For dancer/choreographer Shannon Litzenberger, the question ‘What is home?’ is a deeply personal one that traces its roots back to the moment she packed her bags, boarded the TransCanada Via train for Toronto and never looked back. Once you leave and change, you can never go back.
From September 20-23, Shannon Litzenberger Contemporary Dance will present the world premiere of HOMEbody …lessons in prairie living -an intimate portrait of her childhood prairie home. Having grown up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, and later moving to ‘The Big Smoke’ as they call it out west, Litzenberger perhaps unknowingly joined a kind of urban migration. Over the past 20-30 years, Canada’s population has shifted dramatically toward cities. Today, more than 80% of Canadians live in cities.
“My generation has led the mass exodus from rural life over the past two decades”, says Litzenberger. “On the prairies, and in other parts of rural Canada, whole houses have been left behind, now decaying monuments that commemorate our pioneering roots.”
At 17, Litzenberger left the home her family built and occupied for nearly a century. Indeed, we have become a much more mobile population and more than ever before, so few of us remain rooted to our place of birth throughout our lifetime. We move between and within continents, countries and communities, often leaving behind homes, jobs, family, friends and little pieces of our heart. “I don’t think I was ever meant to stay on the farm, but in many ways I’ve never really left. Parts of home came with me. I’m a rye drinker and a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, I make perogies from scratch at Thanksgiving, and I feel most relaxed under a big open sky.”
HOMEbody is Litzenberger’s first major choreographic work – a multi-disciplinary tour-de-force that combines dance, film and storytelling; and draws on social research and real-life stories about home. HOMEbody features an award winning creative team with direction by Marie-Josée Chartier, lighting design by Kimberly Purtell, set design by Lindsay-Anne Black and sound by Miquelon Rodriguez. With filmmaker Mike Rollo and stories and text by Lindsay Zier-Vogel, HOMEbody pays tribute to identity, belonging and place… and the importance of where we come from.
“…tall, proud, tender and defiant.” -Michael Crabb, National Post
HOMEbody …lessons in prairie living is a Danceworks Coworks Series event thatpremieres September 20-23 2012, at the Winchester Street Theatre, Toronto. Tickets are available by calling 416 204-1082 or www.danceworks.ca.
$25 adults / $20 student/CADA
HOMEbody World Premiere
Winchester Street Theatre. 80 Winchester Street,Toronto
Thursday, September 20th, 8:00pm
Friday, September 21st, 8:00pm
Saturday, September 22nd, 8:00pm
Sunday, September 23rd, 2:00pm
Media Inquiries: Sue Edworthy info@sueedworthy.ca
