Since 1998, Suzanne Miller & Allan Paivio Productions has worked toward a hybrid, poly-cultural repertoire of new dance and music unique to Québec and Canada. The distinctive character of the company derives from an ongoing series of cultural and artistic exchanges that feed their creative process. The company has toured Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Collaborating since 1985, Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio envelope their audiences in a total theatre that combines hypnotic choreographic sequences with electrical aural landscapes. With sound and movement they merge every facet of the performance experience into an integrated encounter with the sublime.

Company Objectives

Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio's interest in total theatre - where all elements form an integral whole, distinct from traditional hierarchies, has contributed to their experimentation with artistic disciplines that support and expand the scope of theatrical environments related to dance, music and production. The relationship between dance and music is an essential and distinguishing feature that defines the nature of their company. As the company grows, they are concentrating on large-scale productions in the theatre where work is created through a production process. Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio continue to invite other artists and institutions to contribute to the overall schemata of their work. In 2000 and 2002, two residencies at The Banff Centre (Theatre Arts and EARS) Banff AB, developed; Jewels and Anthology , created as full-length productions.

Company Mandate

Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio, a choreographer and composer team directs a dance company dedicated to the art of collaboration. Throughout this collaboration they have explored ritualistic, abstract and conceptual structures and draw from traditional sources such as classical ballet, folk dance and music. They take performance and question its representation and mediation. Immediacy and transformation are central to their work. Using the body as a starting place, their corporeal lived experience attempts to expand the personal to the level of cultural discourse. They commemorate forebears' and invoke ancestral and artistic lineage attempting to create allegories that activate and revive a social consciousness.

Company History

Suzanne Miller & Allan Paivio Productions was founded as a non-profit organization in 1998 after more than a decade of dance/music/collaborations. This history includes the production of over thirty works performing in theatres, festivals, symposiums, residencies and site-specific events. The company has toured North America and Europe. Artistic exchange began in 1985 as co-founders of Halifax Performance Project, a multidisciplinary collective consisting of dancers, musicians and visual artists pursuing non-conventional performance practices. Since then, the Co-Artistic Directors continue to invite dancers, non-dancers, musicians, visual artists, designers, technicians, and art technologists to participate in their process and contribute to the repertoire and to performance installations. Throughout two decades of collaboration; solos, duets, trios, quartets, quintets, sextets and large group projects have been manifested.

Suzanne Miller

Since 1985, Suzanne Miller's dance productions and performance installations have toured in Canada, Quebec, the United States, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands. Suzanne Miller's multi-ranged practice as a soloist, choreographer, teacher and company director has led to many professional engagements including commissions from dance companies, presenters and festivals.

Recent commissions include; an international artist exchange with Mexican choreographers from CONTRADANZA and Punta Cero in Mexico for 'Muestra Internacional de Danza Oaxaca 2003', Dusk Dances – Toronto ON in 2003. ARRAYMUSIC Ensemble and the Theatre Centre – Toronto ON commissioned 2000 Positions, in 2000, Gwen Noah Dance Society – Halifax NS commissioned 1999 in 1999, LINK Dance Society – Whitehorse YT commissioned The Mending Encha&icric;nement in 2001. Commissioned works have become an important extension of Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio's repertoire. Her primary collaboration with composer/musician Allan Paivio has given rise to over 30 works. An extended interest in music, visual art, performance and technology has influenced her choreography and collaborations with artists. In 2003, En masse, a large group work with 75 performers in collaboration with Conceptual artist Andrew Forster culminated during a two-week residency situation at Tangente – Montreal PQ.

As a choreographer, Suzanne Miller derives material from a rich resource in dance, constructing specific vocabularies for each project. Her conceptual approach to dance making has produced a varied repertoire, where each piece is unique. Her work concentrates on the immediacy of action, and the symbolic residue of representation. Site-works have been presented in galleries, storefronts, abandoned buildings, rooftops, clubs, and train stations. Other off-site venues include an apartment, a cave, a cathedral, a temple and a castle.

Suzanne Miller has danced professionally since 1981. As a member of Folk Ballet Theatre of Toronto (1981-1984), she performed National dances from Spain, Hungary, Italy, Russia, and Ireland. She danced with Nova Dance Theatre (1984-1987) – Halifax NS, Split Second Dance Collective – Halifax NS, Halifax Performance Project, Toronto Dance Theatre in "Court of Miracles", DanceMakers' choreographic workshop as a guest artist – Toronto ON, Danny Grossman's choreographic workshop as a guest artist – Toronto ON, and with Marta Marta Danse – Montreal PQ.

Suzanne Miller graduated from Ryerson University in 1982 – Toronto ON. She attended Toronto Dance Theatre (1982-1984) and studied Music Theory at the University of Toronto (1982-1984). Her formation in ballet includes: The Royal Academy of Dancing, the National Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet Summer School (1982), and professional classes since 1985. She obtained an advanced standing through The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing - National Dance Branch UK.

Modern dance techniques include Graham, Limon, and Cunningham. She obtained an advanced standing through The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing – Modern Dance Branch UK. Yoga and contemporary dance technique has been an on going practice since 1985, including alternative body practices such as Body/Mind/Centering, meditation, Pilates and Tai Chi. Suzanne Miller has emerged through choreographic workshops led by; Marie Chouniard- Montreal, Sankai Juku – Japan, Barbara Dilly – the Naropa Institute – Colorado, Simon Forti – New York, and Augusta Boal - Argentina, among other reputable artists. In 1988, Yvonne Rainer critiqued Suzanne Miller and Allan Paivio's Mao & Jane, Balancing an Act - Halifax NS.

Suzanne Miller has participated at international festivals and residencies. In 2000, she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for "outstanding choreography". The Canada Council for the Arts has supported personal and company activity since 1986 through the Explorations Department, Collaborations, Inter-Arts, Dance Touring, Travel Grants, the Outreach Program and the Dance Section. Le Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec has supported projects since 1991 – The Dance Section, awarding three "A" grants since 1999. The Department of foreign affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), The Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC), the National Fund for Culture and the Arts of Mexico (FONCA) has supported International and National touring. The Wüppertal Arts Council NRW Germany, supported Suzanne Miller in 1996.

Allan Paivio

Allan Paivio's career as a composer/musician began in 1985, as a co-founder Halifax Performance Project, a multidisciplinary performance collective based in Halifax Nova Scotia with choreographer Suzanne Miller, consisting of visual artists, dancers and musicians. Since moving to Montréal in 1989 his enduring collaboration with Suzanne Miller has given rise to over 30 music works ranging from music for dance, film/video, sound installation, including experimental site specific performance events. He has participated in international symposiums and festivals in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Germany. In Montreal, Allan Paivio has collaborated with sound and visual artist Maxime Rioux, visual artists Mindy Yan Miller and Andrew Forster, choreographers Rebecca Todd, Martha Carter and Anne Marie Giroux, art technologist Keith Daniels and Andrew Brouse, and musicians, Jean René and Alexandre St.Onge.

In Canada, he has worked with visual artists David Askervold and David Miller and Mindy Yan Miller. In 1999, he was commissioned by choreographer Gwen Noah to compose 1999 – Halifax NS, and by choreographer Rebecca Todd – Toronto ON, to compose Dendrite. A joint commission by the new music ensemble Array Music and The Theatre Centre - Toronto ON, resulted in 2000 positions for ¿Eros II¿ a dance/music/collaborations festival - a quartet conducted under the late Micheal Baker.

As a violinist, Allan Paivio has played internationally with composer Weil Conen – Amsterdam, the Netherlands and The Horlodge of Dreamers – Prague, the Czech Republic. He was commissioned for a full-length composition "Suenos Distancia" by Contradanza – Mexico DF for Muestra Internacional de Danza 2003, in Oaxaca Mexico.

His main concern as an artist is to create music composition and sound design through Conceptual and collaborative processes. His interest in "total theatre" where all contributing elements form an integral whole, distinct from traditional hierarchies has helped Allan to experiment within domains that expand the scope of his overall artistic vision.

Allan Paivio received his music training in jazz theory and composition at Malaspina College in British Columbia (1976-77) and classical and world music studies at York University – Toronto ON (1979-81). In 1991, Allan received his degree in Fine Arts in Music at Concordia University – Montreal PQ, studying violin, classical and electroacoustic composition.

Allan Paivio has received numerous awards and commissions; among these, Explorations, Collaborations, Interdisciplinary, Music and Inter-Arts grants from the Canada Council and, Music and Multidisciplinary grants from le Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec. The European tour of Blood Relative (I wish you long life) with choreographer/dancer Suzanne Miller was supported by the Federal Department Foreign Affairs and International Trade(DFAIT) and from Quebec; the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications. In 2002, The Canada/Mexico Exchange Program for Artists through DFAIT and the National Fund for Culture and the Arts of Mexico ( FONCA) selected Allan and Suzanne to continue their development related to Anthology during a two-month residency in Mexico DF. This residency involved rehearsals, workshops and performances with "Contradanza", a contemporary dance company based in Mexico DF. The Banff Centre - Banff AB, has supported two production residencies: Jewels 2000, and Anthology 2002. Anthology toured nationally and internationally and premiered at The National Centre for the Arts in Mexico DF in 2004.

Author : Yves Sabbagh COCC