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Myth Country Fair Artists

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

Evening Performances!

Alberta Avenue Community Centre

Kreena Patel's dance piece will contain "Bhumi Charis" (where feet are close to the ground), "Akash Charis" (These are movements of leg off the ground such as lifting, extending, leaping ad jumping) ("Char" means to move your feet from root to the thigh down to the toes). Bharata analyst has described 16 Bhumi Charis and 16 Akash Charis.), and also some of Karanas (which are the basic unit of movement according to the "NatyaShastra"; which has been written by an ancient sage of India named "Bharata Muni". In the 4th chapter of "NatyaShastra", it has been described in details that there are 108 Karanas. Many people mistakenly believe that Karanas are merely postures that are displayed in the temples of India; however, with the help of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam's research we later came to know that Karanas are captured movements of dance through photography that are portrayed in some of the temples of India. I would like to give credit to my dance teacher and Guru Dr. Smriti Vaghela, who is a professor at M. S. University of Baroda. Under her guidance, I have received training of Karanas that have I performed today. Kreena Patel has done her Bachelors and Masters degree in performing arts with specialization in Bharatanatyam from M. S. University of Baroda. She has also done her post graduate diploma in Nattuvangum from M. S. University of Baroda, India. Kreena Patel is also a national awarded artist in India and has won multiple Garba (a folk dance of Gujarat) competitions of Baroda. She has also worked as a Jury member in many government subsidized dance competitions. She has also attended a workshop called "Ghargharika" under the guidance of Dr. C. V. Chandrasekhar (former dean of performing arts of M.S. University). She has also done a workshop for a dance style called "Odissi" under the guidance of Aruna Mohanty (renowned odissi dancer of India). She has also done training in a dance form called Karanas under the guidance of Dr. Smriti Vaghela, who is a disciple of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Youtube Handle: https://www.youtube.com/@kreenasdanceacademy5090/videos

Kreena Patel

KaranaKruti

Kreena's dance piece will contain "Bhumi Charis", "Akash Charis", and some of the Karanas.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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The Ether Journey is an exploration of personal mythology and a response to years of having the same recurring nightmare/dream. Created and performed by Asia Weinkauf-Bowman The Ether Journey is a work-in-progress. Content Advisories: Death and dying. Special thanks to my mom and dad, who have been guiding me through the Ether Journey my whole life. Asia Weinkauf-Bowman is a theatre artist from Amiskwacîwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton), and a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Arts program with a major in drama with a minor in women and gender studies. Asia’s work focuses on the intersection of disability and performance, as her own embodied knowledge deeply influences the way she inhabits her characters as a disabled woman. Some past performance credits include The Wolves (Citadel Theatre/The Maggie Tree), Until The Next Breathe (Catalyst Theatre), Tracks (Vena Amoris Projects), and E-Day (Serial Collective). Asia also has a strong sense of social justice and feels a duty to support and amplify the voices of fellow artists who sit at various intersections of marginalised identities. She looks forward to a lifelong journey of growth and learning as an artist, activist, and human being.

Asia Weinkauf-Bowman

The Ether Journey

An exploration of personal mythology and a response to years of having the same recurring nightmare/dream.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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Told & retold from one generation of Antonio's family to another, this terrific tale takes place in the pastoral hillsides & valleys of Campania, Italy. Hear the tribulations of the hero & his friends as they take on a magical quest from 125 years ago! Special thanks to my Zio Gerardo Bavaro (RIP) & Zia Angela Turturro. Antonio Bavaro lives, learns & loves liminality; from being a born & raised north side inner city Edmontonian of mixed English/Scottish/Irish & southern Italian descent to their explorations in the performative worlds of creative expression as a proud gender fluid queer artist. From musical theatre, dance, music, comedy, writing, cabaret production, drag, burlesque, performance art, community development & social change; Antonio is delighted to share this enchanting Neapolitan family story with all the souls witnessing the magic of myth at this wonderful community festival!

Antonio Bavaro

The Trials of Irpinia

Told and re-told from one generation of his family to another, this terrific tale takes place in the pastoral hillsides & valleys of Campania Italy.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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A reading from novels Humane and its sequel Urbane, Indigi-noir novels set in Amiskwaciy, a close correlate of Edmonton. Narrator Hazel LeSage - unlicensed PI, visionary dog thief, self-professed asshole — takes us along on her mystical adventures, along with a cast of family, friends, and Others, all trying to make sensible, urbane lives in a fractious reality, where it may take everything you’ve got to be, if not human, at least humane. Humane and Urbane were published by Stonehouse Publishing in 2020 and 2023. Content Advisories: Foul language, allusion to physical violence. Special thanks to Stonehouse, the Thousand Faces Festival, and Cher Barrett. Anna Marie Sewell is a multi-genre writer and artist. She toiled in Indie Theatre, was Edmonton’s 4th Poet Laureate, and has choral scores (as lyricist) published in Canada and the USA. After a long adventure in multi-disciplinary, collaborative community arts projects, she’s become a novelist. Her first novel, 2020’s Humane, continues to win fans, as the Literary Press Group of Canada’s July 2023 Book Club selection. Closer to home, the sequel Urbane debuted at #1 on the Edmonton Fiction lists. The astonishing Mi’gmaq, Anishnaabe and Polish family tales of her rural childhood, seasoned with local Viking Lore, provoked Sewell’s deep fascination with shapeshifters and their worldwide presence just to one side of the everyday.

Anna Marie Sewell

Indigi-Noir Readings

A reading from novel "Humane" and its sequel "Urbane".

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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Through music, movement, and live storytelling, Tales Wise and Wonderful shares four Chinese folk tales with audiences. From a diva musician to seven sisters with supernatural talents, these stories explore how we find contentment - in family, in knowing where we belong, and in being at peace with ourselves. Credits: Jia Jia Yong: music and movement Yeng Chang: storytelling Herman Lau: movement Marcus Fung: music and storytelling Mingle Ensemble is a performance collaboration between Yeng Chang and Jia Jia Yong. Yeng is a storyteller passionate about exploring life’s journeys through our connections with each other and the past. Jia Jia is a harpist, composer, and director. She loves discovering new ways to engage and showcase traditional arts and culture in contemporary performance art. For this performance, Mingle Ensemble is thrilled to collaborate with two local artists. Marcus Fung is a musician and storyteller who believes in the transformative possibilities of music and the healing arts. He continues to learn and grow in his community where he likes to refer to himself as a re-generative culture artist. Herman Lau is a martial artist and circus coach. A lifelong student of diverse styles spanning the spectrum from performance arts to combat sports to wellbeing work, Herman now teaches and performs at various locations around Edmonton.

Mingle Ensemble, with Marcus Fung and Herman Lau

Tales Wise and Wonderful

Four Chinese folk tales told through music, movement, and live storytelling.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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Bharatanatyam is a South Indian Classical Dance at temples, which originated in Tamil Nadu and is considered one of the most difficult dance forms in India. It is from the 15th Century period. Kathak is one of the major forms of North Indian Classical Dance. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient Northern India known as Kathakars or storytellers. VIEW THE FULL PROGRAM DETAILS FOR USHA KALA NIKETAN HERE: https://www.thousandfaces.ca/usha-kala-niketan-full-program-mcf Usha Gupta has been singing and dancing from the age of four in her native India. Today, she’s the ambassador of cultural diversity in Edmonton and Canada with her exceptional body of work in traditional and contemporary Indian classical dance. From a young age, Usha took interest in music and dance, while growing up in Jalandhar, India. She spent ten years training under legends, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Guru Krishan Maharaj. Usha holds two Masters degrees; one in classical vocal music (1964) and another in Kathak dance (1965), both from Allahabad University (Uttar Pradesh, India). Additionally, she completed advanced training in Bharata Natyam for six years, with Guru Rama Rao (1974). In May of 1989, Usha decided it was time to explore the western world and moved to Edmonton, Canada. Soon after, she opened her very own Indian Classical Dance School, Usha Kala Niketan, in July. Usha Kala Niketan school of dance and music boasts hundreds of students in classical and folk dances of India, presented at conferences, functions, and multicultural festivals. Her students have the opportunity to compete in events such as Dance Power, Dance Extreme, and with the Edmonton Federation Community League. Numerous students earned gold medals in said competitions and are able to use these opportunities to grow as emerging artists in the community. Students have performed in the Kala Nidhi Fine Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada’s top South Asian arts festival. Usha has also given students the opportunity to perform in major cities including New York and Chicago, as well as across India, as part of her professional touring group. Usha Dance Entourage, her professional dance company, has toured her major dance productions across Canada and major cities in India. She has been featured by the Brian Webb Dance Company and Kala Nidhi Fine Arts Festival of Canada. Since 2004, she has been awarded by the Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Dance Alliance, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Canada Council for production and touring. In 2016, she hosted and performed in the critically acclaimed, Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. Most recently she has been inducted into Edmonton’s Hall of Fame adding to her 2001 and 2004 Salute to Excellence Awards. She has been inducted into Edmonton’s Hall of Fame for Culture and Diversity as she has dedicated her time to bringing her South Asian heritage into Edmonton’s community. She is known for uplifting her community and will continue to promote multiculturalism throughout Canada. By coming to Canada, Usha was able to learn of Canada’s pre-existing diversity and wanted to commit her time to bringing her own culture into all that Canada has to offer. Usha has achieved beyond what she could have imagined in the last 32 years in Canada and continues to learn, teach, and present both music and dance as a Canadian and Indian artist.

Usha Kala Niketan

Bharatanatyam and Kathak dances

Bharatanatyam is considered one of the most difficult dance forms in India. It is from the 15th Century period...

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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Echoes is an homage to the brave little girls that are now even braver women. Natasha Riddell is a poet and performer studying Drama at the University of Alberta. She loves peanut-butter-and-dill-pickle sandwiches and is afraid of Space Jam. Select credits of hers include reading for the Edmonton Poetry Festival, Fantomina (Nextfest), The Hand that Feeds (New Works Festival), and DARK (Fort Edmonton Park). She hopes that you enjoy the festival!

Natasha Riddell

Echoes

An homage to the brave little girls that are now even braver women.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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This presentation is paying homage to a great Munbaki to his people and Apo to his family through Filipino dance and storytelling. Choreography/Direction: Jeannine Kroening Musicians: Jonah Andres and John Naboye Dancers: Dante Abuan, Isabel Abuan, William Bautista, Kayla Domingo, Meteah Indradat, Christine Naboye, Jayden Naboye, Keoni Tan Content Advisories: Male dancers dancing in a traditional loincloth called a “bahag.” Special thanks to Ate Memen and Ate Grace for their support in this project! Karilagan Dance Society is a non-profit organization composed of Filipino-Canadians who aim to live and share Filipino culture in the community through the performing arts, especially through Filipino folk dancing. Karilagan has recently celebrated their 52nd anniversary this month and attended the Honolulu Festival back in March. Karilagan has also traveled abroad to compete in international competitions such as the Dance Grand Prix Italia in Censantico, Italy and the World Dance Competition at Disney World in Florida. Jeannine Kroening (Naboye) is a Filipino-Canadian artist currently finishing up her Bachelors of Arts in Drama at the University of Alberta and minor in Arts and Cultural Management at MacEwan University. She is also a graduate of MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program. As a member of Karilagan Dance Society since 2006, she hopes to elevate Filipino storytelling and share the culture through folk dance.

Karilagan Dance Society

For Apo

A piece paying homage to a great Munbaki to his people and Apo to his family through Filipino dance and storytelling.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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'Yoka's Flower' Synopsis: Shango, the god of thunder and music, desperately seeks a gift for Oshun, his beloved. He must hurry. The queen of gourds, rivers, and love doesn't have only one suitor. There is only one solution left. It doesn't matter if others suffer. Gaining Oshun's heart is worth it. Credits for Yoka's Flower: Directed by: Hebert Poll Gutiérrez General Producer: Rodolfo Ortega Arnaiz Storyteller: Marconio Vázquez (Mexico) Production Company: Imaginante S.C (Mexico) The play is based on the short tale Yoka Flower, which belongs to the book "Emi laara: little stories to Dream" written by Hebert Poll Gutiérrez and his mother, Gladys Felicia Gutiérrez. This work was published by the Cuban publishing house Matanzas in 2004. Acknowledgements: To my mother Gladys Felicia Gutiérrez Rodriguez. From Alem (the world beyond time), her spirit tells me endlessly: Our gods are not perfect They have spots like the sun But they will teach you how to be: wise, strong, and noble. I am a Cuban Canadian artist with 16 years of experience trying to connect with the world through art. I believe in the power of stories, in the power of the art to shape realities. Art is and will be my strategy to defend my triple cultural identity: My identity as an artist, as a Cuban, and as an Afro-descendant. I have published 10 books. My last published book is: Whispers from the black Gods (Poetry) The Elite Lizzard Publishing Company, Canada, 2022. Some of my writings also appear in magazines and in more than 20 anthologies from Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Germany, and other countries. My theatre scripts have been represented by companies from Latin America, Europe, and Canada. I am a member of several cultural organizations. Among them are: -SpanicArts, Calgary. -Playwrights Guild of Canada -FAVA (Film and Video Arts Society Alberta) -Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS). I was named Calgary’s Artist of the Month of December 2021. The recognition was awarded by the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI).

Hebert Poll Gutiérrez

'Yoka's Flower' video presentation

Shango, the god of thunder and music, desperately seeks a gift for Oshun, his beloved. He must hurry.

Fri. July 14th & Sat. July 15th, 6:45pm

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2023 MCF Artists 6:45pm
2023 MCF Artists 1:00pm

Myth Country Fair Artists

Sun. July 16th, 1:00pm

Family Friendly Fun!

Alberta Avenue Community Centre

Mythic Quest Ensemble

An interactive theatre experience for kids and kids at heart.

The Timeless Travellers in the Quest for the Lost Shield!

Sun. July 16th, 1:00pm

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Usha Kala Niketan

Karakattam Folk Dance is an ancient folk dance of Tamil Nadu performed in praise of the rain goddess Mariamman.

Karakattam Folk Dance

Sun. July 16th, 1:00pm

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2023 MCF Artists 3:00pm

Myth Country Fair Artists

Sun. July 16th, 3:00pm

New Mythic Play Readings!

The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse

Samantha Fraughton & Alix Reynolds

A modern, prairie absurdist retelling of the famous Persephone myth.

'The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Kind of' play reading

Sun. July 16th, 3:00pm

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Hebert Poll Gutiérrez

Animals from the forest don't get along and must seek help from the Afro-Cuban Gods.

'The Great Race' play reading

Sun. July 16th, 3:00pm

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