Notes from the Trilogy Project Deep Freeze Tour 2013

Driving back to Fredericton after the Halifax shows we are wowed by the spread in the Telegraph-Journal about Lesandra's process and the show. The piece was written by Kate Wallace who spent a day with us in the studio a few weeks back when we were in rehearsal. She really got at the heart of the the work (the creative nucleus as she put it) and it was the perfect set-up for the hometown show. Lesandra has recently taken a big role in Fredericton as Executive Director of the Charlotte Street Arts Centre, and the impact of her vision and gusto for dance and arts in palpalable in the community, who came out with bubbling anticipation for the Jan. 23rd show.

The playhouse was a beautiful setting for the three pieces, more formal than the Dunn in Halifax, but also more intimate, with the red seats curving around hugging the stage. While performing I could feel the warmth and attention radiating from the house. A very sensitive yet electric exchange with the audience occurred, as Lesandra peered on from backstage, not wanting to sit in the house. 

It was so nice to be able to share Lesandra's work with this community, which she has become a part of in the last seven or so years. 

Her blameless mystery was particularly special for me to perform in Fredericton since it was made there in 2010, in the winter, with many images, such as this image of the frozen Saint John River, and wartime housing in Minto, taken from the Fredericton area. It was also the first time our collaborator, film maker Chris Giles, got to see the work on the stage. 

After my icy solo, Ric & Darryl warm-up the stage with their desert duet

The boys duet, In two days a man can change, was a hit in Fredericton, with Darryl and Ric taking their dancing, taunting and hilarity to another level, and the audience right there with them.

L to R: Susanne Chui, Chris Giles, Lesandra Dodson, Ric Brown, Hannah Burrows, Darryl Tracy, Vicky Williams

We said goodbye to our amazing technical duo, Vicky Williams, lighting designer who really brought the works to life, and Hannah Burrows who did an incredible job learning the million and one sound, light and video cues while also making us feel completely taken care of every step of the way.


Then it was off to Winnipeg, with Darryl steeping in as props coordinator, making sure the rugs made it safe and sound.

Darryl (despite the late night and jet-lag) taught an early morning class to a stellar groups of young dancers at the School of Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, who really know how to move! Smiles and laughs filled the room. 

We arrived in Lesandra's old stomping ground; having gone to the school herself and danced with the company, this performance was another kind of homecoming for her. It was so nice to finish the tour here, in the intimacy of the Rachel Browne Theatre, surrounded by old friends and fans of Lesandra, who know her work well. It was also the first time that Christine Fellows saw A leash for two hounds performed with the final music which she composed for the work. We were worried at first with the changes we made, but Christine was very pleased, shining a great big smile from the seats every night. Opening night we were washed with a wave of applause and a standing ovation from the Winnipeg audience. With the pieces, and our performances having become richer and more nuanced over the tour, it was so great to finish on this note. 

Outside the theatre

Inside the Rachel Browne Theatre

The Winnipeg version of the poster

In the lobby was a retrospective of Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, and who else did we find than a young whipper snapper L. Dodson.

Darryl stays warm on the streets of Winterpeg

The best coffee in town that kept us going during our long tech days

Ric gets inspired

Another fantastic tech team in Winnipeg, with the presenter Brent Lott stepping in to call the show. 

Thank you to all who made this a very fun, fulfilling and memorable tour.  So long from the Trilogy team!

'Till next time, 

Susanne

Subtle Shifts

Photo: Lesandra Dodson

After a whirlwind of activity last week, culminating to three performances in Halifax, the team has returned to Freddy to get ready for the next leg of our journey.

As the dust settles, a few moments from the past week remain with me.

photo: Holly Crooks

On Friday night the audience shared the experience of being blasted with a cold wind as the curtains opened in the theatre. Intentional or not, the cold wind set the mood for a piece about freezing and thawing, Lesandra and others in the house breathing shallowly with me as my limbs 'loose their stifness' and I begin to 'show signs of life.' As I performed the opening part of Her blameless mystery, I was acutely aware of the silence and of the sound of my breath as it cut through the darkness.

Out for drinks after one of the shows two friends shared their interpretation of A leash for two hounds. For one (a man not currently in a relationship) it was about a new relationship, one of uncertainty, of coming and going, not sure whether to stay or to go. For the other (a married woman with a family) it was about the dynamic and power struggles of a seasoned couple, each with their own idiosyncrasies, and boundaries, a push and pull towards and away from the familiar. These two interpretations remind me that what one sees in a piece is a reflection of ones own experiences, and that it is just as valuable to notice what you see, as it is to know what the choreographer intended.

Darryl Tracy & Susanne Chui. Photo: Holly Crooks

(one person had completely different interpretation of the relationship of Darryl and I in the duet - they saw me as a carpet salesman, and Darryl as a ghost!).

Darryl Tracy & Ric Brown
Photo: Holly Crooks

Lesandra leaves space for the audience to enter the work, not dictating one meaning over another. And she gives the dancers this freedom as well. On Friday night the duet had a joyful feel for me, with playful teasing and a warmth between Darryl and I. On Saturday (after some new direction from Lesandra) I entered the work more reserved, more neutral, allowing the actions to be cooler and more matter of fact. With just this subtle shift of intention, everything felt different and the relationship changed.

Photo: L. Dodson

We move into the Fredericton Playhouse tomorrow, a big shift from the black box of the Sir James Dunn Theatre. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new frame, and a new audience, will further transform the works; what will be revealed, what will be lost, and what new things will emerge.

- Susanne

In two days a piece can change

The Team: Lesandra, Ric, Darryl and I 

Back in the studio with Team Dodson! Darryl Tracy, Ric Brown and I are in Fredericton, NB, at the beautiful Charlotte Street Arts Centre,  working with one of my absolute favourite choreographers, Lesandra Dodson. We are getting ready for The Trilogy Project, an evening of Lesandra's work being presented next week by Live Art Dance Productions, with a mini tour to the Fredericton Playhouse and Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers (aptly nicknamed the 'deep freeze tour').

It has been so lovely revisiting the pieces. After all the work that has gone into making these pieces over the past 3 years, and all the planning, grant writing, etc. to get us to this point, we are all feeling very proud, excited and grateful to finally be here.

 Two of the pieces are older works, a duet for Ric and Darryl called In two days a man can change,  a solo (or duet depending on how you look at it) that Lesandra and I created in 2010 called Her blameless mystery, and a brand new duet for Darryl and I commissioned by Mocean, called A leash for two hounds. (Doesn't Lesandra choose the best titles?).

Lesandra shows the boys how it's done

Each work is completely different but they all carry the signature Dodson style - detailed, fast paced, multi-layered collages of movement, text, sound, video, infused with breath, quirkiness, absurdity and a wholly unique sensibility of the profound oddities of life! She creates worlds from which colourful characters emerge, and it is so much fun to play in these worlds.

Rehearsals have been flying by, as we begin to recover, remember, rebuild, and re-imagine the pieces. Like taking out your good silver and buffing off the tarnish to reveal the shine, Lesandra is working us hard to find the essence of the pieces and bring them to life. Everyday we dig a little deeper and we have the sore muscles to prove it.

- Susanne Chui

The Trilogy Project Tour Dates:
- Jan 17-19, 8PM at the Sir James Dunn Theatre, presented by Live Art Dance Productions 
- Jan 23, 7:30PM at the Fredericton Playhouse
(Join us for an open dress rehearsal 2-5PM on Jan. 22)
- Jan. 26, 8PM & 27, 3PM at the Rachel Browne Theatre, presented by Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers

Happy Valley - Goose Bay

The company has just returned from Labrador after a whirlwind of activity. It all began on Nov. 20th when Jacinte Armstrong and I travelled to Happy Valley - Goose Bay to take part in the 37th Labrador Creative Arts Festival, Canada's longest running children's arts festival. We were there along with 11 other artists from across Canada - writers, actors, visual artists, musicians, a folklorist and even a make-up artist - to teach workshops to students from schools across Labrador, who travelled to Goose Bay to present original plays that they wrote, directed and performed. Over the week-long festival Jacinte and I taught workshops to hundreds of students from Grade one up to high school and we also travelled to Lake Melville School, in North West River, and Sheshatshui Innu School in Upper Lake Melville.

Our young dance group.

Some of the other artists also travelled by plane to coastal schools in more remote areas of the province. Jacinte and I stayed in town to work with a lovely group of local, young dancers  after school each day.

We set a piece of Jacinte's choreography, Chain Link Again, on the dancers and gave them extensive coaching (they should all know how to find their hip sockets now!). After a short rehearsal of our own and a quick dinner, we headed back to the theatre each night to attend the student's plays and watch 'cameo' appearances by the visiting artists.

Our billet, Jake Leyte

Jacinte and I at the Sheshatshui Innu School

The theme of the festival was 'transformation' and it was fascinating to see what the students came up with under this theme. Many of the plays centred around the changes that are happening in their communities, including the clash of old and new, and the impact technology is having on culture and tradition. All of the plays were unique and were very touching to watch. Afterwards the fun kept going into the night, as we were treated to parties each night in the homes of the committee members and friends of the festival. We had a fantastic time enjoying the wholehearted hospitality of the people of Goose Bay, who drove us around, fed us, entertained us, (lent us a treadmill) and made us feel completely welcomed. A big shout out to our billet Jake Leyte, looked after us so well and kept us laughing the whole time.

The festival has an amazing spirit of positivity and respect towards youth and art that is utterly inspiring. I was sad to see the festival come to an end, and say goodbye to the fellow artists, but for us it was not over yet.

The official festival button!

Fiona Anderson, Festival Co-ordinator and Tim Borlase, Festival Founder

Rhonda staying warm in style!

On Wednesday, Ruth, Rhonda and Marcel joined us to prepare for our show on Nov. 30th. After a quick remount rehearsal at the local gym, while Marcel transformed the Lawrence O'Brien Arts Centre stage, we got into the theatre and began getting ready for the show. This was a very special event for community of Happy Valley-Goose Bay as it was the first ever full-length professional dance performance in the community. On the program was Lisa Phinney Langley's duet, Beside Myself, Gasping, with video image by Rohan Fernando, the student dancers performing Jacinte's piece, Chain Link Again, and this season's signature work Canvas 5x5  by Tedd Robison, with guest piper Steve Gregory. The show was a great success, attended by over 120 people (apparently double the usual amount for a event like this), many of whom were students and people we had connected with through the festival. In the post show talk we enjoyed hearing from the audience, who were curious about the works and what it was like to perform. Many commented afterwards that they enjoyed the show, and that they wished there were more performances like this one.

Student photo exhibit in the lobby of the theatre.

Beautiful painted clay artwork created by students on display in the lobby of the theatre.

Being in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and taking part in the festival and the performance have been a very memorable experiences. A big thanks to Kathleen & John Hicks, Fiona Anderson, Tim Borlase and the Labrador Creative Arts Festival committee and volunteers for their incredible dedication and hard work, to the staff and volunteers of the Lawrence O'Brien Arts Centre, and a special thanks to Jake Leyte, Deb Gill, Tracy Leal & Robyn Spracklin Webber and family.

Next stop on the tour - Miramichi, New Brunswick in February!

- Susanne Chui

Our reverse interview with Byron from CBC.

Jacinte, Rhonda and Marcel hitting the town.

The hotel.

The Lawrence O'Brien Arts Centre

Goodbye Goose Bay!

2012/2013 Season Kick Off

Mocean kicked off the 2012 season and their Atlantic Canadian tour Sunday night in Wolfville, NS. The company performed Artistic Director Susanne Chui's work entitled, Threnodies as well as Canvas 5x5 by Tedd Robinson.

The remounting period and performance day were my first behind the scenes experiences with Mocean Dance. As a mentee in the Fresh Tracks Program run by Mocean, I had the pleasure of learning the remounted works and traveling with the company for the performance day. The experience in the studio really gave me a behind the scenes look at each of the works. I had seen both works performed early in the year, and had an idea of what I thought each were about. By being there for the remounting process I learned the background and influence behind the movement, which really made a difference when I was dancing the material myself. I also found a whole new experience and level of appreciation when watching both works after working in the studio, especially the ease the dancers showed when ‘handling the canvas' - it's harder than it looks!

On Sunday we found ourselves in Wolfville getting ready for the technical rehearsals. It was a jam packed day, but everyone was ready to make the day a big success. I had the opportunity to hop on stage and fill in during the tech for Canvas 5x5. Any time I have an opportunity to get on stage (even without an audience) I truly treasure it. The other dancers were happy and keen to have me assisting and were great about direction, spacing and canvas handling advice while I was filling in. 

A large audience filled the Festival Theatre in Wolfville that night, who rose to their feet after seeing the stunning Canvas 5x5. I had the luck of being offstage during Canvas to assist with handling of props and directing the bag piper. I believe I had the best seat in the house! Not only could I watch the on stage performance, but I was able to observe the dancers as the entered and exited the stage. Even when they were off stage you could feel their connection to each other. It was a truly unique experience. Post show the dancers were treated to a wine reception which gave audience goers a chance to chat with the dancers and express their delights about the show. Many popular comments focused on the wonderful musicians who accompanied the trio of dancers in Threnodies, and also the beautiful imagery and creativity in Canvas 5x5. 

Spending time with the Mocean dancers in the studio and on the road was a great learning experience and lots of fun, hopefully it won't be too long until I can do it all over again! One part that I really enjoyed was getting to know all the dancers. I have worked with them all before either as teachers or choreographers, but this experience gave me a chance to know them on a dancing level, as well as a more personal level, which I really enjoyed. All of these Mocean dancers have done so much in their careers already, it's awesome to be a part of a project with them and learn from their experience. 

Next stop on the tour: St. John's, Newfoundland to take part in the Festival of New Dance (October 12, 2012)!  

Bodies and Tones Fracture and Solidify

 We are in day 4 in  creation at the Charlotte Street Art Centre and the nuances and textures that Lesandra and the dancers are playing with make it feel like its day 467. 

I have been dropping in and out of the studio, (really maximizing the mobile Mocean office), but once crossing that studio threshold the depth of inquiry and giving is very noticeable and remarkable.

On Wednesday tones and bodies were working hard, and the themes of fracturing and solidifying were simultaneously at play. 

Day 4 studio Recap

Bodies -Details, subtleties, tone, layering and fracturing, performance vs. experiential

Dancers Darryl Tracy and Susanne Chui clarify and solidify behind the set pieces.

Tones- subtle, rich, a felt presence, space, supportive, echo, tonality, eerie, stillness, humanizing/humanity, spatial, influx...

Christine Fellows and Leanne Zacharias at work simultaneously receiving and giving.

Music Composition Central, Room 212 is the recording studio. I tried to sneak in but the heavy recording session prevented my reporter like snap habits.

Charlotte Street Creations

Mocean Dance is in the midst of creation with Fredericton-based choreographer Lesandra Dodson at the Charlotte Street Art Centre!

Hot and fiery summer air meets the studio.

This is our second working period for this new commission to create a new male-female duet by LD. Lesandra is working her magic and crafting a wonderous world with guest male-dancer Darryl Tracy (Toronto) and incoming Artistic Director Susanne Chui.

This is my first time in Freddy! A quiet charming town with beautiful American civil war inspired architecture (I am pretending to be a historian, but I am actually no expert). Working on the weekend and over this holiday Monday has made the town seem extra still and suspended in this hot summer air.

But this mysterious feeling is feeding into firefly reflexes of the dancers.

We are blessed with many delights, Lesandra and our composer Christine Fellows are currently artist-in-residence at the Charlotte Street Art Centre, so we get to use this wonderful space.

We get to start working with composers/musicians Christine Fellows and Leanne Zacharias. I personally can't wait to hear that woody cello sound, the found objects orchestra and rich vocals in the air!

The new duet will be part of the Dodson Trilogy project touring to Halifax, Fredericton and Winnipeg in January 2013!

The Fredericton Playhouse and Charlotte Street Art Centre will be co-hosting an open showing at the end of this week to share a taste of these delights.

More to follow and creative details in store! Stay tuned.

Sara