DanceHouse and Digidance Present Body and Soul
byDanceHouse, in partnership with Digidance, presents the exclusive Canadian film premiere of Body and Soul, from internationally-lauded choreographer Crystal Pite and performed by Paris Opera Ballet – streaming online this month.
Digidance: Body and Soul
When: February 17–23, 2021 (Link Available for 7 Days)
Where: Streaming in Canada Only
Tickets: From $15 online
Filmed live during the November 2019 world premiere performance at Palais Garnier, Paris, the work marks Pite’s second full-length creation for the eminent French company – following 2016’s acclaimed The Seasons’ Canon.
Canadians will be the first international audience since its premiere to experience the work, due to the coordinated effort of Digidance, a new initiative formed in response to COVID-19 between four of Canada’s leading dance presenters: DanceHouse (Vancouver), Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), and Danse Danse (Montreal).
Body and Soul is a work in three distinct parts for 36 dancers that immediately captivates with its force and virtuosity. The work articulates Pite’s ongoing fascination with conflict, connectedness, and the embodiment of the human spirit.
The Paris Opera Ballet’s mastery as an ensemble is evident in Pite’s complex choreographic swarms; individual dancers are virtuosic in breathtaking solos and duets. The dancers evoke scenes of epic protest, profound personal struggle, and collective survival. Body and Soul is a portrait of the human condition that is timeless, vast and heartbreakingly intimate.
The full-length film (85 minutes) was produced by the Paris Opera Ballet, directed by Tommy Pascal, and is presented with English and French subtitles. Before the streamed performance, there will be a 15-minute pre-recorded interview with Pite and the Kidd Pivot creative team, all of whom contributed artistically to the creation of Body and Soul: Owen Belton (Composer), Eric Beauchesne (Assistant to the Choreographer), Nancy Bryant (Costume Designer), Jay Gower Taylor (Set Designer), Jermaine Spivey (Assistant to the Choreographer), and Tom Visser (Lighting Designer). The interview was produced in Vancouver by Collide Entertainment and Kidd Pivot.
In addition to the online screening of Body and Soul, on February 26th the online edition will continue the format established this past fall, featuring interviews with four past DanceHouse artists giving video presentations on inspiration and plans for the future; answering questions around creative practice; and engaging with online audiences directly via live chat.
