A few months ago I got an email from Toronto director Diana Kolpak. I’d heard of Diana’s amazing 2004 clown show, The Gorgonetrevich Corps de Ballet Nationale in “Bethany’s Gate”, though I was unable to see it as I was performing at the time. Diana invited me to collaborate on a show she was working on with actor David Tomlinson, creating video imagery and projections; the connection came through their lighting designer Sharon DiGenova, who I worked with on Bastard Fugue. The script hooked me instantly: it was sexy, contemporary, and brilliantly written.

The last two weeks have been a blur of preparation, as we worked to turn the DeLeon White Gallery (1139 College St. at Dufferin — not on Queen West anymore, despite what Google will tell you!) into a fabulous performance space, with a specially curated exhibition of art from residents and special guests complementing the show. David blogged the process at No Rest for the Wingéd.

The show is a set of three linked monologues based on characters from different mythologies, tracing an arc from falling to taking flight again: Icarus, Lucifer, and Phoenix. We run every night from now ’til next Sunday, May 8th, except for Monday May 3rd. You can get tickets at the door ($20 / $18 students or Equity) or online at Brown Paper Tickets. Tix for next weekend are going fast so come early next week for best availability. It’s hilarious, inspired, and stunningly performed. Come and check it out!

Bastard Fugue features Naoya Ebe of the National Ballet of Canada, and live camerawork by yours truly. It premiered at Fresh Blood, a group show of work by young choreographers hosted by The Chimera Project, on October 29th at the Enwave Theatre in Toronto. The piece is set to a Bach fugue for organ, arranged instead for mixed percussion, and uses live projection to explore fugue structure with a single dancer. Special thanks to Naishi (Kamen) Wang for his valuable participation in the creation process. More credits and special thanks after the jump.

Many people helped midwife this piece. Ryan Fontaine, Robert Stephen, Jeff Morris, and Jenna Savella donated critical eyes, helping hands, and their unfailing pluck and enthusiasm. Adam Pasquella and Emma & Randy Niedzwiecki got me to the church on time; John Coups and Brian Aitken generously shared their technical expertise; Sharon DiGenova was exactly the sort of psychic stage manager the piece needed; and Janelle Rainville and Barb de Kat were their fabulous, supportive selves. I have to especially thank Malgorzata Nowacka for hosting the show and believing in the work. Thanks also to Trinity Square Video, Théâtre français de toronto, Canada’s National Ballet School, and the National Ballet of Canada.

Bastard Fugue fuses live performance and projection to explore fugal composition with a single dancer. The Bach fugue, originally composed for organ, is stripped of melody and becomes a propulsive rhythmic fundament for a powerful performance. Some preliminary special thanks:

• Naishi (Kamen) Wang of Toronto Dance Theatre for his valuable participation in the creation process;
• The National Ballet School and the National Ballet of Canada for donating rehearsal space;
• Malgorzata Nowacka for the opportunity to show this work;
• Jeff Morris and Robert Stephen for participating in the technical workshop which spawned some of the ideas explored in this work.

Entry for the Dance Films Association “What Moves You” 48-Hour Challenge. Link changed to higher-quality version uploaded Sunday morning; the original is here.

Cast: Robert Stephen and Cristina Tucciarone. Special thanks to Pat and Cathie Dwyer, Aryon Elmers, Barbara Lane, Simon MacIntyre, Bev Peat, Jenn Stephen, John and Jane Stephen, Teri Worthington, and all our other donors.

Epitaph for Paul Harvey is a solo for dancer set to a heavily edited speech by Paul Harvey (the American syndicated radio host) and a video projection. The speech was tagged and edited using a custom text engine programmed in Processing. The solo is a component of a planned larger work, Variations on a Theme by Adam Smith.

The piece was shown as a work-in-progress at the Drake Hotel Underground in January 2009 with Luke Garwood performing.