MoOnhORsE Dance Theatre Celebrates 15th Anniversary Season with OLDER & RECKLESS #34: ALL DUETS This Weekend

In celebration of its 15th anniversary season, MOonhORsE Dance Theatre presents its second event of the season, Older & Reckless #34: ALL DUETS. This critically acclaimed series, curated by Artistic Director Claudia Moore, features three poignant duets choreographed by renowned choreographers and performed by six of Canada's most praised contemporary dancers. Peggy Baker and Larry Hahn with choreography by Doug Varone, Allen Kaeja and Karen Kaeja (choreographer), and Jane Mappin (choreographer) with Daniel Firth take the stage this weekend, March 13-15, alongside an engaging ensemble work for non-dancers, orchestrated by Claudia Moore.

Choreographed by Doug Varone, Peggy Baker and Larry Hahn perform Home (1988), an evocative dance theatre piece depicting a couple who have been together for a long time and are entrenched in behaviours that derail their attempts at tenderness and intimacy.

In Desperate Song 2 (2014), dance artists Allen Kaeja and Karen Kaeja (choreographer) revisit the original work, Desperate Song - commissioned by resident composer Edgardo Moreno for Karen Kaeja in 2000. This work is inspired by Pablo Neruda's Twenty Love Poems, and a Song of Despair. The piece describes the dissolving images of the body's memory tracing a lingering touch.

Lewis et Lucie is a choreography dealing with schizophrenia and homelessness. Performed and choreographed by Montreal-based artists, Jane Mappin in collaboration with Daniel Firth, the work is a poetic evocation of marginality, solitude and the crushing burdens of the past. Lewis, a homeless person, sits alone on a park bench looking for moments of social connection.

Jane Mappin says: "I had first created a solo for an actor friend of mine in 1986. The piece was called "Lewis". My friend approached me a few years ago, 25 years later, to ask if we could rework the piece. I was delighted and enthusiastic. A couple of months later, he committed suicide. He had struggled with depression for many years. "Lewis et Lucie" was created in his memory...and for all the people who struggle with mental illness."

Finally, Claudia Moore presents a special community piece performed by a group of non-pros, showcasing enthusiastic movers from all walks of life who surprised themselves with dancing discoveries last fall, and are now working towards performance.

Audience engagement is also an essential part of Older & Reckless. Audiences are invited to participate in a pre-show warm-up where they have the opportunity to explore their own movement and physical connection to dance. After each performance, audiences are invited to stay for a post-show reception and a chance to talk one-on-one with the artists.

DETAILS:

Older & Reckless #34: ALL DUETS

Curated by Claudia Moore

Featuring works by Doug Varone, Karen Kaeja and Jane Mappin

Performances by Peggy Baker and Larry Hahn, Allen Kaeja and Karen Kaeja, Jane Mappin and Daniel Firth

March 13 - 15, 2015

Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm

Each performance is followed by a post-show reception.

Dancemakers Centre for Creation in the Distillery Historic District, 9 Trinity Street, Studio 313

Tickets $25/$22 CADA, students and seniors

For tickets to ALL DUETS, call 1-800-838-3006 or visit moonhorsedance.com/older_and_reckless_season_2014_2015.html.

For more information, visit www.moonhorsedance.com, or follow on Facebook: MOonhORsE Dance Theatre and Twitter: moonhorsedance.

PROGRAMMING:

Home (1988)

Performers: Peggy Baker and Larry Hahn

Choreographer: Doug Varone

Original Score: Dick Connette

Desperate Song 2 (2014)

Performers: Allen Kaeja and Karen Kaeja

Choreographer: Karen Kaeja

Composer: Edgardo Moreno

Lewis et Lucie

Performers: Jane Mappin and Daniel Firth (both from Montreal)

Choreographer: Jane Mappin in collaboration with Daniel Firth

Composer: Erich Kory

Untitled (Dance for All)

Co-creation: Claudia Moore and participants

Performers: 13 non-professional dancers

ABOUT MOONHORSE DANCE THEATRE - Established in 1996, MOonhORsE Dance Theatre embodies the poetry of the moon and the wild physicality of the horse. A forum for the deepening artistry of award-winning dance artist Claudia Moore, MOonhORsE creates unique bodies of dance-theatre, weaving the whimsy, drama, and ecstasy of life, into commissioned choreographies by some of Canada's most acclaimed choreographers including Susie Burpee, Christopher House, James Kudelka, and Tedd Robinson. Claudia delivers their creations solo or with other renowned performers, with a depth of expression rarely seen.

The company encompasses a range of artistic endeavours, including commissioning works from Canada's finest choreographers, professional development for emerging and established dance artists, and the presentation of Older & Reckless - a performance series that focuses on the work of senior and intergenerational dance artists. For more information visit www.moonhorsedance.com