Art of Time Ensemble to Present INTERMEZZI

Canada's dance elite collaborate with Art of Time Ensemble to present work by Peggy Baker, and the world premiere of choreography by James Kudelka TORONTO, ON - Art of Time Ensemble presents an evening of music and dance in Intermezzi, April 9 to 11 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre (231 Queen's Quay W). Canadian choreographers Peggy Baker and James Kudelka, will each interpret a collection of Johannes Brahms' Intermezzi for solo piano with intriguingly different results. Supported by Art of Time Ensemble's artistic director Andrew Burashko on piano, the evening will be a blend of music and dance in the Ensemble's signature style.

Making its world premiere, Kudelka's #lovesexbrahms will feature members of Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie in a performance that evokes intimate conversations between lovers. Performed in period costumes designed by Hoax Couture, #lovesexbrahms revolves around Sarkis, an enigmatic puppet that attracts, manipulates and repels the dancers in a series of duets and trios. Among the dancers are Bill Coleman, Laurence Lemieux and Evelyn Hart. A former principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Hart is returning to the stage after a nine-year hiatus.

In addition, and contrast, to #lovesexbrahms is Her Heart by Baker. A solo piece that dramatizes the friendship between Brahms and pianist Clara Schumann, Her Heart will be danced by Jessica Runge. One of Baker's earliest solo works, Her Heart was born out of a collaboration with Burashko that lasted decades.

"I think that more than anything else, it was my collaboration with Peggy that inspired me to start Art of Time," said Burashko. "My work with her exposed me to so many new things. It took classical music from the concert hall to the theatre and showed me the possibilities of lighting and staging. Even more than that, it allowed me to learn how powerfully music translates to the audience when combined with other art forms."

Intermezzi will be on stage for three nights only at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre (formerly the Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W). Tickets from $25 to $59 are available online at artoftimeensemble.com, by phone at 416.973.4000 or in-person at the Harbourfront Centre box office.