Vancouver, BC – As recruitment ofvolunteer performers continues, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is ramping up the creative teambehind the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening, Closing and nightlyVictory Ceremonies by adding superlative Canadian and international stars tothe mix.
The team includes the Canadian brothers behind Dsquared2 who havecreated lavish, over-the-top costumes for Madonna and Britney Spears, acomposer fit for the Queen and the sound designer who has mixed for both TheKing of Rock`n’ Roll and The Boss.
They arejust a few of the standouts among the 17 members — the majority of whom areCanadian – announced today by VANOC. A list, including short biographies,follows.
Under thedirection of executive producer and co-artistic director David Atkins andIgnatius Jones, director, ceremonies strategy and co-artistic director, thecreative team will deliver on the creative vision for the ceremonies, createmass choreography for the 4,500 volunteer performers, design lighting and audiosystems, select composers and musical arrangements, design sets, costumes andprops, and identify headline talent. The team will also be responsible for thenightly Victory Ceremonies happening at BC Place, where top Canadian musicalacts will rev up athletes and spectators. Their work will build on the planningstarted in 2007 by the initial creative team.
“Theexpectations for David Atkins and the ceremonies’ creative team are monumental.They are tasked with creating life long memories — from the iconic Opening andClosing Ceremonies to those golden moments that celebrate the athletes’achievements,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “Their workwill be watched live by thousands at BC Place and billions worldwide ontelevision — and this team has both the talent and experience to meet thatchallenge. They will embrace our country’s rich culture and innovative spirit,while revealing our incredible wealth of Canadian talent to the world.”
“For thelast 12 months, our creative process for the ceremonies has been underway butas we move from the concept stage to the hands-on work, we’ve sought outexceptionally talented people who know how to take big ideas and breathe lifeinto them,” added David Guscott, executive vice president, ceremonies andcelebrations. “As we get closer to the Games, the team will be expanded evenfurther.”
David Atkinsacknowledged the calibre of the creative team, saying, “This world-class teamis filled with artists who know how to wow audiences at international eventsand are leaders in their fields, from creating magical scores to designingopulent costumes and intricate footwork. Ceremonies volunteers are going to beworking with the best; this is a true opportunity of a lifetime.”
Atkinspointed out that volunteer ceremonies applications are still being sought andhe encouraged enthusiastic potential performers to apply online at www.vancouver2010.com/ceremonies.Previous experience is not a requirement for the performers, dancers andathletes of all types and skills needed to stage the productions. Volunteerperformers must be 17 or older to apply; there is no upper age limit. Auditionsstart May 1.
“I’m proud thatthe Government of Canada is supporting the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 OlympicWinter Games,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). “TheOpening Ceremony offers a unique opportunity to showcase Canadian excellenceand innovation to the world, while celebrating our culture and traditions.”
Theceremonies’ creative team members announced today are:
ChoreographyDirector: Jean Grand-Maître
Quebec-bornJean Grand-Maître has been artistic director of Alberta Ballet since 2002. Hehas collaborated with dance companies around the world, as well as acrobats andcircus performers for musicals, operas, television, film and large outdoorevents. He lives in Calgary, Alberta.
DesignDirector: Douglas Paraschuk
Over thelastthree decades,Douglas Paraschuk of Stratford, Ontario hasdesigned over 100 regional theatre productions across Canada, includingspending 21 seasons with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In 2006, Paraschukwas part of the ceremonies design team for the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.
MusicDirector: Dave Pierce
DavidPierce’s extensive credits include musical theatre, sporting and culturalevents, commercial recordings and live mega spectacles. A resident of Calgary,Alberta, Pierce has adapted scores for several hit Broadway national tours andwas recently commissioned to compose a new work for Queen Elizabeth II.
HeadlineTalent Costume Designers: Dsquared2
Dean and DanCaten, Canadian twin brothers originally from Toronto, Ontario, have worked inthe high-end fashion industry since moving to Europe in 1991. They are knownfor their playful, sexy clothing for men and women and for staging theatricalrunway shows. They were selected to design the official uniforms for footballteam Juventus, and their designs have been worn by Madonna,Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Usher and most recently Britney Spears for hercomeback Circustour.
Designer:Leslie Frankish
LeslieFrankish of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, has designed over 130 Canadiantheatrical productions for companies including the Shaw Festival, CanadianStage Company and Citadel Theatre.
Designer:Anne-Séguin Poirier
A set andcostume designer based in Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Anne-Séguin Poirier iscurrently working on set design and props for a new Cirque du Soleil productionto open in Los Angeles in 2010.
Designer:Connie Watts
Connie Wattsof West Vancouver, British Columbia, is an Aboriginal mixed media artist whohas shown her artwork across North America. She is currently project manager ofthe Vancouver 2010 Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program for the 2010 Winter Games.
DesignCoordinator: John Powell
A member ofthe Mamalilikulla band of the Kwak’wala-speaking Nation, John Powell isprimarily a designer working in fashion, costume, and interior and graphicdesign.Some of his more recent projects include costumes for theVancouver Opera’s The MagicFlute, Firehall Arts Centre’s TheEcstasy of Rita Joe and the Chinese/Aboriginal drum video for theBeijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Designer:Kevin McAllister
KevinMcAllister of Vancouver, British Columbia, designs scenery, lighting andcostumes for theatre and opera. His portfolio includes work with the CanadianOpera Company and Vancouver Opera.
ChoreographyAssociate Director: Marlise McCormick
MarliseMcCormick’s international career began at Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and hastaken her throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East. She has workedas a designer, director or choreographer for large-scale ceremonial eventsincluding the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Marlise splits her time betweenVancouver and Europe.
Headof Audiovisual: Cyril Meusy
Cyril Meusyhas worked on projects for Vivendi games as well as the media show for theBritish Columbia Canada Pavilion at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Meusyspecializes in 3-D visualization, art direction and motion graphics. He livesin Burnaby, British Columbia.
LightingDirector: Bob Dickinson
BobDickinson has won 16 Emmy Awards in his three-decade career in lighting designand has more than 1,500 on-screen television credits including the 1996, 2002and 2004 Olympic Games, the annual Academy Awards show and nine Super Bowlhalftime shows.
AudioDirector: Bruce Jackson
As sounddesigner and house sound engineer for Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen andBarbara Streisand, Bruce Jackson has revolutionized stadium sound. The residentof Culver City, California founded leading audio companies such as JANDSElectronics in the 1960s as well as Apogee Electronics. He is currently avice-president at Dolby Laboratories.
HeadlineTalent Producer: Samuel Leon Feldman
Through twodifferent companies, Sam Feldman represents more than 175 musical artists suchas Nelly Furtado, Rush, Joni Mitchell and Elvis Costello. Feldman is also apartner in The Characters Talent Agency, representing Canadian actors such asMolly Parker and Ryan Reynolds.
HeadlineTalent Producer: Dan Fraser
Dan Fraseris the president and co-founder of Nettwerk Management, an internationalrecording artist management company based in Vancouver. He manages the touringcareers of artists such as Sarah McLachlan and the Barenaked Ladies.
HeadlineTalent Producer: Bruce Allen
For morethan 35 years, Bruce Allen has guided the careers of musicians, producers andsports figures in the Canadian entertainment industry. His current roster oftalent includes Bryan Adams, Martina McBride, Anne Murray and Michael Bublé.
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