Tricoter from Julie Lebel on Vimeo.

Tricoter re-creates the spirit of a knitting circle. The dance winds and unwinds through and around the public who are arranged in the round. Yarn is integrated into the choreography and weaves an architecture that links public and place to the dancer.
While dancing, the yarn gets tangled in a large knot of bright colours, and we remember those who have knitted for us in our own family. We experience Tricoter through play, curiosity, and exploration of belonging to a community.

We can offer interactive workshops inspired by the performance: finger and arm knitting or creative movement with yarn.

Premiered at SKAMpede festival in Victoria in June 2016. Thanks Theatre Skam for your support. Tricoter is also part of Des arts dehors/ Arts Outside by Made in BC – Dance on Tour and Jouer Dehors program from La danse sur les routes du Québec.

The video above was filmed by Sophia Wolfe. It is an excerpt of a short film made during the pandemic, edited by Brian Lye. The excerpt was edited from the film, by Julie Lebel.

Please see below to download the Participant guide for Baby Tricoter to access more information about the performance and for playful suggestions to try, at home or at the preschool or daycare, ahead of the performance.

Upcoming Performances:

Jun 4-6 2026, in the Okanagan (BC), details coming soon!

Tricoter celebrates 10 years in 2026! Stay tuned for more dates.

• École des Pionniers de Maillardville, Port Coquitlam, journée porte ouverte, January 22 2026
• ACT Arts Centre Maple Ridge, February 26 2026
• École des Pionniers de Mailardville, Port Coquitlam for kindergarten classes and Franc-Départ group.
• Mayne Island Family Place, March 6 2026,to celebrate the Rendez-vous de la francophonie.
• May 5-9 2026, for schools, daycares and the general public, Festival Petits Bonheurs Îles-de-la-Madelaine (QC)
• May 6 2026, Festival Petits Bonheurs Montréal, for babies

Past Performances (Collaborators, Dates and Places):

2025

• Festival Tournant / Danse Laurentides, August 17 2025, Église Saint-Norbert, 6140 Rue Morin, Val-Morin, QC.
• Cosmic Fishing Theatre DiSCoVeR Series, March 27th – 28th 2025, Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre, in Waterloo, ON. Click here for details!
• École Grande-Ourse Smithers, March 13 2025, in Smithers, BC

2024

• Gibsons Public Library, August 17, Gibsons, BC
• St Albert’s International Children Festival of the Arts, May 30 – June 2 2024, Forsyth Hall (St. Albert Public Library) in St. Albert, AB
• Winnipeg International’s Children Festival, early June, exact dates and venue TBA, MB
• Move and Make Program by Little Mountain Neighbourhood House, February 15 2024, Kensington Community Centre in Vancouver, BC
• Yarn Around Celebration, February 17 2024,  Clayton Community Centre ,  Surrey, BC

2023

• Festival of New Dance, October 6 – 7, 2023, A.C. Hunter Public Library in St John’s, NL
• Festival des petits bonheurs, May 12 2023, Salle Louis-Philippe-Poisson in Trois-Rivières, QC
• Surrey SPARK Stages; May 27 – 28 2023, Surrey Arts Centre in Surrey (BC)
•  St. Albert International Children’s Festival, June 1 – 4 2023, Forsythe Hall in St. Albert, AB
• Winnipeg International Children’s Festival, June 8 – 11 2023, CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg MB,

2022

• Vancouver International Children’s Festival, May 31 – June 5 2022, Vancouver, BC
• Burnaby Summer Stages, August 17 2022, Confederation Park, Burnaby, BC.
• Queensborough Community Center, August 18 – 19 2022, Ryall Park, New Westminster, BC.

2021

• Festival Les Petits Bonheurs:
  • Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve, May 8 – 10 2021, Studio PJE, Montreal, QC
  • Tohu Cité des arts du Cirque, May 16 2021, Montreal, QC
  • Parc Médéric-Martin, Montreal, August 22 2021, Montréal, QC
• Tricoter Film: Vancouver International Children’s Festival,  May 31 to June 13 2021, Vancouver, BC

2020

• Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, August 19 2020, Robson Park, Vancouver, BC
• Bulkley Valley Concert Association, September 26 2020, Glenwood Hall, Bulkley-Nechako A, BC

2019

• WeeFestival, May 17 – 20 2019, Hamilton & Etobikoke, ON
• Summer Pop Up Dances, August 8 2019, Thornton Park, Vancouver BC
• Tricoté serré (Family Event), September 22, Place des arts (Esplanade),  QC
• Fête citoyenne, September 7 2019, Rivière des prairies Library, QC
• Rivière des prairies Library, October 15 2019, Montréal, QC

2018

• Salle Jean-Marc Dion (Lobby), June 6 2018, Sept-Iles, QC
• Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, July 11 2018, Québec, QC
• Parc Michel-Chartrand, July 29 2018, Longueil, QC
• Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, August 15 2018, Québec, QC
• Made in BC, during Contact Ouest, a contact event of the Réseau des Grands Espaces, September 21, at the Chain and Forge, Grandville Island, Vancouver, BC
• Harry Jerome Community Centre, September 24 2018, North Vancouver, BC
• Parkgate Community Centre, September 24 2018, North Vancouver, BC
• Surrey Arts Centre, October 14 2018, Surrey, BC,

2017

• Vancouver Central Library, International Dance Day, April 29 2017
• Roundhouse Community Centre, culmination of Yarn Around Residency and Roundhouse’s 20th birthday, May 13 2018, Vancouver, BC
• Vitrine de la danse francophone, organized by Réseau des grands espaces, Conseil culturel and B.C.’s Francophone arts community, Rafa and Made in BC – Dance on Tour,  June 1 2017, Richmond, BC
• Port Coquitlam Cultural Roundtables, June 15 2017, Port Coquitlam, BC
• Célébrations Canada 150, July 22 – 23 2017, Centre Francophone de Vancouver, Grandville Island, Vancouver, BC
• New Works, Célébrations Canada 150, August 26 2017, Port Coquitlam, BC
• Contact Ouest, Réseau des grands Espaces, September 15 2017, Yellowknife NT,
• Dance in Vancouver Biennale, November 23 2017, SFU Woodward’s Atrium, Vancouver, BC

2016

• SKAMpede Festival, July 8 – 10 2016, Victoria, BC
• Vancouver Big Draw, October 1 2016, Sunset Community Centre, Vancouver, BC
• Family Fuse, December 11 2016, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Photo credit:  Anita Bonnarens and the Vancouver Art Gallery, Dancer:  Sarah Gallos. In video, Sarah Gallos with viola player and composer Elliot Vaughan. Video credit: Julie Lebel.

Creative Team:

Julie Lebel – Artistic direction & choreography
Elliot Vaughan – Music composition
Diane Park – Set design
Jo Leslie – Dramaturgy

Poem by Jennifer Whickam, member of Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear House) in the Gidimt’en (Bear/Wolf) Clan of the Wet’suwet’en people, translated in French by Naomi Fontaine, Innu author.

Created in collaboration with all performers: Anne Cooper and Sarah Gallos

Team of dancers and musicians who dance and play Tricoter:

• Vancouver: Sarah Gallos – dance, Isabelle Kirouac – dance, Clara Rose – music, Tara Rajah – music, Meredith Bates – music, Annie Brown – music.
• Montréal: Marie-Pier Gilbert – dance; Liane Thériault – dance; Geneviève Lauzon – dance, Liliane Moussa – dance, Anna Atkinson – music, Lana Tomlin – music.
• Smithers: Kathy Wertz – dance, Robin Lough – music, Miriam Colvin – dance.
• Halifax: Meredith Kalaman – dance.
• Toronto: Phylicia Browne – dance, Maria Riano – dance, Daphnée Bourbonnais – music, Ruža Florence McIntyre – music.
• Vernon: Natalie Kober – music.
• St. John’s : Kate Read – music.
• Sudbury : Duncan Cameron – music.
• Winnipeg: Jennifer Thiessen – music

Additional props following Diane Park’s original design: Kimira Reddy