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

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  • Accueil/Home
  • Ballet
  • The Company (Press Kit)
  • La Compagnie
  • Pro Ballet
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  • Horaire/Schedule
  • Recommandations
  • Contactez Nous/Contact
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  • Vidéos/Videos
  • Accueil/Home
  • Ballet
  • The Company (Press Kit)
  • La Compagnie
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Studio Balletvolution Company

Photo credit: Nika Foto
Performance " Dancing with Dara"
Photo credit: Nika Foto
Performance of " The Yarns of Life"

About the Studio Balletvolution Company

Our History

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.




"Nature's Web" Performance 2026

Meet our Dancers

Photo credit: Nika Foto
Performance of "The Yarns of Life"

Jessica Cumberbirch

Marina Gris (Junior Artist)

Marina Gris (Junior Artist)

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.

Photo credit: Nika Foto

Marina Gris (Junior Artist)

Marina Gris (Junior Artist)

Marina Gris (Junior Artist)

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.


Meet our Musicians

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

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.

Photo credit:Nikki Mosca and Anna Valenti

Ash Lex

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

 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

Iryna Khrebtova Gris

Rachel Dara

 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! 

Meet our videographer

Photo credit: Lexi Eusepi

Joseph Bottaro (Other People Productions)

 

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".

Choreographic Works

"Dancing with Dara" 2025

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.


Photo credit: Eric Mehta

"Dancing with Dara" Performance

    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto
    Photo: Nika Foto

    Excerpts from "Dancing with Dara"

    "In the Darkness"

    "The Next Big Invention"

    "Go Home Johnny"

    "Yarns of Life" Performance 2023-2024

    "Yarns of Life"

    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

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