Alyssa Martin is a choreographer whose work merges surrealism, humour, and modern dance. Based in Toronto, she is the Founder and Artistic Director of Rock Bottom Movement, a company celebrated for its bold approach to dance-theatre. She has created new work for The National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet, University of the Arts Zürich, Toronto Dance Theatre and in collaboration with Citadel + Compagnie. Her work has been presented at Holland Dance Festival, Royal Ballet’s International Draft Works, Fall for Dance North Festival, Fluid Festival and Citadel Live among many others. Known for transdisciplinary collaborations across theatre, circus, film, musical theatre, and opera, Martin has worked with The Coal Mine Theatre, The Stratford Festival and Canadian Stage. Her work has been recognized with awards including numerous Dora Mavor Moore Awards in both the Dance and Theatre divisions, a nomination for the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Choreography. Alyssa also works as the Artistic Producer, Creative Action at The National Ballet of Canada. She is currently the artist-in-residence at Fall for Dance North Festival.
Thanks for joining us for
LANDSLIDE: Signature Programme 4
SPRINGERS By Rock Bottom Movement
October 24 at 7:30PM
October 25 at 2:00PM
Bluma Appel Theatre
*Please note that on October 25 there will be a pre-show artist talk in the lobby of the theatre at 1PM.
Running Time: 60 minutes
Co-presented by
Lead commissioning support by
Creation funding from
Co-Produced by
FFDN Original Commission | World Premiere
Co-production of Fall for Dance North, The National Arts Centre, and The CanDance Network Creation Fund; with Arts Orillia and Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal
Lead commissioning support provided by The Bulmash-Siegel Foundation
Supported by Rose Theatre Brampton, Quinte Ballet School of Canada and Ontario Arts Council
Rock Bottom Movement’s full-length work brings together divergent perspectives on parenthood, channeling biological desire, expectation and doubt into the body as a site of big questioning. Surreal, aggressive and surprising, Rock Bottom’s contemporary choreography smashes patriarchal norms with fusion of post-modern dance and biting theatricality. Set to an original composition by Jacobi Vanderham and Britta Johnson, this new work pulses with the question of whether, or not, to usher in a new generation.
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Credits:
Choreographer: Alyssa Martin
Dancers: Drew Berry, Brayden Jamil Cairns, Sierra Chin Sawdy, Sam Grist, Steph Harkness, Jenna Savella
Music Director: Jacobi Vanderham
Composers: Britta Johnson and Jacobi Vanderham
Costume Designers: Harriet Jung and Reid Bartelme
Lighting Designer: Mathilda Kane
Stage Manager: Kathy Le
Rehearsal Director: Natasha Poon Woo
Dramaturg: Pony Nicole Herauf
Creative Development: David Bernstein
Rehearsal Assistant: Karessann Juteau Mercier
Violin, Viola, Cello: Saskia Tompkins
Uilleann Pipes, Spoons, Triangle: Steafan Hannigan
Acoustic Guitar, banjo: Kevin Lafleur
Whistle: Jacobi Vanderham
Electric Guitar: Nick Lanyon
Drums: Ethan Soil
Upright Bass, fretless bass: Chris Ross
Vocals, Piano: Britta Johnson & Jacobi Vanderham

Arranged, Recorded, Mixed: Jacobi Vanderham
Additional Mixing: Sebastien Perry
Transcriptions, Charts: Wolfgang Gray
Voice: Alexis Martin
Dedicated to our youngest friend, Mina Poon Woo Malkowski
Special thanks to Rob Binet, Lily Sutherland, Caroline Ohrt, Kate Hilliard, Laurence Lemieux, Desiree Botting, Randy Glynn, Frankie and Mia, Chris Dulhanty + Heather Evans, Tessa Virtue, Bonnie Kim, Johanna Bergfelt, Julia Cosentino, Natasha Powell, Tanya Howard, Kole Durnford, Kate Kolo, Patrick Smith, Taylor Forbes, Dale Martin, Don Martin, Starseeds Community Choir, Dominic Bortolussi, Frankie Beaudet, Parquette, Skybarn Studios and all the friends who brought their babies to our rehearsals <3
Rock Bottom Movement is a Toronto-based surrealist dance company and the home of choreographer Alyssa Martin’s work. With an anti-patriarchal approach to rigour, Rock Bottom subverts Modern dance physicality from a place of comedy and tenderness, starring performers who have a unique and cultivated presence, and who are particularly adept at being many facets of “themselves.”
Originally founded as a busking company before growing into stage work, Rock Bottom brings high-energy mischief, sharp theatricality, and deep consideration for the audiences who come to play.
Their acclaimed works including Big Time Miss, Sex Dalmatian, Be the Bird, hollow mountain, String Quartet No. 14 in G Major, and MANICPIXIEDREAMGIRLS, have earned 8 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, 9 additional nominations, the Canadian Stage Award for Direction, and the d:mic Audience Choice Award. Rock Bottom has presented work internationally at major festivals and performance seasons including, most recently, Holland Dance Festival.
Their work strives to push the boundaries of live performance in Canada while reaching out to broad audiences, many of whom might be new to contemporary concert dance. Interesting art doesn’t have to be alienating. In fact, Rock Bottom thinks the most interesting art of all strives to be fundamentally not so.
Fall for Dance North Festival
Production Credits
Director of Design: Simon Rossiter
Director of Production: Barney Bayliss
Production Manager: Kathy Le
Stage Manager: Janelle Rainville
Assistant Stage Manager: Lani Martel
Assistant Lighting Designers: Sruthi Suresan, Mathilda Kane
Bluma Appel Theatre:
Senior Producer: Ariana Shaw
Production Manager: Armand Baksh-Zarate
Head Electrician: Giulia D’Amanzo
Head Carpenter: Jay Blencowe
Head of Audio: Calum Ankelsaria
Head of Props: Roxann Pinnock
Head of Wardrobe: Susan Batchelor
Berczy Park Crew:
Elijah MacLeod
Garrett Ratcliff
Special thanks to our partners at TO Live:
Clyde Wagner, President & CEO
Ariana Shaw, Senior Programming Manager & Producer
Jeff Rohrer, Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Tom Kerr, Director of Ticketing Services
Kristopher Dell, Vice President of Operations
and the entire TO Live Staff and Board
Fall for Dance North Team
Year-round Team
Lily Sutherland - Festival Director & Co-CEO
Robert Binet - Artistic Director & Co-CEO
Aviva Fleising General Manager
Melissa Forstner - Director of Advancement and Communications
Felicia Myronyk Manager of Advancement
Melina Osorio - Finance and Administrative Officer
Simon Rossiter - Director of Design
Barney Bayliss - Director of Production
Markéta Tokova - Senior Producer
Jon Reid - Marketing Coordinator
Charlotte Cain - Content Creator
Seasonal Team
Maria Al Sa'di - IPP Producer
Julia Mak - Festival & Administrative
Liz Bragg - Box Office Manager
Zita Nyarady - Company Manager
Angela Xu - Company Manager
Lucy Rupert - Education & Engagement Coordinator
Jeff Clement - Advancement Coordinator
Kylor Ma - Volunteer Coordinator
Year-Round Collaborators
Creative Branding - One23West Marketing
Consultation - Sarah Robertson
Financial Services - Robert Gore and Associates
Communications and Media Relations - Red Eye Media
Advertising - Twenty6Two
Accessibility Coordination - The Disability Collective
Graphic Design - Designs Of Collor
To read more about our team and their bios, please visit the Our Team page on the FFDN website.
Fall for Dance North Board of Directors
Chair Karen Sparks
Treasurer Jim Hwang
Aleksandar Antonijevic
Peggy Baker, C.M., O.Ont, L.L.D, D.Litt
Marah Braye
Julia Dmitrijeva
Erin Eizenman
Christopher Gillis
Gerry Hannochko
Tanya Howard
Amanda Song
Noreen Taylor
Zdenko Teply
Chair Emeritus Joan Lozinski, O.C.
Chair Emeritus Valerie Wilder
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