Corporeal Imago inverts traditional circus dance with the return of aerial fusion piece Throe, November 3 and 4
Aerial rope choreography and emotive contemporary dance form the basis of post-apocalyptic work by Gabrielle Martin and Jeremiah Hughes
Throe. Photo by Chris Randle
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts presents Corporeal Imago’s Throe on November 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm
CORPOREAL IMAGO TURNS the idea of circus-dance fusion on its head with Throe, a dramatic aerial exploration of survival and interdependence in the wake of a disaster.
Stir reviewed Throe’s world premiere in Vancouver at the Scotiabank Dance Centre last year, a spellbinding performance in which dancers ascended ropes hanging from the ceiling, engaged in tumbling partnerwork, and conveyed emotional moments of yearning and anxiety. Now, the captivating show is back for another run, this time at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Corporeal Imago is the brainchild of former Cirque du Soleil performers Gabrielle Martin and Jeremiah Hughes. The duo spent years touring in shows like Cavalia, TORUK - The First Flight, and Viva ELVIS, before eventually conceptualizing, choreographing, and performing in their own debut piece together as Corporeal Imago, Limb(e)s.
Despite the pair’s background, Throe inverts the full-on circus extravaganza style often seen in Cirque du Soleil shows. Instead, it emphasizes the dancers’ vulnerability, adeptly pairing the human components of contemporary dance with otherworldly, eerie aerial imagery.
This edition of the performance features local dancers Marissa Wong, Brenna Metzmeier, Darian Mark, Jeremiah Hughes, Alex Tam, and Brianne Chan. As Stir unveiled last year in an interview with Martin and Hughes, training for the show is extremely physical, with performers expanding their ropes skills through technique and circus classes, plus more traditional conditioning (think pull-ups and Seawall jogs).
Throe is complete with intensely dramatic music by composer Jo Hirabayashi, and striking lighting design by Sophie Tang. It’s a true gravity-defying display of turmoil, resilience, and unity done in a distinctly unique way.
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