Vancouver’s contemporary dance scene takes centre stage in Dance In Vancouver, with evening performances at the Scotiabank Dance Centre from November 23 to 26. This biennial event provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the energy and innovation of contemporary dance generated by local artists. Eight companies will perform excerpts of new works and recent hits in four mixed programs.
For the eighth time, Dance in Vancouver showcases some of the West Coast’s most exciting dance companies:
– battery opera performance
– Jennifer Clarke
– MACHiNENOiSY
– Out Innerspace Dance Theatre
– the plastic orchid factory
– Shay Kuebler
– The 605 Collective
– Wen Wei Dance
Organized every two years by The Dance Centre, BC’s resource centre for dance, Dance In Vancouver’s primary aim is to promote our province’s own contemporary dance talent. These performances are not only open to local audiences, but also to dance promoters and scouts who fly in from around the globe in order to sample West Coast dance.
[Wen Wei Dance. Photo credit: Emily Cooper]
According to Executive Director Mirna Zagar, “Dance In Vancouver works on many levels. It’s a great opportunity for local audiences to experience the diversity of work taking place here, and it’s a chance for the artists to build national and international connections – with potential for future touring and creative partnerships, and enhanced visibility for Vancouver and BC dance on the world stage.” The performance program was compiled by guest curator Michael Trent, Artistic Director of Dancemakers and the Centre for Creation in Toronto.
Here’s a breakdown of the four dance programs taking place at next month’s Dance in Vancouver:
Program One
Thursday, November 24, 7 pm
Friday, November 25, 9 pm
the plastic orchid factory James + Wen Wei Dance new work
Choreographed by James Gnam and battery opera performance’s Su-Feh Lee, James traces one man’s journey from boyhood to manhood through his relationship with the North American ballet staple that is The Nutcracker. Wen Wei Wang’s beautifully crafted works have toured all over the world: in these excerpts from his forthcoming new piece, he delves deeply into sourcing the purity and power of movement, creating an electrifying emotional connection with the audience.
Program Two
Thursday, November 24, 9 pm
Friday, November 25, 7 pm
Jennifer Clarke Church Volunteers + Shay Kuebler Karoshi
A group of dancers plays with visual and sonic harmony and disruption in Jennifer Clarke’s Church Volunteers, a deceptively simple work with an unexpectedly liberating impact. A thought-provoking essay on the clash between modern societal pressures and personal needs, Shay Kuebler’s new work Karoshi (‘death from overwork’ in Japanese) features a cast of five men, physically charged choreography, and live taiko drumming.
Program Three
Wednesday, November 23, 7 pm
Saturday, November 26, 7 pm
MACHiNENOiSY Vancouver vs Vancouver + Out Innerspace Dance Theatre Duets (working title)*
Aesthetically simple, profoundly funny and equally disturbing, Vancouver vs Vancouver explores the complex machinations of theatre and the use of sound in dance. MACHiNENOiSY’s Daelik and Delia Brett confront each other, confront the theatre, and destabilize our notions of story and dance. David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen of Out Innerspace bring their exquisite stage rapport and striking sense of imagery to Duets, inspired by the genre-defying music of Japanese experimental percussionist Asa Chang.
Program Four
Wednesday, November 23, 9 pm
Saturday, November 26, 9 pm
battery opera performance Jung-Ah and Su-Feh + The 605 Collective Inheritor EP
Jung-Ah Chung and battery opera performance’s Su-Feh Lee, two award-winning dance artists with hyphens in their names, propose to dance for each other: but within this simple proposition lives a multitude of questions about dance, identities, and the acts of seeing and being seen, examined with rigorous intelligence and honesty. The 605 Collective’s full-throttle, physically demanding movement vocabulary draws from contemporary, hip hop, house/club and urban styles. Inheritor EP pulls apart the roles of inheritor and predecessor, exploring a turbulent transitional period between the two, and creating snapshots of a generational place in time.
[Josh-Martin, Jung Ah Chung, Wen Wei Dance. Photo credit: Emily Cooper]
Dance In Vancouver
Dates: Wednesday to Saturday, November 23-26
Venue: Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street
Tickets: $28/$20 students and seniors
Double bill ticket $44 (entry to two shows the same evening)
Advanced tickets can be purchased either by phoning Tickets Tonight at 604.684.2787 or online. For packages and group bookings, call 604.606.6420.
For more information, call 604.606.6400 or check out the Dance Centre website.