Where to see dance in Vancouver this fall
The Fall Arts season is upon us, so we thought we’d turn the spotlight on some local dance extravaganzas. We’ve got a local legend, a daring company from France and a provocative work by a European choreographer that will haunt your dreams. Read on.
Company Wang Ramirez: Borderline (France)—Five dancers and one rigger go up against the gravitational forces of weight and resistance. Fueled by the performers’ skill and composer Jean-Philippe Barrios’ (Lacrymoboy) score, choreographic duo Sébastien Ramirez and Honji Wang blend contemporary dance with diasporic identity and blunt social commentary in this new work. A DanceHouse presentation. (Oct 26 & 27, 8 p.m. at Vancouver Playhouse).
Joe: A Solo Show—Vancouver dance luminary Joe Laughlin glides his way through three solo pieces from three choreographers: Vancouver’s Amber Funk Barton, Montreal’s Gioconda Barbuto, and South Africa’s Vincent Mantsoe. The choreographers contribute voiceovers. (Oct. 18-20 at 8 p.m. at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St.)
WArd/waRD-Ann Van den Broek: The Black Piece—The Dance Centre’s Global Dance Connections series presents Dutch-Flemish choreographer Ann Van den Broek’s The Black Piece. Five dancers and a camera operator lure the audience into the darkness for a sensory adventure filled with haunting sounds and images. The award-winning work by one of Europe’s most provocative and original creators taps into our deepest emotions. (Nov. 6-8 at 8 p.m., Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street; tickets $33/$25 students and seniors at 604-684-2787 and ticketstonight.ca)
Dumb Instrument Dance: Public and Private—A new ensemble work choreographed by acclaimed Vancouver dance artist Ziyian Kwan. In this full-length ensemble piece, Vancouver choreographer Ziyian Kwan collaborates with team that includes Taiko drummers and what is described as “a tribe of female-bodied artists” (dancers Delia Brett, Hayley Gawthrop, Erika Mitsuhashi, Deanna Peters) for “a decidedly feminist inquiry.” (Nov 13-24 at 8 p.m., Left of Main, 211 Keefer St., $25 at brownpapertickets.com and 604-862-2912.