April 29, 2005 -

OTTAWA -- The National Arts Centre’s Dutch Dance Focus -- taking place at the National Arts Centre from May 10 to 28, 2005 -- throws a welcome spotlight on the enormous inventiveness and creativity evident throughout the dance scene in The Netherlands. Onno Stokvis of the Theater Instituut Nederland tells us that “Dutch dance owes its acclaim partly to world-class choreographers such as Hans van Manen and Jirí Kylián. And a younger generation is developing innovative contemporary repertoire that is enthusiastically received at home and abroad. These artists blend influences from the ‘new dance’ of the 1960s with elements from pop culture, modern ballet, and experiments in dance and New Media.” The NAC Dutch Dance Focus includes a photographic and video exhibition, dance master classes, as well as seven performances of three separate dance events, showcasing the work of seven Netherlands-based choreographers from different generations.

Dutch Dance Focus is part of the commemoration and celebration the 60th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands, in which the Canadian Armed Forces played such an essential role. These events run the gamut from solemn celebrations with venerable veterans to the latest Dutch programmes in contemporary dance and music. As His Excellency J.G. van Hellenberg Hubar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, stated “We hope to honour the past by also highlighting contemporary accomplishments in the arts which have been made possible by that historic liberation in 1945.”

DANCE PERFORMANCES

Emio Greco | PC
Italian-born choreographer Emio Greco and Dutch theatre director Pieter C. Scholten combine forces to flay the body’s defences and reveal its most intimate sensations in Rimasto Orfano (Abandoned Orphan) -- a provocative vision of duality, synchronicity, time and place, set against the prospect of abandonment. The choreography is classical one moment, tribal and gutsy the next, with unseen forces propelling each step. In its edition of April 11, 2005, the Chicago Sun-Times stated “Greco's dance is nothing short of mesmerizing. Emio Greco … moves unlike anyone I've ever seen (in fact, he makes you wonder if this was the kind of impact Nijinsky once had). And from the moment he appears on stage he compels you to watch him by virtue of the utter originality, emotional ferocity, dynamic thrust and sheer difficulty of his work.”

Tuesday May 10, 2005 ~ NAC Theatre, 20:30 ~ Tickets from $15.50

POST-PERFORMANCE CHAT (in the Theatre): Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten provide an enlightening and entertaining chat about their vision, methods, and recent work.

This production is funded in part by the Netherlands Culture Fund, Consulate General of The Netherlands in New York, Theater Instituut Nederland, and the National Dance Project (NDP) of the New England Foundation for the Arts. Lead funding for NDP is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Ford Foundation.

Het Nationale Ballet, featuring the NAC Orchestra
Known worldwide for unique repertoire and outstanding artistic and technical achievement, Het Nationale Ballet is part of the Canril Corporation Ballet Series. On their first Canadian tour, the company presents an evening of gorgeous mixed repertoire highlighting brilliant choreographers. These richly textured works combine obsessive passion and desire (Carmen, choreographed by Ted Brandsen, Artistic Director), distilled melancholy and deceptive simplicity (Four Schumann Pieces by Hans van Manen), and a contemporary take on the music of Bach and the paintings of Vermeer (In Light and Shadow by Krzysztof Pastor).  Duet, a new pas de deux by former Artistic Director Wayne Eagling featuring Ottawa native Nathalie Caris, marks her retirement from the company after 24 years.

In view of the special relationship maintained between Canada and The Netherlands since the war, Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of The Netherlands will be the patroness of the Canadian tour of Het Nationale Ballet. Princess Margriet and her husband Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven will attend the Opening Night performance as part of their official visit to Ottawa.

May 12-14, 2005 ~ Southam Hall, 20:00 ~ Tickets from $36.50

André Gingras + Dylan Newcomb
This daring double bill spotlights two choreographers based in the Netherlands who are both hugely popular in Europe. CYP₁₇ by Canadian-born André Gingras is the freakshow of the future, a dance and video installation that asks what our lives will be like in a world full of gene manipulation, super athletes, and alien pregnancies. Breath, a solo created and performed by Dylan Newcomb, is a search for balance and perspective, a journey of discovery towards the beauty of the here and now.

May 19-21, 2005 ~ NAC Studio, 20:00 ~ Tickets from $12.25

This production is funded in part by the Netherlands Culture Fund, Consulate General of The Netherlands in New York, Theater Instituut Nederland, and the National Dance Project (NDP) of the New England Foundation for the Arts. Lead funding for NDP is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Ford Foundation.

Tickets for dance performances are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC's web-site at www.nac-cna.ca. Last-minute tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students are $9.50 at the Live Rush Centre in the NAC Foyer after 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid 'Live Rush' card. Groups of 20 or more save up to 20% off regular priced tickets; for reservations, call (613) 947-7000 x384 or toll free 1-866-850-2787, x384 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO EXHIBIT

Hans van Manen “Dance has Many Faces” An accomplished dancer and choreographer, Hans van Manen of Het Nationale Ballet is also a talented photographer. This exhibition, which includes fifteen photographs of Dutch dancers and choreographers, is courtesy of the International Office of the Theater Instituut Nederland, the first point of entry for foreign theatre professionals who want to know more about Theatre and Dance in The Netherlands.

May 12-28, 2005 ~ NAC Southam Hall lobby, free (exhibition is closed on May 15 and May 22)

MASTER CLASSES are open to intermediate/advanced pre-professional students and adults ~ $10 per class

Classical Ballet Technique
Jahn Magnus Johanson, first soloist with Het Nationale Ballet
Saturday May 14, 2005 ~ 13:30 to 15:30 ~ NAC Rehearsal Hall B

Contemporary Technique
Dylan Newcomb
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 ~ 10:00 to 12:00 ~ NAC Rehearsal Hall B

Post Modern Technique
André Gingras
Friday May 20, 2005 ~ 10:00 to 12:00 ~ Le Groupe Dance Lab, Studio B, 2 Daly Avenue

OTHER EVENTS IN OTTAWA

Canadian Tulip Festival
May 5-23, 2005
Tulip Hotline: 1 800 66-TULIP or (613) 567-4447  Website www.tulipfestival.ca

TULIPS 2005 ~ 60TH ANNIVERSARY FRIENDSHIP TOUR
May 1 – September 30, 2005

This 60-city trans-Canada concert tour features improvisational jazz ensemble Luluk Purwanto & the Helsdingen Trio, performing on the ‘Stage Bus’, a unique vehicle which unfolds into a fully equipped stage.  Website www.luluk.com.

Photos for all dance events can be viewed and downloaded at: www.nac-cna.ca/media/

Information:
Gerald Morris
Marketing and Media Relations,
NAC Dance Department
(613) 947-7000, ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca