In an annual collaboration DanceHouse and The Cultch once again bringing energizing contemporary circus to Vancouver.
On the Vancouver Playhouse stage January 24th to 27th, DanceHouse and The Cultch present the North American premiere of Gravity & Other Myths’ (GOM) acrobatic and athletically-charged work, The Mirror.
Directed by GOM Artistic Director Darcy Grant, The Mirror is a compelling and intimate exploration of the search for authentic human connection within our disconnective digital age. The Adelaide, Australia-based contemporary circus company infuses its high-level dance choreography with innovative production design – incorporating an LED wall, cameras and selfie sticks – an atmospheric electronica soundscape, and a levity that belies its heart-pumping feats of acrobatic virtuosity.
“Renowned for its genre-defying performance, Gravity & Other Myths’ The Mirror is a study of contrasts. At once both effervescent and arcane, visceral and cheeky, the full-length work strips bare the architecture of performance itself, at times penetrating the fourth wall to expose audiences to the inner workings of their incredible stage presence,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse.
“When we first welcomed the company in 2015 with A Simple Space, our audiences were absolutely blown away by the unpretentious rawness of the work,” adds Heather Redfern, Executive Director at The Cultch. “This new creation pulls back the curtain even farther. Through their disarming honesty – unmasked grunts of effort, shaky limbs, and backstage camera access – GOM artists break down the barrier between audience and performer, inviting us on their quest for authentic human connection in an increasingly superficial world.”
The work is praised for its careful balance of technically complex combinations of lifts, tumbles, and leaps with its emotional stage presence; moments of defeated exhaustion and lighthearted joy to playful kink and heart-bursting connection. Co-commissioned by the Sydney Opera House and the Chamäleon Theatre in Berlin, The Mirror had its world premiere in Berlin in August 2022.
See the North American premiere of The Mirror, January 24-27, 2024, 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street. Tickets are available online at dancehouse.ca or by calling 604.801.6225