DANCES FOR A SMALL STAGE 31 Set for Ukrainian Centre, Now thru 10/25

Vancouver's favourite rule-breaker turns 31 with a dramatic new spin for the beloved Small Stage; MovEnt with Music on Main presents Dances for a Small Stage 31, running today, October 23 - 25, 2014 at the Ukrainian Centre on E. 10th at Main St as part of the 2014 Modulus Festival. This daringly different arrangement will synergize live dance and music, headlined by Canadian treasures - and sweethearts - composer John Oswald and choreographer Holly Small, in their first-ever joint performance on the west coast stage.

"In a departure from our usual concept of five to seven-minute dance works, MovEnt has joined with musical counterpart, Music on Main for an evening integrating live music as well as dance," says MovEnt Artistic Producer Julie-anne Saroyan. "This type of interwoven collaboration has experienced an unfortunate deterioration over the years, resulting from a hyper-reliance on pre-recorded sounds. I can't think of two stronger leaders for this crucial renaissance than the grandparents of music and dance collaborations, John and Holly. These two inspired minds were mentors to me at York University, and have been a major influence on my philosophy towards movement and music."

Oswald, who will be presenting a selection of his original compositions, will be joined by Small in an unprecedented opportunity to see these celebrated partners perform side-by-side. Sharing the signature Small Stage are dance artists Makaila Wallace (in a work choreographed by Karissa Barry), Vanessa Goodman, Stewart Iguidez, in addition to visiting Toronto dancers Sean Ling and Jessica Runge.

Also on-loan from Toronto is the multi award-winning Cecilia String Quartet - internationally renowned for their innovative programming and expressive interplay. These dynamic young female musicians will be performing two works - a Tchaikovsky score, String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Opus 11, and preLieu, a masterful composition by Oswald created in 1991 for the renowned Kronos Quartet.

Oswald, 2004 Governor General Award-winner, composer, saxophonist, dancer, and all-around artist has a profound reputation for risky arrangements. He has worked with such notable names as The Grateful Dead, for who he produced the monumental 1994 album Greyfolded. Recently, this work was remastered and reworked by Oswald for a superior new 20th-anniversary three-LP edition, released August 2014.

This three-show performance, curated by Saroyan, will feature the ever-endearing Billy Marchenski as emcee and maestro for the evening.

The run will mark the wildly popular series' third engagement in its home at the Ukrainian Centre in Mount Pleasant, complete with perogie, sausage, and cabbage roll fare. Advance tickets are available for $20 at small-stage-31.eventbrite.ca.

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