Sadly, the DanceHouse of Dada Masilo (South Africa) in The Sacrifice has had to be cancelled. We have just learned that the company is unable to travel to Vancouver for reasons beyond our control.
Photo by Rydel Cerezo
Don’t miss the opportunity to see PIÑA, still on tonight and tomorrow night, May 5 and 6! PIÑA is inspired by Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan’s identity as a first-generation Canadian-born Filipinx. Examining how the body carries history and ancestry, this vibrant new creation considers the parallels between the physicality of the diaspora experience, and piña – a traditional Philippine fibre made from pineapple leaves. It investigates the many facets and cultural significance of the delicate yet enduring textile, in an anthropological journey through the body. Incorporating traditional folk dance, history and design, PIÑA brings together an all-Philippine cast including four dynamic performers, an original score by K!mmortal, and a multidisciplinary artistic team to celebrate cultural resilience. Check out this conversation with Escamillan in Stir, and a teaser here. At SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 8 pm. Tix. And while there, check out the Piña mini exhibit install now at SFU Woodward’s lobby featuring Raquel’s Piña Cloth Products and HABI The Philippine Textile Council and Contemporary Barong design by Ralph Escamillan + made by Jill Laxamana.
On Sunday, May 7, Okams Racer presents Post-Truth. Post-Truth is a contemporary dance work set in a post-apocalyptic world, filled with war, natural disasters, & disease where a new virus, which seems to infect people with greed is quickly spreading around the world. The group, once collaborative and compassionate in nature begins to experience the physical and mental effects of avarice. Okams Racer is a newly formed contemporary dance collective based in Vancouver, BC. founded by Jenna Berlyn, Will Jessup, Ana Sosa, and Samantha Krystal, four artists with a passion for contemporary dance, choreography, cinematography and design. Existing members are, Rachel Helten, Ana Sosa, Oksana Augustine, Caroline Maccaull, and Samantha Krystral. Join the dancers at Cold Tea Restaurant for a drink or a snack after the show, and enjoy happy hour pricing! Folks are encouraged to make new friends, and enjoy an afternoon of good vibes, high emotions, and acupressure exercises ! Let’s have some fun! At the Scotiabank Dance Centre, 3-4 pm. Tix
Photo by Wendy D. Photography
Also this weekend, until May 6, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg performs her new solo, Body Parts – you will not want to miss this! Part stand-up comedy, part kinetic gesture and dance, Tara Cheyenne leads audiences through a heartbreaking personal landscape of body dysmorphia and self-loathing with her signature approach to performance: biting humour, insightful and absurd social commentary, and absolute intimate honesty directly addressed to the audience. This show invites us to take the power back, enjoy the amazing things our bodies can do, and laugh through the tears together. At the Cultch, 8 pm Tix
Throughout the month of May, celebrate Asian Heritage Month at Morrow (AHMM)! Many, many things to see and experience but here is a taste: May 10 -14, experience 2 solo works by dance artist Ziyian Kwan and Taiko artist Kage in Volume Vulva Verve. Through sound composition, live vocals and movement, Kage’s Itadakimasu explores how food intersects with ancestral teachings and community, and how this is being threatened by colonial and capitalist forces. Ziyian’s The Odd Volume similarly emerges in resistance to forces that assimilate, displace, and racialize, articulating through movement and storytelling, her immigrant experience as a first-generation Chinese-Filipina. Volume Vulva Verve powerfully voices the importance of preserving cultural knowledge and facilitating healing within ourselves and our communities. May 20 and 21, in Monica vs. The Internet: Tales of a Social Justice Warrior award-winning Filipina storyteller and comedian Monica Ogden sheds light on activism and disability culture, mixed-race identity, and how white feminism is like Lays chips. From Lilang’s immigration, mom’s rise to stardom as Miss Kapuskasing, to Monica’s failed YouTube career, Monica lives in the reality of intergenerational trauma and how it affects the Filipina women who raised her. Monica vs. The Internet is a multi-media stand-up show that will leave you in tears, both the laughy kind and the heart ones. And there is so much more at AHMM – check out the full program here.
On Thursday-Saturday May 11-13, Ballet BC closes its season with two world premieres from two of today’s top visionaries in contemporary dance in WAVE/S. Tel Aviv-based Roy Assaf shares his debut creation for the Ballet BC stage, and a creator with a strong relationship to the company, Sweden’s Johan Inger, brings together a large ensemble in collaboration with Vancouver’s Arts Umbrella. Expect unforgettable creations from a pair of distinctive choreographers. At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 8 pm Tix
Vines Art Festival is hosting their Artist Care Fundraiser, Thursday, May 11. The evening features a night of delicious food, enticing silent auction, and live performances by musical talents Missy D, Kimmortal, ebonEmpress, and Jreme. For more info and tickets visit: vinesartfestival.com
