Facing the garlanded stage with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra warming up, looked down on by the Etobicoke School of the Arts Holiday Chorus, I can’t help but feel the buzz of holiday cheer. I have not had the privilege to attend the symphony since I was a child, and am enjoying the energy of Roy […]
The project that William Yong has undertaken with Zata Omm Dance Projects and an inspiring network of supporters is truly monumental. An experiment in sustainability of theatre (and artists), vox:lumen brings awareness to current issues of conservation in a beautiful and poignant way. The pre-show lobby is full of energy, jitters, and smiles, which are […]
A Side of Dreams is a beautiful view into Metis cultural traditions of generational and ancestral healing. The evening begins with a wondrous and effective projection of a spider beginning to spin a web, through a suspended aerial hoop. The initial image and soundscape prepare the audience for the intimate and thoughtful performance to come. […]
Australian acrobatic company Circa has livened CanStage with a refreshingly new and desperately needed contemporary circus show. Opus is 75 non-stop minutes of circus feats, but also shows the audience a new side of modern circus. It was a difficult transition, it seemed, for many patrons to adjust their pre-show anticipation into respectful awe and […]
The image of a totally nude young dancer prancing around the stage at the Betty Oliphant Theatre (fondly referred to as the Betty O) to “You’re So Vain” bleating from a heavy boombox is a sight that one gets used to surprisingly easily. Ben Kamino opened the dance: made in canada festival on Wednesday night with an excerpt from […]
Jack Your Body A dance performance that makes me want to go out and get my boogie on always boasts the audience leaving with smiles plastered on their faces. The Mix-Mix Dance Collective certainly brought in a mixed crowd but gave universal satisfaction. An elderly couple in front of me at the show commented “Well […]
A burlesque show modeled on the Bible when it was all smite and terror and sex? Sounds like it can’t get much better than that. For me, the pleasure in watching burlesque is as much about enjoyment of dance and sexuality as it is watching the performers have an amazing time. There was no denying […]
Last night I saw the premiere of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg’s production Rodin at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. The show is running for a mere three days, May 23rd through 25th, so happily packed the house with an exceptionally large percentage of Slavic-background patrons. The heavily accented murmurs were just […]