DanceHouse is the latest Arts company to announce an adapted Fall 2020 Season. Continuing its mission of bringing the world of dance to Vancouver audiences, DanceHouse is presenting three streaming performances: Dancing at Dusk – A Moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring (Oct 21-27), NDT2: Dare to Say (Nov 6-8), and Jack of all Trades’ Battle / Street Dance (Nov 15).
“Dance is a powerful art form that builds community; studies even show that an audiences’ heartbeats will synchronize during live performance. And while we may not be able to gather in person to experience this phenomenon, we truly believe – now more than ever – that dance plays a vital role in bringing us together,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director, DanceHouse. “From the most delicate embodiment of emotion to the bravura demonstrations of pure physical prowess – dance is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures. This fall, we will celebrate this singular art form by streaming three eclectic programs: A border-crossing collaboration celebrating one of history’s greatest choreographers, Pina Bausch; the lauded NDT2’s radical new creations from the cutting edge of the form; and Jack of all Trades’ all-out street dance that will bring the party into audiences’ homes. We invite you to join us, and share in these powerful experiences — We need each other. “
The DanceHouse Fall 2020 Season includes:
Dancing at Dusk – A moment with Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring
October 21-27: Streaming available in Canada only
In spring 2020, Pina Bausch’s 1975 work, The Rite of Spring, was due to tour the world. Performed?by a specially assembled company of 38 dancers from 14 African countries, the production should have opened in March 2020. However, just days before the premiere, the Coronavirus pandemic put an end to those plans. Before disbanding and going into lockdown, the company performed a last rehearsal on a beach near their base at École des Sables, Senegal. This unique moment was captured by filmmaker Florian Heinzen-Ziob and his crew.
Nederlands Dans Theater (Netherlands) – NDT2: Dare to Say – LIVE from the Hague
November 6-8, at 11am PST (Tickets available for purchase until Oct 30; Limited quantity available)
In Dare to Say, dancemakers Alexander Ekman and Dimo Milev challenge their performers with distinct new approaches to movement and choreography, necessitated by the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. The result is radically exciting new choreographic works that push the dancers to explore, and work, in entirely new directions. DanceHouse is thrilled to present these two new world premieres featuring NDT2’s distinctive creative voices.
Jack of all Trades (Montreal) – Battle / Street Dance – LIVE from Montreal
November 15 at 4pm PST: Powered by Danse Danse
Eight Canadian dancers, accompanied by three renowned DJs, throw down in an atmosphere of expression, exchange, and confrontation.
JACK OF ALL TRADES (JOAT) is an internationally recognized festival that gathers the world’s best practitioners of street dance and related arts – such as visual arts, music production and DJing – in a spirit of competition and celebration. In this digital edition, large screens will be placed in front of the dancers enabling audience members to react to the battle – just like attending in person. Battle is an opportunity to experience a traditionally underground dance event, in a format as close to the original event as possible.
In addition, DanceHouse, in partnership with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, will present a re-envisioned edition of their popular Speaking of Dance Conversations. Taking place November 26 at 11am PST, the online edition will feature interviews with four choreographers, including Jacob Boehme (Australia) and Hervé Koubi (France) who made the DanceHouse stage vibrate in the past giving voice to their memories and dreams for the future and engaging with online audiences directly via live chat.
Tickets for all streams are available at dancehouse.ca, (take note some performances have limited availability) with a prices range from $15 to $25.
An announcement on DanceHouse’s Winter and Spring programming will come at later dates.