All posts by Deanne Kearney

Review: Jacqueries Part 2 (Jacob Niedzwiecki)

Immersive theatre meets dance in this piece set in a technological surveillance State

Photo of Mateo Galindo Torres by Vish Hansa in Jacqueries Part 2 - image of silhouetted person leaning on elbows on a box, surrounded by more boxes Exciting and immersive, Jacqueries Part 2 transforms the Citadel + Compagnie theatre into a stark surveillance state. Mixing technology, dance and audience engagement; coder and choreographer Jacob Niedzwiecki leads the audience through this beautiful yet grim world.

Harsh lighting and strict paths made of banker boxes and barrier belts lead you to stern-faced performers. They ask if you are comfortable giving up your phone and passcode.

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Des-Echoes (Daniel Bear Davis and Caro Novella) / Fadeout (Anne-Flore de Rochambeau) 2019 SummerWorks Review

Photo of two dances facing each other wearing coveralls pulled up over their heads

Two contemporary works of contrasting themes are brought to the 2019 SummerWorks Stage.  One humorous and intimate, while the other is isolating and eerie, Des-Echoes and Fadeout are strong additions to the festival.

Starting with only a bar of light highlighting the lower half of her body, choreographer and performer Anne-Flore de Rochambeau, slowly begins to articulate only her hands and fingers in Fadeout. The movement is pained and precise as if to slowly explore the space for the first time.

Continue reading Des-Echoes (Daniel Bear Davis and Caro Novella) / Fadeout (Anne-Flore de Rochambeau) 2019 SummerWorks Review

The Nine Brains of the Human Mind / those, on the surface (The School of Toronto Dance Theatre) 2019 SummerWorks Review

Emerging choreographers take the SummerWorks stage with a double bill of modern/contemporary dance. The Nine Brains of the Human Mind and those, on the surface are choreographed by Kari Labrentz and Tanveer Alam and produced/danced by The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. These work-in-process pieces are part of the SummerWorks Lab programming.

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Review: Dusk Dances 2019 – Celebrating 25 Years (Dusk Dances)

This year the charming outdoor dance festival, Dusk Dances, celebrates 25 Years, featuring five different works in Toronto’s east end. Each piece is spread throughout Withrow Park, using the park’s amenities, like its a baseball field and hockey rink.

The 2019 festival includes work from Hanna Kiel, Meredith Thompson, Mix Mix Dance Collective, Denise Fujiwara and Yuichiro Inouo, Pulga Muchochoma & Naishi Wang.

Each choreographer creates a ten-minute site-specific piece, mostly staying within a contemporary dance style, with the exception of a work that mixes house, waacking and breaking street styles.

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