Joaquín Barral Yarian (Performer) is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of design, circus, and dance-theater. Originally from Montevideo, Uruguay, with a background in Industrial Design (2016-2020), he moved to Canada to study at the École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal, graduating in 2023 with a focus on aerial rope and acrobatic movement research. Since then Joaquín has collaborated as a dance and circus artist with various creators and companies such as Rock Bottom Movement, Rebecca Lazier, Geneviève Dupéré, and James Finnemore. Joaquín has also worked in the role of creator/choreographer for pieces performed at venues such as La Chapelle and Le Monastère, and is now a guest director for the Semaine de Création 2025 at the ENC later this year.
Zed Cézard (Performer) crosses several professional fields, from author to astrologer, doctor of art sciences and circus artist. He has published two socio-political essays on clowns and participated in several collective literary works. Zed is the recipient of two prestigious prizes – the “Prix Spécial du Jury” and “Coup de coeur du festival”, awarded during 41ème Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, following which he invented a new circus apparatus. He recently published his latest book of poetic stories, “C’est ainsi que je ne suis personne. Poétique de l’inêtre” (Somme toute Éditions). Zed is very happy to continue working with the Noli Timere team and Rebecca Lazier.
Dominic Clément (Rigger) brings a unique blend of technical expertise and creativity to his work as a rigger. His career highlights include heading acrobatic rigging projects at Cirque de la Pointe-Sèche, touring with Flip Fabrique, and leading major highline projects. His experience spans acrobatic, theatrical, corporate, and outdoor settings, where he combines technical skill with innovation. As an experienced rigger and rope access technician, Dominic ensures safety and precision in every setup.
Bea Crowther (Technical Director) Originally from the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Bea is a non-binary, interdisciplinary artist whose love for both the design and technical arts informs their passion for live performance.
While studying theatre and performance at the University of Guelph, Bishop’s University, and the National Theatre School of Canada, Bea has worked as a technical director, lighting, set, and video designer. They have also worked professionally at Theatre Baddeck, Theatre New Brunswick, Neptune Theatre, Black Theatre Workshop, and more. Bea is driven by a love of people, telling stories, and a desire to make a little bit of magic.
Janet Echelman (Sculptor) reshapes airspace with monumental, suspended pieces that react to environmental forces around them. Her net-like works combine ancient craft with advanced technology, and are focal points for public squares, parks, and museum exhibitions. Using unlikely materials from atomized water particles to engineered fiber fifteen times stronger than steel, Echelman combines ancient craft with computational design software to create artworks that have become focal points for urban life on five continents, from Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, and Santiago, to Beijing, Boston, New York and London. Permanent works in Porto (Portugal), Gwanggyo (South Korea), Vancouver, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Phoenix, Eugene, Greensboro, Philadelphia, Seattle, Columbus (OH) and St. Petersburg (FL) transform daily with colored light. Recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, Harvard Loeb Fellowship, Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship, and Fulbright Sr. Lectureship, Echelman received the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Visual Arts, honoring “the greatest innovators in America today.” Echelman’s past collaborations with dance include set design for Stuttgart Ballet and advising Cirque de Soleil.
Clark Avery Griffin (Performer) is a multidisciplinary movement and yoga artist from the Bay Area. Clark studied anthropology and dance at Princeton University, holds an MFA in Creative Practice from Trinity Laban, and is a certified yoga instructor. His dissertation, ‘The Spiritual Cyborg,’ integrated yogic philosophy, post-humanism, and systems theory, and performance. Clark has collaborated and performed with Rambert Dance Company, Birdhouse (NYC), Ethan Colangelo, Liam Francis, and Rebecca Lazier. An award-winning artist, he has performed at Sadler’s Wells, Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition, Copenhagen International Choreography Competition, and Dance Umbrella (UK). Clark joined the cast of Noli Timere in 2024.
Valmont “Ignite” Harnois (Performer) is a Montreal dance artist who specializes in Popping and contemporary dance. Finishing his Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Dance, his creative process lies in interdisciplinarity, and the place of street dance within stage work. He works with various choreographers and artists such as Martin Messier, Simon Ampleman, Handy “HYA” Hyacinthe, Elon Hoglünd, Philippe Boutin and Rebecca Lazier.
Jorane (Composer) combines classical cello and haunting vocals to craft unique, alternative music that draws on rock, folk, classical, and ambient styles. Her musical career has spanned more than 20 years, she has received the André Gagnon Award, an honorable mention for the Her Music Award bestowed by SOCAN and nods from Junos, Adisq, and GAMIQ. With a dozen albums to her credit and tours that have taken her to the four corners of the world, Jorane has created soundtracks for theatrical, cinematographic, televisual and documentary works, most notably for the plays Le Journal d’Anne Frank (Gascon-Roux Award) and Albertine en cinq temps, as well as for the film Un dimanche à Kigali, which earned her a Jutra in 2007. Collaborations include work with the OSQ, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the I Musici ensemble, Margie Gillis, Michael Brook, and Sarah McLachlan and most recently with the Felix & Paul Studios, creator of immersive entertainment experiences. Jorane has shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin, Daniel Lanois, and Anne Sylvestre.
Rebecca Lazier (Director/Choreographer) is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow. Recognized as an audacious experimenter, Rebecca creates dances of explosive vitality inspired by the thinking and innovation made possible through collaboration. Past collaborators range from theater director Bartlett Sher to composer Fred Ho and engineer Naomi Leonard. Her collaboration with composer Dan Trueman, There Might Be Others, was commissioned by New York Live Arts, won a New York Performance “Bessie” Award, and became a book of intra-disciplinary scores published by Operating System Press. Her choreography has been performed throughout New York, Canada, Greece, Russia, Turkey, and Poland. A film of her Coming Together/Attica was presented at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. Honors include support from the National Dance Project/NEFA, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Trust for Mutual Understanding, New Music USA, National Creation Fund from Canada’s National Arts Center, The Canada Council for the Arts and residencies at The Joyce Theater Foundation, Movement Research, and The Yard. Rebecca, originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, is Professor of the Practice at Princeton University and graduated from The Juilliard School.
Mary Jo Mecca (Costume Designer) Designing for Rebecca Laziers’ Noli Timere, and incorporating the incredible sculpture created by Janet Echelman, has been an inspiring and rewarding experience. Laziers’ passion for the artistic process is the secret to our successful relationship. Previous works, There Might Be Others at New York Live Arts, Coming
Together/Attica at the Invisible Dog, I Just Like This Music at Live Art Dance, Terminal at Joyce Soho, as well as several collaborations at Princeton University. Special thanks to Ellery Jane Ring (Draper) for her many skills!
Bia Pantojo (Performer) is a multidisciplinary circus artist, producer, artistic coordinator and circus coach who has been involved in the circus world for over 14 years. Originally from Brazil, she began her journey in the movement arts with a strong background in artistic gymnastics, diving, and pole vaulting, before stepping into the circus as a flyer in hand-to-hand in São Paulo. Driven by artistic curiosity and a desire for continuous learning, she explored stages and schools across Europe, eventually settling in Montreal (Canada) where she completed her formation as circus arts coach at the National Circus School (ENC), where she still works today. Her artistic career is rich and diverse: Bia has performed and choreographed for prestigious companies such as Cirque du Soleil, The 7 Fingers, Cirk La Putyka, and Circus Cirkör, in disciplines ranging from vertical dance and aerial chains to group acrobatics, partnering, physical dramaturgy, and choreographic creation.
Gregg Parks (Creative Producer) has extensive experience managing, directing and producing for diverse cultural organizations. Whether establishing a still flourishing annual performing arts festival or directing, from conception to completion, the development of international museums or creating award-winning performing arts productions that continue to tour the world, Gregg has accumulated a wealth of experience and success. Currently Gregg directs the operations of Y2D Productions Inc., a Montreal based production company which continues to develop original shows and tour them internationally.
Raphaëlle Renucci (Performer) trained in classical music from a young age (cello and piano) before switching to dance in her twenties. She flew to Canada to continue her training and graduated from the École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal in 2018. Since then Raphaëlle has collaborated as a dance and music performer with various artists and companies in Canada and internationally such as Cirque du Soleil, Dance company Sursaut, Sylvain Émard Danse, Mathieu Hérard, Rebecca Lazier, Kolinga music, Mélodie-Jade, Empire Panique and many others. Raphaëlle also developed her attraction to the circus arts and theater by collaborating as an aerial dancer, stilt walker, clown and comedian with some companies. Raphaëlle is also an assistant choreographer with various multidisciplinary artists and projects and was offered the role of choreographer for the EXIT troupe 505 from Cégèp du Vieux-Montréal in 2023.
Rosaleen Rogmans (Understudy) is a former circus artist who trained at École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal and has performed around the world with companies including Cirque du Soleil and Circus Monti. After years on stage, she has recently shifted her focus to being behind the scenes, learning the skills of rigging and technical production. She uses her experience as an artist to inform her work as a technician and is excited to be able to support circus and artists in a new way.
Gillian Seaward-Boone (Performer) is a contemporary dancer from Halifax, Nova Scotia. A graduate of l’Ecole de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM), Gillian spent nearly a decade with O Vertigo Danse (Montreal) as a full company member under the direction of Ginette Laurin, before returning to Nova Scotia where she has since performed works by Serge Bennethan, Marie-Josée Chartier, Sara Coffin, Sharon Moore and Parts+Labour_Danse, and regularly collaborates with Mocean Dance, SINS, Phin Performing Arts, Zimmerdans and Rooted Dance Projects. She is an Artist-in-Residence at Halifax Dance, a Diane Moore Creation Award recipient, and a founding member of the Home Ex Artist Collective in partnership with IOTA Art Institute. Gillian began working with Rebecca Lazier and the Noli Timere production as an Artist and Project Manager for 6 years.
Marc St-Antoine (Rigger) is a seasoned rope access professional and trainer with over a decade of experience in the verticality industry. He began his career as a Via Ferrata guide and quickly expanded into rope access, specializing in
composite repairs, high-angle rescue, and technical instruction. Marc has served as a supervisor, consultant, and curriculum developer, notably contributing to organizations like Cirque du Soleil, Zenith Hi-Tech, and Haut Accès. Known for his leadership, risk awareness, and commitment to safety, he now balances consulting, acrobatic rigging, and training development, continually advancing best practices in the field. Marc is a leader in the industry and an invaluable member of the NOLI TIMERE team.
Leigh Ann Vardy (Lighting Designer) is based in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has designed lights for theatre, opera, and dance across Canada. Recent credits include Disney’s Frozen and Controlled Damage (Neptune), The Lehman Trilogy (Belfry), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (Neptune/Mirvish), Guilt, A Love Story (Tarragon/Centaur/MTC), Fall on Your Knees (Can. Stage/NAC/Neptune/Grand), Richard II, Hamlet 911, As You Like It (Stratford), February (Opera on the Avalon), Between Breaths (Artistic Fraud), Come From Away (Nfld A&CCs, Michael Rubinoff). Her work has been seen in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
When not designing, Leigh Ann teaches and coaches at the National Theatre School of Canada.
Madison Ward (Performer) is a multidisciplinary artist from Austin, Texas. Since completing her studies at the National Circus School of Montreal, where she specialized in aerial rope and acrobatics, she has performed worldwide for a variety of creative endeavors. On stages spanning warehouse floors to Broadway, she loves work that blends collaboration, experimentation, and multiple disciplinary fields. Her experience across circus, dance, theater and film reflects this, and she has been lucky to participate in projects with artists such as Ericka Beckman and Rebecca Lazier. Madi is a mover, writer, and lifelong student. Her free time consists of a wealth of personal projects and studies.
Joaquín Barral Yarian
Zed Cézard
Dominic Clément
Bea Crowther
Janet Echelman 
Clark Avery Griffin
Valmont “Ignite” Harnois
Jorane
Bia Pantojo
Gregg Parks
Raphaëlle Renucci
Rosaleen Rogmans 
Copies of Janet Echelman’s 
