>> PREVIEW
DANCE MONTAGE 2005
University of Calgary
Runs November 24 to 26
University Theatre (U of C)
The University of Calgary’s Dance Montage is back for its 36th season – meaning it’s not only older than this particular writer, but also a lot of the dancers and choreographers participating in it. An august institution on Calgary’s dance scene, it brings together both university and community artists ranging in skill from beginners to seasoned professionals.
"We’ve got a number of returning Montage choreographers, but we’ve also got quite a range of new ones," says producer Dawn Dymond.
The choreographers involved include Annalisa Bentzen, Sung-Ah Choi, Saxon Fraser, Jenn Jaspar and Kelly McCann, Arlene Mack, Jaime Marr, Cathy Morrison, Kathryn Pollack (guiding her Decidedly Jazz Danceworks tap class), Matthew Popoff, Lisa Ryan, Amanda Staniforth and Christine Haddock, and Mandi Sutherland. The event is presented annually through the U of C’s faculties of kinesiology and fine arts and its dance program.
While the majority of last year’s Montage numbers fell under the hip-hop category (I also recall a humorous take on ballet and football), this year’s focus is more on contemporary and modern dance, albeit blended with other forms. The range of movement includes jazz, funk, tap and Bollywood-style funk – a mélange of styles to suit different tastes.
In some cases, the styles are combined within one work. That’s the case with Symbiotic Symphony by Fraser, a past Dance Montage performer who is making her choreography debut this year.
"It's a combination of Alice in Wonderland with sort of a Cirque du Soleil (feel) and creepy characters," says Fraser, describing the piece. "I have contemporary, pointe and hip-hop dancers."
The three forms are married to an original storyline, danced to music from the film Moulin Rouge. An enthusiastic Dymond describes the result as "almost a puppet-like movement."
Meanwhile, the Bollywood touch comes from Ryan, who is no stranger to Dance Montage, having participated for more than a decade. This year, her piece is a narrative in which Hindi funk meets a legendary Hollywood character. Lost was inspired by that lovable silver-screen rogue, Indiana Jones.
"I have always loved Indiana Jones, and I often like to weave in a little bit of a storyline into my numbers," says Ryan. "I just always sort of had that Indiana Jones theme in the back of my head – and with Bollywood becoming such a fad and a fashion, I thought this would be a good year to put those two together."
What has drawn Ryan to Montage each year is the sense of community she feels with participating artists.
"We see a lot of the same people that love coming back to it, and we get new people each year," she notes. "And the fact that it’s a community dance event, there’s not any pressure or competition…. It’s supportive, and it’s nice to be part of that atmosphere." |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.