In my 14 Days top six in our Feb. 25 print issue I promised video of this Vancouver dance troupe. I opted not to follow through on that. Instead, I’ve posted a great still photo to give you a sense of what EDAM is like.
Tonight and Friday night at the Jacqui Shumiatcher Room, Conexus Arts Centre at 8 p.m. the troupe will be performing two works choreographed by Peter Bingham. Bingham is a master at what is known as “contact improvisation”. That’s a form of dance that, to quote the press release, “emphasizes flow and the cooperative exchange of weight between partners.”
Our society doesn’t exactly have a huge comfort level with physical intimacy. Especially as Canadians, we like to keep our distance. Contact improv is certainly one way of disrupting that convention.
Bingham has headed EDAM since 1989. Here, his company will be performing Slip and Basement Suite in D Minor. The former is a duet in both dance and music forms, with a pianist and cellist (Linda Bardutz of Saskatoon) performing a composition by Bach. In Basement Suite, meanwhile, dancers improvise to the shifting moods and inherent mathematics of the music.
Also tonight, the Nash Memorial Lecture is on at Campion College at the University of Regina at 7:30 p.m. Speaking is Geoffrey Williams on The Incarnation and the Stories We Live By. There’s also a Coffehouse Controversy at Chapters at 7:30 p.m. Speaking is Nicholas Jones on Canada, a Safe Haven for Perpetrators of International Crimes? Musically, Zerben is at O’Hanlon’s Pub with Dagan Harding; Zachary Lucky, Andy Shauf and the Bravest Ghost are at the Club; and Redbeard’s Rolling Stone tribute is at McNally’s. Finally, there’s a performance by the renown vocal ensemble The Vancouver Chamber Choir with conductor Jon Washburn at Christ Lutheran Church (4825 Dewdney Ave) at 7:30 p.m. Tix are $20 at the door.
