Murmuration

Le Patin Libre

Presented by Public Energy Performing Arts

Show Length 70 minutes

Show Sponsor The Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough

Public Energy would like to thank our 2025-2026 Season Sponsors: V Formation, Hi Ho Silver, Jo Pillon (Sales Representative, Royal LePage Frank Real Estate), kawarthaNOW.com and wedesign

Creation

Choreography Alexandre Hamel, Pascale Jodoin, Samory Ba

Music Jasmin Boivin, Philippe Le Bon

Lighting Design Yoann Tivoli

Costumes Charlyne Guay, Pascale Jodoin

Artistic Advisors Yaron Lifschitz With Oktawia Ścibior, David Billiau, Kristýna Mikulášová, Taylor Dilley, Sophie Blomqwist, Garrett Kling, Jennifer Edwards, Isaac Lindy, Maude Poulin, Jacqueline Benson, Haley Alcock, Imogen Croft, Samory Ba, Pascale Jodoin, Alexandre Hamel

Performers Haley Alcock, Samory Ba, Jacqueline Benson, David Billiau, Taylor Dilley, Jenn Edwards, Alexandre Hamel, Pauline Oxana Irman, Pascale Jodoin, Melanie Kajanne Källström, Isaac Alan Lindy, Kristýna Mikulášová, Maude Poulin, Oktawia Ścibior, Bethann Weick

Choreographer’s Note:

They glide, they glide and take us into their wildest dreams. Far from the glitz and glamour of the figure skating they escaped, the sweet rebels of Le Patin Libre have elevated the ice show into the realm of performing arts. Speed, precision and fluid choreography characterize their first two shows which took them to skating rinks and art festivals all over the world. Their new piece Murmuration, created from simple algorithms complexified by wild choreographic ideas, is inspired by the mysterious phenomenon of bird flocks, those hallucinating aerial ballets – nicely called murmuration. A mix of speed, athletic virtuosity and grand scale dance allows the free skaters to explore harmony, conflict, war and peace. An adrenaline rush for the whole family. No sequins!

Le Patin Libre

Founded in 2005 by competitive skaters bored with sparkles and medals, Le Patin Libre proposes a contemporary reinvention of the ice show. Their first two opuses for 5 skating-artistes (Vertical Influences in 2014 and Threshold in 2018) were critically acclaimed and delighted the crowds gathered by artistic festivals, national stages and… popular winter carnivals! Speed, virtuosity and fluid choreography characterize their sophisticated yet accessible style that charms as much as it questions and inspires.

Company Bios

Haley Alcock
Haley is an ice dancer and micrometeorologist based in Montreal, Canada. After a decade-long hiatus from figure skating, Haley was thrilled to rediscover their love for the ice through contemporary skating. She joined Le Patin Libre in 2021. Haley holds a B.Sc and M.Sc. in Atmospheric Science from McGill University. A data scientist by day, they work at the University of Montreal researching how rapidly changing boreal forest, peatland, and tundra ecosystems function as an integral part of the climate system.

Samory Ba
Samory is a skating-artist based in Paris, France. Formerly trained as a figure skater, he competed nationally and internationally for over 10 years. He then pursued a career as a professional skater, performing leading roles within several major “On Ice” productions. In 2010, after 5 years spent in the industry, interested in exploring skating as an artistically relevant art form rather than a popular entertainment, he decided to quit his career and joined Le Patin Libre. Samory has been exclusively involved with the company ever since. He is considered as one of Le Patin Libre’s founding members.

Jacqueline Benson
Jacqueline is a contemporary skating artist, choreographer, and dancer based in New York City. She has been skating with Le Patin Libre since 2021. Her current professional engagements include her role as Vice President of American Ice Theatre. She is a U.S. Figure Skating triple gold medalist and a Professional Skaters Association Master-Rated coach & choreographer. She is trained in multiple styles of dance and has performed with several contemporary dance companies in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. Jacqueline graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University and has experience in marketing, communications, and nonprofit advocacy work.

David Billiau
David is a skating-artist from Armentières, France. David trained as a mechanic before discovering ice skating at the age of 18, after which he began practicing freestyle on his own. These years of practice allowed him to present personal artistic research and short performances throughout France. In 2018, he met and auditioned for Le Patin Libre. He has performed in Murmuration since its premiere in 2022.

Taylor Dilley
Captivated by gliding, Taylor has been a member of Le Patin Libre since 2011 and is proud to have been a creative part of several wide-touring LPL productions. Previously, Taylor competed as an ice dancer and martial artist and has worked with the National Ice Theatre of Canada. The movement discipline of all those practices shaped his distinctive skating style. His current projects include exploring the modern performance potential of rock climbing, and cofounding the Outdoor Artist Collective, which is spearheading an arts festival in northern British Columbia. Taylor believes sharing the things you love with your community has power to uplift.

Jenn Edwards
Jenn is a contemporary dance and skating artist based in Labrador, Canada. Originally from Vancouver, she competed as a skater before earning a BFA in dance from Simon Fraser University. She has performed with Flowmotion Dance Company, Tauschfühlung, Polynomials, and Valence Movement, among others. Her choreography has been presented at festivals such as Dance: Made in Canada, Fusion Festival (Berlin), 12 Minutes Max, and Vines Art Festival. Jenn is also a yoga teacher, and plays keyboards in an alt rock band, Ptarmageddon. She was thrilled to join Le Patin Libre in 2018 for the creation of Murmuration. 

Alexandre Hamel
Alexandre originally trained as a traditional figure skater. He competed on the international circuit, was once on Canadian championship podiums, and accumulated a few provincial champion titles. He also skated professionally for Disney On Ice. He founded Le Patin Libre in 2005, desiring to use his passion for skating outside the constraints of competition and “On Ice” show-business. In the company, he holds several roles: Artistic Director, choreographer, and performer. He is very committed to the importance of sharing contemporary performing arts with general audiences. Alexandre is also successful as a documentary filmmaker, his documentaries winning awards and being presented in film festivals in several countries.

Pauline Oxana Irman
Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Pauline recently joined the troupe after winning the Swiss national title in pair figure skating. Throughout her skating journey, she trained in various traditional disciplines and competed internationally. However, it was only last year, upon discovering Le Patin Libre and the world of contemporary skating, that she truly grasped what she wished to achieve and convey through this art. Pauline draws on her experiences training competitively in France and in the U.S. as well as touring internationally with Le Patin Libre to promote this still little-known discipline. She is committed to inspiring current and future generations by transforming their perception of skating through her choreographic creations and workshops that aim to cultivate both physical expression and internal harmony.

Pascale Jodoin
Pascale Jodoin originally trained as a traditional figure skater. She avoided a large part of the formatting imposed on young figure skating ladies because of her free-spirited attitude. She joined Le Patin Libre in 2009 after seeing a performance, auditioning, participating in workshops offered by the founding artists and dancing in underground ice parties organized by the collective. Beyond her implication as a creator and a performer, she manages a large part of the company’s activities. Before being completely mobilized by Le Patin Libre, she also ran a small jewelry business and performed as a circus artist in Montreal.

Melanie Kajanne Källström
Melanie is a versatile freelance dancer, roller, and ice skating artist and melds her figure skating roots from Sweden with street-style influences discovered in Oslo since 2016. She completed a 1-year dance education at Institute of the Arts Barcelona and continues to refine her skills through training with hip-hop communities across Europe and the U.S. Co-founder of Skate Jam Norway and founder of Synthesice, she strives to establish a vibrant roller and ice skating community, uniting enthusiasts through music and dance in immersive events and workshops in Oslo. Melanie is excited to be part of Le Patin Libre and to join an exhilarating contemporary skating production, complementing her passion for charting innovative artistic pathways.

Isaac Alan Lindy
Isaac is a performing artist working across figure skating, dance and musical theater. He is originally from Philadelphia and began skating with Le Patin Libre in 2018. Professional skating highlights include Holiday on Ice European tours (Line Captain, Ensemble), International Ice Stars (Principal, Royal Opera House of Muscat), and site-specific performance with IceLab Leipzig. As a dancer, Isaac has worked with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Philadelphia, the Putty Dance Project, Ruckus Dance, and has performed at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Isaac holds a BA in Urban Studies from Vassar College and is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists.

Kristýna Mikulášová
Kristýna is an ice skater and dancer from the Czech Republic who is committed to exploring and combining diverse modalities of movement and glide. From a very young age, she dedicated herself to figure skating and dance. This later led her to study Dance Theatre at Trinity Laban in London where she graduated with BA(Hons) in 2012. Since 2018, she has been working with Le Patin Libre on Murmuration and other company repertory. As a performer, Kristýna is interested in collaborations between various performing and visual arts. She is based in Switzerland where she enjoys teaching and sharing her passion for skating and dance.

Maude Poulin
Maude is an artist and skater, born in La Tuque, QC, Canada. She trained for nearly 12 years as a figure skater. In 2008, she joined Le Patin Libre for a show in Vancouver as part of the inauguration of the Olympic Ice Oval. She continued her competitive career for a few years before turning to studies in visual arts. In autumn 2021, following a call for auditions, she laced up her skates again and joined the troupe for their new creation Murmuration.

Oktawia Ścibior
Oktawia Ścibior is a skating artist and choreographer born in Warsaw, Poland and living in Paris, France. For 15 years, she was a competitive figure skater (Bronze Medalist, 2003 Polish Nationals). Following her athletic career, Oktawia studied Physics and later Bioinformatics, obtaining Master’s degrees in both fields. Additionally, she trained in jazz dance at the National Centre for Culture in Poland and performed in numerous traditional skating shows across Europe. In 2013, she discovered contemporary skating through the works of the company Le Patin Libre. In 2016, she founded Slippery Art Project, an association aiming to nurture the emergence of artistic creation via skating. Since 2018, Oktawia has been collaborating with Le Patin Libre on the show Murmuration. 

Bethann Weick
Bethann Weick is a professional performer, choreographer, and coach. A former competitive skater, she now revels in artistic skating of many genres. In addition to skating with Le Patin Libre, she has performed in the USA with Ice Dance International, Rosstyn Ice Shows, and Rand Productions. Bethann is from New Hampshire, USA, and is a lover of mountains, gardens, yoga, and meditation.

Co-production and Partners

Special Partners Heritage Canada, Government of Quebec
Co-productions National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, CanDanse Creation Fund/ Danse Danse, National Arts Centre, Dance House (Vancouver), Fall for Dance North in collaboration with TO Live, La Rotonde (Québec), Théâtre de la Ville de Paris (France), Support Conseil des Arts du Canada, Council of Arts and Letters of Quebec, Council of the Arts of Montreal, Dance North Scotland, Patinoire Le Dôme (Laon, France), Patinoire Le Blizz (Rennes, France), City of Baie-Saint-Paul

About Public Energy Performing Arts

Public Energy Performing Arts is Peterborough’s animator of dance, theatre, performance and interdisciplinary work. Since 1994 we have presented a mainstage series of artists drawn from across Canada and beyond, commissioned new work in concert with other Canadian presenters, supported the development of the local dance, theatre and performance community and nurtured audiences that are knowledgeable and passionate about the performing arts.

Public Energy works in Treaty 20 territory situated in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations. We honour that we are in Nogojiwanong, the Anishinaabe word for “place at the end of the rapids”, a gathering place where stories have been shared for millennia. We acknowledge the Indigenous people for their stewardship of these lands and we recognize our responsibility to foster respectful relationships with the water, the land, and its people. Public Energy recognizes that treaties did more harm than good, criminalizing cultural practices and displacing Indigenous people from their territories. We commit to doing all we can to repair this legacy by providing a platform for the voices and artistry of Indigenous artists to be heard and respected.

Public Energy Board of Directors:

Colin MacAdam (chair), Kate King-Fisher (vice chair), Laura Lawson (secretary/treasurer), Mara Heiber

Public Energy Staff:

Kate Alton (Programming Director), Eva Fisher (Managing Director), Michael Morritt (Digital Content Producer), Josh Raspberry (Bookkeeper)

Public Energy would like to thank our donors for their generous support:

A note to patrons of Murmuration:

Normally it is our policy to provide gender neutral washrooms and signage at all of our events. Unfortunately we could not obtain permission from the facility operations team at Peterborough Memorial Centre for this signage. This means that the gender neutral washrooms for the event will be the accessible washrooms on the main floor, and won’t have designated gender neutral signage. Please accept our apologies for this unfortunate deviation from our regular practices.

Upcoming in the Community