Festival of New Choreography Spotlights Tomorrow's Dance Makers

TORONTO, March 3, 1999 -- York University dancers will share the stage with visiting performers from Osaka University, Japan and Montreal's Concordia University at the annual Festival of New Choreography running from March 16 to 20 at York U.

Here's an opportunity to catch four different programs of innovative solo and ensemble pieces in a variety of dance styles featuring emerging young choreographers and dancers.

Festival artistic director, Holly Small, has selected more than two dozen dance works by students, faculty and guest choreographers. York dance faculty member, Darcey Callison, will premiere his ensemble piece for 27 dancers set to music by Phillip Glass, David Bowie and Brian Eno. Titling the piece, Ever Falling Home, Callison conceives the dance as images of a tribe of women in stages of going, coming and waiting.

In collaboration with musician Lorne Lampert, who will perform on stage using shakers, a claypot and a drum, Julie Brunet has created a piece for two dancers based on the earth's elements and how its texture evokes sounds and movement. Lisa Ryan, an exchange student from England's Chichester University, has choreographed an intriguing piece for seven dancers entitled Cold Water Heating Supply, in which the soloist awakes from a catatonic state to find herself in an underground wasteland along with her cold, obliviously oppressed companions. Stretch Your Nerves by Amy Woods and Seika Boye, set to original music by Joel Silver, is a filmed work presented with a live performance of the pas de deux in which the dancers are literally attached to one another.

The Festival will be the last opportunity to see choreographer Motaz Kabbani's solo work, With-In-finity, which York professor Donna Krasnow has performed across Canada and the United States during the past two years. With-In-finity is a journey through the realms of Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Death, Despair, Delirium and Desire set to excerpts of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Visiting dancers from the Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences are bringing two high-energy dance pieces with the evocative names of The Pale Night Desert and To the Open Sea, which blend western modern dance with a traditional Japanese flavour.

The guest artists from the Department of Contemporary Dance at Montreal's Concordia University have selected two highly entertaining works. JoDee Allen has choreographed a sensual and lyrical piece Sur Face Intact and Eva Asselin delights audiences with her fun-filled duet, The Unbearable Lightness of Choosing.

The York Dance Ensemble will present PinPoints by faculty member Susan Cash and the playful Engaging the Source by ensemble member Monique Harris. As well, Harris will present the premiere of Scrambles, a mischievous and thought-provoking work revolving around the numbers one to five.

The Festival of New Choreography runs in a four part series from Mar. 16 to 19. Showtimes are 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. The entire series runs on Sat. Mar. 20 starting at 1:00 p.m. Performances take place in Burton Auditorium, York University, 4700 Keele St. at Steeles Ave. Admission is $5 per show. Tickets are available at the door or may be reserved in advance by calling the York Dance Department hotline, (416) 650-8030.

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For further information please contact:

Carol Bishop
Communications, Faculty of Fine Arts
York University
(416) 736-2100 ext. 20421
email: cbishop@yorku.ca