James Kudelka's MALCOLM Premieres with CLC, Now thru 2/23

James Kudelka, Resident Choreographer at Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, creates a work exclusively for the puppet Malcolm in this personal full-length "duet" with himself as performer. Malcolm premieres at the intimate Mimi Herrndorf Studio Theatre at The Citadel from today, February 19-23.

Malcolm is presented to the live performance and original composition by British Columbian-born pianist Dustin Peters whose works for solo instruments, string quartets, instrumental ensembles and orchestras have been performed in Canada and abroad; and whose film scores have been heard at the Toronto, Sao Paolo and Berlin International Film Festivals. Working mainly in tonal settings, Peters strives for direct and emotionally resonant musical communication and enjoys collaborations with artists from other mediums.

James Kudelka has been working with the puppet Malcolm since 2009, when Malcolm took a role in Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie's Living Dances program in a short work by Kudelka set to an aria from Bach's St. Matthew Passion. This performance inspired Kudelka to include Malcolm in another short appearance in AllOneWord.

James Kudelka is widely acknowledged as one of North America's most innovative choreographers. His mastery of both classical ballet and modern/contemporary dance has earned him commissions from companies as stylistically diverse as American Ballet Theatre, Chicago's Hubbard Street Dance and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal. Kudelka's work covers an impressive range, from virtuoso pas de deux, through large-scale and always arresting adaptations of such classics as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Cinderella, to boldly innovative creative collaborations with dancers, designers and musicians. After nine distinguished years as artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada (1996-2005), James Kudelka continues to undertake collaborative projects that engage and challenge him as a choreographer. In 2008, Kudelka became CLC's Resident Choreographer.

Collaborator Bill Coleman has performed with the Dublin City Ballet, Wiesbaden Ballet, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Co., Toronto Dance Theatre, The Martha Graham Dance Company, and Jean-Pierre Perreault as well as co-founding Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie with Laurence Lemieux. His choreographic works include Heartland, a solo that inspired filmmaker Laura Taler to create a documentary on Coleman's work and life; Welcome Back, Buffalo Bill, a three-act wild west show created with Vietnam veteran and powwow dancer Boye Ladd; and Convoy PQ. 17, a war requiem performed with symphony orchestra and chorus. The majority of his recent work has taken place in non-theatrical settings, such as Grasslands: Where Heaven Meets Earth in Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan; Feel The Earth Move: The Gros Morne Project in The Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, and From Pointe Shoes To Powwow: The Manitoba Project, a collaboration with Long Plain First Nation in Winnipeg. His Hymn To The Universe, a collaboration with the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, launched the Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park in 2012.

Costumes for Malcolm are provided by Hoax Couture, whose Jim Searle and Chris Tyrell have created clothing for the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, as well as the Toronto, Cannes and Sundance film festivals.

Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, founded in 2000 by Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux, creates both intimate, small-scale performances and spectacular stage shows featuring some of Canada's greatest dancers, as well as now-legendary site-specific events in both urban and rural settings.
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie presents the world premiere of Malcolm Choreographer & Performer: James Kudelka Created in collaboration with: Bill Coleman Original composition & Pianist: Dustin Peters Lighting Design & Scenography by: Simon Rossiter Costume Design by: HOAX Couture Puppet Design by: Nell Coleman Feb 19-23, 2014 at 8pm The Citadel, 304 Parliament Street, Toronto Tickets: $20 - available through the Box Office at 416-364-8011 or online at colemanlemieux.com.

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