Administrative Team
Ensemble Artists
Administrative Team
Pamela Boyd - Artistic Director
Pamela Boyd is the Artistic Director at MoMo and a well known member of Western Canada’s independent dance and theatre communities. A professional theatre artist for over forty years, Pamela is a performer,
teacher and writer, as well as a certified Danceability teacher and yoga instructor. In 1997 Pamela began working with adults with disabilities and quickly found her home among people of mixed abilities in the arts.
She passionately believes that creating a mixed ability arts community in her home city of Calgary, Alberta is a vital link in the continuing growth of a mature society, at home and beyond. Pamela is also an award
winning playwright well known for her plays; Inside Out, Odd Fish, and I Love Mondays, performed throughout Canada.
Munir Rashid - Artistic Associate
Norma Lock - General Manager
Catherine Coutts - Administrative Assistant
Ensemble Artists
Members of the Performance Ensemble are improvisers of mixed ability with more than one year of experience. Ensemble members have made a commitment to the group and the ongoing process of physical and vocal exploration leading to innovative and distinct performance.
Tom Brisbin
A tuba player for 30 years and long time member of two community bands, Tom Brisbin is in his fifth season as an
ensemble member of MoMo Dance Theatre. He has been seen in many of the company's work over the past three
years, and is most proud of his multi disciplinary work in The Tuba Man. Tom has also been a committed self advocate with the Disability Action Hall for
many years.
Michael Ho
Michael has been dancing with MoMo since its inception in 2003. He survived a severe car accident in 1986 with a brain injury. He
enjoys the free spirit of improvisational dance, an art form that makes no excessive demand on memory and physical capabilities. He welcomes
challenges, nonetheless, and created a solo dance piece for himself. "The Big Naught: Memory of a Brain Injury", which he performed in both
Dancing in Tongues and From The Ground Up is very warmly remembered by many.
Frances Maleske
Frances made her stage debut in The Matilda Stewart Show in MoMo's 2007 spring show, Dancing in Tongues and is definitely
staying with MoMo and looking forward to doing more shows. As a long time member of the disability action hall, Frances is a self advocate, committed
to raising awareness around issues like increasing AISH pensions and affordable housing. Frances has also been working with InDefinite Arts for many
years and also enjoys expressing her artistic talent through crafts!
Thomas Poulsen
Thomas has been dancing with MoMo since 2004. A graduate of the University of Calgary's
Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program (BCR, 1997), he has been working professionally with people with developmental disabilities for the
past ten years. As well as a performer, Thomas is also a committed member of the Disability Action Hall. In September 06 Thomas' growing commitment to dance took him to London,
England to study improvisational dance with internationally renowned mixed ability teacher,
Adam Benjamin.
Brenley Shatz
Brenley has been performing music on and off for over 40 years. Her career began when she competed in the Kiwanis Music Festival in her youth and became
a percussion player in the Bishop Carrol High School Band. As a voice student of Elaine Case, Brenley has achieved her Grade 8 Singing certificate with
the Royal Conservatory of Music and has been wowing audiences with her comedic timing in Musical Comedy Recitals since 1989. Brenley joined MoMo in
January '07 and was seen as ‘Jay’ in The Matilda Stewart Show and singing "One Moment In Time" in Freak Out '07.
Jennifer Stewart
Jennifer has enjoyed being a member of MoMo's ensemble since 2006. She has been
learning and performing in a variety of projects in the Calgary theatre community for eight
years. She began her journey with Michele Decottignies and Stage Left Theatre, and later, as part of a mentorship
program, with Dawn Ford at Theatre Utopia. She was seen in Theatre Utopia's Diva Me, Searching for Utopia,
and People Don't Do Such Things. With MoMo she was part of What Was That You Said, and created and
performed the title role in The Matilda Stewart Show. In September 06 Jennifer was very excited to
be able to participate in the international disability arts community by attending a two week leadership
workshop with Mind The Gap Theatre Company in Bradford, England.
Loretta Young
Loretta is very happy to have been dancing with MoMo Dance Theatre for the past two years, and this season is
venturing into assistant teaching. She enjoys working with people of all abilities and learning all the different ways to
make performance. Loretta has worked with Stage Left Disability Performance Company, Cheers Society's Comic Belief
training program and is hoping to take a teacher training program with DanceAbility creator, Alito Alessi. "When I
participate in the world, I see my own strength and meaning and how fortunate I am in an exciting, adventurous life.
I can't wait to see what comes next."