Pour l'amour de la danse/ For the love of dance!!!
Pour l'amour de la danse/ For the love of dance!!!


Established in 2023, Jessica Cumberbirch as sole proprietor, founded the Studio Balletvolution Company. The mandate of the company is to make contemporary ballet more accessible and bring dance to new audiences. Performing in art galleries and unconventional dance spaces, the choreographic works combine various forms of music and art.
Jessica’s education at the Vaganova Academy of Ballet in St-Petersburg Russia has influenced her approach to art and dance. Having the opportunity to be coached by Natalya Dudinskaya one of the worlds greatest ballerinas marked and inspired Jessica greatly as an artist. Expression in art was key in Jessica’s training at the Vaganova Academy, never allowing “technique” to have more importance than emotions and the impact of storytelling. Cumberbirch has kept this lesson close to her heart, embedding emotions and character driven narratives in her choreographic language/voice/choices.

Jessica Cumberbirch graduated from the prestigious Vaganova Academy in Russia. Jessica has toured Europe, the United States and Canada performing with Alberta Ballet, l'Opéra de Montréal , Le Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, Louise Bédard Danse, Lina Cruz and Kondition Pluriel among others.
Jessica has created several choreographic wor
Jessica Cumberbirch graduated from the prestigious Vaganova Academy in Russia. Jessica has toured Europe, the United States and Canada performing with Alberta Ballet, l'Opéra de Montréal , Le Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, Louise Bédard Danse, Lina Cruz and Kondition Pluriel among others.
Jessica has created several choreographic works to sold out audiences around Montreal. Performing her solos at the Baroque Chamber Music Festival,Festival Argenteuil en Blues as well as performing a solo for premier Jean Charest.
She created and performed "The Yarns of Life" in 2023 and 2024. Her latest project was "Dancing with Dara" in 2025.
Her next project " Nature's Web" begins December 2025 with performances May 2nd at the National Archives of Montreal.

Marina E. Gris is a talented emerging young artist, Marina will be participating in "Nature's Web" her first professional project with the company starting mid December 2025.
Marina attended the Contemporary Dance program at Concordia
under a Fine Arts scholarship. She is currently training at Ballet Divertimento as well as taking private
Marina E. Gris is a talented emerging young artist, Marina will be participating in "Nature's Web" her first professional project with the company starting mid December 2025.
Marina attended the Contemporary Dance program at Concordia
under a Fine Arts scholarship. She is currently training at Ballet Divertimento as well as taking private lessons with Jessica Cumberbirch in the Vaganova method.
Marina Gris has choreographed pieces on herself
as well as on her peers at Concordia and on her students at Emmanuel Christian school.
She participated in festivals such as the Sainte Anne-de-Bellevue Fundraiser for Ukraine
festival where she performed an excerpt of la Bayadere and the Public Domain festival at
Mainline theatre where she performed in Ruben Macas’s piece, Soyons Jazzy.

Iryna Khrebtova Gris is a Ukrainian Canadian classical pianist who works as
a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician, choir director, and music director/organist at the
Maisonneuve Presbyterian Church of Canada. She has performed in numerous international
concerts and festivals, including on the stages of the SYCM Concert Hall in Shenyang, C
Iryna Khrebtova Gris is a Ukrainian Canadian classical pianist who works as
a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician, choir director, and music director/organist at the
Maisonneuve Presbyterian Church of Canada. She has performed in numerous international
concerts and festivals, including on the stages of the SYCM Concert Hall in Shenyang, China; the
Varna Summer International Music Festival in Bulgaria; the Odessa State Conservatory in
Ukraine; the University of North Carolina in the United States; and the University of Western
Ontario in London, Canada.
Iryna received her early training at the renowned Stolyarsky School of Music with the legendary
Professor Irina Balashova and later completed her master’s degree in Piano Performance at the
Odessa State Conservatory under the guidance of Professor Evelina Kovalenko.

Ash Lex is a boundary-pushing vocalist and songwriter whose raw intensity and atmospheric soundscapes has made her one of Montreal’s most captivating emerging artists. Her album, Trees + Bones, released in April 2025, marks a bold new chapter—an unflinching dive into memory, resilience, and the quiet places where strength takes root
Ash Lex is a boundary-pushing vocalist and songwriter whose raw intensity and atmospheric soundscapes has made her one of Montreal’s most captivating emerging artists. Her album, Trees + Bones, released in April 2025, marks a bold new chapter—an unflinching dive into memory, resilience, and the quiet places where strength takes root.
Working closely with acclaimed producer Rad Crasto, Ash Lex crafts a world that feels both intimate and cinematic. Her powerful, unmistakable voice sits at the center, carried by a band of seasoned Montreal musicians whose textured arrangements blur the lines between indie rock, alt-folk, and soulful experimental pop.

Rachel Dara is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter who recorded her debut album “The Next Big Invention" with legendary Canadian record producer Mark Howard, who compared her to Joni Mitchell, a famed folk artist he worked with.
This Folk/Americana style artist will be releasing her second record, "Old at Soul and Young at Heart"
Rachel Dara is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter who recorded her debut album “The Next Big Invention" with legendary Canadian record producer Mark Howard, who compared her to Joni Mitchell, a famed folk artist he worked with.
This Folk/Americana style artist will be releasing her second record, "Old at Soul and Young at Heart" in 2026. Her melodies are intensely warm and personal as she spins stories of love, abandonment, coming of age and bullying that people of all ages can relate to.
At the tender age of 19, she has performed at festivals and venues across Quebec as well as in Ontario, Upstate New York, and Pennsylvania. Visit www.racheldara.com to know more!

Joseph Bottaro is a filmmaker based in Montréal and is a film production graduate of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinéma at Concordia University. He is the founder and creative director of Other People Productions; a production company specializing in photography and film.
Joseph is a winner at the Toronto Indie Shorts, a finalist at
Joseph Bottaro is a filmmaker based in Montréal and is a film production graduate of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinéma at Concordia University. He is the founder and creative director of Other People Productions; a production company specializing in photography and film.
Joseph is a winner at the Toronto Indie Shorts, a finalist at Filmhaus Berlin and Lonely Wolf in the United Kingdom.
Joseph Bottaro's film " Bird's Eye View" is highly acclaimed, being shown at the 2025 Fantasia Festival in Montreal.
Joseph Bottaro has been Studio Balletvolution Company's official videographer for all of our projects since 2023.
Joseph will be creating videos for our upcoming performance " Nature's Web".
Jessica Cumberbirch, a professional ballet and contemporary dancer and Rachel Dara, an award winning singer songwriter have joined forces to create a powerful and captivating performance.
Rachel's album " The Next Big Invention" takes the audience on a musical journey. Jessica interprets the beautiful stories sung by Rachel through dance. Both artists draw the audience into an emotional world of music and dance.
Performed at the beautiful Viva Vida Art Gallery in Pointe-Claire, QC.













"In the Darkness"
"The Next Big Invention"
"Go Home Johnny"
Jessica Cumberbirch created “The Yarns of Life” to celebrate the beauty, fragility and resilience of the human spirit. With her love of knitting driving her, she hand knit each garment used in the show, creating each character from the strands of yarn weaved together. The women’s stories are as varied as the colours and textures of yarn used for each garment. Sharing through dance, knitting, live music and storytelling their stories of love, loss, war and joy.
Each character in “The Yarns of Life” is fueled by a unique movement language inspired by their own story, their dreams, memories and personal struggles. Jessica takes inspiration from her experience as a professional ballet and contemporary dancer as well as her knowledge of martial arts, creating her own unique language on pointe for each character.
To make the performance complete Jessica is accompanied by Montreal singer-songwriter Brian Gallagher who through his original songs and storytelling delves into the lives of these resilient women and the power of knitting to bind us together. Each performer brings a unique perspective to the entire show and together Jessica and Brian weave an emotional tale of family, struggle, social anxiety, overcoming fear and through it all, love and triumph.


Studio Balletvolution