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Tracy Kasner Greaves – Artistic Director Tracy joined the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble as a vocalist in 1991, becoming Co-Vocal Director in 1995 and Co-Artistic Director in 2001. This is Tracy’s fifth season as the sole Artistic Director of Chai and in late 2007 she assumed the role of Managing Artistic Director. Tracy has studied music with the noted vocal instructor Diane Berger and is an alumna of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Musical Theatre Company. Tracy trained and performed extensively as a member of the “Triple Threats” under the direction of Janis Dunning. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg with an Education Degree majoring in Theatre and Language Arts, she began her teaching career at the Gray Academy of Jewish Education and then the Calgary Hebrew Day School. When Tracy returned to Winnipeg in 2003, she entered into an intensive study of Chazzanut through correspondence from the Cantor’s Assembly with mentor Cantor Sanford Cohn. Tracy is in her sixth year as serving as Cantor for Congregation Etz Chayim. Tracy is proud to have been with the Chai Folk Ensemble for 17 years and counting. Ariel Posen – Musical Director Ariel Posen is a first call freelance guitarist in Winnipeg as well as the Musical Director for the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble. Playing all styles of music, he excels at taking on the challenges of the different varieties of music for which Chai is known. Aside from playing Acoustic and Electric guitar, he plays Mandolin, Dobro, Lap Steel, Piano, Bass, Drums and he sings. Being a freelance musician, some of the artists he has played for are Ron Paley, Jessee Havey, Finjan, Sierra Noble, Alana Levandoski, Ash Koley, Canada Idol runner-ups Tara Oram, Lisa Bell and Katelyn Dawn to name a few. He also has his own three piece band called Groovy Moustache, a duo group with jazz singer Sophie Berkal-Sarbit, with whom they just released a self titled record Ariel is also in the Instrumental Fusion Jazz group called Swunk. He also does lots of Studio Session work and recently played guitars for Don Amero, Darrelyne Bickel, Jaylene Johnson and Helen White's 2009 albums. Aside from playing, Ariel also teaches guitar privately and has been doing so for the past 6 years. Ariel has a put together a good band who are excellent musicians who complement each other very well in the Chai Folk Ensemble. The sound of Chai is very eclectic and versatile, yet sophisticated and exciting to listen to. Ariel is responsible for making sure that the orchestra is in perfect accompaniment with the vocalists and that the timing is precisely coordinated for the dancers on stage. Arthur Liffmann - Vocal Director
Directorship History:
Performance History:
Melissa Hart – Assistant to Vocal Director Melissa Hart is an energetic performer, fresh on the performing circuit. A recent graduate of Canadian Mennonite University, Melissa holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and is currently working on her Bachelor of Education at the University of Manitoba. Honoured in 2007 as one of the Top 25 emerging artists in Manitoba by the Canada Council for the Arts, the young soprano went on to represent Manitoba in the National Artists Program that same year, held in Whitehorse, Yukon. Among her more recent credits, Melissa has performed with Chai since 2008 and has enjoyed working in other shows such as Beauty and the Beast (Rainbow Stage, 2009). Beth Usiskin – Dance Director Beth began dancing with Chai in 2003 and is very excited to now have a position of leadership within the group. She has traveled with the group to California, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Detroit most recently in Edmonton in June of this year. Beth has been a teacher for the Lisa Cohen Chai School of Performing Arts for the past three years, taking on the role of co-instructor for Chai’s junior dance group, Ruach this past year. She traveled with Ruach to Vancouver in May 2009 where they participated in the Festival Harikud. Beth earned her Bachelor of Arts with distinction last year from the University of Manitoba, majoring in Mathematics and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Education. Elan Marchinko – Dance Director Elan has performed with Chai since 2008. She is a graduate of the Junior Professional Program of the School of Contemporary Dancers and also trained in the Senior Professional Program. Elan has studied intensively with Paula Blair in Winnipeg, the Canadian School of Ballet in Kelowna, B.C., and with Winnipeg's Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. She performed with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Senior Tap Workshop for several years. Elan has been a faculty member of the School of Contemporary Dancers and teaches Israeli dance for the Lisa Cohen Chai School of Performing Arts. In Spring 2010 Elan will receive her Bachelor of Arts Honours from the University of Winnipeg with degrees in Art History and Sociology. Ian Kirk – Director of Production Ian has been involved with the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble first as a stage manager and as Director of Production since 2008. Ian is currently the Assistant Technical Director for the Manitoba Theatre Centre. He has toured extensively throughout Canada and parts of Europe with Winnipeg's Ensemble Folklorique De La Riviere Rouge as technical advisor and dancer since 1980. He has also completed two regional tours with MTC.
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