
GEARSHIFTING
PERFORMANCE
WORKS
is dedicated to contemporary dance.
NEW CREATION/RESEARCH/PRESENTATION
The core activity each season is typically a new creation and/or full length production. The company engages in research, new creation, commissions, re-constructions, performances, site specific work, installation work, teaching, studio showings, talk back sessions, and working with guest artists.
HISTORY
Gearshifting Performance Works is a Winnipeg-based dance company founded by Artistic Director, Jolene Bailie. Originally founded to support the growth of Bailie’s successful career as a touring solo artist and as a structure to commission new creation, it now primarily creates and produces Bailie’s choreography. Jolene Bailie/Gearshifting Performance Works has operated for over two decades, earning a reputation for presenting quality work.
The company creates for theatre productions, tours, site specific projects, installation projects, video work, and collaborations. The company features the work of Jolene Bailie, Guest Artists, Collaborators and Dancers. Committed to public presentation, the company was initiated in 2000 and successfully programmed a full season of activity annually 2002-2019. The core project each season is often the creation and presentation of new work.
Artistic Director, Jolene Bailie, began her career with over a decade of touring solo work. During this time she worked with leaders in the field from across Canada and The United States, performing hundreds of full length solo shows as well as over a hundred performances within shared/mixed programs, six cross Canada tours, ten international engagements, several smaller tours, two projects of historical significance in New York City, re-mounted fourteen solo works by established choreographers, commissioned eight new solo works by senior guest choreographers, as well as developed and presented her own new creations, including full-length shows, numerous shorter works and works for bridging, emerging and pre-professional dancers, including the choreographic initiative she created for emerging dancers, Surge.
Bailie’s work has been both self-presented and produced as well as presented by nationally and internationally recognized companies, presenters, museums, festivals, and art galleries.
Jolene Bailie/Gearshifting Performance Works has presented shows annually in Winnipeg since 2000 and toured extensively. The work has been both self presented and produced on over 450 occasions as well as presented by nationally and internationally recognized companies, presenters, museums, festivals and art galleries including: dance: made in canada (2009, 2013, 2019), the Dancing on the Edge Festival in Vancouver (2002, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2019), The Stream of Dance Festival (2019), in/future (Art Spin, Toronto 2016), Today Art Museum (Beijing, 2015), The Xi’an Art Museum (China, 2014), The Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ RightsFest (2014), Adhere and Deny (2013), NAfro Dance Productions (2012, 2016), Savarsati Productions (2012), The American Dance Festival (Thesis Concert in conjunction with The American Dance Festival/Hollins MFA Program, 2012), The National Arts Centre (Prairie Scene, 2011), The National Gallery of Canada (in conjunction with Wanda Koop… On the Edge of Experience, 2011), The Winnipeg Art Gallery (in conjunction with Wanda Koop… On the Edge of Experience, 2010), Culture Days/The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Dance Downtown (2011), The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Polish Musical Society (2010), Bill Evans (2005-2009), Simon Fraser University (2008), the Inbound Festival at The Joyce SoHo in New York City (2008), The State University of New York at Brockport (2005, 2007), The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival (2007), Studio 303 in Montreal (2003, 2004, 2006, with the 2006 performance earning a “best of dance: 2006 year in review” top three listing in the Montreal Mirror Magazine), New Dance Alliance’s 20th Anniversary Performance Mix Festival at the Joyce SoHo in New York City (2006), Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (full length solo show, 2006), Perimeters Performance Symposium in Regina (2005), the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival (2005), The Limon Institute (2005), the 9th International Solo Dance-Theatre Festival in Stuttgart, Germany (2005), The Her-icane Festival of Women’s Art in Saskatoon (2004), The Stream of Dance Festival in Regina (2002), the Girls! Girls! Girls! annual fundraiser for The Gas Station Arts Centre (annually 2005-2015), Nuit Blanche at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015), The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Gallery Ball (2010, 2015), Young Lungs Dance Exchange (New Creation for fundraiser, 2013), and at 216 fringe festival performances, earning numerous “best of fest” awards and performing to full houses, including performances in Montreal (2003), Toronto (2004, 2005, 2006), Winnipeg (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2019), Saskatoon (2003, 2004, 2007), Calgary (2007), Edmonton (2004, 2006, 2007), Athabasca (2004), Victoria (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) and Vancouver (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Jolene’s choreography and performance for video has been presented at The Canada Dance Festival (Guest Choreographer and Performer for Kaeja d’Dance), The Winnipeg Art Gallery (2010), The National Gallery of Canada (2011), Xi’an Art Museum (2014) and Today Art Museum (2015).
Jolene Bailie/Gearshifting Performance Works has a history of presenting
Jolene Bailie/Gearshifting Performance Works has a history of presenting works by Guest Artists. Guest Artists have included Marie-Josee Chartier, Bill Evans, Anna Sokolow (staging and direction by Jim May), Jose Limon (staging and direction by Nina Watt), Deborah Dunn, Joe Laughlin, Marc Boivin, Julia Sasso, Denise Clarke and Rachel Browne. Gearshifting Performance Works has also presented the performances of Guest Artists in Winnipeg including solo shows by Bill Evans (2009, 2010 and 2015) and Chartier Danse (2013). The company offers open company classes in conjunction with project work (2004- 2019) and on special occasions, presents workshops/masterclasses by Guest Artists for the Winnipeg community (2005-present). The Company was incorporated in 2005 and gained charitable status in 2009.