Echoes from Our Audience

"Lamondance knocked Soul Searching out of the park on Friday night. Soul Searching is an innovative program incorporating choreographers who bring a wide range of experience in the dance world with the Training program at Lamondance to create an evening of exhilarating dance. From the haunting, poetic, balletic piece of Wen Wei Wang’s smoke infused Crave and the humour in Alysa Pires’s Tidal to the final offering of the evening, Davi Rodrigues’s title piece Soul Searching the dancers held the audience. One could hear a pin drop in the final solo dance sequence of 3 Frames of Worry such was the complete absorption of the audience in the movements on stage. Soul Searching is inspired by themes that have consumed the world since the pandemic. Indeed, we talk about pre-pandemic life as a time to look back on with disbelief that our inner selves have had to recalibrate to such a degree. Rodrigues has suggested these themes as a template for the guest choreographers to use as a starting point for their creations. The dancers performed each of the seven pieces in the program with an intensity and commitment to their movements that heightened their communication with the audience. Especially mesmerizing were the choreographed sequences where the movement of the group of dancers were synchronized. It was riveting to watch the dancers move through the complicated sequences of body twists in complete sync with each other. The lighting design of Brad Trenaman enhanced the mood and impact of each piece while the diverse range of music added another layer of enjoyment to the evening. What We Carry With Us, choreographed by Eowynn and Isak Enquist with its use of pillows and hypnotic movement, energetic Us Souls by Sydney Chuckas and Never Landing Moment a piece that explores the essence of living in constant paradox by Margarida Macieira complete the program."

"The Christmas spirit with all its magic was on display at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver with the production of A Winter’s Twist. Full of the magic that delights kids and adults alike, A Winter’s Twist encompasses the many enchanting expressions we love to take in during the holiday season. First premiered in 2021 at the Blue Shore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts, A Winter’s Twist is a great addition to the offerings of the holiday season. The Bard’s Romeo and Juliet is the inspiration for this tale of a young girl whose family does not celebrate Christmas. She is captivated by the warmth and glow of Christmas trees that she views through the windows of her neighbours. Romeo comes along and of course falls in love with her. Both sets of parents, as we know, are against this union and Romeo and Juliet find themselves rescued by The Twisted and taken to a land of white forests and menacing white howling wolves. The character, The Twisted, (Daryk Richards & Nali Richards) acts as a conduit for the story, interacting with the audience and the characters alike, sprinkling humour and direction as he watches and guides the proceedings. He has quite the colourful persona that adds a lightheartedness to the tale. In the second act The Twisted rescues Romeo and Juliet from the menacing wolves and takes them to a land of polar bears, snowballs, deadly flowers and a goddess of love. Unfortunately, the parents find their way to this land and in the ensuing fight Romeo falls dead. Juliet takes nectar from the deadly flowers and dies too. Fortunately, The Twisted comes along and with his magic powers brings the lovers back to life. The young ones in the audience breathed a palpable sigh of relief. All the performers in A Winter’s Twist danced and moved with skill throughout the choreographed routines. Whether dancing a pas de deux or in a group their movements were delivered with confidence and were well timed with the music. A very enjoyable evening was had by all."

"The Lamondance Company presented a riveting program on opening night with Black Feather. Artistic director, Davi Rodrigues explained the motivations for his writing saying it was inspired by the election in Brazil, his home country, in 2018. It got him thinking about our ability to give people power and when we do, how is that power used and how do we respond to the results. The black swan in the program symbolizes that power.

In Black Feather it is a dark power which is emphasized to dramatic effect by Brad Trenaman’s lighting design featuring shadows, filtered video projections and smoke infused light. The dancers are up to the challenge of imparting the emotions that come from the inevitable struggle with oppression that misuse of power brings. Their patterned body suits showed the tension in their movement and the control they wielded while moving within the blocks of choreography that Rodrigues designed. Many movements were gymnastic in nature, requiring exact timing while dancing in close proximity to each other.

It was hypnotic to watch the bird like movement of many sequences and the symmetry that the dancers achieved in their larger group patterns. The music which accompanied each segment perfectly accentuated the scene, the dancers seemed to meld into the rhythm of the music. Rodrigues has a knack for choosing the perfect accompaniment to each segment which enhances the overall effect of the program and inspires the dancers in their work. Black Feather is hypnotic, riveting dance/theatre.

The audience was also treated to a preview of Skin Within which is premiering on June 3rd and 4th at the Blue Shore Centre for the Performing Arts. Behind the Veil, an excerpt from this new program is choreographed by Davi Rodrigues with music by DJ Mayhem and Radical Face. This show features performers in the Lamondance training program. The opening set was very fast paced and utilized movement reflective of ice dancing and gymnastics. The humour component involving clothing and the smiles on the dancer’s faces were a delight. Something to look forward to in June.

Black Feather showcases the achievements in dance that Lamondance is bringing to the North Shore and beyond."

"Lamondance departed from the structure of previous productions with A Winter’s Twist. For example, Marbled in 2018 and Viva in 2019 offered separate dance pieces centered on a theme within the framework of an evening. With A Winter’s Twist, Rodriques has created a Christmas story that unfolds over the course of the two act production. Taking inspiration from traditional ballets, Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, Rodrigues has crafted a story that is filled with dance, gymnastics and theatre. He has filled A Winter’s Twist with the innocence of young love portrayed so believably by Elina Lucky and Benedict Quedenbaum, humour through the pantomime of the character The Twisted, performed brilliantly by Matt Bryce and the breathtaking gymnastic feats of the Goddess of Love, Brooklyn Wiseman. Polar bears, snowball creatures, deadly flowers and wolves add delight for children and adults alike in this Christmas production. There is clever innovation threaded throughout A Winter’s Twist starting with the tableau enacted by the dancers/actors pre-curtain which engaged the audience so effectively, the opening monologue of The Twisted, the winder that The Twisted used to raise the curtain, the clever use of minimal costuming to create a big visual impact and the white trees used so effectively by the white body suited tree roots creating tension during the wolves attack to name just a few. The music that accompanied each segment of the story worked to enhance the emotion of each scene extremely well. The whimsical, childlike innocence of Juliet as she performed a solo in front of Romeo’s Christmas window was enchanting. The powerful choreography of the Montagues vs Capulets dance paired dramatically with the throb of the music creating tension in the piece were standouts. The pas de deux by Juliet (Elina Lucky) and Romeo (Benedict Quedenbaum) were technically well executed while also delivering honest emotion. A Winter’s Twist is a welcome addition to Christmas entertainment. A pity it only has a two day run."

"Lamondance celebrates VIVA as Davi Rodrigues, artistic director, explained to the audience in his opening remarks. Viva, “to live” is the theme that runs through the pieces presented in the Company’s latest program. It is an ambitious program, filled with passion, energy, emotion and drive. To live, as Rodrigues explains is to experience the horror of 9/11 as Garden of Lights, the first offering on the program, highlights. To live is to experience the curiosity of a child that the playful piece, Why? explores. To live is to need the connectivity of interaction with others, as A Dominant Wavelength examines in bright red costume. Nostalgia, love, rejection and knowing yourself are all part of the life we live. The choreographers who contributed to VIVA were inspired by moments that resonated in their own life experience. The evening flowed seamlessly from one piece to the next as Rodrigues introduced each piece using the metaphor of a “door” through which one could understand the theme being presented. Lights were kept dim throughout the first and second act giving the impression of watching a play rather than attending a dance recital. The choreography is demanding and in many pieces the pace is fast. The Warm Up required precise timing and exacting limb movement to avoid collision! It was a “sitting on the edge of the seat” experience. The final piece of the evening entitled VIVA embodied the art of dance crossing the threshold into theatre. Using props and to the music of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Green Car Motel, Yma Sumac and Osvaldo Queiroz VIVA inspired by the Leonard Cohen quote, “There is a crack in everything, that is how the light gets in” ended the evening on a note of hope with colour and light filling the stage. A company to keep an eye on offering thought provoking dance."

"Lamondance presented an ambitious program on opening night with MARBLED. Innovative choreography, crisp and clean sets, lighting that was sometimes starkly lit or filtered with smoky overlays to enhance a message, MARBLED offered 7 pieces over the course of a 2 hour program that was thoroughly entertaining.

It is important to have the energy of creativity coursing through society. Each of the seven pieces in MARBLED focuses on a thought or feeling that is explored through the form of dance.

Ubuntu – I Am Because We Are choreographed by Davi Rodrigues explores the primal forces of good and evil. Set to the music of Jorane, Ryan Amon and Carlos Nunez e Jose Miguel Winisk two main dancers, one dressed in black the other in white, interact with dancers clothed in skin toned body suits suggesting the classic struggle of good and evil.

Mapping Memory choreographed by Lara Barclay in collaboration with the dancers explores the reflection on memory that surfaces in conscious thought. The interconnection between the dancers’ ebbs and flows within the choreography suggesting memory flitting in and out of our stream of conscious. “Have you ever been caught by a memory – stopped in your tracks by the need to sense that moment again?”

Get It Out choreographed by Heather Laura Gray in collaboration with the dancers explores passive/aggressive behaviour in clever fashion using the dancers’ clipped speech to enhance the message. Music, Maiz by Mir and the dark/smoky set added to the allure of Get It Out.

We, choreographed by Davi Rodrigues, began against the music of "It’s Magic" by Doris Day. The clever set, utilizing a door which the dancers used to great visual effect, explored the theme of love and feelings. “And whichever door you choose to open or close will be your own faith.”

The second part of the evening began with lelele. Inspired by Romanian folklore, it is a provocative dance that will be premiered as a full-length piece in 2019 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lamondance. Everything about this dance foreshadows a promising future for Lamondance.

Beakuz, choreographed by Heather Dotto with music by Drehz, Johann Johannsson and Marbled, choreographed by Davi Rodrigues with music by Bill Ryan and Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble and Samuel Barber completed the evening.

The program, Marbled, represents a very personal journey for the artistic director of Lamondance, Davi Rodrigues. There are some brilliant moments and the collaboration of those involved has been rewarded by the result of a cohesive wholeness to the overall impact of this offering. The choreography, lighting, staging and the costumes all show a desire to strive toward new boundaries in dance.

“A show that will Evoke (sic) all the senses taking the audience on an unforgettable journey.” This company has a promising future ahead."