La Otra Orilla
Montreal-based flamenco creation company founded in 2006 by Myriam Allard and Hedi Graja, reinterpreting flamenco through contemporary and cross-cultural performance.
Last updated September 28, 2026
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Overview
La Otra Orilla ("the other shore") is a Montreal-based flamenco creation company founded in 2006 by Quebec dancer and choreographer Myriam Allard and Franco-Tunisian director and singer Hedi Graja. The company is dedicated to creating and sharing a flamenco art rooted in a contemporary, North American context. Its work establishes a constant dialogue between tradition and modernity, old and new continents, artists and audiences, driven by unusual encounters and alliances between artistic fields. The company's signature calls for a flamenco without barriers. The company has produced twelve creations to date, including contemporary works that break with traditional form: MuE_s (2008), El12 (2010), HomoBLABLAtus (2013), Moi&lesAutres (2015), Rite (2018), and MAGNETIKAE (2019). It also presents tablao formats such as Declaracion en idioma flamenco (2006), Denominacion de Origen Descontrolado (2007), and Unplugged (2014), as well as short in-situ pieces Cercania (2009) and the place in between (2016). The company has toured in Quebec, Canada, the United States, Scotland, and Colombia. In 2008, the directors inaugurated the Pleamar studio, renamed Studio La Lola in 2020. Located in Montreal's Saint-Henri neighbourhood, the studio offers flamenco classes, artist residencies, rentals, and artistic events. It also hosts mentorship and cultural mediation projects such as Paso a Paso and Aqui estoy. In spring 2021, Studio La Lola launched its first call for artistic residency projects. La Otra Orilla is a non-profit organization (OBNL) and remains active, with recent events including the 20th anniversary t-shirts and Sevillanas workshops in 2026.
History
La Otra Orilla was founded in Montreal in 2006 by dancer and choreographer Myriam Allard and singer and director Hedi Graja. The two have worked in tandem since moving to Montreal in 2005. They jointly ensure the artistic and general direction of the company. They are committed to their discipline, flamenco, with the aim of anchoring it in Quebec and Canadian contexts, and developing an original choreographic and scenic writing. The company has twelve creations to date. Its early works include Declaracion en idioma flamenco (2006) and Denominacion de Origen Descontrolado (2007), tablao formats that offer an intimate conversation between dance and music. MuE_s (2008) was the first experimentation with grammar, boldly playing with aesthetic codes associated with flamenco. El12 (2010) pushed these explorations further and became a flagship work, with first co-productions with Danse Danse, Place des Arts, and Spirafilm, first international tours, and a nomination for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards in Toronto. HomoBLABLAtus (2013) and Moi&lesAutres (2015) followed, the latter's world premiere presented by the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Unplugged (2014) was another tablao format. Cercania (2009) and the place in between (2016) are short in-situ pieces. Morceaux Choisis - spectacle exclusif, celebrating the company's 10th anniversary, was presented in September 2016. The two most recent creations, Rite (2018) and MAGNETIKAE (2019), are currently touring in Quebec. In 2008, the directors inaugurated the Pleamar studio, renamed Studio La Lola in 2020. It is a living place of creation, teaching, and life, dedicated to flamenco art and the organization's various activities. At Pleamar, Paso a Paso took place: a mentorship offered to selected Canadian flamenco dancers, with three editions in 2011, 2014, and 2016. The cultural mediation project Aqui estoy, flamenco workshops for women associated with socio-community organizations in Southwest Montreal, was created in 2014 and renewed in 2015 and 2016. In spring 2021, Studio La Lola launched its first call for artistic residency projects, allowing seven artists to benefit from the studio space and creation/rehearsal time. Myriam Allard was born in Quebec to a Franco-Manitoban father and a Greco-British mother. She grew up in a house where music, dance, and openness to others were daily experiences. Her encounter with flamenco was a seismic event: in 1996 she left her native land for Spain, where she trained with great masters for eight years. Her professional debut was on the stages of traditional tablaos in Spain, before joining various companies in Europe, the United States, and Japan, including Israel Galvan's company. She returned to Montreal in 2006 and founded La Otra Orilla with Hedi Graja. Hedi Graja is a multidisciplinary artist born with one foot on each shore of the Mediterranean, which decisively influenced his artistic identity. Initiated into theatre in Paris and then classical singing in Toulouse, he had a decisive encounter with flamenco and went to Seville to develop his knowledge. Flamenco singing became his preferred medium of expression. After four years in Andalusia, he completed studies in Letters and Arts in Paris, where he also continued his flamenco singing training and collaborated as an actor with the company Le Théâtre du Voyageur. Since 2006, he has developed La Otra Orilla's scenic signature, taking charge of staging and scenography for all its productions.
- 2021
Studio La Lola launches first call for artistic residency projects.
- 2020
Pleamar studio renamed Studio La Lola.
- 2019
Creation of MAGNETIKAE.
- 2018
Creation of Rite.
- 2016
Creation of the place in between; Morceaux Choisis 10th anniversary show; third edition of Paso a Paso.
- 2015
Creation of Moi&lesAutres; world premiere at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.
- 2014
Creation of Unplugged; launch of Aqui estoy cultural mediation project; second edition of Paso a Paso.
- 2013
Creation of HomoBLABLAtus.
- 2011
First edition of Paso a Paso mentorship.
- 2010
Creation of El12; first co-productions with Danse Danse, Place des Arts, and Spirafilm; first international tours; Dora Mavor Moore nomination.
Products and positioning
A bold, unique, and committed voice in flamenco, creating hybrid performances that reinterpret and transform flamenco through multiple cultural and artistic influences.
2006
Declaracion en idioma flamenco
2007
Denominacion de Origen Descontrolado
2008
MuE_s
2009
Cercania
2010
El12
2013
HomoBLABLAtus
2014
Unplugged
2015
Moi&lesAutres
2016
the place in between
2016
Morceaux Choisis
2018
Rite
2019
MAGNETIKAE
Sources3 sources
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