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Level on My Level

Posted: 05/16/11    Categories: Cultural Events, Dance, Dance Photography, Vancouver photo blog

I am always so thrilled to be in the company of such creators as Kevin, Yvonne and Robert. Choreographing this piece took nearly a year and three different cities and I was lucky enough to see it all come together. “Level on my Level” premiered with three other choreographies and was presented by Danceworks in Toronto this past April.

For full bios of the artists please read below.

All images ©Dean Buscher 2011.

KEVIN O’DAY – CHOREOGRAPHER

Kevin O’Day was born in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He received his early dance training at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. After one year, he joined the Joffrey II; the following year he became a member of the main company. In the winter of 1984, O’Day began his long association with choreographer Twyla Tharp. From 1988 to 1991, he was a soloist with American Ballet Theatre, where he performed in a variety of featured roles. In 1991 he joined William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet, and from 1992 until 1995 he was a member of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project. During that time he appeared frequently as a guest with the New York City Ballet. In 1994 Mikhail Baryshnikov invited O’Day to choreograph a new work for the White Oak Dance Project, marking his choreographic debut. In 1998, in collaboration with composer John King, O’Day formed his own company called O’Day Dances.

In 2002, he was appointed artistic director of Kevin O’Day-Ballett Mannheim at the Nationaltheater Mannheim in Germany. In October 2009, O’Day choreographed his 50th ballet, which was simultaneously his first full-length narrative ballet, Hamlet – based on William Shakespeare’s famous play. O’Day created Hamlet for the Stuttgart Ballet, and the work will also have it’s Canada premiere at the National Ballet of Canada’s 2011/12 season.

ROBERT GLUMBEK – PERFORMER/CHOREOGRAPHER

Robert Glumbek’s passion and sensitivity towards the dynamics of human relationships is what characterizes his emotionally charged choreography. In 1987, Robert Glumbek left Poland for Canada where he danced for 10 years with Desrosiers Dance Theatre in Toronto. Glumbek has been dancing with tiger princess dance projects since 2000 and serves as an Artistic Associate for the company. Glumbek’s recent works include commissions for Ryerson University, the Mannheim Ballet, princess productions and ProArteDanza. In the 8th International Solo-Dance Festival in Stuttgart, he was entered as a finalist for his solo, Subsistence. Glumbek is currently Associate Artistic Director of ProArteDanza. He and Campanella were finalists at the 17th Internationaler Wettbewerb für Choreographen in Hannover for their quartet, Nothing Twice. They again collaborated in the creation of Nine Sentiments, titled after, and inspired by, Michael Ondaatje’s poem. He is a three-time Dora nominee, a finalist in the Hanover Choreography Competition, was named Now Magazine’s Best Dancer Of The Year 2006 and was recently honoured with both the K.M. Hunter Artist Award and the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award. He currently teaches at the National Ballet of Canada, Dance Teq, Mannheim Ballet and Ryerson University. In the fall of 2011, Glumbek will create a new work for Ballet British Columbia.

YVONNE NG – PERFORMER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Yvonne Ng’s intensity, grace and mesmerizing presence have made her an unstoppable force on the Canadian and international dance scene. Ng was born and raised in Singapore and moved to Canada in the ‘80’s. An honours graduate of York University’s Dance Department in Toronto, Canada Ng is a dancer, producer, choreographer, arts educator and artistic director of her company, tiger princess dance projects. The company’s repertoire includes twenty-two works choreographed by Ng and thirteen works by some of Canada’s most renowned choreographers. Ng has created works for York University’s York Dance Ensemble, Toronto Dance Theatre and The Arts Fission Company (Singapore).

Ng was honoured with a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2000 and has been nominated eight times. Ng received the prestigious K.M. Hunter Dance Award (2002), the New Pioneers Arts Award (2003) and Chalmers Arts Fellowship (2002). In 2007, Ng was awarded the Premier’s Emerging Artist Arts Award along with Canadian dance legend Peggy Baker. Yvonne is also a certified Open Source Forms (Stephanie Skura) and Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Since 2006, she has been teaching in the Theatre Dept at Juniata College, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and is a performer in their professional company, The Gravity Project. In addition to choreography and performance, Ng is the Artistic Director of Series 8:08 (since 1994) and the curator and presenter of dance: made in canada/fait au canada, both of which produce the work of choreographers from across Canada. Ng has served on the boards of federal and provincial dance organizations.

4 Responses to “Level on My Level”

  1. Vicki

    Wow, these are truly beautiful photographs!!!! Multifaceted mysterious juiciness.

  2. Bettina Strauss

    AWESOME!!! Amazing images, Dean, well done!

  3. admin

    thanx Bettina more coming soon, stay tuned!

  4. admin

    juicy is good

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Updates on Vancouver film events, recent productions, upcoming exhibitions and other special features, by professional photographer Dean Buscher.

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