Peggy Baker Dance Projects Presents Map By Years

Peggy Baker Dance Projects is pleased to announce Map by Years, a four-work program featuring the world premiere of a new movement and text work for Peggy Baker created with the incomparable Sarah Chase, titled unmoored. It is joined on the program by the return of three landmark Baker solos, Her Heart, Krishna's Mouth and Portal. Map by Years runs at The Theatre Centre from February 21-25, 2018.

Map by Years offers live performances by an accomplished company of outstanding female, Canadian dancers. Joining Baker are Natasha Bakht, Mairi Greig, Kate Holden, Andrea Nann and Jessica Runge. Baker has a long tradition of staging work that brings together live musicians and dancers. In keeping with this, acclaimed instrumentalists Anne Bourne (cello) and Peter Longworth (piano) are set to perform live on stage in this program.

With Maps by Years, Baker offers reflections as both an artist and private person, exploring themes of love, insight, revelation and mortality. The three solos were created over the 20 year span of Baker's solo career and offer a transcription of her experiences as an artist, which exist in tandem with her memories of her late husband. The program as a whole offers audiences an intimate view of one of Canada's most pivotal contemporary dance artists.

Unmoored is offered as a companion piece to 2004's Baker-Chase collaboration, The Disappearance of Right and Left. "Unmoored picks up where Disappearance left off," notes Baker, "The two pieces are bookends of a dancer's life." In this new work, Chase has worked with Baker to continue exploring the arc of her relationship with her husband, Ahmed Hassan, up to his death in 2011. Baker's solo career largely coincided with her time as her husband's primary caregiver and as such has always been inextricably connected to her work.

The three solo pieces returning to stage were originally created and performed by Baker for and about herself. WithMap by Years, audiences are offered a chance to discover the brilliance of the five extraordinary dancers performing Baker's solos as well as an opportunity to see the journey of maturation through the artistry of performing.

Map by Years
The Theatre Centre (Franco Boni Theatre)
choreography: Peggy Baker, Sarah Chase
dancers: Peggy Baker, Natasha Bakht, Mairi Greig, Kate Holden, Andrea Nann, Jessica Runge
cellist: Anne Bourne
pianist: Peter Longworth
sound design: Debashis Sinha
lighting design: Marc Parent
Costumes: Caroline O'Brien and Robyn Macdonald

Map by Years, features live performances by an accomplished company of outstanding artists. The world premiere of unmoored, choreographed by the incomparable Sarah Chase and performed by Peggy Baker, is joined on the program by three landmark Baker solos: Her Heart - danced by Jessica Runge; Krishna's Mouth - danced alternately by Andrea Nann (Feb 21, 23, 24) and Natasha Bakht (Feb 22, 24 at 3pm, 25 at 3pm); Portal - danced alternately by Kate Holden (Feb 21, 23, 24) and Mairi Greig (Feb 22, 24 at 3pm, 25 at 3pm).

The program includes:
unmoored - a new work created for Peggy by Sarah Chase; a companion piece to 2004's The Disappearance of Right and Left
Alongside the reconstruction of three of Peggy's landmark solos:
Her Heart (1993) for dancer Jessica Runge with pianist Peter Longworth
Krishna's Mouth (2003) double cast for Natasha Bakht and Andrea Nann with cellist Anne Bourne
Portal (2008) double cast for Kate Holden and Mairi Greig, who dance in silence. Winner of the 2008/09 Dora Mavor Moore awards for Outstanding Performance and New Choreography

February 21 - 25, 2018
at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen Street West)
Wed - Sat at 8pm | Sat and Sun at 3pm
$22 - $30 | PWYC Sat Feb 24 at 3pm
For more information or tickets, visit peggybakerdance.com
Tickets available at theatrecentre.org
Early Bird promo-code: EARLY20 for $20 tickets if used by Jan 31!
There will be an ASL interpreted pre-show chat and performance on February 22 at 8:00 pm and February 24 at 3:00 pm. All performances are equipped with a select number of Tactile Audio Display (TAD) chairs for Deaf or hard-of-hearing patrons.

The foyer will feature a costume exhibition of one-of-a-kind pieces designed for Baker's solo repertoire.

About Peggy Baker Dance Projects
Peggy Baker Dance Projects creates transformative dance experiences that have toured across Canada and around the world. One of Canada's most acclaimed dance artists, Peggy Baker leads her company in the creation of new works and dance installations, and offers unique opportunities for participation in dance and dance education for people of all ages and abilities. Winner of a Governor General's Award, the Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Walter Carsen Prize and many other accolades, Peggy's artistry and stagecraft have been the driving force behind her signature dance works since her company began in 1990.

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