The Nutcracker is an old Christmas favourite. A story about a little girl Clara and a dream she has about her toy nutcracker (a Christmas gift from a sometimes-sinister godfather/uncle/watchmaker figure... portrayals of this character vary) in which he battles the rat king and takes her to a land of confectionery. There's a lot more to the story if you want to go digging into E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King or Alexandre Dumas' The Tale of the Nutcracker but the ballet, to those of us who didn't do the research, is very much the broad...
So, a confession: I am not simply a sucker for a story, I'm positively OCD for story.I have two English degrees, combined with critical theory and creative writing. This means that, warrented or not, I will hunt for metanarrative in just about any fragment, and will analyse a mash-up of ideas within an inch of its essence. I'm a pro. It's what I do.
Therefore, choreographer beware: if you tell me your performance is about seafaring myths of femininity, I will take you at your word. I will turn the diamond of your...
Last night was opening night for Ballet BC’s first performance in the 2011/2012 season in the Queen Elizabeth Thearre. And a wonderful opening it was! A Canadian première, a world premiere and a wonderful revisiting and expansion of Doppeling ( premiere 2009) by Canadian choreographer Simone Orlando.
In the 7:00 preshow talk Vancouver Dance writer Janet Smith interviewed both visiting choreographers presented in 3 Fold: Canadian Robert Glumbek with his World Premiere Diversion, developed for Ballet BC dancers and Italian Choreographer Walter Matteini. This is the first time this Matteini’s work has been shown in Canada.. Tonight we saw...
Looking back at my notes from the last time I saw Louise Lecavalier dance, I am reminded that I compared that piece, Cobalt Rouge to Salvador Dali on speed. In other words, Lecavalier was the technically gifted and highly expressive dancer that she always is, but I found that piece to be somewhat inaccessible. So, I was a bit hesitant when it came to seeing Children and A Few Minutes of Lock as presented by Dance House on November 4th and 5th at the Playhouse Theatre. This time around, Louise Lecavalier...
At the main entrance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, patrons have their tickets torn as they enter to see the Love Lies Bleeding, the Alberta Ballet performance. Coming in, they pass a huge and beautiful flower arrangement of orchids. The accompanying card for the orchids reads: “My thoughts are with Jean and the company of Alberta Ballet for this premiere performance in Vancouver.” Love Elton
In the lobby, are ladies and gentlemen, formally dressed with the oddest additions -feather boas and outrageous glasses - aka Elton John. Sales – if not brisk - are good for the boas, glasses...
On Sunday September 18, I attended the second last show of the last day of the tenth anniversary of the Scotia Bank Dance Centre: Kinesis Dance Artistic Director Paras Terezakis' innovative new site-specific work Compartment 114 - An Odd-Essay.
When I go to theatre I want a show to move me, and I liked the dance show Species by Seattle-based Sapience Dance Company because it did just that. Contemporary dancers Sarah Seder, Lilah Steece, Amy Weaner, Victoria Jacobs and Leslie Hubbard make up the young dynamic company and this original piece is an collective collaboration born out of a shorter piece they performed earlier in the year. Throughout the creative process Steece doubled as director, Weaner was on costumes and additional choreography was by Ariella Brown.
The company won me over right away with their opening solo. I thought...
There is much to admire in this piece and I fully applaud Sapience Dance Collective for bringing us dance at the Fringe, however I can’t help but wish the piece felt more finished and fully rehearsed.
In her piece La Chambre Blanche, first choreographed in 1992, Ginette Laurin - choreographer of Montréal's O Vertigo dance company - doesn't merely choreograph a piece about madness and other related experiences, she evokes it, indeed almost invites the audience to join in the frenzy going on in the richly staged white room.
