VIDF - Floating Seed

Andrea Legg and Gabrielle Martin present a beautiful aerial performance of contemporary dance at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Two individuals suspend in midair following each other up and down. They move slowly accompanied by the haunting music of drums and what sounded like bagpipes. The standing room crowd watched as the floating seed blossomed helping, nurturing and chasing each other in the wind. I saw a circle of dance in air as one reach out to the other much like a floating seed finding a place to plant itself, to belong and to grow.

VIDF - The Source Dance Company

The Source Dance Company is performing at the Vancouver International Dance Festival on March 17-19, 2009 at the Roundhouse. The Source is a semi-professional dance company based out of Harbour Dance Centre. The young members perform jazz, hip hop, tap, street jazz, lyrical and contemporary. I enjoyed the performances as I got to see a variety of movements including a bit of body percussion, some swing dance, hip hop, contemporary and lyrical in the show. My favorites were the lyrical and hip hop performances.

Discover Dance! Lola Dance: March 26th at Scotiabank Dance Centre

Discover Dance! Lola Dance: March 26

Following the sad news about Lola MacLaughlin last week, her company has confirmed that they do wish to go ahead with their scheduled performance for the Discover Dance! series on March 26. Please join us for excerpts from MacLaughlin's Provincial Essays, performed by Caroline Farquhar, Alison Denham, Ziyian Kwan and Ron Stewart. The talkback will be moderated by Kaija Pepper.

Thursday March 26 at 12 noon at Scotiabank Dance Centre: tickets $10/$7 Dance Centre members, students, seniors and children, from 604 684 2787 http://www.ticketstonight.ca/. Info: http://www.thedancecentre.ca/.

Shakti Dance - "Gods, Demons and Yogis"

New Works and Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad presented Shakti Dance performance of "Gods, Demons and Yogis". Ancient tales of southeast came to life with a performance by Anusha Fernando of Shakti Dance accompanied by another dance, a storyteller and musicians. Shakti Dance was incorporated as a nonprofit society in August 11, 2004 to promote the ancient classical Indian dance known as Bhrata Natyam. Bhrata Natyam originated in the temples of South India and was performed by women who were named Deva-Dasis as a form of devotion. The dance tells stories of ancient myths, gods and the divine.

I was moved by the music which seem to lend itself out the mood of the story. I could feel the sadness, joy, fear and anger sing out in the drums, the flute, violin, cymbals, tambourine and other wondrous string instruments. The beauty of the storytelling was portrayed by the dancer with the quick and slow movements in the eye and hands. I feel drawn into her emotions. The dancer was often low and grounded moving stealthily through space and time. I liked the storytelling. I felt again like a child sitting at storytime only the stories told were ancient, timeless and appealed to all ages. This form of dance and storytelling is so magnetic because they derive from the beautiful writings of ancient Sanskrit poets. I saw one writing from the Shakti Dance website about ancient myth and I fell in love with longing for the divine.

We bow to Lord Shiva,
Whose limbs are the world,
Whose song and poetry is the essence
Of all language,
Whose costume is the moon and stars.

-Abhinaya Darpana

VIDF - casebolt & smith

Today, Friday, March 13th, 2009, I brought my family to see casebolt & smith at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. The show started with a lady on stage asking a man in the audience about his opinion on how she sounded on the stage and looked. "Am I too loud? Does it sound like I'm yelling?" They both talked back on forth giving each other opinion and feedback on how or what they were doing. The man soon approached the stage and got up to join the lady. "And then I'll do this.. and then you do that." was the banter that went on between them. The performance was certainly very vocal and different from the normal dance shows I've seen where dancers usually don't speak. They re-enacted everything they said physically. The relationship and interaction were awkward at times making the audience laugh with glee.

They seemed immersed in choreographing a piece together. The lot of banter and feedback on the way they look, what they did and how they did an action went even to the point of "cupping". I won't eloborate on the cupping but yes, it involves up there and down there. What can I say, I brought my 3-year old and 1-year old to see this show. I thought it was hilarious, odd and truly uncomfortable at the same time. I was torn in feeling really amused and acting appropriately as a parent. My 3-year old roared with laughter with the audience when they laughed, stopped and looked at me to ask "Mommy, what are they doing?" Towards the end of the show, I was smiling meekishly at an audience member in embarrassment because my child was making too much noise. I got an angry glance and a scoff at my child. Most were quite tickled by the show. Someone at the table said that my 3-yr old seem to say the right things at the same. I felt awkward and a little self-conscious thinking of myself being labeled a bad parent with no sense or judgement. But enough about myself, the show was funny. A great show to bring your girlfriend or significant other or pals too. I'd say I still have difficulty talking to my parents or kids about sexual things so I probably won't take my parents or kids to it.

In the case of casebolt & smith, I believe they are guilty of meddling with our minds turning cupping and sexual connotations into mere technical and repetitive math. The strained awkwardness in trying to erase the sexual tension and to portray the actions as nonchalant as believable as possible made the story amusing to watch. This show is a journey of two great dancers working together as the couple tried fervently to brush aside any sexual desires, to work with as little emotion and attachment to each other. In the end, they stood awkwardly looking at each other only to rush into each others' arms hugging and gropping each other with raw sexual desire. I'm giving too much away ... this show is true entertainment live.

Barbara Bourget speaks at Speaking of Dance

At 58 years of age, Barbara Bourget still has the fire and passion for dance with the experience of setbacks, comebacks and achievements throughout her years. With no sight of retirement yet even after her hip replacement, she is a strong force and influence in the dance community along with her husband Jay Hirabayashi. She cofounded Kokoro Dance, in Vancouver with Jay Hirabayashi as a non-profit society in Vancouver, BC in July 31, 1986. Kokoro means heart, soul and spirit in Japanese. Kokoro dance is inspired by the Japanese modern dance form known as butoh. In her lifetime, Barbara Bourget has choreographed well over a hundred and fifty dances in which she hopes to revisit in time as each dance has had a meaning at the time they were created and produced. I had the pleasure of listening to her speak at the last Speaking of Dance lecture on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at the Vancouver Public Library.

When I walked into the lecture room, I saw a petite lady with auburn hair tied back wearing a pair of dark-rimmed glasses at the podium. A projection showing a slideshow of dance photos was being played on the screen behind her. She seemed very academic and conservative. I had to take a second glance before I noticed that the lady who was speaking was Barbara Bourget. I had remembered her from photos of Kokoro Dance when she was almost nude with a shaved head. She seemed larger than life in the performance photos. I had not expected a tiny lady in person who seemed rather covered up in her black long sleeve suit-dress. She talked about how being nude in some of Kokoro dance was not a way to titillate the audience but rather being in one's own skin gave the dancer the fullest body of expression. The dancers get into a transcendental state where the nudity doesn't bother them. The discomfort of seeing each other nude soon passes after one goes through a mourning of erasing ego and normal identity. They are aware of blemishes and that the human body is not perfect as one ages. Their purpose is to reflect the human condition. In order to perform butoh, the audience must be put into a receptive mode. A dancer must only exist moment to moment of the performance. She talked about one dance where she stood still for several minutes. With this quiet stillness, the audience and her start to be one.

I was also quite interested in how a dancer goes into a transcendental state. In one example, she imagined that she was holding an unborn fetus in one arm and how that fetus was in fact her in order to be put her mind into the state needed to execute every movement with care. Imagery seems to be a very important tool. She mentioned that a dancer moves incredibly fast inside. What seems like days could be mere minutes in realtime. A good dancer resists the facism of conformity. She also mentioned three important attributes to be a good dancer. These attributes are commitment in the art, discipline in the form and enthusiasm. When asked about how her age has affected her view of dance now, she admits she's adapted with age and looks at things differently. Recovery is longer and may take her a couple of days to recover from a performance compared to the next day when she was younger. She hopes her body holds up.

Barbara Bourget's lecture ended with a question and answer about Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF). The slideshow behind Barbara had shown beautiful images from all types of dances during past Vancouver International Dance Festivals. At one point, her husband Jay Hirabayashi was flying high off the floor with wings looking white and glowing like an angel. She pointed up at her husband and said "Jay" to the audience seeming to show her love and adoration. The audience was silent for a few seconds staring at an image of flight and freedom. She is married with four children and two grandsons. She and Jay started VIDF with the hopes of bringing dances from other places to Vancouver and to heighten the art of dance. Vancouver International Dance Festival is at its 9th season this time from March 3-April 4, 2009. She hopes it'll be around to reach its 10th season next year.

Speaking of Dance is a lecture series part of an outreach program by DanceHouse.

Speaking of Dance

Speaking of Dance is an illustrated lecture series developed to enrich and deepen your experience of dance. These public lectures and discussion groups are a springboard for exchanging ideas and developing a deeper understanding of the world of dance and contextualizing the form in the broader Vancouver community and the world of art and culture.

Presented by artists, curators, art historians, critics, writers, academics and other creative thinkers, this lecture series will give you the information , language and confidence you need to speak about dance.

2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:30-9pm
Lower Level, Vancouver Public Library
Central Branch, 350 West Georgia St
ADMISSION IS FREE
SEATING IS LIMITED

March 10, 2009
Speakers
Barbara Bourget - Artistic Director, Vancouver International Dance Festival
Henry Daniel - Professor of Dance and Performance Studies, Simon Fraser University

April 14, 2009
Speakers
Santa Aloi - Professor Emerita of Dance, Simon Fraser University
Emily Molnar - Independent Choreographer and Artist in Residence, Arts Umbrella

"Speaking of Dance" is an outreach project of DanceHouse.

VIDF - Rob Kitsos & Dancers

Tonight, I saw my first show at the VIDF, Rob Kitsos & Dancers. Rob Kitsos & Dancers perform WAKE, exploring the perspective of individuals and groups living within an urban environment and the interactive physical language inspired by the city.

I watched a group of dancers gather together in a group, form a tight-knit community walking in unison at the beginning. The group starts to scatter in a myriad of different directions, some pairing with others as a few danced in solo. I saw the stress and confusion portrayed of living in a city. Some dancers run fast. Others were watchers, watching the performers rolling and jumping over over each other. I could feel the hectic moments of racing, being pulled and pushed forward backward and in all directions. The group came together dancing, arms together, in a circle only to break apart again to jump and twist in different directions. The physical language living in an urban environment seemed rather cold, fast and scary at times. I could see no emotion in their faces, only the physical aspect of the race, sometimes solo, in duet or groups. Sweat dripped from the dancers' foreheads as they collapsed at the end. Two dancers in front bounced off the floor only the end with a resounding thump again. Exhaustion seem to set after the physical fast pace struggle of urban life in the city. In the end, the dancers slump down on the floor where they stood. Don't we all feel like that sometimes? Losing sight of ourselves in pursuit of our everchanging dreams, changing partners/groups, stopping, turning, making leaps and sometimes falling.

Mezquita (one night March 6, 2009)

A Tale of 1001 Flamenco Nights featuring artists direct from Southern France and Spain

From the people who brought you "El Sonido del Silencio" in September of 2008, an unforgettable evening of flamenco fire, dance, and song awaits to tell you the tales which have been resonating through the passages of time for centuries. As the creative nature of Peña Bulería's events have always found a way to create some of the most memorable and innovative flamenco experiences in Vancouver for the past 6 years, this event will prove to be no exception! Featured artists include Pirouz de Caspio (Producer/Singer) and Cristo Cortes (Singer), Manuel Gutierrez and Kasandra La China on Dance, Jose Vega and Ali Golbabai on Guitar.

For more information, please visit: http://www.flamenco.ca/

For Tickets and Box Office please visit: http://www.kaymeekcentre.com/ or call 604.913.3634

2009 VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCE

Photo Courtesy of VIDF

2009 VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCE CELEBRATES FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF BUTOH
March 3-April 4, 2009

VANCOUVER, BC— Butoh turns the big 5-0, adventurous music and dance groups collaborate, and world-renowned dance artists from six countries take to the stage in the 2009 Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF), which runs March 3-April 4 at locations around the Lower Mainland, including the Roundhouse Community Centre (RH), Centennial Theatre, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, and the Scotiabank Dance Centre.

“Butoh has always embodied challenge and change as well as incessant curiosity about who we are and why we are here,” said VIDF Executive Director Jay Hirabayashi, referring to the evocative and sometimes controversial artform that emerged in post-war Japan. The 2009 VIDF celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of butoh with performances by Yoshito Ohno (who appeared in butoh’s first performance, Kinjiki (Forbidden Colours), in 1959); workshops and a lecture-demonstration by butoh progenitor Natsu Nakajima; and three multidisciplinary premieres by Kokoro Dance. “In this year’s festival, we have programmed works that embody challenge, change, and curiosity about the human condition.”

The 2009 VIDF kicks off with Two Night Stand, a multidisciplinary collaboration with Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi, Juno-nominated Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq, guitarist Tony Wilson, percussionist Dylan van der Schyff, cellist Cris Derksen, pianist Lee Pui Ming, and filmmaker Clancy Dennehy (8:00pm, March 3-4, RH). Renowned dancer-choreographer Jérôme Bel (France) and Thai classical dancer Pichet Klunchun (Thailand) perform their humourous cross-cultural 2005 duet Pichet Klunchun and myself (8:00pm, March 5-7, RH). Toronto’s Nova Bhattacharya pushes the boundaries of contemporary bharatanatyam in Primary View (10:00pm, March 6-7, RH).

In the second week, butoh takes centre-stage in Flower, a new duet by Yoshito Ohno (Japan) with collaborator Lucie Grégoire (Montreal) (8:00pm, March 10-11, RH), the latter of whom performed audience-favourite Eye in the 2005 VIDF. Louise Bédard Danse (Montréal) explores the colours and textures of the art of Vancouver-based artist Marianna Gartner in Finally, You Are (Enfin vous zestes) (8:00pm, March 12-14, RH). Mascall Dance (Vancouver) performs WhaT,?, a creative collaboration between accomplished dance artist Ron Stewart and Jennifer Mascall (10:00pm, March 13-14, RH).

In the third week, music and dance enrich each other in stunning collaborations. Five choreographers, six dancers, and one choir converge in Dancers Dancing and the Vancouver Cantata Singers’ Voices in Motion, Bodies that Sing (8:00pm, March 17-19, RH). Kokoro Dance and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra build upon their previous collaborations in the rebel (8:00pm, March 20-21, RH). Direct from Spain, lightning-fast Flamenco footwork and exquisite music take centre-stage in two special performances by María Juncal, heralded in Europe as “the Flamenco sensation of the 2008-2009 season” (8:00pm, March 19-20, Centennial).

In the fourth week, Kokoro Dance reimagines Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Prometheus mythology in F, a multidisciplinary work for three dancers and three actors incorporating digitally-manipulated film by visual effects editor Paul Furminger and set design by Peter Eastwood (8:00pm, March 24-28, RH). In The Cell, MOVE: the company debuts new choreography by six local choreographers (8:00pm, March 25-28, Shadbolt). In the final week, Martha Carter—mmHoP premieres Twisted, a group work exploring dance, scoliosis, and personal transformation, (8:00pm, April 1-4, Scotiabank).

The 2009 VIDF is presented by the Vancouver International Dance Festival Society and Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

For more information about the 2009 VIDF, please call the VIDF office at 604.662.4966 or visit www.vidf.ca.