Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 dance shows to catch this spring in Vancouver

From an aeriform ballet on ice to a duet in total silence, there are several hot tickets this season

By Gail Johnson

Murmuration. Photo by Nora Houguenade

Ballet BC’s ZENITH program. Photo by Marcus Eriksson

FROM GROUNDBREAKING contemporary skate choreography to an intimate pas de deux performed entirely in silence, the dance scene is full of exciting contrasts this season.

Here are just a few of the offerings:

#1

Murmuration

March 20 to 23 at Kerrisdale Cyclone Taylor Arena

Bodies glide across ice at mesmerizing speed as DanceHouse teams up with Canada Ice Dance Theatre to present Le Patin Libre. The company out of Montreal was founded by competitive skaters, who have recruited the world’s most highly skilled skaters to perform the work, drawing artists from seven countries. Taking its name from a term that describes the sound of hundreds of bird wings in flight, and inspired by the aerial choreography of bird flocks, Murmuration is a thrilling, razor-sharp aeriform ballet on ice. DanceHouse is hosting a free Disco Skating Party following the March 23 performance, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, where members of the public can skate with company artists.

Universus, with Ariana Barr and Justin Rapaport. Photo by Sylvain Senez

#2

UNIVERSUS

March 21 and 22 at the Vancouver Playhouse

UNIVERSUS is a double bill of works having their world premieres at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Choreographed by Belle Spirale Dance Projects cofounder Alexis Fletcher (Everything and Nothing) and Spain’s Fernando Hernando Magadan (STATERA), with visual design and co-creation credits going to Belle Spirale cofounder Sylvain Senez, the program for eight dancers centres on cosmic themes such as our connection to the Earth in chaotic times and the power of human resilience.

Half an Hour of Our Time.

#3

Half an Hour of Our Time

April 17 and 18 at Left of Main

Plastic orchid factory presents this work by Toronto’s Compagnie de la Citadelle. Choreographed by James Kudelka, Half an Hour of Our Time is a duet for a man and a woman that takes place in total silence. The 30-minute piece was influenced by Jean Cocteau and Francis Poulenc’s one-act opera La voix humaine.

Dex van ter Meij and Rae Srivastava in Woke Up Blind, which returns to Ballet BC’s DUSK program. Photo by Michael Slobodian

#4

DUSK

May 8 to 10 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Ballet BC’s newest offering features three distinct and dynamic works. Obsidian is by Batsheva Dance Company alums Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, who are founding members of the American Modern Opera Company and current artists in residence with LA Dance Project. Deeply influenced by the world of cinema, the duo reflects everyday experiences through their intense creations. Making its return to Vancouver is Marco Goecke’s Woke Up Blind, a piece for seven dancers exploring love, longing, and loss, all set to the captivating music of Jeff Buckley. And Ballet BC artistic director Medhi Walerski presents the world premiere of a new work, which is sure to possess his signature vocabulary that embodies the essence of the human spirit through intimate partnering and intricate group work.

Vancouver’s Company 605 and Singapore’s The Human Expression (T.H.E.) Dance Company team up at the Dance Centre.

#5

Company 605 + The Human Expression

June 5 to 7 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre

Vancouver’s Company 605 and Singapore’s The Human Expression (T.H.E.) Dance Company team up for a new international collaboration that grew out of the companies’ shared interest in experimentation. Choreographed by T.H.E.’s Anthea Seah and Company 605’s Josh Martin and performed by artists from both cities, the work explores deconstruction and re-creation through visceral, rigorous movement.  

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