Jacob & Nova is an evening of attractive dance. There is, however, a retrograde aspect to the concert which shaves a tad off the originality quotient. Since taking over Dancemakers in 2006, artistic director Michael Trent has invited many different choreographers to set pieces on his company. Jacob Zimmer and Nova Bhattacharya are the latest […]
When the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers perform a hopak in full tilt, it is goosebump-‐inducing excitement – the men with their breathtaking gymnastic tricks, the women with their unbelievably fast turns. Shumka means whirlwind, and that is the perfect name for this 40-‐member, Edmonton-‐based dance troupe. The show Shumka at 50 celebrates the company’s golden anniversary […]
Montreal’s Martin Bélanger is a philosopher of dance – by that I mean, his multidimensional works deal with cosmic topics. He likes the big picture. Grande Théorie Unifée, a work he created last year for Festival TransAmériques, is a case in point. By the time that the rambling 90 minute piece is over, Bélanger and […]
Montreal’s Sylvain Emard has managed to stay true to himself while creating a universal appeal for his dances. Unlike some of his Québecois colleagues, he has not prostituted his talent to the European presenters. Rather, he made them notice his choreography for the fine craftsmanship that it is. The hallmark of an Emard piece is […]
