Our Artist Partners
Préville Productions is fortunate to work with a variety of experienced, professional artists for our shows and workshops.
Meet them below!
Elizabeth was introduced to the world of textile and ceramic arts through the generational expertise of the women around her. Through her grandmothers, aunts and mother, the values of functional art, creativity, and self-expression were instilled. It is with these lessons that Elizabeth approached her own artwork and, later, teachings.
Elizabeth studied at McGill, graduating with a master’s degree in Canadian women’s history and a bachelor’s in education. For over twenty years, Elizabeth has taught in the field of Creative Arts to students of all ages. Her approach blends technique with creative expression, allowing students to learn practical skills while developing their own artistic voice.
She has taught English Language Arts, specializing in creative writing, and Fine Arts specializing in watercolour, drawing, ink, weaving, quilting and embroidery. Topics such as climate change, health and wellness, gender and identity are explored through her courses. Elizabeth hopes that in all her teachings students gain the most from the artistic process, the discovery of oneself, and the strength in community.
In 2007 Adam began intensive training full time at the Divertimento Ballet School, where he studied Ballet, Modern and Contemporary dance. Two short years later Adam toured Europe with the prestigious dancers of the “Conservatoire de l’opéra de Paris” and the Spanish Troupe “Danz”.
In 2010 Adam decided to further his studies and was accepted into the École Supérieure De Ballet Du Québec as well as in the company “Le Jeune Ballet Du Québec” where he worked with many choreographers and teachers of great international renown, such as: Christophe Maraval, Françoise Vaussenat, Shawn Houswell, Hélène Blackburn, Éric J. Miles, Gioconda Barbuto and many others. Adam participated in the 4th season of the television show “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” where he gained immeasurable experience and exposure.
To date, he has studied and performed in over twenty different styles, as well as diversifying into other areas such as gymnastics, circus and theatre—all of which have contributed to Adam’s unique and memorable style.
Lésouta Luc Bambara is from Burkina Faso and has been practicing traditional African dance since the age of 10.
In May 2009, he moved to Quebec and became a trainer for various dance events where he shared his passion for traditional dances. Co-founder of the Lamogoya Troupe, Luc has taught at Maison de L’Enfance André Dupont, Curé Antoine Labelle school in Laval, Régina school in Montreal, UQAM, Cégep du Vieux Montreal and Samajam the percussion school in Quebec since 2010.
He has performed throughout the province, participating in the Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou (NAK) festival, TOP Vacance Culture in Bobo-Dioulasso, Les nuits d’Afrique de Montréal, The Ethnocultural festival of Thetford Mines, and the rhythms of the world of Sherbrooke, and in 2006, he participated in the creation of a contemporary Afro dance project with Karine Cloutier in Burkina Faso that toured the province.
Floribert Pertulien Bantsimba is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist, actor, storyteller, puppeteer, percussionist and calabash craftsman, who is originally from Congo-Brazzaville.
He is an active member of the Quebec Street Arts Group, as well as Diversité Artistique Montréal.
The artist is passionate about the art of the calabash, a gourd that inspires in him endless creativity, which he owes to a childhood spent crafting alongside his grandmother. Floribert’s imagination helps him transform the gourds into figurines, puppets, decorative objects, lamps, and vases. Several techniques are employed, including pyrography, painting, drilling and illustration.
The calabash is versatile and can also be used for the manufacture of kitchen utensils or musical instruments, such as the kora, maracas, the sanza, and the sitar.
Alcina Chiu is an educator, musician, and dancer. She started young, playing piano and flute, singing, acting, and dancing throughout her childhood. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice from Queen’s University, she founded her own studio, Scherzo School of Music and Movement, while continuing with graduate studies in Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. She has her Brown Belt in Nia, a program that combines different movement arts to bring about physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
She has collaborated and taught with many schools and theatre companies, including Shakespearience, the Toronto District School Board, private schools, Jeunes musiciens du monde, and at various seniors centres in Toronto and Montreal.
Alcina loves to share her passion for the fun, creative spirit of dance, the great feeling of community, and of course, the music that makes us move. She is known for her student-centred approach to teaching and her infectious joy in class.
Anishinaabe multidisciplinary artist from Kitigan Zibi, Craig Commanda works through moving image, poetry, music and sound composition.
For over a decade, his creative practice has enabled community engagement and travel across Turtle Island and beyond. Craig has participated in many international artist residencies including Re(Claim) and Diverse As This Land, at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; and cultural exchange residencies in Aoteara / New Zealand, as well as in Haïti, in collaboration with LOJIQ (Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec).
His work has been screened in festivals including Asinabka (unceded Algonquin territory – Ottawa, Canada); ImagiNATIVE (Toronto, Canada); Kurzfilmtage (Winterthur, Switzerland); Maoriland (Otaki, New Zealand); and the Wairoa Maori Film Festival (Nuhqkq, New Zealand).
Craig is currently studying Film Production at Concordia University and is an advocate for mental wellness and suicide prevention. His practice seeks resurgence contributing to cultural preservation and revitalization for and by Indigenous peoples. He is currently based in Tiohtiá:ke / Montréal.
Maggie Downer is Haudenosaunee from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Belleville, Ontario and is a member of the bear clan. She has a background in community and justice services, through working in community development and youth advocacy.
Maggie runs her own small business called Mohawk Memories where she creates handcrafted jewelry and traditional corn husk dolls. Maggie is also the land-based learning facilitator at Madahoki farm, where they have developed an equine-assisted learning program to help share the stories of the rare and endangered Ojibwe spirit horses.
Today. Maggie offers creative and interactive workshops to help share parts of her identity and culture.
David Finkle is something of a Renaissance man. Hailing from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in southern Ontario, he is an award-winning multi-instrumental recording artist versed in many musical genres.
He is a sound engineer, a storyteller, a producer, a drum maker and he has completed many scores for various theatrical productions.
David specializes in his signature blend of organic sounds coming from his own handmade traditional indigenous instruments such as flutes, drums, rattles, etc.
Guy Giard is a Certified Humor Professional, a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, lecturer, musician and author who enthusiastically explores and challenges his own limits.
After a successful career as a professional visual artist, he began teaching art at museums and giving speeches on art, music and laughing. He served with Doctor Patch Adams on multiple humanitarian clown trips, offering smiles and respite to children, elders and caregivers in orphanages, hospitals and care facilities in Russia, Guatemala, Peru, India and other nations, under the alias, Uku the clown.
He recently published his memoir, “The Courage to Love, from Abuse to Happiness,” which details his personal recovery from childhood sexual abuse. He now gives seminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching based on his talks: “The Courage to Love” and “The 5 Dimensions of Being”.
Most of his work, including exhibitions, musical compositions, performances and interviews is available for free on his website: www.guygiard.com.
Art Through Time, Murals
Beverly Landry is a working artist specializing in painting. She studied Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and followed up with intense studies of realist painting, drawing and anatomy at the Atelier de Brésoles in Old Montréal.
You can often find her in the library poring over books on the old masters and their techniques, or walking the galleries of the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.
Beverly is enthusiastic about guiding her students through the process of painting from beginning to end, demonstrating techniques and helping them discover their own special talents. Her work is displayed in private collections throughout Canada and the United States, and she has been fortunate enough to have had her work purchased by the Ville de Montréal. Beverly looks forward to encouraging artists of all ages to discover and develop their own unique gifts.
Laura Leonard is of Maliseet descent and is widely known both as a powerful hand drum singer versed in many aboriginal songs, and as a talented fashion designer.
She is often invited to share her gift of song in schools, as well as to conduct workshops on beading and leather-work. Her fashion is in high demand due to her innovative designs that are authentic and of exceptional quality. She uses ancient traditional motifs and materials, in fusion with contemporary influences.
Laura also holds a degree in Native Studies from Brandon University.
Born in Ivory Coast from Congolese origin, Melo is a very well established dancer, choreographer, youth worker, and community leader. The founder of Uplift 514 Afro dance school and a pillar in the Montreal Urban Afro scene, his mission is to broadcast and share the essence of Afro dance, music and cultures. He has been touring and teaching in Canada for almost a decade.
In the last years, he has performed and choreographed for major names in the international and national scene, such as Sean Paul, Sarahmée, Burna Boy, Corneille, Wiz Kid, and many more.
Year-round, Melo is part of the biggest festivals in Montreal, as a dancer and crowd warmer. You can find him on the stages of Festival de Jazz de Montreal, Juste Pour Rire, Francofolies, MURAL, Nuit d’Afrique, Osheaga, Festival International de la danse de Montreal, Festival Mode & Design, Montreal en Lumière, Nuit Blanche, to name a few.
Melo has been featured on BBC Africa, BBC Business, TV5 Business, CityNews, and CBC.
Paulina was born in Morelia, Mexico. She developed an interest in dance at an early age. At the age of 15, she began with “bailes de salón”. Enchanted, her passion for dance exploded and she began training in classical ballet, jazz and gymnastics. At the age of 18, she was invited to be the partner of the very talented professional dance teacher, Carlos Carmona, director of the “Salsabor” dance company in Mexico City. In the same year she won her first national title as Salsa Champion in the 2005 Acapulco Salsa Congress.
Boosting her confidence and interest, the win incited Paulina to pursue more training in ballroom, tango, acting, singing, musicals and hip-hop in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Italy. Today Paulina is a world renown salsa dancer, coach, teacher and choreographer.
She has taught workshops to thousands of people in more than 50 countries around the globe. Current and undefeated 6x Salsa On2 World Champion.
Makhena Rankin-Guérin is a two-spirit Anishinabe and French Canadian multidisciplinary artist from Ottawa.
As a member of Abitibiwinni first nation, Makhena focuses on a lot of traditional art styles such as the hoop dance, the jingle dress dance and even woodland style painting.
Murals, Sketching and Storytelling
Jason Sikoak was born in Nunatsiavut, NL and holds a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Arts from Concordia University. From their first inspiration–watching their uncle Jack Mugford work in wood–Sikoak’s explorations led him to working in stone, bone and antler, before working more exclusively with pen and ink. They are currently working with mixed media, pen-and-ink drawing, rug tufting and linoleum cut printmaking.
Sikoak has been featured in the traveling exhibition SakKijâjuk Nunatsiavut, Braiding Our Stories (2019) at the VAV Gallery, Nunatsiavut Storytelling: Liminal Spaces (2019), among so many others. Notable is his design of The Royal Canadian Mint’s Truth and Reconciliation coin.
A passionate artist, Sikoak works to bring attention to both spiritual and political themes, often depicting Inuit life to help us not only remember these histories, but also bring them into the contemporary awareness.
Dreamcatchers, Drum Making, Medicine Pouches
Charlene Tolley is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg. She has been a bead artist for over 25 years and also makes traditional native hand drums.
She has facilitated workshops and has been on the Pow Wow trail for quite a few years selling crafts and bead supplies. Charlene is a proud mother of two daughters and grandmother of one granddaughter.
“Kichi Migwetch for the support and hope to see you along the trail.”