Farouche dance collective explores coexistence in Here Again, to October 24

The trio finds a sense of playfulness amid a rigorous process

By Gail Johnson

Erika Mitsuhashi (left), Felicia Lau, and Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien form the dance collective Farouche. Photo by David Cooper

Farouche livestreams Here Again—A collection of three scores October 21, 22, and 23 at 7 pm and October 24 at 4 pm by donation as part of the Vancouver International Dance Festival

VANCOUVER DANCE ARTISTS Felicia Lau, Erika Mitsuhashi and Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien are the up-and-coming forces behind the collective Farouche. They love to create complicated choreographic puzzles that challenge their brains and bodies. Incorporating improvisation, they find joy and a sense of playfulness within a rigorous process.

You can catch Farouche at the Vancouver International Dance Festival, which is picking up where it left off when the pandemic led to its postponement. The dancers have reshaped Here Again—A collection of three scores (which was to premiere in March the Roundhouse Community Stage) for livestreamed performance out of KW Studios. They’ve integrated the studio’s video and split-screen capabilities into the structural complexity of their work.

Co-existence is a theme that pulses throughout Here Again. It’s one the dancers found themselves questioning on their journey to support their distinct artistic voices, curiosities, and interests without them necessarily blending together within a collective approach. 

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