Sergiy Diyanov and Anya Nestvitaylo (Photo by David Corkum)

Phantom fever has hit downtown Moncton! People were dancing in the streets on Monday morning, June 20th, celebrating a new cultural tourism initiative! Starting on Friday July 15, 2011, Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada will present its celebrated “World of Shadows-PHANTOM, the Ballet”, twice a week on the Capitol Theatre stage in Moncton for the entire summer. Tickets are on sale now!

The unveiling prompted a crowd of people from the community and local businesses to unite in front of City hall for a Flash Mob, dancing to the tune of “Dancing in the Streets” (Martha and the Vandellas) and all wearing Phantom masks!

“World of Shadows-PHANTOM, the Ballet”, choreographed by Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada Founding Artistic Director Igor Dobrovolskiy, is based on the famous story Phantom of the Opera. Performances will take the stage every Tuesday and Friday night at 7:30 pm until September 2nd, 2011. The announcement was made during a news conference Monday morning, June 20th, in collaboration with the City of Moncton, Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc. and Enterprise Greater Moncton.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc hopes this will be one of the many steps towards a more vibrant downtown: “Moncton is one of the most successful cities in the province and I would say in the country, and to have high quality entertainment such as world class ballet presented all summer in the heart of our city will be a great cultural and economic boost. Culture is one of the pillars of our growth towards a more prosperous community.”

According to a major study conducted for the Department of Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada and titled The Economic Impacts of Cultural and Sport Tourism in Canada in 2007 (prepared by The Outspan Group Inc. Amherst Island in association with Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd. Toronto), the gross domestic product derived from cultural tourism in Canada in 2007 amounted to over $5.1 billion and produced labour income of almost $3.3 billion. Receipts for cultural tourism amounted to $8 billion. Cultural tourism alone generated over 110,000 full-time jobs. It is clear that an investment in cultural tourism initiatives have a substantive economic impact.

The mayor adds, “I believe that highlighting our local talent is an essential foundation–especially when we have a world class company like Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada here in our community. Also to have the beautiful Capitol Theatre animated during the summer months is a wonderful gift for tourists and citizens of Moncton.”

Susan Chalmers-Gauvin, Founder and CEO of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, explains that the ballet is an original interpretation of Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera and set to the haunting music of composer Francis Poulenc. “The ballet has toured to sold-out crowds across Canada and Europe and we are thrilled to give the production a permanent summer home here in our community! It’s a wonderful performance with romance, heartbreak, and beautiful dancing… great entertainment for all.”

Mrs. Chalmers-Gauvin adds that Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada is proud to be part of the downtown development and hopes the initiative will become a destination tourism attraction for the city. She underlines that partnerships have been established with the Town of Riverview, the City of Dieppe, Enterprise Greater Moncton, Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc., the Capitol Theatre, and local hotels and restaurants: “This initiative represents a truly collaborative effort to help further develop our downtown but also the broader community. In subsequent years we plan to incorporate activities within the tri-community.”

Good for the community and the province
“This is a big first for Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, Downtown Moncton, and the Capitol Theatre and guaranteed to be a big push for tourism,” says Mr. LeBlanc underlining that the Greater Moncton region offers excellent day time tourism opportunities, top notch food and accommodation venues and is a perfect staging area to visit the entire Maritime region. “With this new initiative, visitors will be able to visit local attractions such as Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park during the day, have an excellent meal at a top restaurant, and enjoy world-class ballet in the evening and finish off on a terrace on Main Street. The twice weekly presentation will add a world class tourism attraction to the New Brunswick tourism product”.

Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada plans to release more information in the coming weeks on activities for families and visitors surrounding the production.

“World of Shadows, PHANTOM – the Ballet”
“World of Shadows, Phantom – The Ballet” evokes timeless themes and images of outcasts, love and loneliness. The narrative revolves around a man abandoned by society; driven by hopeless love, he lives and haunts the theatre and lurks in the shadows of a world of his own creation.

On the stage
Dancers taking the stage for the 2011 summer production are: Sergiy Diyanov (in the role of Erik) and Anya Nesvitaylo (in the role of Christine) as well as Janie Richard, Kyle Davey, Leigh Alderson, Olena Zakharova, Louis-Philippe Dionne, Anton Lykhanov, Evelina Sushko, and Samantha-Jane Gray.

Costume design is by Paul Daigle, an internationally known freelance designer and former dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Set designer Brian Perchaluk is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and the National Theatre School of Canada. Lighting design is by Pierre Lavoie who has worked as a lighting designer since 1982. “World of Shadow’s” dramaturge is by Sharon Pollock, one of Canada’s leading contemporary English-language playwrights.

Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada
Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada is a neo-classical ballet company dedicated to performing original works by one choreographer – Artistic Director, Igor Dobrovolskiy. Founded in 2001 the Company pursues a continuous creative process through collaboration with like-minded artists attracted by the vision and artistic philosophy of its Artistic Director. The Company performs in Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Germany. All the information on the company is available at www.atlanticballet.ca.

Tickets
Tickets for “World of Shadows, PHANTOM – the Ballet” are on sale for the price of $37.50 + tax for adults and $32 + tax for students and seniors. They can be bought at the Capitol Theatre Box Office located at 811 Main Street in Moncton or via phone at 506.856.4379 and 1.800.567.1922 or on the Internet at www.capitol.nb.ca.

Three prizes are awarded annually: one in the visual arts, one in the performing arts, and one in the literary arts. In the literary arts category, prizes alternate between Anglophones and Francophones each year. This year, the French Language Literary Arts will be awarded.

Peer juries are organized and the members are specialized professionals from within the province and from outside. A jury has the right not to award a prize if the applications received do not attain the high level of excellence that is expected.

The prizes are valued at $20,000 each and will be given to artists who were born in New Brunswick or who have been residents of the province for at least five years and who have contributed in an exceptional manner to the advancement of their artistic discipline in New Brunswick as well as outside the province.

This competition is open to those working in visual arts (craft, media arts, photography, and visual arts), in performing arts (dance, music, storytelling and theatre), and literary arts (including literary translation). The names of the awardees will be made public before an official ceremony in the fall 2011.

A detailed program description, nomination forms or further information are available through Robert Bryar, the programs officer, at artsnb, 61 Carleton Street, Fredericton, NB, E3B 3T2 or by calling (506) 444-4444 or 1-866-460-2787 (toll free in New Brunswick) or by visiting our web site at www.artsnb.ca.

Twenty-five students will receive awards under the Arts Scholarships Program. The program recognizes and encourages New Brunswick students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and who are pursuing a career in the arts. Students can receive up to $2,500 for full-time studies in the arts and $1,000 for part-time or short-term studies.

Eleven Artist-in-Residence applications were also approved. This program provides opportunities for organizations in NB to host visiting artists for up to a year.

The deadline for the two programs was February1^st, 2010. A Multidisciplinary jury composed of professional New Brunswick artists evaluated the applications.

The following students have received funding under the Arts Scholarships Program:

Classical Music

Andrew Appleby, Fredericton                        $2,500

Pierre-André Doucet, Moncton                      $2,500

James Fogarty, Moncton                                $2,500

Juliane Gallant, Riverview                             $1,000

Alain Gaudet, Moncton                                  $2,500

Aaron Good, Hanwell                                    $2,500

Anthony Savidge, Fredericton                        $2,500

Greg Webber, Fredericton                              $2,500

Craft

Kristen Bishop, Fredericton                            $2,500

Daniel Gallagher, French Village                    $2,500

Celine Gorham, Fredericton                           $2,500

Rachel Anne MacGillivray, Fredericton         $2,500

Alexandra Keely MacLean, New Maryland   $2,500

Leigh Merritt, Tay Creek                                $2,500

Deborah Payne, Saint John                            $2,500

Dance

Jane Alison McKinney, Rothesay                  $2,500

Alyson Miller, Colpitts Settlement                  $1,000

Literary Arts

Isabelle Claude Lévesque-Martin, Saint-Ignace     $2,500

Media Arts

Matthew Brown, Fredericton                          $2,500

Gabrielle Houle, Dieppe                                 $2,500

Visual Arts

Nicholas Frenette, Moncton                           $2,500

Karen Furlotte, Fredericton                            $2,500

Sarah Lillian, Hamilton, Fredericton               $2,500

Broderick LeBlanc, Fredericton                     $2,500

Shannon Randall, Fredericton                        $2,500

Artist-in-Residence Program Recipients

Classical Music

Université de Moncton, Moncton                      $10,000

University of New Brunswick, Fredericton       $9,100

University of New Brunswick, Saint John         $10,000

Dance

Les Productions DansEncorps, Moncton        $4,200

Literary Arts

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John,                                                           $5,000

Université de Moncton, Département d’études françaises, Moncton             $5,000

University of New Brunswick, Faculty of Arts, Fredericton                          $10,000

Media Arts

Mathieu Léger, Moncton                    $5,000

Non-Classical Music

Galerie Sans Nom Coopérative Ltée, Moncton          $5,000

Theatre

NotaBle Acts Theatre Company, Fredericton             $5,000

Société du Monument Lefebvre inc., Memramcook  $5,000

For information on these and other artsnb programs, visit www.artsnb.ca or call 1-866-460-ARTS (2787), toll free within New Brunswick.

The 2009 recipients - Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievements in the Arts (From left to right) Back row: Raymond Fraser; the Honourable Graydon Nicholas, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick; Hédard Albert, Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport and Tourism and Parks; Benoît Duguay, Chairperson of the New Brunswick Arts Board; and Marcel-Romain Thériault Front row: Roméo Savoie and Rino Morin Rossignol

A golden opportunity to highlight the work of artists from New Brunswick is presenting itself with the public being invited to submit nominations for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for High Achievement in the Arts. Up to three prizes worth $20,000 will be awarded in 2010 by the New Brunswick Arts Board (artsnb). The disciplines eligible this year are: literary arts (English), dance, and music. The deadline for submitting applications is June 15, 2010. The awards will be presented to the recipients in the fall.

“Winners of these prizes can take pride in the fact that they are being awarded by their peers. That is the significant value of these awards and a great addition to the portfolio of any artist,” points out Benoît Duguay, Chairperson of Artsnb. “By highlighting the achievements of individuals who have excelled in the cultural domain, we encourage the creation of models of excellence for New Brunswick,” maintains Mr. Duguay.

Notable former laureates

The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for High Achievement in the Arts are awarded to artists with an impressive career who have left an important mark on the cultural scene of their province and last year’s recipients clearly set an example. In 2009 awards were presented to Raymond Fraser for the literary arts (English), Rino Morin Rossignol, literary arts (French), Romeo Savoie, in the visual arts, and Marcel-Romain Thériault, in theatre. These awards are not intended for those, however talented, who are still students or relative beginners.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must be born in New Brunswick or have lived there for five years, and must have made outstanding contributions to the development of his or her art form. A person cannot nominate themselves and past recipients of artsnb’s Excellence Awards must wait five years before receiving this award. All information is available at www.artsnb.ca.

Funding of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Awards for High Achievement in the Arts Program is provided by the Arts Development Trust Fund (lottery) and the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport through their Book Policy Program. The Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for High Achievements in the Arts was previously called the Excellence Awards Program.

Komitas

The Moncton Armenian Festival will hold its third edition, from the 26^th to the 29^th of November 2009. On the menu: exhibitions, films, concerts, music, dance, storytelling, workshops, multiple ways to discover this nation with its rich and eventful past.

For this edition, the festival will pay tribute to the great composer and poet, Komitas, who would have celebrated his 140^th birthday this year. In addition to having had a significant impact on the Armenian musical art, he was also a prolific ethnographer, folklorist and musicologist.

The festival will be highlighted by an opening-show, starting at 6 pm, on Thursday, November 26, at the Galerie d’art Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen of the Université de Moncton. Two exhibitions are on display: a photo exhibition dedicated to Komitas, sent by the Armenian Music Scientific Library and an exhibition of 14 paintings titled Komitas –Homage to a legend made by the great English painter of Armenian descent, Edman O’Aivazian. The works will be unveiled to the music of Komitas performed by Hampic Djabourian (duduk), Dariush Zarbafian (santur). Maral Perk, from Halifax, will sing accompanied by dance performances by Lee Saunders and Sylvia Kasparian. The evening will resume with the showing of Komitas, a film by Don Askarian: a hauntingly poetic fiction dedicated to the composer.

On Friday, November 27, at 8 pm at the Capitol Theater, a colourful evening will feature Canadian soprano of international renown, Isabel Bayrakdarian. She will be accompanied by the Amici Chamber Ensemble of Toronto and the pianist Serouj Kradjian. Ms. Bayrakdian, of Armenian origin, played on the biggest stages in the world: the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, La Scala, Opéra National de Paris, just to name a few. This concert will be a unique opportunity to see and hear this wonderful soprano who will be on her first visit to Moncton. In addition, two masters of Russian ballet, Ilshat Farjutdinov and Elena Kinozerova, will perform five dances by Komitas played on the piano by Serouj Keradjian. The first part of the evening will feature a variety of specialists who will present the life and work of Komitas. These presentations will be interspersed with traditional dances and music: three solo folk dancers of the troop Garni, from Montreal, and Dariush Zarbafian, an Iranian musician. Tickets are available at the box office at the Capitol Theater.

On November 28, at 8 pm, there will be a concert of liturgical songs composed by Komitas, given by the Arahet Quartet from Montreal with special guests: the soprano Lisa Roy, the Chœur Beauséjour and Hampic Djabourian (duduk). The event will be held at the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on Park Street in Moncton. Tickets will be on sale at the door at the prices of $8 for students and 18 $ for adults.

In addition to the opening film, the festival will also present two other films: Vodka Lemon by Hiner Saleem, on November 28 and Army of Crime by Robert Guédiguian, on November 29. Both projections are presented at 2 pm in the Jacqueline Bouchard Building on the campus of the Université de Moncton. Admission is free.

A Master class titled “Introducing Gomidas songs” will be given by a voice professor, Hasmig Inkijikian, who is also an ethnomusicologist and the coordinator of the Voice department at the Conservatory of Music of McGill University. This will take place in the Faculty of Arts at the Local 001B in the Music department of the Université de Moncton, at 2:30 PM.

In addition to these artistic events, the festival is also an opportunity to learn about the history of the Armenian people. The exhibition “Regards sur l’art et la musique arménienne : Hommage au compositeur Komitas/Gomidas ” will be on display at the Bibliothèque Champlain of the Université de Moncton from November 21st to December 1st.

And there will be a presentation of a conference titled “Un crime indicible : le récit du génocide arménien et la presse francophone (1915-1920)” as part of the Midis politiques of the department of Political Sciences at the Université de Moncton on November 18 at 12 pm in room 206 of the Faculté des Arts. This activity, co-organized with the Department of Political Sciences of the Université de Moncton, will be presented in French.

The Maritimes Armenian Association regroups more than 200 families across New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Neon Highway

It’s cold enough to snow, so why not start planning where you’re going to ring in the new decade?

East Coast recording artist, Rik Reese & Neon Highway are returning to Miramichi to help ring in the New Year at Cowboy’s Club. The country rockers were in Miramichi last June on the line-up with Blue Rodeo at the Miramichi Culture Fest and are looking forward to the always responsive, participative crowds in “the Chi”.

“The people of Miramichi once told us, ‘we like to giver on the River,’”, said Reese. Since then, Reese and his band have inserted that now sing-along Miramichi slogan, “Giver on the River”, into a medley of CCR numbers they are sure to include this coming New Year’s Eve!

For more information on the popular country/rock sounds of Rik Reese & Neon Highway rockin’ & ringin’ in 2010, please contact:
Cowboys:  (506) 778-0823
cowboyspubandclub@rogers.com
www.neonhighwayband.com

“Much more than a working event for the cultural industry, the FrancoFête en Acadie is the ideal occasion to discover the best in francophone talent from the Atlantic Provinces and elsewhere in music, dance, theater, etc., explains France H. Levesque, Chair of the FrancoFête en Acadie. It is an extraordinary event showcasing the vitality and the creativity of our artists and a unique rendezvous during which we can honour the work and efforts of our colleagues and all those who evolve in the world of creation and distribution.”

The official opening of the FrancoFête en Acadie will take place on Wednesday November 4^th from 5 pm to 7 pm in the event headquarters at the Crowne Plaza. CBC French radio host on Espace Music, Monique Giroux, will be hosting her show live on site. The event is open to the public.

Colourful events, concerts for all
The SOCAN Singer Songwriter Circle is always a much anticipated evening during the FrancoFête en Acadie, a night filled with wonderful discoveries. This year, the circle will be hosted by Quebec star Boom Desjardins and take place at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday November 5^th. Guest artists are: Wilfred Le Bouthillier, violinist Louise Vautour, and Montreal rising star Amylie; taking turns, they will interpret their compositions and speak of their inspirations with the host.

Music, dance, theater, variety, the public will have the chance to discover artists of various domains, some with a great baggage of experience and others who are just starting out in the industry. The showcases will take place from Thursday November 5^th to Saturday November 7^th at the Capitol Theater, the Empress theatre and the Jeanne-de-Valois concert hall on U de M campus. Artists featured in this 13^th edition of the FrancoFête are: Lennie Gallant, Annie Blanchard, Marie-Philippe Bergeron, Danny Boudreau, Sandra Le Couteur, Norbert Pignol, Geneviève Toupin, Pascal Lejeune, Tricia Foster, Guillaume Arsenault, Denis Landry, Chloé Lacasse, Suroît, and Nathalie Choquette as well as Marie-Ève Janvier and Jean-François Breau, Kirbo, Bia, Mathieu Lippé, Bam, Galant tu perds ton temps, Gaële, David Marin, and Misteur Valaire.

In October 2009, two more artists, one from the ROSEQ and one from the Contact Ouest, will be selected to take part in the FrancoFête. Dance and theater fans will have the opportunity to catch highlights of shows by Théâtre la catapulte (winner of the Acadie/Ontario Prize) and dance companies DansEncorps and Destins croisés.

On Friday November 6^th at noon, showcases will feature theater and storytelling with le Théâtre populaire d’Acadie, le théâtre l’Escaouette, les Productions L’Entrepôt, and Marie-France Comeau. They will show highlights of their projects for the next season to be presented in the schools. These showcases are reseved for the delegates of the FrancoFête en Acadie.

On Friday November 6^th kids will have the chance to see various acts on stage: Nuages en pantaloon (winner of the Acadie/Rideau Prize), Le moulin à musique, and a presentation by Solaris Production. High school kids will have the chance to take in Créason, Ariel Ifergan, and the dance company Destins croisés. All the showcases for the young public are to take place at the Jeanne-de-Valois concert room on the Université de Moncton campus and are free of charge. However, seats are limited.

This year, two concerts from the Coup de coeur francophone will make a stop in Moncton during the FrancoFête. New Brunswick born Fredric Gary Comeau will be on stage Wednesday November 4^th at 8:30 pm on the Capitol Theater stage. On Sunday November 8^th, discover artists from every Canadian province with the evening Les rencontres qui chantent at 8:30 pm also at the Capitol Theater.

For a fourth consecutive year, the FrancoFête en Acadie presents the Oiseaux de nuit concert series, from Thursday November 5^th to Saturday November 7^th. Artists from the Atlantic Provinces and all over will be playing in various downtown Moncton bars for the public and FrancoFête delegates starting at 11 pm. Locations include the Paramount, Manhattan, and Studio 700. More details to come on the FrancoFête website.

Tickets for the FrancoFête en Acadie can be bought in the Greater Moncton Ticket Network: Capitol Theater, théâtre l’Escaouette, Université de Moncton Student Centre, and Frank’s Music, by phone at 506.856.4379 or 1.800.567.1922 or by Internet at www.admission.com. Tickets will also be on sale at the door on the evening of the shows (if still available). Tickets for the 13^th edition of the FrancoFête en Acadie will be on sale this Friday September 18^th 2009.

The FrancoFête en Acadie is an annual event coordinated by the Réseau atlantique de diffusion des arts de la scène (RADARTS). It is one of the most important francophone cultural events in Atlantic Canada dedicated entirely to the promotion of the francophone and Acadian art scene.  All the information on the FrancoFête en Acadie 2009 and its activities is available at www.francofete.com.