There is something for everyone this week – travel the world through dance!
Tonight and tomorrow, February 28 and 29, DanceHouse presents the extraordinarily exciting Grupo Corpo! Check out the interview with Rodrigo Pederneiras, cofounder of Grupo Corpo, in the Georgia Straight. The company channels the metaphysical with their new work Gira, in which Choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras has infused his style with movement idioms inspired by Afro-Brazilian rituals. The company’s deep research into the cosmology and rites of Umbanda (the most widespread Brazilian-born religion) creates a new kind of performance aesthetic, possessed by a ripe sensuality and cathartic power.With music from São Paulo band Méta Méta, the dancers invoke a state of near-transcendental ecstasy, opening up a pathway from one plane of existence to the next. The corporeal world melds with the divine in a transformative journey of rare exaltation. A second work Dança Sinfônica will also be performed. In this first symphony created specially for the dance company, Marco Antônio Guimarães, the author of anthological works such as 21 (1992) and Bach (1996), combines a sophisticated plot with original pieces and evocative musical passages from ballets recently produced by Grupo Corpo. At the Vancouver Playhouse, 8 pm. Pre-show talk at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lobby of the Playhouse. Tix
The 13th annual Coastal Dance Festival (CDF) continues until Sunday, March 1. The CDF is a celebration of Indigenous stories, songs, and dances, demonstrating that these practices are very much alive, vibrant, and relevant today. This year’s festival presents the rich artistic practices of artists from BC, the Yukon, Nunavut, Alaska, Washington State, and New Zealand. CDF is produced by the Dancers of Damelahamid in partnership with the Anvil Centre and the Museum of Anthropology. Tonight, Friday February 28, is the Signature Evening Performance with Spakwus Slolem, Squamish, Dancers of Damelahamid, Tooma Laisa and Leanna Wilson, Inuit and Rainbow Creek, Haida. At the Anvil Centre, 7:30 pm. Tix Saturday, February 29, 1-4 PM, the Festival Stage has performances by Xwelmexw Shxwexwo:s (Salish), Dakhká Khwáan Dancers (Inland Tlingit), and Teina Leadership Academy Group (Mãori), among others. Git Hoan, Tsimshian. On Sunday March 1, 1 -4 pm, check out Kwhlii Gibaykw (Nisga’a), Chinook Song Catchers (Nisga’a/ Squamish), and Tooma Laisa and Leanna Wilson (Inuit), among others. At the Anvil Centre, pay what you can. For more info
March 4 to 7, Ballet BC presents Romeo and Juliet. For centuries, the tale of tragic “star-crossed lovers” has inspired many an artist. Compelling in its timeless relevance, this deeply human story captures audiences with enduring themes of love, fate and family. In Romeo + Juliet, Walerski offers a fresh and bold retelling of this classic story of forbidden love that continues to resonate today. At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 8 pm. Tix
Thursday March 5, the Dance Centre Discover Dance! Series presents Immigrant Lessons. This vibrant young collective promotes cultural pluralism through dance, music, fashion and visual design. Using an exciting mashup of styles including street dance, hip hop, Dancehall, Afrobeat and more, they tell stories of first- and second-generation immigrants, navigating Canadian culture and facing questions of identity and belonging. Audiences are taken on an emotional journey through curiosity, struggle, and love. At the Scotiabank Dance Centre, 12 noon + 6.30pm. Tix
