Works by acclaimed La Otra Orilla are recognizable for their unique and radical approach to flamenco, reflecting an absolutely trans-disciplinary vision. Based on the collaboration between dancer and choreographer Myriam Allard and singer-director Hedi Graja, this company embodies and celebrates the timeless and universal appeal of flamenco. The artistic directors rely on their in-depth knowledge of the nuances and modes of this art to suggest a hybrid language that is modern and poetic, creating strong productions that are firmly rooted in the present.

© Levent Erutku

Myriam Allard

Choreography, dancer

Sensitive to the world of music and dance from very early childhood, Myriam Allard’s life changed when she discovered flamenco. At the age of 21, she left Quebec to travel to Spain, where she lived for six years. After intensive training she began dancing professionally at the traditional tablaos flamencos in Spain, Japan, France and Germany. Drawing strength from her rigorous European training and extensive professional experience, Allard’s dance breaks free of the traditional esthetic boundaries to develop an idiom that combines the instinctive and the impulsive with great sensitivity and refinement. She now lives in Montreal, where she founded La Otra Orilla in 2006 with singer and director Hedi Graja. Within this company she has developed a unique choreographic expression and produced seven different shows that have toured Canada, the US, South America and Great-Britain with much success.

© Levent Erutku

Hedi Graja

direction, SINGing

Multidisciplinary artist Hedi Graja was born with one foot on each shore of the Mediterranean, which crucially influenced his artistic identity. Introduced to theatre in Paris, then trained in classical singing in Toulouse, he eventually discovered flamenco, which would have a pivotal effect on his path. He left for Seville to dig deeper and flamenco singing became his preferred expressive medium. After spending four years in Andalusia, he completed his studies in art and literature in Paris, where he also continued studying flamenco singing and collaborated as an actor with the theatre company Le Théâtre du Voyageur. In 2005, he moved to Montreal where he founded company La Otra Orilla with dancer Myriam Allard. Since then, ha has developed the company’s visual signature, taking charge of stage direction and design for all their productions. With a strong, fiery bass-baritone voice, rare in flamenco, Hedi Graja’s singing displays the elements of a deep flamenco, anchored and timeless.