Lina Allemano is a Toronto jazz trumpeter/composer with an established career playing, recording and touring internationally. As well as fronting her band Lina Allemano Four and the improvising group "N," she is also a member of Tim Posgate's Jazzstory & Hornband and the Jane Fair/Rosemary Galloway Quintet. Lina appears on over 25 recordings including her own newly released CD, Lina Allemano Four Pinkeye.

Lina was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta and began playing professionally at the age of 15. She moved to Toronto in 1993 and has since had the opportunity to perform with jazz greats including tuba-legend Howard Johnson, Don Byron, Dave Holland, Mike Murley, and Joe Lovano, and she has recently been invited to play with Ingrid Jensen in Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet Music in New York City.

Lina was winner of the 2005 National Jazz Awards' CBC Galaxie Rising Star and she was nominated for the 2005 Canadian Independent Music Awards Favorite Jazz Artist and the 2005 National Jazz Awards Trumpeter of the Year.

Lina has studied at the Banff Centre for the Arts Residencies and Jazz Workshops. She has received support from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and Yamaha Canada Music.

Bringing together two of Canada's top Baroque players and two of the most fervent young proponents of period instruments in the National Capital Region, the Ottawa Baroque Consort entered the scene with a splash in 2005. Their performances have garnered the praise of audiences and critics alike. Two of the ensemble's musicians already have connections with the IJO. Violinist Laura Nerenberg was a featured soloist in the IJO's performance of Duke Ellington's Liberian Suite in 2006 as well as in the IJO's appearance at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival in the same year. Cellist Olivier Henchiri is a swing dancer (see bio below under Swing Dynamite Dance Company) who will also appeared in the IJO's forthcoming dance production, The Canuckracker.

The Ottawa Baroque Consort appeared as guests in the IJO's production of The Duke & The Bard, performing music from Shakespeare's time.

Kathryn Finter is an Ottawa artist specializing in fifteenth-century materials and techniques of panel painting and manuscript illumination. She is a member of the Medieval Academy of America, the Canadian Society of Medievalists, the Society of Tempera Painters, and the Calligraphy Society of Ottawa. Kathryn's interest in medieval painting and illumination techniques has inspired an ongoing research project copying 15th century master works at the National Gallery of Canada and more recently at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This project, which started in 1994, is rediscovering how medieval miniature paintings are connected with the panel paintings of the same period. While some artists, such as Simon Marmion, were proficient in both, little is known about how they adapted their painting style to accommodate the differences in size, support, and medium. The techniques and methods learned over the course of this project find application in her original works of art. In recent years, Kathryn has conducted workshops and exhibited her work at Wilfred Laurier University, McCord Museum in Montréal, Ottawa City Hall, the National Gallery of Canada, York University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto. In 2006, Kathryn's work was the subject of a segment on CJOH TV's Regional Contact. You can learn more about Kathryn's projects by visiting her contemporary manuscript illumination website.

Although based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ian undertook his professional training in the U.K. and worked in London for ten years. Some of his favourite theatre credits including London productions of South Pacific and Cinderella; working at Shakespeare's Globe with the Lion's Part; Vancouver productions of Cabaret, The Mousetrap and Shear Madness (Arts Club Theatre), Lettice and Lovage, The Foreigner and The Glass Menagerie (Pacific Theatre), Stones in His Pockets (Graffiti Theatre) and Company (Waterfront Theatre). Ian has previously appeared at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in productions of Comedie of Errors in 2004 and Twelfth Night in 2005 and last year was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to become the company's new Artistic Director.

Molly Lyons is an accomplished actor, director, teacher and playwright. Her education includes: University of Santa Clara & California Institute of the Arts, The Royal Shakespeare Co., Shakespeare & Co., The London Shakespeare Workout. Molly is Director of the Green Wood Studio and teaches workshops internationally. She has performed in various mediums all over America and internationally in British Columbia, Ontario, Ireland and Georgia. At St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Molly’s work includes: this season’s roles of Nurse in Romeo & Juliet and Hippolyta/Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; co-directed and performed Beatrice in Much Adoe About Nothing; directed and performed Feste in Twelfe Night; and, as Education Director, launched the festival's training program. Some of her favorite roles include: Maria - Twelfth Night, Cassandra - House of Atreus, Mary - Mary of Scotland, Anna Petrovna - Ivanov, Louka - Arms & the Man, Nora - A Doll’s House, Helena - A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Beline - The Imaginary Invalid. Molly has also performed in many new plays and world premieres including her own one-woman show, A Most Notorious Woman, about the last queen of Ireland. During 2006, Molly was thrilled to take her show to Tbilisi, Georgia for the 10th anniversary international GIFT Festival, which was a deeply meaningful experience.

Based in Montréal, Ross Neill was born in Essen, raised in New York City, Amsterdam and Toronto and schooled at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Shortly after he attended McGIll University for a special arts program in opera, followed by a summer with the Des Moines Young Artists program.

Having begun his career in the musical theatre world in such shows as Showboat (the Harold Prince production on Broadway) and Guys and Dolls, Ross quickly made the move to leading roles in opera with Les Contes D'Hoffmann for Opera McGill in 2000, Barinkay in Zigeunerbaron for the Toronto Operetta and Don José in Carmen for the Royal Opera in Canada 2000. He has also sung Don José for Opera New Brunswick 2000, Opera North 2001 and Santa Barbara 2002. His debut with the Cleveland Opera was in 2001 as Cassio in Otello, with a huge success in Vancouver 2002 as Lennie in Of Mice and Men. He debuted with Indianapolis as Alfred in Die Fledermaus, a role he repeated in Nevada, then moved on the Eisentein the following year for the audiences in Toronto. Happy to sing Rodolfo in La Boheme, he made his debut's with Main Opera and Longwood Opera 2004. Most recently he sang his first Tambourmajor in Wozzeck at the Orford Festival with the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montréal.

Ross last appeared with the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in their 2006 production of Much Adoe About Nothing.

Al has been working in the professional world of theatre since the turn of the century. A graduate of the University of Ottawa's theatre program, he has been a full-time member of A Company of Fools since 2000 and the Ottawa Regional Director of the Canadian Improv Games since 1999. He is also an instructor of improvisation at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama and professional DJ.

The Artistic Director of Ottawa's Shakespearean performance troupe, A Company of Fools, Scott is a graduate of the del’Arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, California. He joined the Fools in 1991 and has worked with them ever since, except for the times when he wasn’t working with them, but working for someone else. Scott has worked with Odyssey Theatre and has travelled the eastern seaboard in the tall ship Amara Zee, performing with the Caravan Stage Barge Theatre Company. He has visited every major centre in Canada (and several minor ones) thanks to the Fools, Eddie May Mysteries and the Canadian Improv Games.

Emmanuelle graduated from the University of Windsor in 2004 from the Musical Theatre Performance Program. Selected Theatre Credits: Lady MacBeth in MacBeth (Salamander Theatre), Titania and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (A Company of Fools), Olivia in Twelfth Night (A Company of Fools), Morvan in Beckett's Shorts (G.C.T.C. Late Night Series), Spirit in Tales of Hoffman (Opera Lyra), Referee in Never Swim Alone (People's Choice Winner), Lead Vocalist at La Rochelle Festival (France) and Dancer in the 2006 Rolling Stones Video. Musical Theatre credits include: Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mrs. Walker in Tommy, Witch in Into the Woods and Julie Andrews in Forbidden Broadway. Emmanuelle has also appeared in many film and television productions and is an instructor in Musical Theatre at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama.

Since 2003 Bianca Gingras has worked as a model and actor in events throughout the National Capital region. With appearances at venues including the National Archives, Les Galleries de Hull, Conservatoire de Musique, Hotel des Gouverneurs in Gatineau and The Bay in Rideau Centre in Ottawa and work for clients including Big Brothers - Big Sisters, Mtl 4 Fun and Les Hebdos, Bianca is already an experienced public performer at only twelve years of age. Bianca has trained at the Models International Acting School, Atelier de Danse Carole Brouard and Club De Gymnastique Gym-Action De Gatineau.

Alan's artistic work is founded on a deep commitment to disability activism and taking a personal responsibility for creating change. He has published several articles in both Canada and the U.S., some of which have also appeared in journals in Australia. His articles strive to bring a Disability Rights perspective to mainstream media - particularly within debates around euthanasia and the right to life. Alan has an honours degree in Sociology and Political Science and is working towards a Master's Degree in Social Work. Knowing all too well the transformative power of comedy however, his heart is profoundly committed to performing. He is a favorite at conferences, schools, and universities, and holds the honour of being the only Canadian Artist invited to the 2000 Paralympic Arts Festival in Sydney, Australia. With his play Still Waiting for that Special Bus, Alan has toured extensively across North American and Australia to critical acclaim. He performs regularly across Canada as a stand-up comic and storyteller and has participated in dance events and even conducted his own dance workshops. Find out more about Alan's work at the website of his production company, Smashing Stereotypes Productions.

Leah is an Ottawa-based model, actor and dancer who has appeared in many film and theatre productions. She has performed in musicals since elementary school and has modelled since secondary school. Most recently she appeared in the movies A Perfect Marriage and Family Hotel and won the title of Best Overall Adult Female at the 2006 Canadian Model and Talent Competition along with other trophies in Runway, Photography, and Swimsuit.

Native to Ottawa, Amanda Bon is passionate about dance, music and the study of movement. She completed her professional training in modern dance at The School of Dance in Ottawa, and is also a flamenco dancer, having studied with some of the greats in Spain and here with Ottawa's own Theatre Flamenco. She works with local choreographers and musicians and performs reguarly throughout the city. Amanda is also certified by the Ron Fletcher Program of Study as an instructor of the Pilates method and currently teaches independently.

Mizuki Hoshino, a dancer and choreographer, started dance training in Tokyo, Japan. Since moving to Ottawa, she has studied modern dance and ballet at the School of Dance. During this time, she has also worked with various Canadian choreographers and has performed at the National Arts Centre and Arts Court. She has performed solo at the Embassy of Japan and a duet at the Mercury Lounge.

Mary Catherine Jack is an independent modern dance artist based in Ottawa. She trained in fine arts and dance performance at the University of Waterloo, Concordia University and the School of Dance in Ottawa. She has worked extensively as a performer and creator of dance works and programs for children and recently joined the Ottawa region "Learning Through the Arts" team.

Mary Catherine has worked with and performed works by dance artists including Marc Boivin, Karen Kusak, Sara Williams, Shauna Elton, Michael Trent, Massimo Agustonelli, Yvonne Coutts, and Sylvie DesRosiers at the NAC and Arts Court Theatre. Through the School of Dance and the Trillium Foundation she participated in Dance on Tour, accompanying other dancers to high schools throughout Ottawa and the surrounding area performing, teaching and creating with grade 9-12 students in order to promote arts awareness.

Before moving to Ottawa she was involved with the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, where she performed with an improv group as well as presented her own work. In Ottawa she has danced in Opera Lyra's 2005 season in Tales of Hoffman and Romeo and Juliet at the NAC's Southam Hall. She has performed solo and duet work for various functions and shows at the School of Dance, the NAC Fourth Stage and the Mercury Lounge. Most recently Mary Catherine was involved in a collaborative project between artists, dancers and musicians at the Cube Gallery.

Michelle is a dance professional currently based in Ottawa, ON. She has worked as a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, researcher, and stage manager. She trained at the Greenwich Ballet Workshop under the direction of Felicity Foote. She danced on scholarship with Mrs. Foote's Company, the American Youth Ballet, performing Ambassadors in Leotards: Fantasy Flight to New York in three summer European tours. She majored in dance at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts and received her B.F.A. in dance from York University. She spent her summers completing the Ailey School Summer Intensive in NYC, and working to promote literacy through the arts with Cadence Dance Project in Providence, RI. Michelle wrote her final research paper on The Effects of Dance on Inner-city Children.

Upon graduation, Michelle worked as a stage manager for the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre, Teasing Gravity Tour. She received a partial scholarship from the Canadian Heritage Foundation to study in a pilot program for professional and artistic training in African dance at Circle D'Expression Artistique Nyata Nyata in Montréal, QC. Most recently, she performed with the Grasshoppa Dance Exchange in Diffusion, a piece commissioned for the 2006 Canada Dance Festival.

Byron Alley is the founder of Swing Dynamite, Ottawa's first and only dedicated swing dance school. Byron also co-founded the highly successful Studio 88-Swing in Montréal in 2002, as well as creating Lindy Hoppers Anonymous in Victoria in 2001. He is also a member of Canada's famous Swinging Air Force.

As a competition swing dancer, Byron has won countless awards in such competitions as the Canadian Swing Championships, Swingin' New England, American Lindy Hop Championships and the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. As a performer, Byron has been featured on MuchMusic, CBC, TVA and in the movie Gleason (2003). He has choreographed and danced in many shows including Ottawa's Parliament Hill on Canada Day, the Casino de Montréal, and the Salle Wilfred Pelletier at Place des Arts, as well many dozens of other performances in Canada and the US.

As a teacher, Byron has taught swing dancing classes throughout Canada and the US. Known for his emphasis on partner connection and the original swing spirit, on the dance floor Byron combines vintage Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues dancing, and Balboa, creating a dance ranging from smooth and subtle to dynamic and creative. Byron is also known as one of Canada's foremost swing aerials experts. View video clips of Byron's dancing here.

A teacher and performer with Swing Dynamite, Olivier is known for his innovative Charleston moves and his blues dancing. His passion for great social dancing has led him to attend over 40 major swing dancing events in various cities in Canada and the US. As co-founder of the University of Ottawa Swing Club (SwingUO) in 2003, he was responsible for a major expansion of Ottawa's swing dancing community. Olivier is a classically-trained cellist specializing in Baroque music, and a founding member of the Ottawa Baroque Consort. He also loves to play jazz, and his musical talents are obvious in his swing dancing.

In addition to choreographing and performing dance numbers with Swing Dynamite and an earlier dance troupe, the Elgin St. Stompers, Olivier has won several competition awards. Before joining the Swing Dynamite teaching crew, Olivier taught for the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Swing Dance Society.

As a cellist, Olivier studied with Anne Contant at the Conservatory of Music in Gatineau, where he completed his Concours and was awarded "le prix en violoncelle" in 2000. Olivier also placed second at the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition in the chamber music category, and he is a graduate recipient of the Quebec Lieutenant Governor’s Award for excellence. In addition, Olivier has had the opportunity to participate in the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute three times, where he studied baroque cello with Christina Mahler, and he was offered a scholarship by the Institute on two occasions.

Olivier has been very active in Ottawa-Gatineau: in 1997, he joined the "Orchestre des concerts symphoniques de Gatineau," and he has been a member of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and often plays in the Ottawa Valley Festival as orchestra member and chamber musician throughout the year. He was also recently heard playing chamber music in the Ponticello concert series with his clarinet trio, and in Gatineau's "Mardis classiques" series with the Orbit String Quartet.

In the past season, Olivier performed a number of baroque concerts with several groups in Ottawa, in the Chamber Music at Cleary Hall series, in the Cathedral Arts series, and at St. Giles Church with the Ottawa Baroque Consort. He also performs in Montréal and Wakefield with Le Phénix, an ensemble that presents baroque cello sonatas with an intimate accompaniment of continuo cello and theorbo.

Olivier plays on a german baroque cello dated 1725 generously loaned by the Paul Hahn Memorial Fund.

Bryn Morin is a teacher and performer with Swing Dynamite, Ottawa's first and only dedicated swing dance school. Known among many swing dancers internationally as "the girl with the hips" for her sensual and expressive blues dancing, Bryn is also completely addicted to fast Lindy Hop and Charleston. She is loved by students and dance partners for her exhuberance in the classroom as well as on the dance floor. A medalist at the 2006 Canadian Swing Championships, Bryn has also performed as a member of the Elgin St. Stompers and the Topsy Girls, which she also helped to coach. Bryn is known in performance for her stage presence and warm smile.

Bryn's first love remains teaching, and she is grateful to receive frequent invitations to teach dance in locations across North America and even in Europe. With her background in Drama in Education, Bryn takes a truly professional approach to teaching dance, combining strong fundamentals with individual expression.

Natalia Rueda is a coach and teacher with Swing Dynamite, Ottawa's first and only dedicated swing dance school. A native of Colombia, Natalia grew up dancing Salsa and Merengue. As she puts it, "I never went to a party where people didn't know how to partner dance until I came to Canada!" Luckily, as soon as Natalia arrived in Canada, she discovered swing dancing, quickly becoming one of Ottawa's rising stars. Recently she won a medal at the 2006 Canadian Swing Championships, as well as the CSC's Attitude prize! Natalia has won first place in dozens of competitions with song and dance routines she choreographed. As a member of a competitive chearleading team, she won the provincial championships, making her a natural for swing acrobatics! While her first swing love is Lindy Hop, she's developed a sweet spot for Blues, Shag and especially Balboa.

As a performer, Natalia is also the only Ottawa dancer who has danced with all of Ottawa's swing performance groups, including Swing Dynamite, Pie à la Mode, The Elgin St. Stompers and The Topsy Girls.

Laurence Wall is the News Producer for CBC Radio in Ottawa. He prepares and reads 12 newscasts and updates each weekday afternoon on Radio One.

He's been with the CBC for 28 years at stations in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Fredericton and now Ottawa since 1993.

Laurence was born in Montreal and raised in Winnipeg. He still bleeds blue and gold for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He also cheers for the Ottawa Senators but keeps a soft spot in his heart for Les Canadiens.

Laurence lives in The People's Republic of Nepean with his lovely wife, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed. They have 2 wonderful girls, ages 20 and 17.

When he's not keeping the province safe for democracy, Laurence plays the cello in an Ottawa community orchestra called Divertimento. He's also an aviation nut who hopes one day to convince Michael Potter to give him a ride in his Spitfire.

Laurence is the president of the Nepean chapter of the Mantovani Fan Club. He also enjoys Broadway musicals, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Steve and Eydie and most Classical music up until May, 1900.