Corps de Walk

March 22 & 23, 2013, 8PM
Vancouver Playhouse

Carte Blanche was established in 1989 in Bergen, Norway, to perform work by some of the best and most celebrated Norwegian and international choreographers, with a strong emphasis on commissioned work from a new generation of contemporary dance-makers. The combination of the up-and-coming and the renowned results in an eclectic, exciting, and high-quality company at the forefront of the development of dance, both in Norway and abroad.

Corps de Walk is a new piece by Israeli choreographers Sharon Eyal and Gai Bachar. Eyal is a talented dance-maker with a unique and personal language, toying with the erotic, androgynous and sometimes the grotesque emotions in her choreography. In addition to dancing with the company, Eyal has been associate artistic director and house choreographer for Batsheva Dance.

Top image: Carte Blanche © Erik Berg.

Works by Millepied, Soto & Marshall

February 15 & 16, 2013, 8PM
Vancouver Playhouse

An internationally renowned repertory company, BJM (Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal) continues in the spirit of exploration that has been its hallmark since 1972. This eclectic company of dancers captivates audiences and critics across the world. Under artistic director Louis Robitaille, BJM develops new work that is the result of a unique and energizing meeting between choreographer and dancer.

This performance includes the magnificent duo Closer by French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, danced to the music of Philip Glass, Fuel by Cayetano Soto of Brazil, and a newly commissioned work by American-born, Israel-based Barak Marshall. The diverse pieces contrast dynamic, virtuosic small ensemble and solo work with the energy and power of the full company.

Top image: Ballets Jazz de Montreal © Von Wong.

The Tempest Replica

November 9 & 10, 2012, 8PM
Vancouver Playhouse

In her new dance piece, based on motifs from Shakespeareʼs The Tempest, Crystal Pite stages a game of revenge and forgiveness, reality and imagination. Pite explores these motifs in two contexts: a maquette of Shakespeareʼs island as a metaphor for isolation, captivity and desire, and a nostalgic cityscape that evokes longing. Chalk-white replicas deliver the essential plot points of the story, but the emotion and tension of the narrative are fleshed out by real characters. To explore and demonstrate this duplication of character and copy, the story and the body, requires something incomparably precious: the mastery and articulation of the dancer.

Top Photo: Kidd Pivot, The Tempest Replica © Jorg Baumann.

Violet Kid | Tuplet | Grace Engine

September 28 & 29, 2012, 8PM
Vancouver Playhouse

Through their daring, athletic movement and integration of classical technique into contemporary and popular forms, the dancers of Cedar Lake take audiences on a choreographic journey that explores the infinite possibilities of movement and multimedia.

Program:
Violet Kid by Hofesh Shecter
Tuplet by Alexander Ekman
Grace Engine by Crystal Pite

Photo: Cedar Lake, Violet Kid © Julieta Cervantes.