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DanceWorks presents RUBBERBANDance Group in Gravity of Center as part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps Choreographed by Victor Quijada
DanceWorks, Toronto's longest-running contemporary dance series, proudly presents Montreal's acclaimed RUBBERBANDance Group (RBDG) in Gravity of Center as part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps, running November 16-17, 2012 at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre.
RBDG Artistic Director Victor Quijada creates a groundbreaking movement aesthetic with his singular choreographic language inspired by b-boying, ballet and contemporary dance; RBDG has a unique, contemporary style that blends the spontaneity and exuberance of hip hop culture with the refinement of classical dance.
For Gravity of Center, Quijada's ninth RBDG piece, he explores the dichotomy between abundance and scarcity and how groups and individuals react in dire situations. This primal and sensorial work investigates the herd vs. pack mentality and the inner conflict between social assimilation and the need for individualism. Inspired by social issues and driven by the idea that art can propel the spectator into action, Gravity of Center is movement that yet again blurs the boundary between urban, contemporary and classical dance.
Gravity of Center is performed by five powerhouse dancers: Elon Höglund, Emmanuelle Lê Phan, Daniel Mayo, Anne Plamondon and Victor Quijada. With his illusionistic lighting, Yan Lee Chan created an otherworldly universe inspired by the work of Dalí. The sound is supplied by Jasper Gahunia, aka DJ Lil' Jaz, whose compositions have long been a sonic ornament to the aesthetic that has made RBDG's reputation.
When Gravity of Center premiered in 2011, Stéphane Brody of La Presse said "never has a group of dancers rendered so gracefully […] the unique vocabulary of Victor Quijada, a fluid mix of breakdance, ballet and contemporary dance" and The Philadelphia Inquirer's Merilyn Jackson wrote that "RUBBERBANDance pares break-dance phrases down to their core and spins lovely strands that seamlessly link them."
Previously, Paula Citron in The Globe and Mail has noted that "RUBBERBANDance Group… created such a demand for tickets that extra seats had to be added. RUBBERBANDance is irresistible."
About Victor Quijada
Victor Quijada has been deeply influenced by hip hop culture since childhood. A graduate of L.A. County High School for the Arts; protégé of Postmodern pioneer Rudy Perez; performer with the Twyla Tharp project; member of Eliot Feld's Ballet Tech (NYC); and demi-soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal: these experiences have affected and re-shaped Victor's long-standing relationship with hip hop. In 2002, after years of exploring dance and theatre from urban, classical, and contemporary angles, he formed RUBBERBANDance Group. He has received the Princess Grace Award, the Peter Darrell Choreography Award (UK), the Bonnie Bird North American Award (UK), Choreography Media Honors, the OQAJ/RIDEAU Prize and an American Choreography Award nomination. From 2007 to 2011, Victor Quijada was Resident Artist at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts de Montréal.
DanceWorks presents RUBBERBANDance Group in Gravity of Center as part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps
Choreographer: Victor Quijada
Music: Jasper Gahunia
Lighting Design and Technical Director: Yan Lee Chan
Costume Director: Julie Charland
Sound Director: Éric Tremblay
Dancers: Elon Höglund, Emmanuelle Lê Phan, Daniel Mayo, Anne Plamondon and Victor Quijada
Friday, November 16 to Saturday, November 17, 2012, 8PM
Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West
Tickets: $19.50-$34, including applicable taxes & services charges
Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416-973-4000 OR online at danceworks.ca
DanceWorks presents RBDG in Gravity of Center, Nov. 16-17 at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre.
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