|
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
Very Strong ...
What the Critics
say... The Green Zone
Iris Yudai
A Singular Creation
Jolene Bailie, according to her program notes, has performed an astounding 200 solo concerts. That partially explains her poise, intensity and comfort level during her Gearshifting Performance Works season at the Joyce SoHo February 21-23, 2008. But as her own artistic director, she smartly chose two other choreographers to join her on the program, who, though cognizant of her strength and endurance, were able to reflect other sides of this intriguing performer. A pre-show video by Hugh Conacher was playing in loop as the audience came in. Jo’s Toes was exactly that and was the only really carefree moment in the evening, especially as Bailie’s feet remained suspended and wiggly and doing other things they are not supposed to do. More compelling was Switchback to a forceful drumming score by Jared Powell and Aphex Twinn. In an outstanding costume, created in collaboration with Anne Armit and the Royal Winnipeg ballet Wardrobe Department, Bailie resembled a bird, a reptile, and a warrior. It featured a Mohawk-like headpiece and an exaggerated fin along her spine. As this isolated creature she moved over a reflective floor covering, squatting, arching, rolling slowly over an through her shoulder and hip joints. With precision she strikes an off center pose. She rest as one foot is stuck, or folded into, the crease of a best knee. Brutally pulling herself across the slick flooring the slide is laborious. Repetitive head turns, like the twitching of a woodpecker or the twist of an assembly line screw, secure the sense that Bailie gives herself outlandish tasks. In the end the image is of a universal, beleaguered being, romanticized or idolized but still alone.
Marie-Josee Chartier, a choreographer, who like Bailie, is
primarily based in Bailie’s currency is abstraction of her body but in walking thru myself, Joe Laughlin throws concrete gestures into Bailie’s sharpness. Making her way around a set of oddly angles wooden letters during a scratchy sounding score of Sheila Chandra and the Ganges Orchestra she plays East Indian dance, rocks and weight shifts, repeats patterns of slapping, turning, falling down and jumping up. She walks upstage, turns, smiles, and a “The End” sign lights up. Not really having a beginning, middle or an end, Bailie’s program stands on it’s own, as she does. With only short pauses between each piece Bailie shapes the time with her own body and it’s inherent pace. She seems to erase away irrelevance and is one of the few dancer/choreographers I’ve seen recently who presents an integrated, completed image of music, costume, lighting, and movement. I want to keep seeing Bailie’s work. She’s a great ambassador, for the north of the border contingent. Marilyn Russo Attitude, The Dancer’s
Magazine, Vol. 22, No.1, Spring 2008
Something Old, something new Jolene
Bailie offers a mix-bag showcase in
Evolution Contemporary dancer Jolene Bailie is shifting into high gears these days. Her one-woman company, Cuppa Jo, was officially renamed Gearshifting Performance Works last December. She currently has two new world premieres under her belt, including a newly commissioned solo from acclaimed Canadian choreographer, Marie-Josee Chartier.
And now she’s Thus it is that a capacity crowd was offered a sneak peak of the New York program on February 10, including Chartier’s Terrain (2008), inspired by the choreographers admiration of the Prairie landscape and te writings of Anne Michaels. The Toronto-based
artist is perhaps best known for her harrowing work,
Screaming Popes,
presented last April by Bailie’s signature piece, Switchback (2006), has been going through its own evolution as well. The riveting solo features the dancer as an otherworldly, feral, creature that jerks and pounds its way through the rumbling score of Jarred Powell and Aphex Twinn. The new version is more polished, with Bailie even appearing as a quasi-Roman gladiator, thanks to RWB’s designer’s Anne Armits revised costume. …the dancer’s mind-numbing physicality – which objectifies her body as she contorts her limbs into amphibious appendages – will dazzle those seeing the work for the first time…raw tension and volatile energy…. Three younger
dancers from Bailie’s mentorship program, SURGE – Sarah Helmer, Emma Rose and
Mark Sawh Medrano, all students at the S Uptown Magazine, February 14, 2008 Holly Harris
Private
i
Studio 16 Winnipeg dance artist Jolene Bailie is a festival favourite, and no wonder. Her latest meditation on life offers an hour of evidence that innovation is everything in performance art. Bailie begins by dancing in silence. Not for her, mind you, because she has the ubiquitous iPod that allows so many people to tune out reality. Eventually she'll let us in on the secret, by sidling up to a microphone and revealing the lush sound of Toronto musician Paul AuCoin and his "indie supergroup" the Hylozoists. Hylozoism is the belief that all matter has life. Bailie and her sparkly shoes certainly do, and with that hypnotic music now freed from its little earphones, we can delight in watching the dancer delight in her angular momentum. Crafted by Calgary's very clever Denise Clarke, Private i ranges in its choreography from the broad humour of a dance motif rooted in jealousy, right down to the dancer's toes, to a "horrors of war" segment that highlights the brutality of what happens when bullets meet victims. Thursday, September 13,
2007
|
|
That
Rare Breed Called Soloist
Chasing Bliss by Jolene Bailie for Cuppa Jo Solo Dance by Kaija Pepper for The Dance Current Magazine Vancouver: September 10-18, 2005
The twenty-seven-year-old Winnipeg dancer is busy establishing herself as one of that rare breed called soloist. Last March, Bailie was at the Ninth International Solo Dance-Theatre Festival in Stuttgart, and the six performances of Chasing Bliss at the Vancouver Fringe Festival are part of her third national Fringe tour.
In Chasing Bliss, Bailie performs as if she is in love with the act of
dancing, sweeping the audience up with her in the exhilarating physicality
of her art form. The mixed bill of four solos was well chosen, especially
for the theatre crowd who attends the Fringe. It includes lots of
character-driven movement, with passion and humour more often than
mysterious angst. Chasing Bliss is a warm, accessible show, the kind that
makes everyone understand why someone would be attracted to this art form
in the first place. The vitality of the moment was tangible, and worries
about what the works were about fell by the wayside. Not that Bailie
panders to the lowest common denominator. It’s just that in her hands and
feet even the most modern abstractions become the bliss.
Another work from the archives was Rachel Browne’s “Freddy”.
Winnipeg-based choreographer Browne brought this work to Vancouver’s
Dancing on the Edge Festival the year of its premiere, 1991, and images of
the delightfully campy solo, set to music by Kurt Weill and performed by
Sharon Moore, have stayed with me since. Bailie presented an excerpt
entitled “Tango”, although if she had danced the whole work it might have
filled out the under-an-hour-long evening.
The evening opened and closed with more abstract pieces, beginning with
the premiere of one of Bailie’s own choreographies, “Bell/Anti-Bell,” and
ending with Joe Laughlin’s “walking thru myself”, created for Bailie in
2003. In “Bell/Anti-Bell,” Bailie gave herself the kind of pretzel-making
shapes and split legs that sometimes obliterate any real interpretive
interest. Not so here. In a partially transparent purple tunic, she moves
from yoga pose to gymnastic excess so smoothly it seems inevitable. Set to
a score by Brett Dean that features spooky-sounding violins and a
telephone operator’s annoying instructions, the piece seems to touch on
modern day alienation, but Bailie is no modern dance automaton. Despite
her extreme physicality, she remains warm and human.
As for the thoroughly uplifting Chasing Bliss, it was the kind of show
to which you could bring someone –- anyone -– new to dance and be
confident they would not feel mystified and alienated. I’d like to see
Jolene Bailie perform in a more formal venue, one where she could forget
the excerpts, have an intermission if needed, and really take both herself
and the audience on a journey. |
Cuppa Jo provides a blissful fringe experienceDancer's endearing presence makes show one of the Fringe's must-sees
Chasing Bliss is a must-see
µµµµµ
Amidst the endless ringing, beeping and buzzing known as modern communication, answering the call of our bliss is easier said than done. In her latest solo dance offering, Winnipeg-native Jolene Bailie takes a closer look at the pursuit of happiness and the road blocks it prevents.
Chasing Bliss gets off to a saucy start with a tongue-and-cheek tribute to telephone queuing and its rage-inducing reassurances. ("Your call is important to us" just doesn't cut it after two hours on hold). From the moment Bailie takes the stage, her presence is endearing. This dancer demonstrates impressive breadth through bound and unbound energy, skilfully articulating her movements to the tune of every last finger and toe.
Watching Bailie is a pleasure as her effortless transitions from liquid to static are an energized reflection of real-life conundrums.
Chasing Bliss is a must-see Fringe for dancers and non-dancers alike.
September 18, 2005The Vancouver SunMelissa Poll
Cuppa Jo: Chasing Bliss
Bailie may be chasing bliss through the creative process. Watching her I found it.
I could have watched Winnipeg's Jolene Bailie dance all night. A chameleon on two legs, Bailie assumes a new persona in each of her four solos. In "Bell/Anti-Bell", her own work, she rings the tocsin with her many jointed body, her torso, pelvis and limbs undulating back and forth like Gumby. the sonorous peal gives away to the shrill of a phone. As she is repeatedly put on hold, Bailie contorts her limbs into shapes that reflect her inner frustrations. "Thank you for holding," says the phone company voice, "your feelings are important to us." In "Freddy", Rachel Browne's brilliant little hats-off to German cabaret, Bailie wears sideburns, moustache, pants and vest with watch chain. She vamps like a Buenos Aires lounge lizard in a tango danced to Teresa Strata's songs. An excerpt from "Dances For Isadora" by Jose Limon is a stylish period piece recalling the great Isadora Duncan's florid freeform. Joe Laughlin's "walking thru myself" is a surreal journey through cut-out letters of the alphabet scattered around the stage, while a voice-over mutters "the world of words is meaningless" - a cheeky finale for a dance program. Bailie may be chasing bliss through the creative process. Watching her I found it.
September 14, 2005The Vancouver Courier
Chasing Bliss
rating: A
Winnipeg's Jolene Bailie wowed the crowd with the four-segment
dance show Chasing Bliss. Bailie is an immensely talented dancer, driven by
passion, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Beginning with her own creation,
Bell/Anti Bell, a stunning piece which captures humour, frustration, and a zen-like
calm in its relatively short span, bailie set the bar high but did not
disappoint. Several other pieces illustrated Bailie's versatility as a dancer.
The performance ended with the complex and dazzling Joe Laughlin work, walking
thru myself, in which Bailie's ingénue wound her way through letters littered
around the stage, coaxing a story from tem. Bailie's work is self-assured and
ambitious, and her abilities seem endless.
Uptown Magazine
August 04, 2005
The Jenny Revue
Robin Chase
July 23, 2005
CHASING BLISS
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Bailie's artistry is potent,
flavourful, complex, and will force your eyes open to her excellence
Winnipeg's Jolene Bailie, who calls her solo company Cuppa Jo, pours a generous cup of challenging contemporary dance that ain't no wimpy decaf. Bailie is usually barefoot. But the highlight of this diverse five-work show comes when she dons black shoes and digs into muscular, streetwise blues, After Words, by Gaile Petursson-Hiley. Accompanied by John Cale's blazing slide guitar, Bailie becomes a scrappy urban survivor whose deep, deep backwards bending is soulful poetry.
This slender, long-haired brunette - a chameleon who transforms her look for each piece - delivers not just stellar technique and compelling stage presence, but an actor's performance from the neck up. An intense new piece of her own making, Bell/Anti Bell, is weird enough to be off-putting, alternating the frustration of telephone-hold hell with the blissful calm of yoga. And a political themed excerpt from the five-piece Dances for Isadora lacks power in the absence of the other four dances.
Despite such clouds in the coffee, this is THE solo dance performance to catch at the fringe. Like a mug of java brewed by an expert, Bailie's artistry is potent, flavourful, complex, and will force your eyes open to her excellence.
The Winnipeg Free Press
Alison Mayes
July 22, 2005
CHASING BLISS
a
surreal dreamscape that will keep you wide awake
Not a contemporary dance aficionado? Don't worry, you'll appreciate the art after seeing local dancer Jolene Bailie submerge herself in a series in a series of characters in this enthralling dramatic piece. Bailie pays tribute to dance icon Isadora Duncan, portrays a woman living in a pre-Nazi Germany, play a silent film heroine and dons other personae - along with stunning costumes - while contorting her body into pretzel-like shapes and executing staccato and raw dance movements set to a haunting soundtrack. The final, beautiful sequence is a surreal dreamscape that will keep you wide awake.
Sabrina Carnevale
The Winnipeg Sun
July 22, 2005
CHASING BLISS
defiant, funny and entertaining
The words graceful, deep and sensual are often used to describe a dance performer. But in Winnipegger Jolene Bailie’s case, I’m more apt to choose defiant, funny and entertaining. In her five-part modern dance show Chasing Bliss, Bailie starts off strong. First with a macabre but humorous depiction of a female cross-dresser in pre-Nazi Germany. Her next dance has her writhing on the stage in a full-body explosion of frustration at the torment of waiting on hold for a telephone operator to pick up (something we can all relate to). The eclectic and lively musical choices help propel Chasing Bliss to a colourful finale. Dance training is an asset, but is not required to enjoy this performance.
CBC
Jessica Grillanda
Jolene Bailie acts and dances superbly while evoking
dance legend Isadora
Duncan in Chasing Bliss
The spirit is pure Duncan, the technique is Limon, and Bailie masters both brilliantly.
Winnipeg dancer Jolene Bailie is a slight young woman with a huge stage presence and the maturity to take on both the choreography of Toronto's Marie-Josee Chartier and the legendary persona of Isadora Duncan.
In a fringe show called Chasing Bliss, she evokes images of the sea in A Short Voyage, a solo commissioned from Chartier. Bailie alternately appears to go with the flow of harness the power of waves in this dance, set to penetrating music for cello composed by Linda Smith. With an awed look on her face, the dancer recedes into darkness like a traveller moving onto the darkness.
Dances for Isadora, created by Jose Limon and first performed in 1971, pays tribute to the life and art of the revolutionary artist who danced in Communist Russia, married a millionaire, lost her two children in the Seine and died a bizarre death in 1927, strangled by her scarf when it caught in the wheel of a moving sports car.
Bailie shows as much range as an actor as she has a dancer, performing each of Limon's short solos marking the five stages in Duncan's life. She appears to age before our eyes, dancing from youthful nymph to blousy matron remembering her former triumphs. The spirit is pure Duncan, the technique is Limon and Bailie masters both brilliantly.
Susan Walker
The Toronto Star
July 08, 2005
Dancer Jolene Bailie is captivating in two solo selections, inhabiting each moment of her performance with a tangible emotional presence. In the first piece, A Short Voyage by Marie-Josée Chartier, Bailie conveys manic distress, contorting on the floor or running around its perimeter. It's a nice intro to the showpiece, Bailie's recreation of a 1971 tribute to dance icon Isadora Duncan, called Dances for Isadora. Her sensuous moves are accented by a flowing scarlet shift, among other costumes, and Bailie's own flowing mane. There's even an allusion to Duncan's tragic end. Bailie's fearless style is easily appreciated in this up-close venue.
Eye Magazine
July 14, 2005
Where wonderful collides with awful
Dancing on the Edge (excerpt from a review that included many other artists)
July 7-16, 2005
delivers the dance goods, shows us how
Isadora did it and why people went wild over her. Bailie matches, possibly
exceeds the material.
Jose Limon's Dances for Isadora presented challenges and pleasures.
This was a look backward a couple of generations. Mexican-born Jose Limon was part of the fermenting modern dance scene in New York in the 1930's.
He formed his own company in 1946, and produced one of teh only modern dance pieces of that era to remain alive in the repertories of companies today, The Moor's Pavane, a retelling of the Othello story by means of Renaissance court dance.
Limon considered Isadora Duncan to be his true mentor, and composed a five-part dance love poem to her in 1971. The piece, set on Winnipeg dancer Jolene Bailie by Nina Watt of the Limon Company, evokes the iconic stage monster in different phases of her tumultuous life.
It did not come as a surprise that the work is dated. But Dances does harness something of Duncan's reported power. Her steps are said to have been everyday - skips, runs, twirls - and her magic to have resided in her ability to gather momentum with such simple building blocks, to contrast movement and stillness, to appear emotionally naked on stage.
Bailie gives us this. Dressed in wisps of chiffon, she paints accurate portraits of Duncan (gamboling with heightened energy, staggering with grief, overblown and indulgent) but she also delivers the dance goods, shows us how Isadora did it and why people went wild over her. Bailie matches, possibly exceeds the material.
Deborah Meyers
The Vancouver Sun
July 14, 2005
Winnipeg solo dancer Jolene Bailie....captures the fey, expressionistic style of American dance pioneer Isadora Duncan and her classical Greek aesthetic...Long-haired, striking, Bailie is a charming dancer.
Paula Citron
The Globe and Mail
July 12, 2005
It takes guts, stamina, and a
truckload of confidence to perform an entire show as a solo dancer.
Winnipegger Jolene Bailie pulled it off two weeks ago with Chasing Bliss, which
featured a stunningly assured homage to Isadora Duncan.
Alison Mayes
The Winnipeg Free Press
May 29, 2005
CUPPA
JO: NEW WORKS
"... a giddy fool engaged in the serious process of creation.
Whoever she is, this creature is
revelling in the world of dance: associative, celebratory, visceral."
With Gaile Petursson-Hiley's After Words, the program has
edge; brutal falls to the floor erase the memory of soulful extensions. And the
fourth bit, Joe Laughlin's walking thru myself, gets really interesting.
Wearing a bobbed black wig, Bailie wanders through letters of the alphabet that
are scattered around the stage; she poses coquettishly, and walks awkwardly,
feet on her hands. Her character seems to be both a club kid and a goddess, a
giddy fool engaged in the serious process of creation. Whoever she is, this
creature is revelling in the world of dance: associative, celebratory, visceral.
Colin Thomas
The Georgia Straight
September 2004
Cuppa Jo: New Works
![]()
![]()
![]()
1/2
"guaranteed to enthral"
Past Fringe fave, Jolene Bailie returns with new
modern dance pieces guaranteed to enthral. With different choreographers for
each work and music ranging from John Cale to Sheila Chandra, Bailie is
captivating, whether drifting across a bare stage or twisting between the
letters of the alphabet. Using her body as most Fringe performers speak their
lines, Bailie physically narrates four pieces that are as unique as our own
individual interpretations. Anybody who says there's not enough dance in
Victoria should see Cuppa Jo. You'll want the front row.
September 2-8, 2004
Monday Magazine, Victoria and
The Westender, Vancouver
John Threfall
Cuppa Jo
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
"Bailie delivers a classy, professional
performance that will set off deep quadrants of the imagination."
Though modern dance can be an inaccessible medium, Jolene Bailie's intense human portraits will hook even the neophyte into this hour of arresting drama and struggle.
Bailie's performance rings with a taut energy, as four differing solos are linked together with her halting movements and penetrating eyes that draw the audience into her world.
The performance opens with Just a Few Broken Columns - a solo derived from choreographer Bill Evans' anger at the war in Iraq. The woman in this solo is clearly tormented. She barely has time to catch her breath before another pang chases her across the stage again. A Short Voyage is a baffling and intense piece, choreographed by Marie-Josee Chartier, while After Words is a powerful struggle between a woman and her unseen oppressor.
Walking Thru Myself, choreographed by Joe Laughlin, is a dreamy exploration of a diva's heart, a lovely yet terrible characterization - one second Bailie scratches intently at her skin, the next she moves with thrilling happiness.
Bailie delivers a classy, professional performance that will set off deep quadrants of the imagination.
August 30, 2004
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Caroline Skeleton
Cuppa Jo is worth seconds
five out of five Suns
"Here is a rare opportunity to share
an hour with a superlative artist
obviously at the top of her game."
According to the program for Cuppa Jo, Winnipeg dancer Jolene Bailie has
been around for some time. She comes to the fringe with an impressive
background, including work with some internationally well-known teachers and
choreographers.
As far as I know, this is Bailie’s first appearance in Edmonton. If so, local audiences are indeed fortunate to be present at the beginning of a major career in contemporary dance.
Not since Margie Gillis began appearing here regularly has there been such a thrill of the discovery in the dance.
Angular and slim, Bailie exhibits a complete mastery and control. Long arms and legs allow her to fill the stage, punctuating and underlining her moves – sometimes sinuous and fluid and other times with herky-jerky movements characteristic of modern dance.
Even her long, expressive fingers stretch out, filling and animating the surrounding blackness.
The dancer’s balance is amazing as she performs complex rhythmical movements – sometimes standing on one foot. Although her form stretches into quite extreme contours, she never gives the impression of anything but ease and command. She is no uncomfortable contortionist, just a superlative dancer in complete control of her medium.
Her program is aesthetically and intellectually pleasing to watch, including works by such well-known choreographers as Bill Evans, Marie-Josée Chartier and Joe Laughlin. The music ranges from shards of exotic sound in an Indian-influenced work to a witty composition from contemporary dance favourite (and Velvet Underground founder) John Cale.
Here is a rare opportunity to share an hour with a superlative artist obviously at the top of her game. Mark Cuppa Jo down as a don’t miss.
Friday,
August 13, 2004
The Edmonton Sun
Colin MacLean
Cuppa Jo
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
"Jolene Bailie's relaxed athleticism is engrossing."
Cuppa Jo is one of those occasional modern dance performances that allows those
of us who don't particularly like dance to enjoy the remarkable mixture of
movement and sound. Great music and choreography combined with Jolene Bailie's
relaxed athleticism is engrossing. Over the course of the four pieces, Bailie
covers a surprising range of emotions, from loneliness to a dynamic
light heartedness.
August
16-25
Vue Weekly, Edmonton
James Elford
Cuppa Jo: she's smart in
ways that you can feelµµµµ
"...a physical lexicon that even a dance
ignoramus (such as your reviewer) can't help but find affecting, intriguing and
aesthetically satisfying."
Jolene Bailie's program - the one you get handed at the door -is rather sweet, really. (Seek one out, even if you don't plan to go). The dancer wants very much for you not to be intimidated by the fact that the four pieces that comprise Cuppa Jo are abstract. If you're not the trusting kind, she provides a little background. If, however, you take her at her word and just kinda watch, you'll be treated to a short visit with an assured and capable artist - "capable" in both physical and intellectual senses. As the pieces move from visions of fear and anger through to sexy confidence, Bailie's invokes a physical lexicon that even a dance ignoramus (such as your reviewer) can't help but find affecting, intriguing and aesthetically satisfying.
August 16-22
See Magazine, Edmonton
Kevin Wilson
INSIDE THE
FRINGE µµµµµ
"Watching
Bailie perform is a surreal experience."
I was on the edge of my seat,
craning to see dancer Jolene Bailie and her every move. And I was just one
row back.
You see, when Bailie dances, she is breathtaking. I didn't want to miss
anything and I certainly couldn't look away.
Bailie's solo dance performance, entitled Cuppa Jo, is a treat well-beyond any
caffeinated beverage.
Through four finely choreographed dance routines, the Winnipeg-based dancer
battles with external and internal forces. This requires flexibility and
skill. You can see her emotions ooze out from her flexed toes, limp
fingers or vibrant kicks.
The 60 minute dance floated by and kept me enraptured from scene to scene.
Bailie is physically amazing.
She changed from statuesque, on tip-toe, reaching out of herself - pulled up by
the heavens - then reduced her body into a tiny contracted ball of vulnerability
- crushed or cowering from another invisible force. She is a beautiful
dancer, strong and dazzling.
Bailie moved from anguished and frail, fighting some indescribable torment in the first song, to the final act where she played a coquette, full of nerves, but cheeky enough to make you smile, side-stepping large foam alphabet props.
Watching Bailie perform is a surreal experience. Her haunting performance sticks and I'm sure I'll think about Cuppa Jo long after Fringe week wraps up. This is a must see performance and a treat.
Chantal Eustace
The Star Phoenix, Saskatoon
August 2004
Go See Cuppa Jo
Took my breath away....audio to come....
CBC
Bill Robinson
DANCE NO LONGER ON THE MARGINS AT THE FRINGE FESTIVAL
"the
strength of coiled steel and the pliancy of rubber"
Solo performers impress by a varied combination of means. In some way, they have to be physically arresting. They must also move with unswayable conviction and they need to have something to say, even if the words - in this case of dance, the moves - come from someone else. A soloist cannot dance from the surface. There has to be poetry and soul.
Bailie combines all these characteristics and more. Although her body might at first seem willowy, it has the strength of coiled steel and the pliancy of rubber. With a solid grounding in ballet technique, Bailie has a keen sense of where her physical centre rests but uses this to move with surety in off-centered directions that are more typical of modern dance.
Like another famous Canadian solo dancer, Margie Gillis, Bailie has long brown hair, although she does not make it part of her visual signature. In one of her three Fringe solos Bailie wears it in a bun and in another she buries it entirely under a black pageboy wig.
And Bailie is versatile. A different choreographer has created each of her solos and she adapts admirably to their particular requirements. In American choreographer, Bill Evans' "Just a Few Broken Columns", Bailie is in dramatic mode, evoking the image of an oppressed yet defiant woman, hands alternately clenched or contorted into claw-like appendages. In Toronto choreographer Marie-Josee Chartier's moodily lit "A Short Voyage", Bailie seems to travel into an interior realm of hidden thoughts and anxieties marked by difficult balances and contorted floor work. The tone is edgy and fraught. Them, for Vancouver choreographer Joe Laughlin's "walking thru myself", Bailie becomes a screen character - probably of her own dreamlike imagination - as she negotiates a stage littered with large cut-out letters to score of distorted voices and South Asian vocal rhythms.
Michael Crabb
The National Post
Monday, July 05, 2004
Cuppa Jo
µµµµ½
"an ideal way for
neophytes and aficionados alike to appreciate the possibilities of the form"
Jolene Bailie's impressive performance of four modern dance pieces is an ideal way for neophytes and aficionados alike to appreciate the possibilities of the form. The works are ordered so that they become progressively more unconventional, evoking and portraying emotions that grow increasingly erratic and unsettling. It's not merely the juxtaposition of dance styles that make this a satisfying buffet. The costumes range from a sexy shift to a two-piece number like Tarzan's Jane might have worn. The fourth piece features music that's more like a fascinating pattern of rhythmic buzzes, which makes you realize that the first piece wasn't as outré as you might have thought.
Toronto Eye Weekly
July 08, 2004
Ten shows you shouldn't miss: Comedy, drama and
choreography
"This expressive Winnipeg-based
dancer has been praised from coast to coast."
If the Fringe were a box of chocolates, it would probably be the box that's been
reduced to clear at the drug store because it fell off the shelf, its contents
all cracked and dented. Nevertheless, the perfect cherry cordial is there to be
found. Here are the top 10 shows at this year's Fringe that you'll be happy to
bite into….
Cuppa Jo, by Jolene Bailie. This expressive Winnipeg-based dancer has been
praised from coast to coast. Here, she performs solo works by some of Canada's
best-known choreographers, including Montreal's Marc Boivin, Toronto's
Marie-Josee Chartier and
Vancouver's Joe
Laughlin…
J. Kelly Nestruck
The National Post
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Three new pieces a perfect
showcase for dancer's style
"pure dance with
phenomenal flexibility, torrents of emotion, and an aesthetic reach that never
exceeds her grasp"
She's been compared to other soloists with long tresses, such as Canada's Margie Gillis and even the famous Isadora Duncan. Yet Jolene Bailie's hair is only one aspect of this deftly original artist who doesn't need the drama of a cascading coiffure - or any other theatrical device, for that matter.
Hers is pure dance with phenomenal flexibility, torrents of emotion, and an aesthetic reach that never exceeds her grasp.
At a Thursday preview of her Cuppa Jo show with three world premieres of three new works by three gifted choreographers - Montreal's Marc Boivin, Toronto's Marie-Josée Chartier and Vancouver's Joe Laughlin - Bailie's instincts in finding the right dances for her style paid off handsomely in this production. It opened last night at the WCD Studio theatre, with both Boivin and Chartier in town during the production.
The Winnipeg-based dancer's expressive, distinctively pre-Raphaelite features suited Boivin's soulful To Somewhere Else. A large white canvas backdrop is the only set piece, and lighting designer Hugh Conacher's expansive lighting effect makes it look as if Bailie is dancing inside a high atrium or cathedral. The mostly angular, hinged movements of the choreography are performed with superhuman precision.
Her flexibility is also showcased in this dance, and many lesser dancers wouldn't be able to take it to the level she achieves. Standing on tiptoe, reaching skyward, her body extends up and up, her torso elongates yet further, then in another sequence, she contracts into a small space. Her body expands with the music and then, like a tide, recedes again.
Bailie is a virtuoso dancer with impeccable balance and control. In To Somewhere Else and also in Chartier's edgy, neurotic piece, A Short Voyage, Bailie lifts a leg, extends it, and holds it in the air or cradles it while balancing on one foot, sometimes while doing one-eighth turns.
A Short Voyage, which has a subtle Arabic or Middle Eastern flavour, also features an interesting lighting effect where Bailie is motionless on the floor as she watches something, perhaps a train car, move past her.
Audiences expecting to see her long hair down may be surprised to see that Bailie keeps it in a bun throughout and even wears a shorter, dark hairpiece in the last dance. This is a wise choice. While her hair is a good prop for some dances, it shouldn't become Bailie's only signature, because she has so much else to offer.
Laughlin's whimsical walking thru myself assumes an altogether different tome than the first two dances on the ticket. While Chartier's piece relies mostly on lighting rather than set and costume, the last piece has large Styrofoam alphabet letters dispersed on the floor and smaller letters drifting past that dancer's eye level on an invisible line.
Dresses in a dark wig, Bailie plays out a kind of waking dream where she is the heroine in a surrealistic silent screen drama, and at the last moment she poses beside a sign that says "The End".
At 60 minutes, the show is compact enough, but this is the kind of production where you wish there was even one more dance to enjoy since Bailie just seems to be getting started. Well, always leave 'em wanting more, right?
Garth Buchholz
The Winnipeg Free Press
May 08, 2004
CUPPA JO
"A captivating performance with flawless
movements and innovative choreography."
A captivating performance with flawless movements and innovative choreography. The life and specificity of these pieces bore themselves into my inner being and moved me greatly. Jolene is striking and expressive and completely sustains the essence of each piece. Stunning costumes and infectious music.
(L.J.)
Terminal City Weekly
Sept. 12, 2003
CUPPA JO
"Jolene Bailie carves out a fascinating poetic
space."
In the first three of the four dances on this program, Jolene Bailie carves out a fascinating poetic space. Her powerful, supple body can be as awkward, angular, and off-balance as it can be steely, streamlined, and controlled. The sum is as deeply human, vulnerable, and appealingly androgynous as a well-muscled small-town girl. In the fourth piece, choreographer Stephanie Ballard's Mara, Bailie turns into a mermaid, hair flowing, breasts almost visible beneath the sheer bodice of her dress. It's transporting.
Colin Thomas
The
Georgia Straight
Sept. 11, 2003
Fringe: Great
Price for Talent
![]()
![]()
1/2
"Bailie is a world-class talent"
Winnipeg’s Jolene Bailie is a gifted modern dancer at the top of her game. With the rather inelegantly named Cuppa-Jo, she performs four short dances that are deeply powerful and satisfying.
Nothing will impress more than the finale, Mara, choreographed by Stephanie Ballard, in which Bailie transforms herself into a Pre-Raphaelite fantasy of astonishing beauty.
Already long-limbed, the dancer - having finally set free her long, hair – at first appears to have become a giant (she’s actually standing on a pedestal concealed by her long, flowing dress). Set to Saint-Seans silvery piano arpeggios, the lyricism of Bailie's movements is shot through with subtle balletic references.
The overall effect is unremittingly sensual and romantic, yet there is much diversity here. Sometimes Bailie, back to the audience, does a shimmering tip-toe shuffle; at one point she surprises us with a graceful cartwheel; elsewhere she poses, eyes cast sideways like a silent film star.
Ballard’s choreography also opens the performance, which is 45 minutes in total. Etude, is set to Stefka Sabotinova’s mystic, Eastern European sounding singing, which provides a soulful sonic backdrop. Combined with certain repeated gestures, such as hand-cupped-to-the-ear listening pose, the effect is subtly folkloric. Bailie's dancing is primal, archetypal and at the same time dramatic.
The Illegibility of This World, created by Julia Sasso, carries a suggestion of repressed violence and oppression. Electric music – pure rhythms that sometimes sound organic and sometimes robotic – result in movements that seem curiously imprisoned, only to burst free in frenzied outbursts.
Elsewhere, a post-modern blues by John Cale inspired choreographer Gaile Petursson-Hiley to devise a piece called Afterwords, also replete with a thick sense of foreboding.
With tickets selling for $8 and $6, this is a tremendous bargain. Bailie is a world-class talent – a very strong dancer who exudes a wonderful sense of focus, precision and power.
Adrian Chamberlain
Times Colonist
Victoria
August 23, 2003
Enthralling and refreshingly
original dance moves
![]()
![]()
![]()
"a sensory delight of romantic, bewitching and
opulent style"
..... Within four finely choreographed solo dance performances, Jolene Bailie splices elegance and agility with raw, sharp contemporary movements. Each segment gets progressively stronger and entices your imagination to wander further into her emotionally dynamic vibration. The second segment is performed first, without accompanying music – magnifying the audience’s focus – and then amplifies its pace with a crisp electronic beat in the second. Come the third segment, paranoia, torment, fear, ecstasy and flirtation all flash before your eyes, embodied by a miasma of dynamic interchangeability – quite a visual rollercoaster. For the ending performance, Bailie changes the pace and ambiance with a beautiful display of enchanting and seductive fantasy, using long hair and long fluid dress as her instruments of expression. If you fancy a sensory delight of romantic, bewitching and opulent style, add this one to your list.
Monday
Magazine
Victoria
August 28, 2003
Cuppa Jo
![]()
![]()
1/2
"stage presence, passion and superb technical
prowess"
Winnipeg’s Jolene
Bailie served up an extraordinary cup of coffee with her solo dance show called
Cuppa Jo. Her first piece, Etude, choreographed by Stephanie
Ballard, opened the show in silence. You could have heard a pin drop! This
inspired work featured a range of movements from startling claw like hands to
moments of struggle against unseen power. The striking music of Stefka
Sabotinova was matched by the strength of Bailie’s stage presence, passion and
superb technical prowess.
Capping off the evening was the dance piece Mara, a piece last seen by the legendary Margie Gillis. This gem is well worth the price of admission alone! Bailie had me spellbound and almost out of my chair. Long waving hair and tales of magic and mermaids emerged from yards of fabric creating a ten foot tall creature of beauty!
The three years spent developing this highly professional show are evident. Bailie is a superb and engaging performer. You may think that modern dance is not your cup of tea, but I suggest you take time to sit back and enjoy a great Cuppa Jo.
Jackie
Latendresse
Planet S Magazine
Saskatoon, August 07, 2003
CUPPA JO
![]()
![]()
![]()
"This
is something that will linger in the imagination for a long, long while. "
She may be a Cuppa Jo but she's got
gallons of talent. Winnipeg's Jolene Bailie is an independent dancer with a huge
kick in her step.
Four distinct dances choreographed by three artists make for an hour that covers some ground, moving from a kind of nomadic whirling dervish to an electrified mass media twitch, to the final work -- Mara. This surreal dance, choreographed by award-winning Stephanie Ballard, moves into some other stratosphere along with the mermaids and fairies who must have helped the Royal Winnipeg Ballet wardrobe department make Bailie's dress. This is something that will linger in the imagination for a long, long while.
Tamara Bodi
Winnipeg Free Press
July
22, 2003
Bailie
Mesmerizes Through Movement
"Even
at rest, Jolene's body trembles in anticipation of her next series of movements,
heightening expectations in her audience."
Mere minutes into Winnipeg
contemporary dancer Jolene Bailie's opening piece, "Etude", you become very much
aware that there is a precision to the litheness of her movements that is
quickening your pulse. And whether it be the high-stepping contortions of her
second piece, "The Illegibility of this World", or the raw athleticism of her
third performance, "Afterwords", you are aware of a visceral response as you
marvel at her seamless fluidity.
But it is in her final piece, "Mara", that Jolene truly displays her brilliance as a solo dancer. Clad in an extremely long trailing dress and with her long hair flowing about her upper body, Jolene transforms herself into a mermaid and the stage becomes her sea, through which she glides sensuously, her form elusive and somehow in substantive. Through her floor movements, we perceive waves where none exist, and when she dances upright, we imagine glistening beads of water dripping from her hair.
Even at rest, Jolene's body trembles in anticipation of her next series of movements, heightening expectations in her audience. And throughout her 45-minute show, she never disappoints
Robin Chase
The Jenny Revue
July 20, 2003
Cuppa-Jo
"a
treat for your right brain"
Once upon a time, back in the decadent 1980's, Winnipeg had a festival of contemporary dance. What ever happened to it? I don't quite know where we'd wedge it in on the calendar, but you'd think that a festival-made city like this could support one. Then again, New York's Isabel Gotzkowsky and Friends, probably the best production I've seen in more than fifteen years of Fringing (and the only one that's to date inspired me to deliberately see it a second time in the same week) played to half empty houses. Those in attendance were wildly rather than moderately enthusiastic, however aesthetic justice demanded that there should have been no empty seats in the venue prior to the amply deserved standing ovations.
Dance is a language I regrettably don't speak, or even necessarily understand all that well. It's not that I have a tin kinaesthetic ear, exactly, so much as I lack the requisite vocabulary and don't speak it often enough to develop and retain it. But I know great beauty when I see it, and I know what I like. Cuppa-Jo is four solo dance performance by Jolene Bailie, whose performance is muscular, fluid, venerable, sensual, numinous. (Am I mistaken, or was the last of these an homage to Margie Gillis?)
Let's talk in terms of comparisons to which Winnipeggers might best relate. IF you've ever marvelled at a performance by Sasha Cohen or Irina Slutskaya, you might be pleasantly surprised to discover that Cuppa-Jo is your cup of, well, Jo. Think of it as a treat for your right brain. Think of it as an antidote to verbal over stimulation. (Cuppa-Jo is, after all, conveniently located in the venue directly adjacent to JEM ROLLS.) And, unlike me, there'll be no short essay question when you're done.
Linda Harlos,
CBC Winnipeg,
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Le Dernier Mot
CUPPA JO
"une excellente
interprète"
La danseuse Jolene Bailie, originaire de Winnipeg; est sans contredit une excellente interprète. Elle nous a offert un triptyque
composé des oeuvres The Illegibilty of this World, de la chorégraphe Julia Sasso, Afterwords, de Gaile Petursson-Hiley et Mara de Stephanie Ballard – qui a déjà été par la légendaire Margie Gillis.
Même si les deuxs premières pièces sont d’un justesse d’interprètation sur laquelle il y peu à redire, il reste que Mra, la toute derniere, nous arrive tel un cadeux des dieux. Jolene Bailie y est splendide et majestueuse de par sa présence charismatique qui séduit le public dès la première ondulation corporolle. Elle se meut telle une sylphide – ou une sirène sur son rocher – au son d’une musique dramatique et enivrante; ses gestes sont de petits coups de fouets ponctuant l’espace. Et que dire de cette chevelure qu’elle projette comme la prolongation de son corps dansant – sans que soit pour autant une pastiche malhabile de Margie Gillis. Elle maîtrise à merveille sa technique et son instrument. Ce fut alors un plaisir de la voir en jouer avec autant d’aisance.
Voir Magazine
Le 26 juin au 2
juillet 2003
Montreal
Pour conclure mon petit samedi pluvieux, je me suis offert Cuppa Jo par l’interprète manitobaine Jolene Bailie. Cuppa Jo est composé de quatre solos créés par quatre choréographes différents. Le premier, Mara, so Stephanie Ballard, une pièce originalement conçue pour Margie Gillis, a bien fait rigoler. Si Bailie l’interprète à la perfection, elle le toutefois avec tant d’humour que c’en est presque un pastiche de Gillis. Par contre, les deux solos suivants, The Illegibility of this World de Julia Sasso et Afterwords de Gailie petursson-Hiley, sont tout à fait sérieux. Tout au long de ces deuz œuvres, on ne peut que constanter le grand talent et le haut niveau technique de Bailie. Superbe à voir! La danseuse conclut sa presenataion de nouveau sous le signe de humour avec Boots, un solo puissant à souhait, où il faut la voir en danseause à gogo avec ses bottes! Bref, un spectatcle donné par une pro qui amuse autant qu’il séduit. Vous avez jusqu’à dimance pour voir ces pièces, qui sont présentées au MAI.
François DuFort
Ici Magazine
Montreal
June 25, 2003
Dancing Around The Edge
"the most demanding kinetics"
...Winnipeg-based dancer Jolene Bailie showed her range by adapting two contrasting pieces by choreographers in that city. Etude, was a graceful, passionate work created by Stephanie Ballard that found flowing vocabulary to match the plaintive song of Stefka Sabotinova. Every move seemed to rise from a strong, centered torso, whether Bailie was slicing arcs with her arms, or clawing at the sky with her fingers. She showed a more powerful side in choreographer Gaile Petursson-Hiley's ode to resilience, After Words, rolling in the air and smashing herself on the floor, or bending backwards and sideways to some unseen force. the herky-jerky piece was highly reminiscent of La La La Human Steps' heyday, but provided the most demanding kinetics of Edge Three.
July 2001
The Georgia Straight
What the Audience says....
That was f*%king amazing!!!! -Lucky Eights
"you
are f#@king fabulous"
-Tanya
Jolene Bailie's new work for 2007, Private i, is absolute proof that there is an extraordinary breadth of her talents and performance skills. A great many people have marvelled at her abilities as a contemporary dancer and there were those among us who were convinced that she would excel as an actor in pure physical theatre. With Private i, Jolene has crossed the threshold into a new realm of theatrical experience. This woman is capable of anything and the scary thought is : The best is yet to come.
Private i is very much a presentation on two levels: 1) It is a look inside the mind of a young, contemporary woman - revealing her inner thoughts and feelings about issues that mnay women her age are concerned with: modern spirituality, war and death, and relationships... and 2) It gives us a peek at what makes Jolene herself tick. The ever present iPod keeps both the audience and Jolene grounded in the 21st century.
There are several dances, each designed to provide a physical choreographed representation of the issues being explored by the character. And Jolene shows us how exceedingly adept she is at conveying emotion and thought through dance and movement. From graceful poignancy through wrenching turmoil, from anger and a sense of futility to hope, happiness and a feeling that the character's life is essentially a good one, Jolene takes full advantage of her amazing talent for physical expression.
It is interesting to note that Jolene had no clue, prior to the creation of the show, that she had any abilities as an actor beyond the limited physical and wordless acting that was included in some of her previous dance shows. Indeed, she was initially very nervous about doing dialogue on stage for the first time in her career. No fears there! Jolene's verbal acting skills are on par with her dance and movement skills - which is to say, they are considerable.
July 27, 2007
Robin Chase, The Phantom Fringer
So, there’s, like, this show… and it’s got a really deep
meaning… even though the character narrating is a little… you know…
maybe sort of shallow? But she wants to grow as a person – and she can
dance.
Private i (created by Denise Clarke) is an expression of one girl’s
feelings about the world through modern dance. A solo show by Jolene
Bailie, it deals with war, jealousy, love, and of course, new shoes. It
begins with 2 projections of Bailie grooving to her iPod, which she
eventually turns off when she comes to the front of the stage and speaks
into the microphone.
Speaking in a breathy, earnest tone, Bailie explains that she just heard
of this new band from Toronto called the Hylozoists. “Hylozoism” is the
belief that all matter contains life, which led her to think about souls
– that sounds like something that she would like to have! Where is her
soul?
This leads to an exquisitely emotional dance, after which Bailie returns
to the mic, shedding her blazer with a final “Well, it’s not in the
jacket.”
Later monologues talk about how she’s “not a jealous person… when I feel
jealousy beginning in my toes, I just keep it there,” and the fear
generated by reading in the newspaper about all the death and
destruction going on.
These topics lend themselves very well to dance, and Bailie really gave
it her all in both the character and choreography. She even sang a
little. I found that the beginning speech was a little long, but after
the show was over I decided that it was worth sitting through for what
followed.
I’ve seen Jolene Bailie perform before, and I’ve found that she
consistently dances with great technique as well as passion. If this
sounds like something you’re interested in, don’t give up on watching a
great show just because the Fringe is over – Bailie often performs in
Winnipeg as Cuppa Jo solo dance.
July 27, 2007
Ksenia Broda-Milian – Churchill High School
Early on in this show, Jolene Bailie defines a hylozoist as someone who believes that all matter has soul. Then she asks : where in here is my soul? The answer reveals itself over the course of the next hour.
Bailie starts out by dancing along to the music on her iPod (which we can't hear, of course) - hasn't everyone who owns one done that at some point? She then sets the stage for her dances with a series of monologues. They run the gamut from the horrors of war to the absolute joy of being in the moment. Oh yes, and a humorous piece about trying to keep her jealousy at bay (it starts in her toes, by the way).
For those of you dance mavens out there, Bailie is a dynamic performer, and she charms and challenges the crowd. The music is provided by The Hylozoists )that's where the word came from), and Bailie drinks it in and makes it her own.
She keeps her winning streak in the fringe going in this one. Where is Jolene Bailie's soul? It's in the dance, man.
July 23, 2007
Karl Eckstand, The Jenny Revue
WOW! Be glad, Winnipeg, to have
dancers like those! A presentation full of deepest passion, progressing art and
clear communication. Never before have I seen such a complex, well-composed and
impressive performance. There is a new language being created, a language that
only a few seem to understand already. But the time will come, where everybody
will understand. What a fascinating new form of communication - without a single
word. Strong, clear, fascinating. Again: Winnipeg, be proud of these artists. Be
proud of those, who make the next steps into a new form of communicating. WOW!
- Flo, July 28, 2006
This is a the most under -
recognized show at the fringe. Should be a five star, should be the ultimate
hot-ticket, she should be sold out. Down right awesome. I haven't been able to
get the images of Bailie out of my head since I saw her opening on Wednesday
night. Everyone should see this show. This woman is incredible.
- Gilbert, July 22, 2006
I've seen most of the pieces in
this performance before and I would pay to see them again (and again!). This
show is incredible! Jolene's dedication and hard work combine to create an
unforgettable show of immense talent. This show should have received 5 stars! If
you haven't seen this show yet do so immediately. It is well worth the $$.
- Elizabeth, July 21, 2006
I've been hearing good things
about Jolene for many years, she is the celebrity of the dance world in
Winnipeg, and I finally made it out to one of her shows. I admit, I went with
high expectations since she is said to be amazing. Well my snotty high
expectations were totally surpassed and she absolutely shocked me. Her show is
so good that I don't know where to begin. She is a special talent and her show
is mind-boggling. She is a genuine artist of the highest calibre. An eclectic
show of genius, strong images, professional level and suitable for everyone.
Every fringer should get their Cuppa Jo!
- Katherine, July 21, 2006
This woman is a dancing machine
and has crafted a real spectacular show. She should be a big star. The show has
a video playing as the audience enters the space that gets one going and excited
before the show starts. It's a very artsy fartsy video, but a nice touch. The
show has four works in it, all really strong. I go and see a lot of dance and
this show is way better than the majority of dance shows I have seen in this
city. Way better, by a long, long shot. It's raw, athletic, you see risks and it
commands your attention. I say "Bravo" and I think everyone should see this
show. A million stars from me.
-Greg, July 21, 2006
Chasing Bliss is amazing!! In the FOUR piece performance, Ms.
Bailie takes us on an emotional and physical roller coaster. What an
extraordinary talent - she can make us laugh and then sob in the next moment.
This is at least a 4 Flower Power show, if not 5 and that perhaps the reviewer
should see the (I assume) new version of the performance!!
-Dave Parsons
Wow! I cannot believe this woman! Jolene Bailie is quite
spectacular. I saw her transform herself into four complete and concise
characters with strength and charisma. I've been a longtime fringer and nothing
has effected me so profoundly as Chasing Bliss. It's not just her bendability
and oddness, but it's her personality and love that shines. I recommend this
show to everyone. It kept the attention of adults, kids and babies! Jolene
Bailie presents an amazing one-woman show that is inspiring, thrilling and
mesmerizing. I give it a 10 out of 10!
-Sam McCaully
The 4 piece program was terrific. She received a "bravo" and
standing ovation.
-Cyndi Forcand
Jolene Bailie´s body language and facial expressions convey emotions, character
and life phases. Jolene Bailie channels Isadora Duncan in "Dances for Isadora".
Chopin´s music heightened my impression that I was watching a silent movie about
the rise and fall of Isadora Duncan. A must for dance buffs.
-Vivianne
I didn't stick around to get an autograph after
your gig this past Sunday. : ) Although I did want to tell you (blatantly) that
you are fucking fabulous! Your entire performance was spellbinding, from your
delightfully charged technical form to your powerful yet surrendering spirit. I
was particularly engaged in dear Joe Laughlin's piece. Perhaps I might be biased
because he is an acquaintance of mine from Vancouver. He is a real gem. Together
your collaboration was awesome.
I don't usually feel so moved to write such letters.
Thank you for your inspiration.
Congratulations!
Absolutely amazing performance. As it had barely started I was drawn to remember my little sister, born profoundly deaf. I "saw" the remainder "thru her eyes". Had she been by my side I know she would have experienced "sound" thru these extraordinary dance stories.
Saskatoon
August 2004
Jolene I love you! I don't think I've ever seen anyone act with their face and body yet without voice so well. Amazing! Come back please!!
Saskatoon
August 2004
Unique, controlled, energizing, great!
Saskatoon
July, 2004
It's an excellent show!
Saskatoon
July, 2004
Jolene Bailie – Cuppa Jo – gave a terrific performance. Creative and alluring she held the audience in rapture.
The Craig
Victoria
August 27, 2003
Fantastic! The perfect Fringe (show) takes you to the edge you always knew was there, and shows you a view you’ve never imagined. Jolene Bailie should be a great star. The world deserves her light.
Roger Soffer
Victoria
August 28, 2003
WOW!
Wish I could find a cuppa java with this much energy and inspiration in it! Jolene Bailie’s flawless and stunning performance will definitely keep your eyes open. It was a visual treat. Grab it now. You’ll be glad you did.
The
Craig
Victoria, August 28, 2003
One cannot help but be impressed by
the lithe movements of Miss Bailie's four renditions of contemporary dance
exhibition. It was her last piece -her portrayal of "Mara" that left the
audience wanting more. 45 minutes is too short.
Gim Ong
Winnipeg, July 20, 2003
Like seeing Margie Gillis again
She's a strong dancer with a fine lyrical ability.
The final piece, Mara, was truly worth the price of admission - and then some! This piece was choreographed quite a few years ago for the remarkable Margie Gillis (or as I like to think of her, Margie Gillis and her hair). Jolene Bailie is the only dancer I can imagine performing this as well as Ms. Gillis. She's superb! The audience holds its collective breath as Bailie transforms herself into a mermaid, a sea anemone, a supple fish. Exquisite!
Kudos to the folks who designed her costumes, particularly Heather MacCrimmon and the RWB Wardrobe dept.
Barb Popel
Winnipeg, July 22, 2003
Our First Time Fringer Friends Liked It Too
We saw Cuppa-Jo a second time and brought a couple of first time Fringers. They too adored "Mara", and were very glad that they had seen Jolene Bailie's show.
There's still time to bring a friend.
Brian Murray Carroll
Winnipeg, July 25, 2003
Home Performances Bio Reviews Articles Repertoire Teaching Gallery Technical Requirements Contact
Jolene is an outstanding performer. Her show is the perfect fringe show - funny, clever, weird and a bit off. Jolene has this uncanny ability to transform herself and it is hard to believe that one person can portray so many emotions and images. Yah, we all know Jolene Bailie is Winnipeg's dancing queen, I must admit I knew of her, but had never seen her. My girlfriend dragged me to see this, and I was not into the idea. But then we got there and everything changed. It's a terrific show and I recommend it to everyone.
Jake | July 22, 2007 08:02 PM, CBC Web review
Jolene Bailie never seizes to amaze me. This year she's plunged herself into dance-theatre and she swims like a fish. A fun, clever and creative show that leaves you as it should at the end - wanting more! Jolene, as many of us know, is a fantastic dancer, one of the best we have here, and she always has a finished show, that has been developed and brewed over time, just like a good "cuppa" should. Jo is a total pro in private i !
Peter | July 21, 2007 01:28 PM, CBC Web review
Okay, it's day two of the fringe, I've seen six shows already, and private i is my favorite so far and by far.
Miriam | July 20, 2007 11:21 PM, CBC Web review
I Ioved private i a lot. I've seen many a "Jolene Bailie shows" over the years, and although I've loved them all, this one was my favorite. Jolene had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand with her first line. Yes, that's right, Jolene speaks! She really does! And we are dying to hear what she has to say. The show has stayed with me and has me thinking to myself, why dance (and for those of you who do not know it, Jolene Bailie is Winnipeg's favorite modern dancer and name known all over the map) when you can act like that? This is top-notch work.
Hilary | July 20, 2007 02:32 PM, CBC Web review