Reviews
Andrea Peña’s 6.58: Manifesto examines the body as a site through which societies create an oppressive system
Set in a post-industrial reality, the piece conveys a darkly dystopian universe, where dread is omnipresent and free will has faded away By Philip Szporer“Numerous theorists have written about the development of capitalism and the politicization and mechanization of our bodies, yet I don’t think I’ve ever contemplated these concerns in alignment with a dance work,” writes Szporer.
Posted September 21, 2021
MUKUTHÔ Proves That Community Can Be Built Within The Span of One Show
The performance by Casimiro Nhussi and Pulga Muchochoma, in partnership with dance Immersion, was presented in Toronto as part of Canadian Stage’s Dream in High Park from Aug. 19 through 27 By Chenise Mitchell“The way the artists complement each others’ movements and sounds is seamless. Ballistic and bright movements are encouraged by strong percussion, bouncy bass and cheerful shakers and bells. Their trading and improvising is fluid, joyous and free,” writes Mitchell.
Posted September 3, 2021
Porch View Dances' 10th Anniversary Online Film Festival Captures Its Roaming, Inclusive Essence
This year’s performances refract notions of home through movement and community By KC HoardHoard reviews Porch View Dances’ 10th anniversary online film festival.
Posted August 10, 2021
Mama, do we die when we sleep? Explores Wonder in a World of Responsibility
Part of the Dancing on the Edge Festival in Vancouver, Rachel Meyer’s work was inspired by the question posed by her two-year-old daughter By Rachel Silver MaddockVancouver’s Dancing on the Edge Festival 2021 kicked off with a welcome return to live performance on the West Coast. Mama, do we die when we sleep? by Rachel Meyer was not the only sold-out show on the program, but it did sell out remarkably fast, even when extra tickets were added last-minute.
Posted July 22, 2021
The Living Performance Environment in MOTHER sound / body Presents a World of Possibilities
The performers wear sensors on their wrists, which control lighting, music and projections in the performance environment By Rachel Silver MaddockThe show presents a “living” performance environment that responds to dancers almost like a co-performer, and the possibilities of that technology seem endless.
Posted June 28, 2021
Wanted Rides the Line Between Campy and Cool
CAMP’s swaggering cowboy comedy considers good and evil at Vancouver International Dance Festival By Tessa Perkins DeneaultThe world of the cowboy is the setting for CAMP’s exploration of good and evil, but the idea that hero and villain can be a matter of perspective applies to us all.
Posted June 7, 2021
Stories of Struggle and Triumph Underscore GRIT: Short Dances
Five emerging artists showcase the diversity of Asian cultures and identities By Joshua ChongGRIT: Short Dances is an online showcase of five dancefilms streaming on YouTube from May 14 to 21. Together, they form a kaleidoscopic tapestry that offers a glimpse into the breadth of Asian perspectives that are woven into the fabric of our country.
Posted May 21, 2021
The Coming Silence Is a Wild Ride
kloetzel&co.’s self-guided tour presents a wilderness that is threatened by extinction By Jenna ShummoogumA performance centred on extinction, The Coming Silence interprets humanity’s place in the wilderness of today.
Posted May 10, 2021
Propeller Dance Brings Vibrant Joy to Our Living Rooms for Earth Day 2021
Celebrating and connecting with the Earth in the virtual age of a pandemic By Patricia AllisonStepping into Propeller Dance’s two-hour live and interactive virtual Earth Day celebration was like being welcomed into a warm and vibrant community.
Posted May 3, 2021
The Dance Centre’s Latest Show in the Discover Dance! Series Is a Flamenco Smorgasbord
Kasandra “La China” offers a cursory introduction to the flamenco art form that leaves you wanting more By Joshua ChongThere’s much to admire in this short half-hour performance. Kasandra “La China”’s love for the art form shines through clearly, and her captivating performance pulls off what every showcase should do: it leaves you wanting more.
Posted April 23, 2021
Belinda McGuire’s ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Dancefilm Invigorates a Challenged Art Form
Order in the Eye of the Beholder is available until April 30 By Deirdre KellyUser control is a constitutive feature of electronic gaming but foreign to contemporary dance, making this project by the Canadian-born, New York-based indie dance artist Belinda McGuire genuinely innovative.
Posted April 13, 2021
Orange Is a Mesmerizing Duet on Human Connection
Deanna Peters/Mutable Subject and Less San Miguel/LessIZM’s experimental creation melds two bodies into one By Joshua ChongJoshua Chong reviews Plastic Orchid Factory’s production of Orange, an aching but welcome antidote in this era of physical distancing.
Posted April 12, 2021
KNOW the RULES, WIN the GAME Is a Clever Look at the Artist in Politics
Kunji Ikeda uses history and humour to ask what would happen if artists today were trusted advisors to government By Rachel Silver MaddockKunji Ikeda presents “the artist” as vulnerable though essential to the state in his work KNOW the RULES, WIN the GAME.
Posted April 8, 2021
Aching Distances
Ali Robson’s performance response to Dancing with Tantalus in review By Jillian GroeningAli Robson’s performance response to the visual art exhibition Dancing with Tantalus considers what is cultivated through the dynamic proximities of bodies, surfaces and art objects in virtual space.
Posted March 24, 2021
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