move: the company

MOVE: the company brings “Allemande” to Four North American Cities

January, 2011

MOVE: the company is excited to announce that it will be bringing its exciting new show to four North American cities starting March 2011. Entitlled, "Allemande", this eclectic program features the world premiere of a new work by Artistic Director, Josh Beamish and US premieres of works by Matjash Mrozewski, Simone Orlando and Lara Barclay. This grouping of creators have much in common with Beamish, Orlando, Mrozewski each having previously participated in sessions and fellowships facilitated by the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. While Beamish has twice presented work at Joyce SoHo, “Trap Door Party” in 2008 and “Mermaid Parade” at Performance Mix in 2010, the other three creators will all be making their formal NYC choreographic presentation debuts. Mrozewski, Barclay and Orlando are all graduates of Canada's National Ballet School, with Orlando and Mrozewski both having subsequently danced with the National Ballet of Canada. Barclay, on the other hand, turned to contemporary dance as a featured member of Toronto Dance Theatre for numerous seasons, a company by which coincidentally Beamish, Orlando, Mrozewski have all been recently commissioned.

The program is headlined by Beamish's world premiere of “Allemande”, a work for six dancers that exists as a physical deconstruction of a Bach Cello suite and the accompanying social dances of the Baroque era. "The motion… is chiefly characterized by the passion or mood of sweet expectation. For there is something heartfelt, something longing and also gratifying, in this melody: clearly music on which hopes are built.” - Johann Mattheson (1739). Beamish's work is known for its preservation of a technical esthetic juxtaposed against complex series of isolations performed at hyper-speed. We are pleased to present a video excerpt preview of the work below:

A thematic companion to “Allemande,” Mrozewski's new creation features an original soundscape by Toronto's Valerie Calam based on the notation of various Bach compositions. Inspired by his recent commission in Augsburg, Germany, Matjash will unite this re-imagination of a classic German score with an insight into the current climate of culture's integration into our everyday existence.

Orlando presents “Studies of Cash”, a meditation on confinement, both humorous and moving, set to classic songs by Johnny Cash and featuring a live karaoke version of Ring of Fire, while Barclay's short duet work “Caught”, traces the path of a couple, caught in their search for elsewhere.  Inspired by Anne Carson's book of Tangos, The Beauty of the Husband, the dancers weave in and out of each other's space as they discover moments of harmony and off-balance.

“Allemande” will provide audiences with an opportunity to see four of Canada's most sought after choreographers under one roof, as the dancers of MOVE: the company morph effortlessly from one voice to the next.

Show dates, cities and details are:

New York City, Joyce SoHo Theatre, March 17th-20th, www.joyce.org.

Kamloops, The Pavilion Theatre, March 29th, http://www.kamloopslive.com.

Osoyoos, Osoyoos Secondary School, April 2nd, http://www.ticketweb.ca (search "MOVE: the company")

Toronto, April 17th-19th, Winchester Street Theatre, call 416-204-1082 or email info@danceworks.ca.