Debriefing the dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival

Written by Deanne Kearney.

As the curtain falls on the dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival, it’s time to debrief another season of great performances, workshops, and dance exhibits. Spanning five days, the festival showcased the rich diversity of Canadian dance and its artists, and it was wonderful to be a part of it. In this final piece of the series, let’s retrace and relive some of the festival’s most memorable moments.

The Binet Series: A Burst of Individuality and Expression

My journey started with the Binet Series, where Hanna Kiel’s mesmerising piece BODY emerged as an unforgettable highlight. Dancers channelled their distinct personalities through captivating movement and facial expressions. This colourful and dynamic piece earned its well-deserved Audience Choice Award, showcasing the power of diverse movement qualities converging on a single stage.

This series also unveiled three different solo works, such as Water Study, a beautiful dialogue between dancer and musician that harnessed the sounds of water in a metal bowl to evoke movement. Two solos were co-choreographed by Peggy Baker, including Derek Souvannavong’s this identity: woven which explored his intricate tapestry of personal identity, and Vania Dodoo-Beals’s Unfold Attachments, which brought forward personal ideas of betrayal and heartbreak.

The Smith Series: A Fusion of Styles and Stories

I loved that in the Smith Series, performers drew on diverse training techniques and personal narratives. Alexis Fletcher, long time principal dancer with Ballet BC and now working independently, brought Altar’d to the stage, to invite audiences to explore uncomfortable moments that we all have that trigger intense personal growth . ReAWaken, a trio by Meghann Michalsky, fused krump and contemporary dance to conjure a post-apocalyptic world. Michalsky used krump movements to show tremors and freezes within unearthly imaginary environments. Last but not least, a solo created and performed by Liliona Quarmyne titled Resonances of a Warrior Boy questioned ancestral stories and the body, bringing forward movement from her homes of Ghana and the Philippines.

The Morrison Series: Unveiling Rituals and Humanity

My favourite of all the series, the Morrison Series, presented two captivating works from Vancouver and Quebec. An incredible duet by Emmalena Fredriksson and Arash Khakpour, titled You Touch Me (an excerpt), invited the audience to explore race, gender, and identity through their playful interplay of movement and text. I could have watched these two for hours on stage. 

Yet, I am happy to also have gotten the chance to see L’ENCRE NOIRE by La Tresse, composed of Geneviève Boulet, Laura Toma, and Erin O’Loughlin, which focused on ritual and combined folklore, fantasy, and the sacred. This gorgeous, occasionally eerie and unsettling work, was complemented by perfect lighting and costuming.

WYSIWYG Series: A Showcase of Innovation and Creativity

Closest to my heart, as I led the post-show chat for this series and worked closely with the Dance Stewards performing as a part of it, is the WYSIWYG series. This performance brought together a treasure trove of unique pieces and performances.

Also winning the Audience Choice Award, Lukas Malkowski’s Microphone Controller brought a high-energy solo work inspired by different musical performers like Prince and Ozzy Osbourne, with a twist of maintaining an open relationship with the audience and their voice. Slip Away by Samantha Sutherland, a solo work, interestingly incorporated audio recordings of her learning an endangered indigenous language called Ktunaxa from her family. Corps/Objet (Body/Object), choreographed by Marie Lambin-Gagnon, brought forward sculptural movements investigating how shape and movements relate to living and non-living matter, with dancer Megumi Kokuba. Sun Bleached Keith, a duet choreographed by Bryce Taylor, delved into the death of his father, exploring the experience of his mother learning to cope with his absence and connecting with someone not there. Lastly, Djata : Conversations du Manden, created and performed by Aly Keita, blended percussive and acrobatic movement to tell a story from his Guinean roots.

 

Dance on Film: An Excitedly Growing Medium

A major highlight of the festival was the dance on film segment. I have written much in the past about how pleased I am that Canada’s dance on film community seems to be growing, and this festival showcases that clearly with its incredible breadth. The festival offered three live screenings of dance films, as well as online showcases and a workshop led by Marlene Millar.

The first and most memorable film presented at the festival was a 48-minute-long documentary about Montréal-based dancer, choreographer, and philosopher Zab Maboungou titled MABOUNGOU: Being in the World. The documentary showcased her thirty-year career in the contemporary dance scene and her pioneering research of rhythm-cultures as acts of empowerment that have created a sense of place for other African dance artists in Canada and abroad. A beautiful documentary that I recommend watching.

 

Workshops and Exhibitions: Learning and Appreciation

I adored Marlene Millar’s Exploring Collaborative Models of Screendance Creation workshop, which opened doors to collaborative creativity in dance film making. In the workshop, we looked at some of her films, were able to ask any questions we had, and also worked on our own short films under her kind and open guidance.

In the welcoming lobby space were a few photography exhibitions, my favourite being the work of Drew Barry. Her photo book titled 21 Hard Drives felt like a flashback and behind-the-scenes book of the dance shows in Toronto that I had seen over the last year or so.

 

Thank You to d:mic

As the festival concludes, I want to take a moment to thank the dance: made in canada / fait au canada Festival team. A special thank you to artistic director Yvonne Ng for orchestrating an exceptional event and letting me dive into the festival as much as I could and supporting dance writing in the process. From familiar faces to newfound talents, it was an incredible festival for Canadian dancers and artists!  I eagerly await the next biennial season in 2024.

 

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Keep in touch with d:mic/fac:

www.dancemadeincanada.ca @dancemadeincanada @dmicfac 

Written by Deanne Kearney. DeanneKearney.com