant in Veracruz.

Contact: Socorro Guindon, Group Coordinator
Tel: (613) 829-0299
email: coquis44@hotmail.com

Eric Chan Chosen to Design 2009 Ottawa Lumière Festival Poster

Eric Sze-Lang Chan is an Ottawa based multi-disciplinary artist with a Bachelor in Interactive Multimedia and Design (B.I.T.) from Carleton University and a Diploma in Computer Science with Honours from Algonquin College. Eric takes an interest in exploring the creative intersections between the visual-arts and the usages of technology.

Eric is an artist who is versed in both the creative arts and computer sciences – this dual nature of extremes is what truly defines him. Complicated, random and simple all at the same time, Eric expresses these attributes of his personality through his creations. Eric says, “It is one of my goals to challenge myself to become a better artist and to explore/redefine the perception of the visual arts.”

Joanne Hughes, Lumière Producer, has been interested in Eric’s work since 2007 when his work was featured as part of a fundraiser for Lumière at the Mercury Lounge, “Eric’s pieces are so vibrant, multi layered and artistically complex and when I first saw his pieces I began to plan how we could combine his fresh design approach with the festival.” This plan is coming into play in 2009 as Eric has signed on as the designer for the 2009 Ottawa Lumière Festival marketing campaign which will include the poster, website and postcards. Hughes is thrilled and knows Eric will create a dynamic and contemporary feel, which, will appeal to the diverse regional community.

Eric’s latest exhibit is being launched in Tokyo, Japan in May 2009. “i am my introspection” is the theme of the new series and involves the exploration and introspection of the artist, exploring an introspection of the past and the blurring of Eric’s dual identity. To view Eric’s work visit his website at http://eepmon.com

Eric Chan’s Notable Projects
Microsoft XBox 360 (Austria) – 2008 Summer/Fall Visual Campaign
Mini Cooper (Canada) – 2008 Annual Financial Services Calendar
Susumu Yokota (Japan) – Album art for Skintone Compilation Album

Recognition
Excellence Award for Illustration – Computer Arts Magazine: Issue 150 – Graduate Showcase 2008
Asian Kinetic Artist (A.K.A.) – Tiger Translate 2007
Finalist for Self Promotional – FITC 2007 (Toronto, Canada)
Best Canadian Student – FITC 2006 (Toronto, Canada)

James Cohen, originally a rock guitarist for over twenty-five years, has worked with such greats as Mick Ronson and has written and arranged for several bands, winning major Canadian contests as a pop-rock songwriter. His newest CD released on Northern Blues records April 2003 was produced by Richard Bell of Janis Joplin and The Band fame. In 1999 James’s guitar playing as part of the group “Del Norte” appeared on a compilation CD called “Puro Flamenco” which also featured Ottmar Liebert. This CD is available in all U.S. record stores on the Neurodisc label, as well as the 2002 release on Borealis records 6 Strings North Of the Border’ featuring James Cohen’s Flamenco piece, The Wind. Once he was exposed to the outstanding guitar playing of flamenco prodigies Paco De Lucia, Tomatito, and Miguel de la Bastide, there was no turning back for James. He worked day and night learning the complex and subtle rhythms of flamenco, and studied the lightning right-hand techniques of the Spanish gypsies. La Tormenta represents James’s love of the more modern Flamenco without sacrificing the integrity and purity of a long and beautiful tradition.

James Cohen has made special guest appearances throughout Ontario and Quebec with both Tony D. and Sue Foley. He has been featured on both their most recent televised CD release tours in 1999 and 2000. The James Cohen Caravan was also the first Canadian band to play at the US Portsmouth Blues Festival N.H. and enjoyed a great set at The Montreal Jazz Festival 2003. Also, The CD High Side of Low Down was a finalist in the 2003 American Independant Music Awards in the World Section.

James’s current CD Live Fire was recorded live at Ottawa’s National Arts Center and has received frequent play on Canadian and US radio. Currently James plays with such greats as Shane Simpson, Zeke Gross Jack MacGregor and Marc Decho

elsie@james-cohen.com

Gypsy jazz ensemble ‘Django Libre’

Peter Storzenecker has been playing guitar for 20 years. His classical training started in Sudbury at Cambrian College with Philip Candelaria where he obtained a diploma in music performance. In 1996 in Sudbury he won the first prize in Guitar performance as well as numerous Kiwanis competitions. In 1998 he was one of the winners of the Sudbury Symphony Concerto Competition and performed Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s concerto in D with the orchestra.

He has completed the Bachelor of Music (magna cum laude) in performance and composition and the Master of Music programs at the University of Ottawa studying guitar performance with Patrick Roux and composition with Steven Gellman. In 2001 he was the recipient of a scholarship to study at the Domaine Forget music and Dance festival with world renowned guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer. During the first year of the Master’s program he composed a guitar chamber concerto and a guitar duo which he performed as part of his recital requirement. In 2002 he performed for CBC radio at the National Gallery of Canada with flutist Donna Spurvey. His free improvisation ensemble “Fortuna” also had the opportunity to perform for CBC radio two at the museum of nature in Ottawa.

Peter has also had the opportunity to play for many distinguished guitarists including: The Assad Duo, Fabio Zanon, Leo Brouwer, William Kanengiser (of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet), Jeffrey McFadden, Norbert Kraft and Ricardo Cobo. In 2003 he travelled to Montelimar, France to compete at the “festival voix et guitares au monde” with his duo partner George Bailey where they were semi-finalists.

Currently Peter is involved in several projects including a gypsy jazz group (Django Libre), and a jazz fusion group (Adam Duncan Project). In the summer of 2008 he will be involved in the composition of a score for a film entitled “Lustrale” – featuring choreography from Anik Bouvrette. He is also involved in the production and release of a cd of all canadian classical guitar music (half of which are his own compositions) with his duo partner George Bailey and a cd of gypsy jazz with his group Django Libre.

Peter is a full time guitar instructor at the Ottawa Folklore Centre

The gypsy jazz group Django Libre have only been performing together for only about 6 months now. The group was started by Peter Storzenecker and Christian Flores (Chile) and soon after included Jose Paulo Arocena (British Colombia). Occasional guest artists include Adam Duncan and Robert Poisson.

www.myspace.com/storzeneckerpeter
www.myspace.com/djangolibre

Biographie de Jean-Guy,
Jongleur,monocycliste.

Au tout début…
Mon intérêt pour les arts de la rue remonte à 1983, je travaillais dans un magasin de vélo dont le propriétaire enseignait le monocycle et la jonglerie. J’essayais de faire du monocycle dans le magasin, mais je n’y arrivais pas. c’est comme la planche à voile:

Combien de fois tu tombes avant de réussir? Après avoir suivi un cours de monocycle, j’ai joint les rangs d’une équipe de basketball en monocycle, puis j’ai participé à la fondation de la F.O.U. (Fédération Outaouaise d’unicycle) tout en enseignant à l’école de cirque. La F.O.U. a duré 7 ou 8 ans. J’ai participé à plusieurs tournois internationaux et 3 mondiaux du monocycle dont un à Porto Rico, en parallèle je développe l’art de la jonglerie, en passant par la fête foraine de Baie St-Paul jusqu’à plusieurs conventions Internationales de jonglerie partout aux Etats-Unies et en Europe.

Les spectacles…
C’est dans la rue qu’on apprend à réussir et j’ai adopté le marché By les fins de semaine. On apprend à attirer une foule, à développer des trucs pour la garder… en vie! J’ai vite compris et j’ai eu la chance de maîtriser une foule en leur donnant toute mon énergie à condition qu’elle me la renvoie: 150 fois plus fort! à la fin tout le monde s’en va et l’amuseur se trouve seul…
J’ai performé et animé pour toutes les occasions: mariage, pique-nique,fête et plusieurs festivals”busker”à Waterloo, Kingston,cap de la Madeleine,Ottawa, le festival d’été de Québec et même en Europe à Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbonne sans oublié quelques performances au CostaRica, République Dominicaine, Cuba, Mexique, Etats -Unis.

Au Québec j’ai eu la chance de performer avec Gilles Latulipe pourl’émission de télé “les démons du midi”, depuis deux étés la France m’accueille aux Iles St-Pierre et Miquelon ils m’ont honoré avec une carte postale de ma finale intitulée “morceaux de France” L’hiver je performe dans les centres de ski, centre d’achats, parade et party de noël, carnaval ou encore pour les matchs de hockey. Cette année, j’anime au musée des enfants je fais un “melting pot” d’improvisation mixée de quilles, balles, diabolo, de petit et grand monocycle bourré d’expressions spontanées des plus farfelues et hors de l’ordinaire.

En décembre 2001, Jean-Guy est invité à la tournée de spectacles du nord des forces canadiennes avec des artistes de renommer tel que Tony D band et Sue Foley, j’ai fais un tabac partout ou j’ai passé, même les musiciens étaient impressionnés et ils se sont Intéressé d’apprendre à jongler!
 
Ce que les gens disent…

Jean-Guy Beaudry’s bio
Name: You’ve guessed it!
Height: Tall enough
Weight: Just right
Eyes: True Blue
Age: Born sometime in the 60′s
Single and no responsabilaties, I just love it!!!

Jean-Guy’s unicycling comedy act is the best of slapstick involving volunteers that comes out as stars!
Using disguises, he makes sure that everyone is having a ball! This is a very visual act that involves fire and I mean real fire!
So don’t get to nasty with the king of manipulation he will eat you alive! his juggling skills have been shown off all over the universe!!! Come on, don’t just stand there, come and see for yourself the king on top of it all high in the air on his 6 foot unicycle ready to blow you away!

internet www.vjongleur.com

What is Capoeira:
To this day the origins of Capoeira are still shrouded in mystery, but what can be said is that Capoeira is a cultural manifestation of the experience of enslaved peoples and their descendents in colonial Brazil born as an indirect result of several African cultures fusing together.

Capoeira in its bare essence, combines elements of combat, dance, rhythms, acrobatics, music and much more. It is a game of intention in which two capoeiristas express themselves through a corporal dialogue played out through free expression and spontaneity. Additionally this art form allows individuals to acquire a solid self-defense and martial arts technique. It is for this reason and so many more that Ottawa is lucky to have this art form present in its community.

Group Biography
Although present in Ottawa since 1999 (under another name), Grupo de Capoeira Dende do Recife was founded in 2004, by Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas and Contra-Mestre Azeitona.

Since its existence, Dende do Recife, can be found in several locations across Ottawa and Gatineau, running their programs out of divers community center, at the University of Carleton and with the City of Ottawa.

Members of Dende do Recife consist of people of all ages, gender and walks of life. Some members are students, others artists and even doctors. It is an art form that does not discriminate and is open to all individuals.

Additionally, Grupo de Capoeira Dende do Recife has participated in several galas, fundraisers, street celebrations, and arts shows within the community and for the community.

Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas Biography:
Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas has been practicing the Afro Brazilian art-form Capoeira for over 20 years. His training began in the north-eastern city of Recife, in 1986 and has seen exposure to a variety of great influence permitting him to constantly evolve and grow within the art form.
Contra Mestre Fabio Cuencas began his work teaching Capoeira in 1997 in Recife as a professor and continued to teach until he came to Canada in 1999. Being the first established Capoeira teacher in Ottawa, his work has not only included developing and expanding school of Capoeira, but also working closely with community groups with the goal of enriching the culture of the communities with which he has been involved. Due to his hard work and dedication, Grupo de Capoeira Dende do Recife can be found in multiple locations across Ottawa, ON.
Throughout his time in Capoeira, Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas has had the chance to participate in many events, festivals, presentations and batizados across Brazil, Europe, and Canada.
Although Contra Mestre Fabio Cuencas still sees Capoeira in Canada as being young and new to this part of the world, he sees much potential for the growth and expansion of this art-form.

For additional information on the art form or on how to register please visit our website on contact us via phone:
613-884-1161 (Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas)
www.dendedorecife.ca

Grupo de Capoeira Dende do Recife
La Capoeira:
Il s’agit d’un amalgame de lutte, de danse, de rythme, du corps et de l’esprit; la Capœira est un art martial. La Capœira est un art en soi qui ne peut être confondu avec aucune autre forme de danse ou d’art martial. Elle fut inventée au Brésil et y subit une évolution au travers d’un contexte historique et social d’un pays immense sous diverses influences culturelles. Les autochtones indiens, les noirs et les blancs ont fait de la Capœira ce qu’elle est aujourd’hui. Elle fut créée par le peuple brésilien et est actuellement adaptée pour le monde entier.
La Capœira est considérée par plusieurs comme étant l’art de lutter à l’intérieur de la danse et de danser dans la lutte. En résumé, la Capœira est un jeu.

Historique du Groupe :
En existence à Ottawa depuis 1999, Grupo de Capoeira Dende do Recife fut fondé officiellement par Contra-mestre Fabio Cuencas et Contra-mestre Azeitona en 2004 (dans leurs villes respectives d’Ottawa et Halifax) avec l’intention d’enseigner et de promouvoir l’art de la Capoeira au Canada.

Depuis sa création, le groupe Dendê do Recife, s’est impliqué dans plusieurs aspects de la vie communautaires à Ottawa. Offrant des cours dans plusieurs coins de la ville d’Ottawa ainsi que dans ses Universités, le groupe a souvent participé à plusieurs galas, collectes de fonds et festivals en effectuant des présentations de ce qu’est l’unique art de la capoeira ainsi qu’en offrant une gamme d’ateliers à participation mixte pour tous les âges.

La capoeira est une manifestation socio-historique et culturelle en forme d’art dynamique qui ne connaît pas le sens du terme discrimination. La capoeira encourage et stimule justement la participation active des individus et ne fait pas de distinction par rapport à l’âge, le sexe ni même les niveaux de santé physique. Il suffit de connaître les membres du groupe de capoeira Dendê do Recife à Ottawa pour se rendre compte à quel point cet art attire une variété de personnes représentant un vaste éventail culturel.

Biographie de Contra-Mestre Fabio
Contra-Mestre Fabio a commencé la Capoeira, un art martial brésilien, il y a plus que 20 ans. Son entraînement a commencé dans la ville de Recife, au nord-est du Brésil en 1986. Depuis son introduction à la Capoeira, Contra-Mestre Fabio c’est entraîné avec plusieurs grands maîtres ainsi que plusieurs personnages importants dans la Capœira.

Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas a commencé son travail comme professeur de Capoeira en 1997 à Recife et a continué son séjour jusqu’à son arrivée au Canada en 1999. Étant le premier professeur de Capoeira à Ottawa, Contra-Mestre Fabio a dû faire face a plusieurs obstacles afin de faire valoir son travail et que ce dernier lui porte fruit.

Son travail comprend maintenant, non seulement le développement de divers programmes établis à Ottawa mais aussi la réussite d’une école grandissante de Capoeira au Canada ainsi qu’au Brésil. Jusqu’à aujourd’hui Contra-Mestre Fabio continue à travailler au sein de la communauté avec le but d’atteindre un objectif important qui est de participer au développement continu de la capoeira et contribuer à la richesse culturelle qui compose déjà une des fondations importantes de la communauté Ottavienne.

Grâce à son amour pour la Capoeira, Contra-Mestre Fabio Cuencas a eu la chance de participer à plusieurs événements, festivals, présentations et batizados à travers le Brésil, l’Europe, et Canada. Bien qu’il juge que cette manifestation culturelle au Canada est toujours très nouvelle, il détermine qu’il y existe un énorme potentiel et insiste qu’il y a toujours de l’espace pour l’amélioration et la croissance.

Intermediate and advanced kids and teens, 8-16 years of age
The Mini Cirque performance troop and artists from the Fire Weavers have taken 10 – 20 kids to participate in a more intensive circus-training program (1.5 to 4 hours a week) and have now produced a circus show. The show is a blend of circus skills and acrobatics with choreographed group numbers and solos created by a collaboration of local circus artists and the kids’ own creative ideas. The students found from teaching circus in schools and in after school workshops for 3-4 years now – are the best students from the entire city. They had to pass an audition to get in, and have been training a minimum of once a week.

Contact:
For all information including bookings, contact:
Sophie Latreille: +1 (819) 328-9209
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Or by email at: info@minicirque.ca