The company La Otra Orilla (“the other shore”) was born in Montreal in 2006, through the collaboration of its two artistic directors, Myriam Allard and Hedi Graja. While both have immersed themselves in the technique and spirit of flamenco during their extensive time in Andalusia, their signature style is decidedly contemporary and eclectic. Poetic and often infused with humour, their works blend dance, singing, music, and theatre in unexpected ways.
La Otra Orilla is an audacious, unique voice, committed to making flamenco resonate, with its ancient echoes relentlessly answering the calls of the present.
Choreography and dance
Born in Quebec City to a Franco-Manitoban father and a Greek-British mother, Myriam Allard grew up in a household where music, dance, and openness to others were integral to everyday life. Her introduction to flamenco was transformative: in 1996, she left her native land for Spain, immersing herself in training under the tutelage of renowned masters for eight years. She commenced her professional journey on the traditional tablaos stages of Spain before embarking on diverse collaborations in Spain, France, the United States, and Japan, including joining Israel Galvan’s esteemed company.
Filled with her overseas experiences, she returned to Montreal in 2006 and co-founded La Otra Orilla with Hedi Graja – the other shore; a space for dialogue where creativity knows no bounds. Inseparable, they craft unbounded and poetic works: an unexpected blend of dance, singing, music, and theatre. Their creations engage audiences in Quebec and across Canada, as well as in the United States, Scotland, and Colombia, resonating wherever they go.
For Myriam Allard, the body knows everything. It is diverse, and it dances. Every gesture reflects her quest for transcendence, every play of tension seeks connection with the other. Drawing upon her profound mastery of flamenco codes, her dance breaks free from canonical aesthetic frameworks and develops a language within which the instinctive alternates with the refined: and from the depths spring forth a latent strength, a subdued tension.
Over the years, Myriam Allard has become a national reference within her field. She shifts between roles as choreographer, performer, artistic director, mentor, collaborator, teacher, and mother of two, tirelessly sharing her worldview by shedding more light with each reflection.
STAGE DIRECTION AND SINGING
“Playing with shapes, bodies, sounds, words, accidents, rhythm, and letting the narrative emerge from this grand dance of elements. It’s essential for me to tap into childhood to explore, compose, and scenically craft the shaping of a discourse whose modalities obey only an internal logic. This approach guides my work: each piece is an opportunity to cast a fresh gaze upon the world.”
Hedi Graja, a multidisciplinary artist, was born with one foot on each side of the Mediterranean, an influence that decisively shaped his artistic identity. Initially introduced to theatre in Paris and classical singing in Toulouse, he had a pivotal encounter with flamenco and furthered his knowledge in Seville. Flamenco singing then emerged as his preferred medium of expression. After spending four years in Andalusia, he completed his studies in Literature and Arts in Paris, where he continued his training in flamenco singing and collaborated as an actor with the theatre company Le Théâtre du Voyageur. Since 2006, he has been shaping the stage signature of La Otra Orilla, overseeing the direction and scenography of all its productions. Endowed with a warm and powerful bass-baritone voice, a rarity in flamenco, Hedi Graja’s singing embodies the deep, rooted, and timeless colours of flamenco.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Janie Robillard
Treasurer: Hedi Graja
Secretary: Myriam Allard
Directors: Anouk Leblanc-Dominguez, Florence Grandmont
OUR PARTNERS
