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MOonhORsE Dance Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of Escape Artist, an evening of four stunning solos performed by Artistic Director Claudia Moore that she commissioned from acclaimed choreographers Paul-André Fortier, Susanna Hood, Christopher House and GADFLY (Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Portillo) in celebration of her 60th birthday. Escape Artist running October 25-November 2 with 8pm performances on Fri Oct 25, Sat Oct 26, Thurs Oct 31, Fri Nov 1 and Sat Nov 2; and a matinee on Sun Oct 27 at 2pm at Dancemakers Centre for Creation.
Sparked by the connection between Moore and each of her esteemed choreographers in the studio, the solos have no pre-determined theme or restrictions, but are a result of the distinctive relationships she has with each of these celebrated artists.
Moore says, "I've discovered a surprising journey through these solos. They were created without theme, and without any idea of how they would come together. And now here they are! I feel each of the solos has strong ties to female archetypes: the crone, the wise woman, a woman who possesses certain powers. These solos are a gift to me in my 60th year. A gift to ask questions about life, about mortality. The magic of theatre continues to astound! Each of these new solos by my amazing creators takes me on a wild ride."
With the passion and commitment of a lifelong dancer, Moore revels in the challenges these challenging solos present to her at this stage of her career as she looks to courageously expose both the dark and light of her life experiences.
The artists Moore selected to work with are truly outstanding in every sense.
Montreal's Paul-André Fortier has been appointed to the Order of Canada, named Chevalier in France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and been awarded the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Toronto/Montreal-based Susanna Hood has received the K.M. Hunter Emerging Artist Award in Dance, a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance and the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.
Christopher House has been Artistic Director of Toronto Dance Theatre for nearly two decades, and has received the Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts' Silver Ticket Award for Lifetime Achievement.
GADFLY has taken the Ontario arts community by storm. Their recent production of Klorofyl was awarded a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance and has toured across Ontario. Their unique ability to fuse modern sensibilities with urban dance forms led to their being named Breakout Performance of 2011 (forKlorofyl) by Paula Citron in the Globe and Mail.Claudia Moore herself was nominated this year for a Dora Award for 'Outstanding Performance - Ensemble' as part of Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie's From the House of Mirth.Claudia Moore has been creating and performing movement for theatre, film, multi-disciplinary collaboration and her own dance theatre productions since the late 1970s. As Artistic Director of Moonhorse Dance Theatre, she curates the company's Older and Reckless series featuring dance artists over 45, as well as emerging dancers in Old & Young and Reckless Together. One of Canada's most celebrated contemporary dancers, Claudia has been performing since the early 1970's with the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Dance Theatre and the Desrosiers Dance Theatre before establishing her own company. In 2009, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts presented her and Dan Wild in an evening of new work choreographed by James Kudelka and Tedd Robinson called Dances in a Small Room. Moore recently appeared in Kudelka's acclaimed From the House of Mirth presented by Coleman Lemieux (for which she was nominated as part of the ensemble for a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance-Ensemble), and in June 2013 launched Cloud 9 along with Sylvie Bouchard and Karen Kaeja.
