Molly Johnson in Tina Fushell's Waving is Funny. Photo by John Lauener

PRESENTED BY DUSK DANCES INC.
PREVIEW ON AUGUST 5TH / OPENING NIGHT ON AUGUST 6TH

The 24th annual Dusk Dances Festival returns to Withrow Park this summer with another week of exciting and entertaining dance works from Canada’s finest dance makers!

“I am pleased to announce the Dusk Dances Withrow Park program, celebrating the festival’s 24th annual season. Each dance work uniquely responds to the natural park environment in imaginative ways, and reenvisions the idea of contemporary performance. These five stellar choreographers, along with their dancers and musicians, represent a variety of ‘collisions’ - the percussive strikes of tap and flamenco, the direct interaction with the audience, and the thematic mix of forms, styles, and experiences - that truly reflect the energy, pulse, and beauty of the city we live in. Be prepared for an engaging, contemplative, explosive, relaxed, energetic, and fun outdoor summer experience!”— Michael Caldwell, Guest Curator Withrow Park 2018

HOSTED BY ALLEGRA CHARLESTON
OPENING MUSICAL ACT SOPHIA PERLMAN AND BRENDAN DAVIS
With FREE Swing Dance classes with master teachers from Joy of Dance Centre

Waving is funny

Choreography by Tina Fushell

Performance: Tina Fushell, Luke Garwood, and Molly Johnson
Sound design: James Bunton
Costumes: Krista Dowson
Artistic Advisor: Brendan Jensen

Waving is Funny explores the many different reasons why and how we wave. The absurdity of waving and how quickly it can shift from a recognized gesture to something else; the jazz hands of Bob Fosse or the instruments in a marching band, resonate in the work and demonstrate the complexity of this simple gesture. The result is a distinctly human work - thoughtful, cultural, and relatable, tied together with this very funny gesture that we all know so well.

A Dusk Dances premiere.

Uno Dos Y Tres

Choreography by Carmen Romero

Performance: Carmen Romero
Live music performance: Benjamin Barrile, Alejandro Céspedes, and Stephanie Pedraza
Costumes: Patricia Cueva

Based on a poem by Manuel Benitez Carrasco from the 1920s, UNO DOS Y TRES is a visual metaphor of the internal conflicts we deal with in life. This physical and emotional work offers the audience a flamenco performance that goes beyond the traditional presentation, shifting audience expectations and demanding an open mind and heart.

A Dusk Dances premiere.

Oceanic Reach

Choreography by Peter Chin

Performance: Pulga Muchochoma and Nivedha Ramalingam

A collision of three distinctly unique dance artists, arriving at a strikingly original and compelling dance work. A metaphor for the world we live in, this new work explores the ways in which different people come together, to find commonalities and a space for collaboration, while maintaining the particular attributes that make each of us special.

A Dusk Dances commission and a world premiere.

Alpha Compass

Choreography by Karissa Barry

Performance/Collaboration: Christoph von Riedemann
Music: Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven (slowed to 800%), M-theory text, True Detective, edited by Karissa Barry
Costumes: Karissa Barry
Original performance/collaboration: Scott Fowler

Alpha Compass is inspired by themes of solitude, mortality, ego, and the human response to change. Using the physics-based “M-Theory” as a creative influence, this solo explores physicality motivated by what our existence may mean when applied to multiple dimensions of time, grasping to reality and identity.

A Dusk Dances premiere.

Poinciana

Choreography by Allison Toffan

Performance: Cori Giannotta, Tanya Knights, Julia LeClerc, Kylie Somerville, and Allison Toffan
Live music performance: Brendan Davis and Sophia Perlman

A brand new contemporary tap dance work, set to live music. This work delves into the origins of the form - a time when dancers and musicians jammed in cabarets and night clubs, and improvised nightly to create original performances. Five dancers interact with a jazz vocalist and a bass player to create a magically wondrous work that connects to the rhythm and energy of the city we live in.

A Dusk Dances commission and a world premiere.