A Winter’s Twist Show program
Running time: approx. 80 min.
Lamondance respectfully acknowledges that our show takes place on the traditional unceded territories of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Sechelt (shíshálh), Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
We are honored to live, work, and play on this land together.
A Message from the Artistic Director
Welcome, and thank you for coming to our performance of "A Winter's Twist," a reimagined contemporary dance show inspired by the beloved classic "Romeo and Juliet" for the winter holidays—a flurry of love, winter glee, breathtaking fun, and lovable characters.
Each year, the challenge of remounting "A Winter's Twist" prompts us to ask, "What can we do to continuously provide the best experience for our audience while encouraging our dancers to take creative risks?" The answer is simple: we start from a place of empathy—how does this make you feel? This philosophy guides us as we create a magical experience that resonates with everyone.
Reimagining "Romeo and Juliet" for the winter holidays aims to create an inclusive show for the entire family. Retaining the essence of the original story and transporting it to a new wintery world not only brings joy but also addresses important societal themes, such as Social Justice, Equity, Mental Health, Economic Inequality, and Acceptance.
"A Winter's Twist" unifies two distinguished art forms: Dance and Theatre. Witnessing our dancers wholeheartedly embrace the production has been a remarkable journey, and it gives them invaluable experience both on stage and behind the scenes, equipping them with the skills needed for their futures.
Creativity is at the heart of Lamondance. For the past 16 years, we have fostered an inclusive creative space where emerging artists can explore, learn, and share their artistic voices. This season marks the fourth year that we proudly bring this magical show to life—a show that is becoming one of our cherished traditions.
Enjoy the performance, and thank you for joining us in this celebration of dance and storytelling!
Davi Rodrigues / Artistic Director of Lamondance
Act 1
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Juliet, whose love for the winter holiday season grew stronger each day.
One night before Christmas, Juliet ventured into the city and found herself gazing through the window of a captivating house. Inside, she saw a beautiful Christmas tree—something she could never have, as her family never celebrated the holidays.
Unbeknownst to Juliet, Romeo approached. Unlike her family, Romeo's family was passionate about the winter season, and their Christmas trees were always adorned and twinkling.
As Romeo noticed the stunning girl he had never seen before, it was as if a spark ignited between them, and in the blink of an eye, they fell in love. However, their families soon arrived; as we know, the Montagues and Capulets had been sworn enemies for centuries.
Romeo and Juliet were forcefully separated. To escape the strife started by their families, Romeo and Juliet followed the bright light beyond the door, unaware of where it would lead them. They found themselves in a white forest filled with towering white trees and eerie sounds.
Before they knew it, a pack of wolves and menacing magical trees attacked the lovers! Just as the forest began to close in on them, they were saved by the Twisted, who appeared at the last moment with a magical gust of snowy wind that swept away the icy wolves and trees! At last, the lovers were safe!
- - -
Written and Choreographed by Davi Rodrigues
Music: Philippe Leduc and Maria Bonzanigo, Jean-François Côté and René Dupéré, Ennio Morricone.
Additional music: Murray Grant
1st Announcement voice Pre-show: Davi Rodrigues
2nd Announcement voice: A.I
The Twisted: Daryk Richards
Juliet: Elena Himbeault (Nov 20 and 21 School Show) and Anna Rodriguez (Nov 21 and 30)
Romeo: Benedict Quedenbaum (Nov 20 and 21 School Show), and Vinicius Batista (Nov 21 and 30)
City girls:
November 20/21: Kiara Berar, Rylee Patterson, Sophie Kolda,
November 21 (school show): Ava Gibson, Kaylee Liew, Isla Flanagan
November 30: Sophie Kolda, Kiara Berar
Romeo's Mother:
November 20/21: Nali Richards
November 21 (school show) and 30: Dania Grant
Romeo's Father:
November 20: Angus Phillips-Higham
November 21: Benedict Quedenbaum
November 30: Eysten Martin.
Romeo's Family:
November 20: Nancy Li, Vinicius Batista, Charlotte Fyfe, Resse Swisher.
November 21 (school show): Andrea Isea Galindo, Ursula Blanchard, Angelie Gamache, Julie Lalanne.
November 21: Nancy Li, Elena Himbeault, Charlotte Fyfe, Reese Swisher.
November 30: Andrea Isea Galindo, Ursula Blanchard, Angelie Gamache, Julie Lalanne.
Juliet's Mother:
November 20/21: Paris Litnosky
November 21 (school show) and November 30: Francesca Vergara
Juliet's Father:
November 20/21: Avery Ebenal,
November 21 (school show) and November 30: Logan Whyte.
Juliet’s Family:
November 20/21: Payton Kennedy, Dania Grant, Francesca Vergara, Jessica Marchand.
November 21 (school show) and November 30: Charlotte Fyfe, Nancy Li, Summer Alexander, Jessica Marchand, Reese Swisher.
Wolves:
November 20: Anna Rodriguez (Alpha), Summer Alexander, Savannah Fletcher, Eysten Martin, Andrea Canjura, Logan Whyte.
November 21 (School Show): Anna Rodriguez (Alpha), Avery Ebenal, Barbara Wilson, Jessica Marchand, Vinicius Batista, Payton Kennedy.
November 21: Angelie Gamache (Alpha), Summer Alexander, Savannah Fletcher, Eysten Martin, Andrea Canjura, Logan Whyte.
November 30: Nali Richards (Alpha) Avery Ebenal, Barbara Wilson, Jessica Marchand, Andrea Canjura, Payton Kennedy.
INTERMISSION (15 min)
ACT 2
Romeo & Juliet arrived upon a magical lake, greeted by extraordinary polar bears, mystical and comical creatures, and finally, the Twisted. Plenty of events took place at the lake, much to Romeo & Juliet's entertainment!
- - -
Music: Mikael Karlsson, Alan Watts, Only Men Aloud!, Pato Fú
Additional music: Murray Grant and Matt Bryce
Baton solo choreography by Alexandra Pickrell
Polar Bears:
Ava Gibson, Elle Elkoussy, Isla Flanagan, Isla Worobets, Kaylee Liew, Kiara Berar, Rylee Patterson, Scotia Muir (sleepy Bear Nov 21 and 30), Sophie Kolda, Theia Tseng (sleepy Bear Nov. 20 and 21 school show).
Snowball, Wedding creatures:
November 20: Anna Rodriguez, Summer Alexander, Eysten Martin, Savannah Fletcher.
November 21 (School show): Nali Richards, Every Ebenal, Jessica Marchand, Savannah Fletcher.
November 21: Summer Alexander, Angelie Gamache, Eysten Martin, Savannah Fletcher.
Deadly Flowers:
November 20: Reese Swisher & Vinicius Batista,
November 21 (school Show): Charlotte Fyfe & Ursula Blanchard,
November 21: Nali Richards & Dania Grant,
November 30: Nancy Li & Angelie Gamache, Jessica Marchand & Logan Whyte.
Goddess of Love: Alexandra Pickrell
Ring Bearing Creatures:
November 20: Avery Ebenal, Logan Whyte, Charlotte Fyfe.
November 21 (school Show): Barbara Wilson, Kiara Berar, Logan Whyte.
November 21: Rylee Patterson, Kiara Berar, Charlotte Fyfe.
November 30: Sophie Kolda, Charlotte Fyfe, Logan Whyte.
Thanks and Acknowledgement
I want to thank the dancers for their trust, energy, and constant sharing of ideas during the remount process of A Winter's Twist for the 4th year. Thank you to the dancers for their unconditional devotion to our organization; the show would not have been possible without their dedication. They have been involved with so many things, from dancing to organizing props and costumes to so much more. Thank you to the incredible team of mentors/teachers, and collaborators who work with Lamondance throughout the creative process. A Huge Thank you to Murray Grant for the support with our music Score. Thank you, Anita Shum and Lorena Galindo, for helping with our costumes. Thank you to Adrián Ortega for the fantastic pictures.
Thank you to our board of directors and lovely volunteers for the tremendous work behind the scenes.
Special thanks to Brianna Giles and the RNB Dance; Thank you to K & S Dance, RNB Dance, Tri-City Dance Centre, and Vancouver Performing Stars for allowing their dancers to participate in the show—finally, a huge thanks to Brad Trenaman, Vanka Salim, Anna Brew, and the Staff at Centennial Theatre and Abbotsford Arts Centre.
SUPPORTERS
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia. The City of North Vancouver & the District of North Vancouver through the Arts & Culture Grants Program of the North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission, Capilano University, and RNB Dance for their Artistic Support. A special thank you to our community sponsor, MELNYK FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTMENT S LTD.
Lamondance Team
Artistic Director, show writer and choreographer: Davi Rodrigues
Set Designer & Costumes: Davi Rodrigues
Light designer: Brad Trenaman
Associate Light Designer: Vanka Salim
Stage Manager: Anna Brew
Rehearsal Assistant: Oksana Maslechko
Photos by Adrian Ortega
Outreach & Admin: Sebastiàn Ortiz
Behind-the-scenes associates:
Costumes
Andrea Isea Galindo, Charlotte Fyfe, Francesca Vergara, Jessica Marchand, Summer Alexander
Set and Props
Avery Ebenal, Arianna Savady, Logan Whyte, Benedict Quedenbaum, Dania Grant, Nali Richards, Payton Kennedy, Paris Litnsky, Elena Himbeault, Angelie Gamache
Floor and backstage
Ursula Blanchard, Reese Swisher, Savannah Fletcher, Barbara Wilson, Nancy Li, Andrea Canjura, Eysten Martin, Julie Lalanne, Daryk Richards, Angus Phillips-Higham, Anna Rodriguez, Vinicius Batista.
Community Supporters
Payton Kennedy and Arianna Savady
Video Capture Studio
Francesca Vergara
Dance Faculty
Linda Arkelian, Sarah Brewer Clowes, Bev Bagg, Oksana Maslechko, Hannah Sim, Isak Enquist, David Secunda, Davi Rodrigues.
Board of Trustees
Amber Poulton, Carli Kennedy, Charlotte Aurela Edgson, Lorena Galindo, Mark Lawrence
If you enjoy our show and want to continue to see Lamondance producing high-quality shows, consider donating to our organization. with your help, we can continue to provide our professional dancers and contemporary training program a better future here in North Vancouver.
Dancers Bios
To get to know more about our dancers, click on the link below
Lamondance Professional Dance Company *
Lamondance Contemporary Training Program
If you enjoy our show and want to continue to see Lamondance producing high-quality shows, consider donating to our organization. With your help, we can continue to provide our professional dancers and contemporary training program a better future here in North Vancouver.
