Balancing Hats on for Mocean, Hats off to the D:MiC Festival!

We had our opening night performance at the Dance: Made in Canada Festival in Toronto and we were received with warm enthusiasm and delight.  It's exiting to be apart of such beautiful dancing on stage at the festival in the T dot!

We are thrilled to be sharing Canvas 5 x 5 with such a striking program curated by dance photographer Cylla von Tiedmann. Performing alongside us at the Betty Oliphant Theatre is an intimate duet by Louis Laberg-Cote and a fierce solo by Lucy Rupert of Blue Ceiling Dance.

Von Tiedmann's cutatorial selection and program notes read with strength and sophistication, seen in both the choreography and performance of all three works.

.... the sublime ability of dancers to tell a narrative through movement, projecting their ideas into the depth of their bodies as much as into emotional and ephemeral worlds. The body  becoming, the brush, the word, the instant of expression....  

- Von Tiedemann 

This time around settling in and warming to the stage has been a breeze and I am sure it has contributed to the stunning performance by our ladies of Mocean Dance.

Helping us transition back to the vast Betty Oliphant stage was supported by "Sarge," Mocean's TD Marcel Boulet who flew in with us to oversee and produce the quickest cue building around, the lovely festival stage manager Jeff Morris, the highly organized and bubbly festival producer Yvonne Ng, and of course all the amazing technical team and support staff.

Touring Canvas 5 x 5 regionally this year, the piece has expanded and contracting, and gone through the wringer of all possible parameters for performance. So now back on the big stage the dancers have felt the ceiling lift and have room to breath and play again, finding a welcomed similarity to our Halifax premiere at the Dunn!

The dancers have a few more steps and a bigger thrust in intent to traverse the broad width of the stage, but they can also feel the support of the space above as they balance their hats.

Our tech run and smooth transition to the vast Betty Olipant theatre

Sarge on site with his fancy new T dot tech boot purchase!

Unable to join us, Tedd has still managed to be with us via his "new choreographer" techniques, on call and receiving reports via texting. The photo below is my text to Tedd keeping him in the loop about the T dot booms and seeing the lighting results.

Comparative techniques in the tech: video below, live lx checking above! 

True to the Maritime mafia style we found a hometown local piper in Toronto to add to our Celtic force.

Piper Rob Noble joined us on stage in Toronto. Taking a quick break from his technician schedule, this Fredericton piper was pleased to pull out his pipes and feel his maritime roots again, a contrast to his normal T dot rhythm.

Bagpiper Rob Nobel goes through the "P Bragh" notes with Susanne

"I have chosen these three choreographers because of their skill, elegance and profound voice. There is simplicity and honesty here, combined with sophistication and intelligence. I sincerely hope you share the enthusiasm for this program."

- Von Tiedemann

We love Dance: Made in Canada!  

Thank you Yvonne for such a great festival! Warm, organized, and stunning programing in every series!

-Sara