Anisa Tejpar, Kelly Shaw, Brendan Wyatt and Tyler Gledhill dance in ... in between ... .
… in between …
- ProArteDanza
- At Fleck Dance Theatre
- In Toronto on Wednesday
Artists have to keep challenging themselves to keep their creative juices flowing. In accordance with that dictum, co-choreographers Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbek have made a big leap forward with … in between …, their new work.
They are the artistic director and artistic associate, respectively, of the upstart contemporary ballet company ProArteDanza. Since its founding in 2004, PAD has developed a growing national reputation and a passionate following among dance fans.
What makes … in between … of special note is that it is the choreographic tag team's first full-length work. Until now, the company has mounted a mixed repertoire of short pieces.
In the program notes, the two acknowledge a single evening work is a calculated artistic risk, but they both wanted to explore the possibilities of creation without time constraints. For their theme, they chose, in their words, a concept that embraced destabilization, reinvention and resilience. In other words, an environment where change is constant.
Because the two men believe that the human spirit ultimately triumphs over adversity, … in between … is an upbeat work. The basic structure is a series of encounters between the eight dancers dominated by duets and larger ensembles. There are some reflective solos, but never for very long, because other people inevitably invade the space.
As always, PAD has sensational dancers, and the pastiche music score fits like a glove. The movement is embedded with their trademark high-energy, blow-out physicality. The creators also include a lot of variety in the various vignettes and quite a few touches of humour. We see male bonding and female sisterhood, romantic pairs and couples in crisis, lemming followers and individual breakouts.
For a first full-length dance piece, … in between … is an impressive effort.
… in between … runs until Saturday.