Thursday, October 18 to Saturday, October 20, 2012, 8PM
Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre (231 Queens Quay West)
As part of Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps
Creators and Performers: Susie Burpee and Linnea Swan
DanceWorks, Toronto’s longest-running contemporary dance series, presents Susie Burpee and Linnea Swan, two physically fierce creators/contemporary dancers, in the world premiere of Road Trip as part of Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps, running October 18-20, 2012 at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre.
At the beginning of Road Trip, we see Burpee and Swan caught in the spotlight like deer in the headlights. Has something awful happened? The roller coaster movement of this face-off takes the audience on an unforgettable road trip.
But, this is not your average road trip. There are no cars, no drive-thrus, and there are certainly no rest areas. This trip is a journey into the minds of two women at a crossroads. Tracing the history of their lifelong friendship, as steadfast as it is volatile, we follow these women as they struggle to come to grips with the inevitable choice we all face at some point in our lives. Will they continue down the same path, or jump off into the unknown?
Drawing on a shared impressive artistic history to create Road Trip, longtime colleagues Burpee and Swan subtlely weave contemporary dance, theatre and Bouffon in this tragicomic duet. These fearless dance artists embody both the darkness and levity of the human spirit – a hallmark of their unique performance work.
“The charismatic Swan and Burpee are formidable interpreters … each can dominate the space even when standing still.” – The Globe and Mail (Paula Citron, on DanceWorks presentation of Manga)
About Susie Burpee
Contemporary choreographer Susie Burpee creates “fully human characters struggling for connection” (Toronto Star). The recipient of Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Choreography and Performance and The K.M. Hunter Artist Award, she has carved a unique performance career in her own works and as a dancer for Canadian luminaries Dancemakers, Le Groupe Dance Lab, Serge Bennathan, Lesandra Dodson, Claudia Moore and Tedd Robinson. Recent credits include the 2012 Dora-nominated Stockholm (Seventh Stage Theatre) and a commission for contemporary dance collective Cloud 9. Her multi-faceted career includes choreographic commissions for artists across the country, character and Bouffon study and a professional teaching practice. http://www.susieburpee.com
About Linnea Swan
Linnea Swan has had the pleasure of working with many of Canada’s esteemed dance/theatre companies and artists including Dancemakers, Ruth Cansfield Dance, Human Cargo, TRIP dance company, Volcano Theatre, WCD, Serge Bennethan, Rachel Browne, Lesandra Dodson, Susanna Hood, Claudia Moore, Tedd Robinson and Gerry Trentham. She is featured in the Bravo!FACT videos Slip, Sahara Sahara and La Revue, and is a member of the interdisciplinary Exchange Rate Collective. Also an emerging filmmaker, Swan has worked alongside a number of choreographers to create promotional videos and films that accompany live performance.
Burpee and Swan have presented their work across Canada, notably, at the 2010 Canada Dance Festival and the 2011 Festival Transameriques. This is the world premiere of the full-evening production of Road Trip.
Artistic Advisor: Marie-Josée Chartier
Lighting Design: Rebecca Picherack
Stage Manager: Gabriel Cropley
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Tickets: $19.50-$34, including applicable taxes & services charges
Harbourfront Centre Box Office: 416-973-4000 OR online at danceworks.ca
