Cirque du Soleil is unfurling their iconic big blue and yellow tent at Concord Pacific Place as it brings Amaluna to Vancouver at the end of November.
Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Their queen, Prospera, directs her daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honours femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance which marks the passing of these insights and values from one generation to the next.
In the wake of a storm caused by Prospera, a group of young men lands on the island, triggering an epic, emotional story of love between Prospera’s daughter and a brave young suitor. But theirs is a love that will be put to the test. The couple must face numerous demanding trials and overcome daunting setbacks before they can achieve mutual trust, faith and harmony.
Director of Creation Fernand Rainville explains that “Amaluna is a tribute to the work and voice of women,” with a 70% female cast and 100% female band, which is a first for Cirque du Soleil.
Amaluna is also premiering in Canada before taking the tour to the United States. It will run in Vancouver from Friday, November 23, 2012 until December 30, 2012. Tickets are currently available starting at $43.50 (adults) and $33.00 (children 2-12).
You can even support a great cause if you attend on December 7th. Cirque du Soleil has partnered locally with Covenant House and will be donating partial proceeds from Category 1 ($150) tickets sold for that date. A portion of the ticket price from this Covenant House/Cirque du Soleil partnership will be eligible for a tax receipt.
This Friday the Vancouver Art Gallery will host its very popular FUSE event that transforms galleries into performance spaces in a late night, adults-only environment three times annually.
This month’s theme is inspired by artist Ian Wallace’s work titled My Heroes in the Streets and will channel the language of the street through movement, music and performance throughout the galleries.
FUSE will run from 8:00pm until 1:00am on November 9th at the Vancouver Art Gallery with the following artists:
- Contemporary dance artist Justine Chambers performs work inspired by everyday actions. Chambers was a principal dancer with Desrosiers Dance Theatre and a member of Diavolo Dance Theatre in Los Angeles.
- Performance collective COaT (Centre of a Tangle) will explore work and ideas of heroism in special performances on the second and fourth floors.
- Indie rock band In Medias Res will bring an atmospheric vibe to the 4th floor rooftop pavilion.
- Dance duo MACHiNOiSY will bring innovative movement to the Rotunda.
Admission is just $17.50 for adults and free for Vancouver Art Gallery members. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.
The way people talk about FUSE it almost seems like a right of passage as an adult in Vancouver. I’m excited to go to my first with John this week, especially to see In Medias Res who we’ve been meaning to see perform for years now. If you would like to attend on Friday, here’s how you can enter to win a pair of tickets:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries tomorrow (Wednesday, November 7, 2012) at 5:00pm. Must be 19+ to enter to win and attend.
Update The winner is Chelsea!
Vancouver Celebrates Diwali, celebrating one of the most important holidays on the South Asian calendar, has returned for its ninth year with workshops, performances, and festivities from November 3rd to 10th. The theme of this year’s festival is “Illumination” along with the slogan “Light Your Spirit” as it brings friends and families together to learn the true meaning and spirit of Diwali.
Workshops
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: Sunset Community Centre
(6810 Main St)
Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Time: 4:30pm to 6:30pm
Where: West End Community Centre
(870 Denman St)
Diwali Downtown
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2012
Time: 3:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
(181 Roundhouse Mews)
Take SkyTrain to Roundhouse Station on the Canada Line. Admission is by donation (suggested $5).
Main stage performers at Diwali Downtown include Chania Chokries, Merlyn Prakash, PANJ Girls Bhangra, Sangeeta Maruti Arts, Amika Kushwaha & Cassius Khan, Lapis, Kathak & Flamenco Combo, DJ A-SLAM + Kytami, Vancity Bhangra, Shiamak’s Bollywood Dance Team, and a big outdoor finale with Sticks N’ Skins.
There will be a dance workshop at 5:30, and food available from Vij’s Railway Express, Flavors of Fiji, and Spice It Up. Craft vendors include Peggie Amer, Amrit Fashions, Jhilmil Fashions, Alicia’s World Gifts, and Diwali Greeting Cards along with diya painting, henna and a room-sized rangoli built by the audience.
Follow Vancouver Celebrates Diwali on Facebook and Twitter for more event information.
We’re part of the 5 million Canadians that have been crossing the border each year to take an outbound flight to a US destination. Shaving $200 off of our airline fee, we recently flew out of SEATAC airport when we headed down to Los Angeles for the Whitecaps playoff match. For the return, we decided to stay overnight in Seattle before heading back to Vancouver, breaking up our final day of travel. Cedarbrook Lodge was recommended to us and we were invited to enjoy a tasting menu at their Copperleaf Restaurant.
These images courtesy Jeff Caven for Cedarbrook Lodge
Cedarbrook is located about 5 minutes away from the bustling Seattle Tacoma Airport, between the 99 and the I-5. A few roads in from the major thoroughfares, airport hotels and discount breakfast joints, it sits on 18 acres of reclaimed wetlands near Bow Lake. It looks as through a lodge from Tofino or Whistler was planted in the middle of an urban oasis with its wooden beams, local artwork, and courtyard garden ponds. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
A Good Book Drive is running this month to help stock The Writers’ Exchange library in East Vancouver with kids books. The campaign was started by Cory Ashworth (from The Peak) and his friend Lizzy Karp (Co-Founder of Rain City Chronicles) who were inspired to help after hearing about The Writers’ Exchange program at a Rain City Chronicles event.
The Writers’ Exchange makes literacy exciting and accessible for inner-city kids through free mentoring and creative writing projects. The vision of the Writers’ Exchange is that every child will have the literacy skills necessary to access a world where anything is possible. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, all of the Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families they serve. The Writers’ Exchange is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives, a nationally registered charity.
The only program of it’s kind in Vancouver, The Writers’ Exchange currently serves 250 children aged 5 to 18, with the support of 150 trained volunteer mentors, and will be opening a new facility in January of 2013 that will increase the number of inner-city children served to more than 500. The new, dedicated space will house after-school tutoring for all ages and subjects, an expanded writing-workshop schedule and family literacy programs. And books are the heart of all Writers’ Exchange programs.
Throughout the month of November you can stop by one of the following locations to donate a new kids book (for ages 5 to 18) in a Good Book Box:
Nelson the Seagull (315 Carrall Street); Collage Collage (621 Kingsway); Dilly Dally (1161 Commercial Drive); Union Wood Company (503 Railway Street); Walrus (3408 Cambie).
You will receive a bookplate for your book as well so that you can personalize your donation and share a bit about what the book means to you.
When I was young my brother, sister and I were lucky enough to have story-time every night with my parents. My dad was best at telling stories from memory and my mom was always more animated, putting on different voices for characters in the books we read. One of our favourite bedtime books was simply a collection of short stories and we would get to pick one, two, or three pieces to read each night depending on the length.
I combined the love I had for choosing my own adventure each night with a few of the first books I ever picked out on my own, by Roald Dahl (like Danny, Champion of the World, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and more). I’m donating The Roald Dahl Treasury which is a collection of excerpts from his books that will hopefully lead to more reading and exploration of his imaginative work.
Follow A Good Book Drive on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find out more about the campaign.
