Spark

A dance, fire, and aerial piece, with live cello and voice, directed by Kira Schaffer.

Feb 20 & 21 - 6 & 7:30 pm
Anderson St at Duranleau St.
(Under the Granville St. Bridge)

Performed by Neezar Elferzeli,
Diane Garceau, Kira Schaffer,
David Yates, and Colleen Yuen
Live Music by Cris Derksen

Every now and then, I like to take my daughter to see an outdoor show. I looked forward to watching Kira Schaffer's Spark. The crowd was silent and watched in awe two aerial dancers as they swung in the air. At one point, they were mirror images of each other. One walking the top while the other walked upside down hanging in the air. Live cello accompanied the piece filling the night air with beautiful and haunting music. Below a fire dance added another level with fire sword-fights, hula-hoop dance and a fire umbrella. Heaven, earth and hell seem to meet in one place under the Granville Street bridge. Angels in the air floated down to meet their earthly counterparts... I thought the show was mesmerizing. It certainly kept my 3-year old's attention.

Step Into the Limelight

February 19, 2009
1st Annual LIMELIGHT DANCE CREW COMPETITION brought to you by CMC Entertainment & Caprice Night Club

Limelight dance crew competition is for all styles of dance! Breaking, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Salsa, Dance Hall, and so much more!





On Thursday night, Feb.19, I had the urge to check out a dance crew competition, Step Into the Limelight, held at Caprice Night Club. The prize was a sweet $1000. The competing groups were as follows:
1) Groovy G's
2) Synergy
3) Fortune House
4) Dance Tron 2009
5) FlowEthics
6) La Douche

Loved the poppin and lockin moves of Groovy G's. Synergy brought the house down with their acrobats and breakdancing. Fortune House had capes and ropes telling an almost story of cultism... is there such a word .. ropes dangling around their necks... I loved the capes and masks. Dance Tron brought back the era of disco queens... visions of Olivia Newton John's Let's Get Physical flashed across my mind as Dance Tron battled it out with the rough kids in the neighbourhood fighting the prim disco spandex tights princesses. Omar Khan was burning hosting the show and entertaining as always making waves with the electric slide. FlowEthics was a very strong and cohesive group with their hip-hop moves. I loved their makeup and costumes.. black and white with shiny embelishments. The final group was La Douche, a crowd favorite. La Douche was fierce exhibiting waacking and voguing ... dare I say Madonna and her blonde ambition tour has been reincarnated. Hammer pants, tight corsets, headbands, and multicolor ensembles ... I loved the mastermind Jojo Zolina.. attitude with no apologies.. for this is who I am. All the groups were fun to watch. Votes decided the ultimate winner and La Douche took the title. Awesome show!



La Douche

Our popular Discover Dance! noon hour series resumes in 2009 with African dance and music powerhouse Kokoma African Heritage Ensemble. The high-energy dances and powerful drum beats of West Africa burst onto the stage in this exhilarating performance, where you can experience the cultural traditions of a community that celebrates every moment of life through music, song and dance.

Thursday February 26 at 12 noon at Scotiabank Dance Centre, Vancouver. Tickets $10/$7 students, seniors and children from Tickets Tonight 604 684 2787 (service charges apply). To book online click here. Groups of 8+ $7 per ticket, in advance only: to book call 604 606 6420.

0101 - Lynda Gaudreau & Compagnie de Brune

Internationally acclaimed Montreal choreographer Lynda Gaudreau and her Compagnie De Brune brings her innovative brand of dance to Vancouver with her newest work, 0101. Two dancers perform three versions of the same material, executing simple movements punctuated by the beat of a drummer on stage, in a work of dry minimalist wit which challenges ideas of what dance can be. This examination of details and time is quiet and playful, and full of absurd glimpses.

0101 demonstrates Gaudreau’s distinctive approach to dance: based in in-depth research, her work is known for its intellectual rigour, often subverting what an audience expects in a dance performance. At the same time its simplicity and directness, interspersed with flashes of quirky humour, create a powerful emotional response. 0101 continues her research on the body in movement, examining subtle differences in time and duration. The piece premiered at ImpulsTanz Festival, Vienna in 2006 and has since toured in Italy and France. Gaudreau’s Vancouver performances complement her interdisciplinary research project Clash, where she will work with a number of local choreographers and other artists in February and June at Scotiabank Dance Centre. http://www.lyndagaudreau.com/ Gaudreau’s notes for 0101 explain that she’s exploring “how to produce ‘sense’ with a minimum of means”. In other words, how much can she strip away and still make something with the resonance and meaning of a good piece of dance?

Thursday-Saturday February 12-14, 8pm at Scotiabank Dance Centre, Vancouver. Post show artist talk February 13. Presented with the support of The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.Tickets $26/$18 students and seniors from Tickets Tonight at 604 684 2787 (service charges apply) or http://www.ticketstonight.ca/. Groups of 8+ just $15, in advance only (up to 4pm day of the show) from 604 606 6420. Duration: 55 minutes.