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Sylvie Guillem
REVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

From Glitz to Grit

Looking back, 2014 felt like a bumper year for dance, bringing with it a bevy of exceptional premieres and revivals alike. There were glittering fairy-tale ballets and gritty social dramas, cracking debuts and bittersweet final bows. As ever, there was grace in spades, but at the same time it seems the athleticism of the stage has never been greater, particularly on the ballet side of things, where precarious lifts are now king and 180-plus degree extensions the rule and not the exception.

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All that Glitters
REVIEWS | Di Gracia Haby

All that Glitters

Before a new year is ushered in with fireworks and resolutions, there is just enough time to reflect on what has been, and prepare a list of dance highlights from 2014. The only trouble being, it quickly transpires, I am no good at list making. Some may rank higher, but all offered something; all enabled me to feel. My belief that you cannot see a work unfold without finding some gem to pocket was not tested this year, and so ‘if you look, you will find’ remains my unchallenged maxim.

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Ros Warby
REVIEWS | Di Gracia Haby

Ros Warby Returns

“The spaces we inhabit can frame our experience. How we see, and relate to each other and the world, inspire what we imagine, create, build and destroy. Hierarchies exist, however small, and we navigate them daily. And the body seems to tell all.” –Ros Warby[note]Ros Warby, “Tower Suites: Artistic Note,” Ros Warby website.[/note]

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Recovery
REVIEWS | Di Gracia Haby

Recovery

In the yawning space of the machine hall, we assembled. A small group of mourners cloaked in suitable attire, our number countable upon my fingers, no need for the toes. We came in pairs to “Recovery,” to a space formally the domain of pigeons and vandals, to witness “a delicate duel with time.”[note]Nat Cursio and Shannon Bott, Artists' statement “About the work,” Nat Cursio website, 2014.[/note] I brought with me my curiosity and an expectation to become unmoored.

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Akram Khan and Sylvie Guillem
REVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

Dancers in Dialogue

When it was conceived in 2006, “Sacred Monsters” marked Sylvie Guillem's transition from the classical scene to the contemporary one—an intriguing development that had the famed ballerina's fans on the edge of their seats, eager to witness what turned out to be an inspired reformation. This revival, however, speaks to a less celebratory event: Guillem's impending departure from the stage altogether. (Her final performances have been announced for May 2015.) A full house showed up last week to watch the piece, which takes its title from an old French nickname for the biggest icons of the theatre and also features...

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P.O.V. Dance Project
REVIEWS | Di Penelope Ford

Point of View

P.O.V. Dance Project debuted “Wireless Connection” at Dancemakers in Toronto last Friday evening. The newly formed company appeared neat, sophisticated and upbeat, with a compelling hybrid style informed by styles ranging from ballet to hiphop. P.O.V. is directed by choreographers Amy Adams and Kylie Thompson, and have a pick-up company of a dozen versatile dancers. They have a light touch, and the dance was fresh, and the attitude contagious.

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The Process of Recovery
INTERVIEWS | Di Penelope Ford

The Process of Recovery

Nat Cursio (award-winning “Private Dances,” “Blizzard,” “The Middle Room”) and Shannon Bott (“Racket,” “Hang in there,” “Nice Mate Nice”) have been creating “Recovery” for a period of six years. The work came about due to untimely deaths in both their families, and confronts grief, and what it is to continue on in the wake of loss. Simon Ellis, well-known creator of intimate choreographies, joined the creative process, and just when it seemed “Recovery” would never be, here it is. I am deeply appreciative to Nat Cursio, Shannon Bott and Simon Ellis for answering my questions via email.

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Cullberg Ballet
REVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

Sensory Shock

The term ‘plateau effect’ describes the phenomenon of diminishing returns—that is, the reduced effectiveness over time of a once effective measure. Jefta van Dinther’s production by the same name does just that, putting forward a series of bold scenes, each of which ploughs ahead at a high-octane pace until the wow factor wears off and the audience adjusts to the sensory shock (think pulsing music, flashing lights, shuddering bodies). Van Dinther has a knack for detecting the very moment viewers have acclimatised, and it’s then that he throws another jolt into the mix, making for some powerful transitions. The one-act...

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Jasmin Vardimon Park
REVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

Community Spirit

Instead of employing a straight narrative, this dance theatre piece tells its story through a series of interlacing vignettes, each one evocative, impassioned and quasi surreal. The twisted tale centres on an urban park facing commercial redevelopment and its occupants' response to the impending loss of their communal space, which brings together homeless people, tourists, street performers, pedestrians and more. It's an elliptical piece, its tone careening from wacky to biting in a flash, but the quality is steady throughout: Jasmin Vardimon's dancers commit themselves to their roles wholly, and the result is a crisp slice of social commentary on...

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Jillian Vanstone and Harrison James Manon
REVIEWS | Di Penelope Ford

Heart to Heart

Jillian Vanstone and Harrison James made an exquisite pair, dancing the lead roles in “Manon” with the National Ballet of Canada on Sunday. It may be getting cold outside, but inside, the pas de deux were scorching.

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Crystal Pite
REVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

Dancing Melodies

Though it lags somewhat in the middle, this four-part bill is robust and stimulating. The intricate music of London-based contemporary composer Thomas Adès unites the pieces, each of which features the musician conducting from the pit or tickling the ivories on stage. Adès' participation in the programme elevates it greatly, breathing life into his already vigorous notes so that they form an integral and unforgettable element of the performance.

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Jasmin Vardimon
INTERVIEWS | Di Sara Veale

Layered Communication

Jasmin Vardimon is the artistic director of Jasmin Vardimon Company, founded in 1997, and has been an associate artist at Sadler's Wells since 2006. Her career spans more than two decades, and she's received numerous accolades for her contributions to the dance world, including an honorary doctorate from Royal Holloway, University of London, awarded in July 2014.

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Featured Reads

REVIEWS | Rachel Howard
Starry Nights

Beneath blue California skies, manicured trees, and the occasional hum of an overhead airplane, Tamara Rojo took the Frost Amphitheater stage at Stanford University to introduce herself as the new artistic director of San Francisco Ballet.

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