The BC premiere of Bboyizm’s award-winning work In My Body, presented by DanceHouse comes to the Vancouver Playhouse stage, March 17 and 18.
In My Body is conceived and created by renowned street dancer and choreographer Yvon “Crazy Smooth” Soglo, taking a profound examination of the effects of aging in a dance genre known for intense athleticism, bravado and the show of invincibility. Three generations of Canada’s top b-boys and b-girls share the stage to embody the dancers’ evolution with fierce physicality and moving vulnerability to the accompaniment of spoken word poetry, multimedia projections, and original music by DJ Shash’U.
“We are excited to present Bboyizm’s DanceHouse debut, and their long-anticipated return to Vancouver,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “In My Body surprises us with the strength in opposites – pairing young with old, energy with calm, faltering with certainty, physicality with spirit. In this high energy yet deeply personal portrayal of growing older in a physical artform associated with the young, Crazy Smooth breaks the hip-hop taboo against showing vulnerability and invites us to reflect on the importance of community, resilience, and grace in challenging times.”
Multiple knee surgeries and his own shifting stamina inspired Crazy Smooth to examine what it means to be a “b-boy forever” in his own aging body and soul. He assembled a multi-generational cast who range in age from their early 20s to late 50s to explore how street dancers persevere in the battle against time. Together they move as one united and supportive community.
Drawn from interviews that he conducted with the dancers including David “DKC Freeze” Dundas, the oldest dancer in the company (born 1965) and Natasha “Tash” Jean-Bart (born 1971) writer Alejandro Rodriguez’s spoken word recounting their personal stories, provides the backdrop for the performance supported by original instrumental ambient music by DJ Shash’U, and multimedia projections and body mapping by Montreal’s renowned minari studio.
DanceHouse presents In My Body, at the Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street, March 17 and 18, 2023 at 8pm visit dancehouse.ca for tickets and details.