For more than a decade, Ottawa-based dance company collective (gulp) dance projects has been performing a wide range of innovative works.
From the very clever TALK SHOW, which explored the world of celebrity culture, to errors in logic when faced with uncertainty, a piece that looked at probability theory, randomness and our faith in predictions, the local troupe has been pushing the boundaries of what is dance.
Formed in 2002 by Alexis Andrew and Elizabeth MacKinnon, the group is now preparing to showcase two new works on January 24 and 25 at the Ottawa Theatre School (294 Picton Ave.).
Andrew will be presenting The Remembered Past, a collaboration with classically trained local violist Laura Nerenberg and Vancouver-based choreographer Julie Lebel, that explores how sound and movement overlap.
“We started by asking questions like: How do we interact with a space,” says Andrew, when asked how she prepared for her upcoming show. “What is the condition of the floor? What are the dimensions of the room? Is it a big room and what are the acoustics like?”
The group then looked at how music and movement feed off each other.
“If I take a step what is your musical response; what is the physical response to the music,” continues Andrew.
Photo of Elizabeth MacKinnon By Tanis Saucier
The result of these reflections is a dance piece that combines improvisational music and movement, while working within certain parameters. (Think of a jazz musician whose solos are completely free, but who is also working within the rough markers of a composition).
MacKinnon, meanwhile, will be presenting Projection, a piece that reflects on the loneliness of communication technology, and how new modes of expression are changing how humans behave. This piece continues Mackinnon’s body of work that is inspired by technology.
Given the group’s complex themes – e.g. sound; the public’s fascination with celebrities; technology – one could be forgiven for asking if the subject matter of the company’s work sometimes overshadows the physical movement of the dancers.
“We often say a joke, ‘Is this piece going to have any dance in it,” says Andrew in response. “But at the same time, it’s interesting what happens when you encompass ideas.”
As a case in point, she points to the company’s previous piece errors in logic, in which the audience participated by flipping coins. The dancers would react depending on whether the result was heads or tails.
The physicality of the performance – e.g. whether to jump or not – did not disappear because of the audience’s involvement, or the show’s abstract theme of randomness. Rather, the movements remained an integral part of the show, even if they were structured in a different way.
This thoughtful integration of abstract ideas with physical movements is a sign of the intriguing dance-related work taking place in the nation’s capital.
“Ottawa is in a really exciting moment at the local level. There is a lot of interesting work at the multidisciplinary level,” says Andrew. “[There are] many artists choosing to stay here, or work here part-time if they are elsewhere.”
The collective (gulp) dance projects perform January 24 and 25 at the Ottawa Theatre School (294 Picton Ave.) at 8 pm. General tickets are $15, or $10 for students and seniors. Reservations can be made by emailing collectivegulp@gmail.com.
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