For three nights only, audiences will be treated to three solo dance pieces, by three diverse choreographers, in Joe: A Solo Show at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. Presented October 18-20, by Joe Ink, and Vancouver dance luminary Joe Laughlin; Joe: A Solo Show includes the work of Vancouver dance artist Amber Funk Barton, Montreal-based choreographer Gioconda Barbuto, and internationally-renowned South African choreographer Vincent Mantsoe. The culmination of a profound process of personal, physical, and artistic discovery, the solos are skillfully woven together with voiceover by the artists to create a richly nuanced tapestry that encapsulates Laughlin through the eyes of each of his esteemed colleagues.
Hailed as “a chameleon” by The Globe and Mail, Laughlin’s athletic background and versatility has informed more than 60 highly inventive creations for Joe Ink and such esteemed organizations as the National Arts Centre, the Banff Centre, the Canada Dance Festival, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the Johannesburg-based Moving into Dance Mophatong, to name a few. His excellence in choreography – influenced by classical to contemporary and hip hop to gymnastics – has been recognized with the Clifford E. Lee Award for Choreography, the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, and the Isadora Award, among others.
“I feel privileged to be presenting a 60 minute solo show at this stage in my career. Exploring new aspects of my physical capabilities while navigating an aging body is a welcome challenge,” explains Laughlin. “I love each of these dancers/choreographers, both as artists and as friends. There is a certain alchemy that happens during the creative process, an intermingling of spirits, and experiencing that magic with each of them has enriched me as a performer and as a choreographer.”
The three pieces in Joe: A Solo Show are:
Silas
Choreographer: Amber Funk Barton
Inspired by John Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
Set to music by Arcade Fire performed by Vitamin String Quartet.
Long Story Short
Choreographer: Gioconda Barbuto
Inspired by Laughlin’s own recollections of personal photographs.
Set to electro-acoustic music by Vancouver composer Owen Belton
GIYA
Choreographer: Vincent Mantsoe
Giya means dance in EseZulu, the piece blends traditional Zulu dances
Set to Astor Piazolla’s tango, Oblivion
Joe: A Solo Show takes place October 18-20, 2018 at Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street.
Tickets, $38, are on sale at Tickets Tonight