>>PREVIEW
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY MAINSTAGE
Runs until March 18th
University Theatre (University of Calgary)
This year’s University of Calgary Dance Program’s Mainstage explores the realms of jazz, contemporary dance and ballet, with influences as diverse as New Orleans and Poland. The shows feature the choreography of jazz artist Jamie Freeman-Cormack (They Move), ballet artist and former soloist for Alberta Ballet, Sabrina Matthews (Recall), and contemporary dance artists Darcy McGehee and Wojciech Mochniej (Bless and White respectively).
"As usual, we’re really stretching the dancers in several different directions, which is really good for them," says associate professor Davida Monk, noting that both Mathews’s and Freeman-Cormack’s pieces will explore a variety of movements.
Bless, choreographed by McGehee, started with images that reminded her of funerals in New Orleans, what the city has been through with Hurricane Katrina, and a layered score of various jazz traditions. She began by working from the mind-body imagery she incorporates into her practice herself as a dance artist.
"I’ve been thinking about this concept of outside harm coming inside, and of our expectations of safety and containment and how that membrane can be destroyed very unpredictably," she says. "I started working with images of our survival being both raw and graceful. There’s this intersection between being strong and compassionate, helping ourselves and others, (which) is the theme of the piece."
Her dancers have allowed her to discover how both helping others and getting support create a space for rebuilding, adding "the New Orleans funeral is this concept of social support in a time of grieving."
Wojciech Mochniej, a Polish choreographer who has worked often as a guest instructor at the University of Calgary since 1994, has choreographed White, which plays on the symbolism and other notions of the colour.
"He’s conceived the work in an environment that is different from what we see in the first half of the program, which will be danced on a white floor and wall, with the dancers wearing white as well," says Monk. "There’s symbolism there, and also a certain esthetic effect that he’s after. It’s a simple story, but with a little bit of a twist to it – his movement vocabulary is very sweeping, grounded and sensual."
"Until this point (I worked on) deep, emotional and political statements or symbolism," Mochniej says of his work, concerning, in particular, events in his native Poland. "This is such a beautiful journey to finish this period of time in my life."
"White is definitely a dance theatre work," he adds, noting that he is also exploring "the most pure picture in our lives – a sense of community and home."
"I have to tell you this is a beautiful cast," he continues. "A lot of the inspiration came from watching our rehearsals. The main subject or model for the piece has come from something like a white page. And we’re trying to push or initiate some stories to give viewers a chance to read or write down their own interpretation and their own story based on what happens on the stage." |
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