In-Person | Live Music | All-Ages | World Premiere

Past Event
4:00 PM
Join us for a magical outdoor performance at the FirstOntario PAC in St. Catherines for the world premiere of In Blue Rooms as part of the second season of FFDN’s outdoor series Heirloom. Featuring all-live music.
Heirloom artists Zack Martel, Santiago Rivera, Michael Bridge and Daniel Hamin Go. Video by Jeremy Mimnagh
After the great success of its inaugural season in 2021, our outdoor series Heirloom is returning with a new programmatic theme. We are thrilled to bring Heirloom to some of Ontario’s treasured green spaces in St. Catharines, Peterborough and Orillia as well as a performance at Toronto’s Evergreen Brick Works.
This year’s Heirloom performance is sure to delight the senses. Rivera and Martel’s whimsical choreography at once blurs the lines of juggling, contemporary circus, dance and object manipulation to tell the story of separation and the journey of coming together, performed by four accomplished jugglers and dancers from Montréal. Live music by a trio of musicians, including Daniel (cello), Michael (accordion) and Brad Cherwin (clarinet) accompanies the movement for this new full-length collaborative work, much like a witty repartee between music and physical storytelling.
In Blue Rooms is playful, curious and bursting with imagination. This presentation is truly a spark of magic for all ages in the beautiful outdoor spaces of our home province.
This is an in-person presentation taking place at FirstOnatrio PAC in St. Catharines on Saturday Sep 17, 2022, at 4:00PM ET. In case of rain, the performance will move to an indoor area in the same venue.
Tickets are Pay What You Can (suggested amount: $15 per audience member).
This event can be added to a Festival Package as an add-on.
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New full-length work
Duration: approximately 60 minutes - no intermission
There will be a short post-show Q&A with the artists of Heirloom moderated by Diana Moser of FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Review playbill notes for this performance here.
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You can catch an Heirloom performance also in Toronto (Sep 20), Orillia (Sep 22) and Peterborough (Sep 25)
Choreographers
Santiago Rivera
Santiago Rivera Laugerud, born in Guatemala in 1997, is a Multidisciplinary Artist dedicated to the arts from an early age. Influenced by contemporary dance and physical theatre, he has specialized in juggling where he has been able to fuse these different art forms together. Santiago is the first Central American to be accepted into Montreal’s National Circus School in Canada. His work has been recognized by multiple organizations such as Guatecirko, Montréal Complètement Cirque, TOHU, Cirque Éloize, and Les 7 Doigts de la Main.
Zack Martel
Zack Martel is a multidisciplinary circus artist specializing primarily in juggling and movement. Born in Toronto, he was exposed to the world of art at a very young age by his art loving mother and musician father. Zack is strongly influenced by art forms outside of the world of circus including Film, Music, Painting, Writing, Dance, etc. He is inspired by bold colours, surreal concepts, and 80’s funk. His idols include Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Jim Carrey, and Bootsy Collins.
Musicians
Michael Bridge
Accordion
Michael Bridge is a musical maverick. He’s a virtuoso performer on both the acoustic accordion and its 21st Century cousin, the digital accordion. His concerts capture the energy and panache of stadium rock with the elegance and discipline of chamber music.
He’s won a slew of competitions in Canada and abroad and was named one of CBC’s 30 under 30 classical musicians. He is completing a doctorate in performance at the University of Toronto with Joseph Macerollo and became a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. He gives over 100 concerts a year as a soloist and as a member of Bridge & Wolak and Ladom Ensemble. He’s in high demand for masterclasses around the world.
Bridge embraces a musical aesthetic that is alternatively irreverent, deadly serious, meticulously prepared and completely in-the-moment. He’s at home with classical, contemporary, jazz and folk music and has premiered 53 new works.
Ultimately, he aims to make your world more bearable, beautiful and human—even if only for the length of a concert.
Daniel Hamin Go
Cello
Described as “authoritative, poised, and dripping with élan” (Jonathan Freeman-Atwood), 26 year-old South Korean cellist Daniel Hamin Go is recognised as a special emerging talent. Daniel has performed throughout North America and Europe collaborating with renowned musicians including Jonathan Biss, Miriam Fried, Rachel Podger, and Fazil Say; appearing in concert halls such as Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie, Flagey Studios, and Konzerthaus Berlin.
Daniel studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler' Berlin, Royal Academy of Music, and the coveted Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. From September, Daniel will join the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency Program.
Daniel plays on a Francesco Rugeri, 1960, and a rare Joseph Henry bow, both generously on loan from private collections.
Brad Cherwin
Clarinet
Hailed for his “technical prowess [and] perfect conveyance of…wit, humor, and effect” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune), clarinetist Brad Cherwin is one of “Toronto’s best young chamber musicians” (Bachtrack). His playing has been lauded as “astounding” and “a total success … as flexible in tone as possible” (Calgary Herald).
Highlights of Cherwin’s most recent season include performances with Barbara Hannigan as an Equilibrium Young Artist at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, and a sold-out European recital debut at Hamburg’s Tonali Saal with Ema Nikolovska, Hagar Sharvit, and Daniel Gerzenberg.
Cherwin is the co-founder, clarinetist, and graphic designer for Toronto’s West End Micro Music Festival. After a sold-out first season titled MOZART IS DEAD, the festival returns in 2022 with minMAX.
Cherwin is also the director of The Happenstancers, a Toronto-based ensemble that features "an obscene amount of talent" (The WholeNote). Their concerts have been praised as “superbly planned, with a rich banquet of textures and colours…Next time these people throw a recital, run, don’t walk” (Lydia Perovic, Definitely the Opera).
Performers
Basile Pucek
Juggler
Basile Pucek is a French Canadian young man who was born in Montreal, a charming and lively city that allows him to evolve over the years.
Basile's education was built with the help of his family and friends, as well as his studies at the National Circus School of Montreal, an institution that helped him discover his passion for the art of movement.
He forges his identity through the experiences he undertakes, his many decisive trips, but also with his sensitivity regarding the world, and the elements that surround him.
Analyzing, innovating and planning guide him during his time on earth.
Clémence Dinard
Dancer
Originally from Brive-la-Gaillarde (France), Clémence Dinard graduated from the Montreal School of Contemporary Dance in 2022.
She began dancing at the age of three with ballet, passionate about the universe and the imagination brought to her by classical music.
In search of perfecting her dance, she joined the regional conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris, France) at the age of seventeen, which brought her maturity and experience. Clémence flew to the School of Contemporary Dance in Montreal in 2019. There followed three particularly rich years where she cultivated her sincerity, leading her to assume the sensitive being that drives her through her listening to herself and to the other. These enriching collaborations will only strengthen his imagination as well as his ability to appropriate movement in a more personal and more introspective way. Today, Clémence is overflowing with desire and curiosity, and aspires to feed on multiple choreographic universes in order to continue this search for movement that drives her so much.
Philippe Dupuis
Juggler
Philippe is a Quebec circus artist who graduated from the National Circus School of Montreal where he specialized in juggling and acrobatics. Philippe has had the opportunity to work with several internationally renowned companies. He has also had the opportunity to realize several artistic projects in self-production and in collaboration with other artists from the Quebec milieu. In addition to his passion for the circus, Philippe is always looking for new projects. He is guided by his curiosity to discover and explore more. With his open-mindedness, perseverance and creativity, this enterprising artist is always ready to take on new challenges.
Daniel Stefek
Dancer/Acrobat
Early in life I found an interest in martial arts, namely capoeira. Later in life this
curious interest grew into something more as I studied every martial art I could try. Quickly
and unexpectedly, I found a passion and appreciation for all types of movement; expanding
from martial arts into dance, acrobatics, and even theater.
Capoeira offered a base to build upon and with this my interest in acrobatic research
began. Growing older the realization came that all this movement vocabulary is without
purpose if there is no application for it. So here I am continuing my search with those dear
to me.
You can often find me rolling or slamming my body into the ground (or Friends) trying
to learn something, forever curious.
To gain more insight into the creative process of In Blue Rooms and get to know the choreographers better, check out episode one of the third season of FFDN's in-house podcast Mambo, available to stream on demand.
Also available on these popular streaming platforms
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is easily accessible by car. It is located at 250 St Paul St, St. Catherines, L2R 3M2, and is bordered by St. Paul St to the northwest, Carlisle St to the northeast, and McGuire St to the southeast.
Coming from the west, take the Queen Elizabeth Way east to Westchester Ave/Regional Rd 91 in St. Catharines. Take exit 6 from ON-406 S, and merge onto Westchester Ave/Regional Rd 91. Turn right onto Geneva St/Regional Rd 46, left onto Race St. Right again onto Carlisle S, and finally left onto St Paul St to reach FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Coming from the east, take the QEW/Queen Elizabeth Way west to Dieppe Rd in St. Catharines. Take exit 44. Take Welland Ave/Regional Rd 77 to St Paul St. Merge onto Dieppe Rd, then turn left onto Welland Ave/Regional Rd 77, then left again onto Geneva St/Regional Rd 46. Finally, slight right onto St Paul St to reach FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Coming from the north, from Toronto’s Union Station take the GO Lakeshore West train westbound to West Harbour, exit the train at Burlington Station, Board the GO 12 bus Eastbound to Niagara Falls, Exit at Fairview Mall, walk to the Fairview Mall stop and board the St Catherines 309 bus inbound to St Catherines downtown terminal, exit at St Catherines downtown terminal, walk half a block (approximately 3 minutes) east on Carlisle St, turn right on St Paul St to arrive at your destination.
Or
Take the eastbound GO Niagara Falls train, exit at St Catherines station, walk north on Permilla St, turn right on Henrietta St, turn left on St Paul St and continue until you reach the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Please note: This second option includes an approximately 24 minute walk.
Coming from the east, from the Niagara Falls bus terminal board the Go 12 bus westbound to Burlington Carpool, exit the bus ar Fairview Mall, walk to the Fairview Mall stop and board the St Catherines 309 bus inbound to St Catherines downtown terminal, exit at St Catherines downtown terminal, walk half a block (approximately 3 minutes) east on Carlisle St, turn right on St Paul St to arrive at your destination.
The performance will take place in the Mann Raceway Plaza (Backyard of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre).
This area is accessible by entering the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre main entrance on St. Paul Street and taking the elevator down to the Cogeco Lobby (Film House). The doors leading outside have automatic buttons.
The area is also accessible by a paved pathway that starts at the corner of Carlisle and McGuire Streets.
There is a drop off point located in front of the Box Office Entrance on St. Paul Street. Visit the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Parking Information page for more information. A good option is a multi-level covered garage at Garden Park / Carlisle Street has 595 spaces and 26 accessible spaces.
All washrooms are accessible and located indoors near each of the four theatres. A wheelchair is available on site and Front of House Staff are happy to assist our guests. For more information, please visit the City of St. Catharines' Accessibility Policies.
Requests for accommodations and accessible seating can be made during the ticket purchasing process. For any general enquiries about festival accessibility, please contact FFDN at tickets@ffdnorth.com or phone 416-907-5933.
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is on St. Paul Street, part of the Downtown Promenade pedestrianised zones happening through Oct. 1st, 2022.
Downtown St Catherines boasts over 70 restaurants and counting. A small sampling of what is available is included below. Be sure to check out a more extensive list of great places to eat and drink HERE.
Dining
Fiddler’s Pour House
149 St. Paul Street, St Catherines ON, L2R 3M5
Local brew pub with seasonal craft beer and food / $$
https://www.fiddlerspourhouse.com/
Eh José Taqueria
45 James Street, St Catherines ON, L2R3H8
Authentic Mexican food /$$
https://www.ehjosetaqueria.ca/
129 King Street, St Catherines, ON L2R 5C1
All you can eat Japanese BBQ / $$
https://www.eaststcatharines.com/
24 St. Paul Street, St Catherines, ON, L2R 3M2
Share plates, wine, cocktails / $$
https://districttapasbar.com/
Bansaree Authentic Indian Cuisine
342 St. Paul Street, St Catherines, ON L2R 3N2
Casual Indian Food / $$
http://www.bansareeindian.com/
Lodging
Heart of Niagara Hotel Group:
Holiday Inn and Suites
327 Ontario Street
St. Catharines ON, L2R 5L3
Toll-Free: 1-877-688-2324
https://www.heartofniagara.ca/holidayinn/
Best Western
2 North Service Rd
St. Catharines ON, L2N 4G9
Toll-Free: 1-877-688-2324
https://www.heartofniagara.ca/bestwestern/
Hampton Inn (by Hilton)
89 Meadowvale Dr
St. Catharines ON. L2N 3Z8
Toll-Free: 1-877-688-2324
https://www.heartofniagara.ca/hamptoninn/
This programme is co-presented with
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000 square foot cultural complex comprised of four state-of-the-art performance venues located downtown St. Catharines, Ontario on the shared traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and many other Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. The PAC hosts a signature presentation of international and local performing artists and plays a vital role in the renaissance of downtown St. Catharines, serving as the catalyst in modernizing the area and reinforcing the brilliance of the Niagara region’s diverse cultural cluster. The PAC aims to provide meaningful opportunities to bring our community together in a place of mutual understanding, empathy and respect through the arts.
“The team at FirstOntario PAC are excited to strengthen the partnership with our colleagues at Fall for Dance North (FFDN). Heirloom will not only entertain, but also inspire the community right here in our backyard. We can’t wait to see how FFDN will transform and animate our outdoor space for this incredible production.”
- Sara Palmieri, FirstOntario PAC Director of Programming and Marketing
Visitors to FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre no longer need to show proof of vaccination; however the staff and volunteers at FOPAC remain fully vaccinated and will continue to wear masks.
In addition, enhanced sanitation protocols, increased ventilation and other health measures remain in place.
FOPAC recommends that everyone continue following public health guidance by getting vaccinated for COVID-19, including getting your booster shot, staying home if you are sick, and washing or sanitising your hands frequently. Please note this is an outdoor event where masking is not mandatory.