The Impulse Series is a new interdisciplinary performance series pilot presented in partnership by The Rooms, Sound Arts Initiatives, and Neighbourhood Dance Works.The series brings together local dancers and musicians to create spontaneous, real-time compositions in an intimate, low-tech performance setting.
Each presentation features a small mixed ensemble improvising together—without predetermined choreography or musical scores—and is followed by a short audience reflection period.
Tickets: $5 plus HST. Get your tickets online or
April 10 – Impulse Series – Ensemble
Alison Carter
Alison began contemporary dance and improvisation in 1986 with Jo Leslie and performed at the Sound Symposium in Don Stein’s “Aztec Dreams”, with the Louder than Words collective, and with Geoff Younghusband in “Reveen Space Music”. From 2003 - 2010 she danced with the Dzolali Drum and dance ensemble, catalysed by Kwasi Dunyo’s 1998 Sound Symposium workshop. She joined the Gutsink Collective for site specific improvisation 2001 - 2004; and Neighbourhood Dance Works community projects with Geri Morita in 2009, Andrea Tucker and Andrya Duff in 2020, and the Navigating Home project with Christopher House and Anne Troake 2017-2019. From 2016- 2020 she co-directed the St. John's Vocal Exploration choir with Mack Furlong. In 2022 she was onstage at the Masonic Temple for the first NDW Odditease Cabaret show. In 2025 she took part in Vertical Dance Week and Contact Improv sessions with Julia Carr.
Caedda Enright
Caedda Enright is a multi-genre harpist. She is a graduate of York University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music. Her degree focused on using the harp in a jazz setting. She has extensive performance experience, from elegant weddings to charming local bars. Caedda is passionate about breaking the perceived boundaries of the harp, showcasing the instrument's immense ability in various genres. Caedda is currently based in St. John's but is proud to call all the Atlantic Provinces some sort of home. In her free time, she likes to be outdoors, either hiking or spending time with her horse!
Missy Morris
Missy is an independent artist now based in St. John’s, NL. Born in Nova Scotia, raised in BC, educated in Toronto, and enriched in Asia, the beauty of a nomadic lifestyle continually inspires her work. After earning an Honours BFA from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metro), she worked in Toronto for a decade with several companies and as a freelance artist. After then teaching Dance and English in Thailand, Vietnam and China for five years, she made the move to St. John’s, exploring the rich arts scene on offer. Since settling here, she has had the privilege of performing in various projects, including Cameo and Close Up, both produced by Andrya Duff, and Sound Symposium’s Echo Village, directed by Benton Roark and Julia Carr. She looks forward to continuing her collaborations with the unique and engaging voices here in St. John’s.
Kate Read
Based in St John’s, Kate’s diverse talents can be heard performing with the Atlantic String Quartet, as Principal Violist in the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and at festivals such as Sound Symposium and Tuckamore. Kate’s first solo album was released on the Leaf Music record label in 2022 receiving MusicNL and ECMA nominations. Containing a mix of works for viola and electronics and Baroque repertoire, it brought a new facet of Kate’s creative work into the spotlight. Kate’s work with electronics and improvisation has since taken off, creating live sound design for theatre productions Oderin (Loopstitch) and Pray for Rain (Ensemble Meduse). In 2005 Kate won a position with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, where she played for 6 years. Kate also played regularly with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Philharmonia. www.kateread.ca https://loopstitchloops.com/ https://ensemblemeduse.ca/
Seonaid Stark
Seonaid Stark (she/her) is a performer based in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a BFA in theatre from Grenfell Campus. She trained in dance for many years with programs including Dance Studio West, in styles including jazz, modern, and tap. She has also worked as a choreographer with Graham Academy and Corner Brook Regional High School. Seonaid loves moving and is so grateful to be a part of this project.
April 24 – Impulse Series
Robyn Breen
Robyn Breen is a dance artist and movement educator. Born and raised in St. John’s, NL, and spent over a dozen years living and working in Toronto, Ontario. Since 2021, she has been spending most of her time back home in Newfoundland reconnecting with the arts community. As a choreographer and movement coach, Robyn values community and care. Her work encourages agency while balancing individuality with unity.
David Buley
David Buley is an Associate Professor of music education in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Director of Music at St. Mary’s Church in St. John’s, NL. He holds graduate degrees in choral conducting, sacred music, philosophy, and liturgical studies from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and Drew University in Madison, NJ. David has taught classroom music in Nova Scotia and New Jersey, and has led choirs in various situations, including children's choirs, community choirs, church choirs, university choirs, and professional vocal ensembles. A Co-Artistic Director of HarbourVOICES!, David is also on the Board of Directors of Kittiwake Ballet. He is a certified practitioner of Dalcroze Eurhythmics and enjoys many community music-making and collective singing opportunities, particularly with the Lullaby Project-NL, and Octatonic Decadence Ensemble. David is owned by a border collie, Nelllie, who is far better at running than he is.
Amy Chafe
Amy Chafe is a dancer and aerialist from St John's Newfoundland. She is fascinated by all forms of movement both on the ground and in the air. Her passion is finding new ways to explore movement by drawing inspiration from both the people and places around her.
Matthew Hardy
Matthew Hardy is a musician, composer and silly-song-singer. He received his Bachelor of Music Performance in double bass at Memorial University and master’s from McGill, studying with principal Montreal Symphony double bassist Ali Yazdanfar.
Hardy plays in the bass section of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, jazz bass in the Laura Taylor Quartet, and he recently composed and recorded his first short film score for “The Man In The Second Story Window”, directed by Stephen Haring. Mostly he is proud of his annual tibb’s eve christmas show at the Black Sheep, most recently titled: “Good Grief! It’s a Hardy Christmas”
Andrea Tucker
Andrea Tucker is a performer, educator, and parent whose dance practice is guided by embodiment, intuition, and a deep exploration of belonging within the shifting landscapes around her. With a foundation in somatic and improvisational movement, she works at the crossroads of body, place, and community. In both performance and collaborative creation, Andrea's work is driven by a curiosity about the natural world and the stories embedded in our bodies.
May 8 – Impulse Series
Vanessa Cardoso-Whelan
Vanessa Cardoso Whelan (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist, playwright, and clown from Brazil, with a deep passion for contemporary theatre and body movement. She graduated with a diploma in Theatre Arts in 2004 and has performed extensively on stage and in street theatre as both an actress and dancer, collaborating with various artistic groups. Since relocating to Newfoundland and Labrador in 2014, Vanessa has become an active and generous presence in the local arts community. She regularly offers volunteer workshops and performances for newcomers, refugees, and non-profit organizations, using her art as a tool for connection and inclusion. Deeply connected to nature, Vanessa finds inspiration in the mountains of Newfoundland’s west coast, which remind her of her homeland in Brazil.
Andrya Duff
A multi-disciplinary performer and creator who brings this blended approach to each project. Locally, Andrya is one-third of Grand Trine Presents - a multi-disciplinary/media collaboration that creates through the lens of astrological archetypes and Ballast Collective, a collaboration between movers, musicians and innovative midi-sensor technology. Currently, Andrya produces the quarterly series CAMEO at the Barbara Barrett Theatre and is co-Artistic Producer of Groundwork Dance Festival.
Nicole Hand
Nicole Hand is a professional instrumentalist involved in many of St. John’s top orchestral, jazz, theatre and rock groups. She has recorded two award-winning albums as baritone saxophonist with Ouroboros and held the chair of Second Bassoon with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra since 2008. She can most recently be seen on stage with her partner, Jodee Richardson, as part of their touring folk duo Jodee + Nicole or in the horn section of nine-member rock band Hit Piece, which debuted at the Writer’s at Woody Point Festival in 2024. Originally from Conception Bay South, Nicole lives in downtown St. John’s with Jodee and their dog, Nan.
Sarah Joy Stoker
Interdisciplinary artist Sarah Joy Stoker’s work is rooted in dance, performance, site specific installation, video, and photography and has always been art-for-action based. For decades her work has focused on ecological and social justice in response to the incredible disconnect from nature fuelled by our colonial past and present and spans; They cut down trees so you can wipe your ass and blow your nose with the softest tissues ever (1999), From your head down to your feet (2002), Le Bordel (2003), Rocks on (2005), Sapiens lay here (2007), When the birds fly happy (2011), The worth of (2014), Our heart breaks (2018), Once we were trees (2019), Fort/tress (2020), Stay Staying/Repeat Offenders (2024) and, Woven Prayers on Melting Ice, Walking the Retreat of a Glacier, and Pixel Bear (2024). Sarah holds firm that art is an active force in life and should be used as a vehicle for action.
Jing Xia
Jing Xia is a guzheng performer, composer, and ethnomusicologist based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her practice bridges contemporary Chinese music, improvisation, and experimental sound, informed by research into diaspora and intercultural music-making. She blends electric textures, extended techniques, and deep listening to create music that responds to space, movement, and collaboration. Whether performing solo or with ensembles, Jing treats the guzheng as melody, percussion, and atmosphere—shaping vivid, in-the-moment sound worlds.
June 12 – Impulse Series
Simon Alteen
Simon is an actor born and raised in Newfoundland. He is a recent graduate of The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art in Ireland. Recent credits include: RICHARD in Dolly’s House (Capacity Theatre, St. John’s), FRIAR LAWRENCE in Romeo and Juliet (The Mill Theatre, Dublin), DROSSELMEYER in The Nutcracker Ballet Tour (Kittiwake Dance Theatre), DUNCAN/MURDERER in Macbeth (The Mill Theatre, Dublin), MORGAN/REHEARSAL PERFORMER in Good Sex (Dead Centre, Dublin), ROTHKO in RED (The Lir Academy, Dublin).
Jennifer Lynn Dick
Jennifer Lynn Dick [she/her] is a contemporary dance artist whose work bridges performance, choreography, teaching, writing, and archival research. Born in St. John’s, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Beothuk and Mi’kmaq (Ktaqmkuk) she is committed to dance as a shared, evolving practice. Her work is shaped by collaboration—with dancers, musicians, students, and communities. She has created and performed nationally and internationally and holds an MA in Dance from York University, where her research examined embodied archives, authorship, and the dancer’s contribution to choreography.
Yi-Ta (Dean) Hsieh
YI-TA HSIEH (Dean) was born in Taiwan and is currently based in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He began his artistic training in theatre at Taipei National University of the Arts before continuing his development in contemporary dance at SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance) in Austria. His work focuses on exploring the relationship between body, shared sensibilities, and space through movement. He has performed in stage productions and collaborative projects across Asia and Europe, and continues to develop his practice through improvisation, seeking a sense of ease and freedom both on stage and in everyday life.
Gabriel Piller
Gabriel Piller has been making noise and experimental music in St. John’s for 25 years. Working under names like Sleeping Police, Blanket Fort, The American W, M. Manifeste, and Wimbledon F.C., he’s released a range of recordings on his label, Knife in the Toaster. His work includes elements of drone, field recordings, and improvisation, often shared through limited-run tapes, CDs, or digital formats. Piller has performed at events like the Sound Symposium and ONSOUND, and continues to quietly contribute to the local experimental scene.
Heather Rumancik
Heather Rumancik is from southern Manitoba and currently lives in St. John’s, NL. Heather is a lighting technician, aerialist, and instructor.
Aerial hoop performances include Echo Village at Memorial University Botanical Garden (2023), and an improvised performance for the short film "Reverberations" (2024), a collaborative project with experimental quartet Vainweather.
When not spinning upside-down, Heather works in the grip and lighting departments on television and film productions between Toronto and St. John’s.
Event Venue
9 Bonaventure Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, NL, Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5P9
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
