DanceWorks Presents AGAIN

DanceWorks presents Again, Human Body Expression's new 30-minute film work, choreographed by Hanna Kiel, and featuring nine extraordinary Canadian dancers. Again will premiere online February 26-28, 2021, as part of DanceWorks' new Moving Online Series, presenting short video stories, interviews, and works choreographed for the digital stage. Opening night is February 26, 2021 at 7pm EST. The screening link for Again will be live from 7-10pm only, during the run.

Again focuses on nine characters with disparate lives and painful pasts as they embark on a journey towards forgiveness and the unconditional love of a child. Featured is an intergenerational cast of dancers: Susie Burpee, Kendra Epik, Bonnie Kim, Ryan Lee, Pulga Muchochoma, Kelly Shaw, Darryl C. Tracy, Oriah Wiersma, and 11-year-old dancer Eva Teece-soter.

Again was originally scheduled to premiere at the Fleck Dance Theatre in the DanceWorks 20 / 21 Mainstage Series. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, DanceWorks is presenting the work, reimagined for film. A live, onstage performance is planned for a future season.

Intergenerational work is relevant and important today. With our current situation, we need to work to strengthen our artistic communities by connecting generations and disciplines. Communities can often be isolated and insular. Works like "Again" help to broaden and expand artistic understanding. Each generation of artists holds a wealth of knowledge and having the possibility to exchange this knowledge is invaluable. Hanna Kiel, Choreographer of Again

Dora Mavor Moore Award winner and Human Body Expression Artistic Director and Founder, Hanna Kiel (choreographer) is from Seoul, South Korea, and moved to Vancouver in 1996. She has presented her work at 12 Minutes Max, PlanB Singles and solos Festival, Dancing on the Edge Festival and Pulse at the Scotiabank Dance Centre in Vancouver. In 2007, she collaborated with Yoko Ono as a dancer and choreographer at the Centre A. Since moving to Toronto in 2008, Hanna has continued choreographing for: Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, Conteur Dance Academy, George Brown Dance, Ryerson Dances, School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Kenny Pearl's Emerging Artist Intensive, IGNITE, ProArteDanza, Ballet Jörgen, Alias Dance Project, The National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, Toronto Dance Theatre and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in Calgary. In 2019 she became the first Choreographer in Residence for Canada's Ballet Jörgen.

Again features an original score by Pouya Hamidi (music arrangements, piano, recording, editing, and mixing), and Frances Miller (lyrics and guitar) , who is also a singer in the work. Film editor is multidisciplinary performance artist Drew Berry, and dramaturgy is by playwright, actor and director Suzanne Monique Bennett.