Françoise Sullivan (with Marion Landry),
Les Saisons Sullivan, 2007, photograph.
Collection of the Université de Quebéc à Montréal (UQAM)
Starting on Thursday, Jan. 28, local dance company New Dance Horizons begins a two-month residency at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. The previous two times NDH and MAG joined forces space was set aside in the hardwood-floored Kenderdine Gallery, and a variety of workshops and performances were held.
This year marks NDH’s 30th anniversary, and if you visit its website you’ll find a run-down on all the events that are planned during the residency.
One theme that will be explored is the relationship between visual art and dance. Concurrent with the residency the MacKenzie is hosting an exhibition of dance-themed photographs, drawings and text by Quebec artist/choreographer Francoise Sullivan (sample image above).
Les Saisons Sullivan opens on Thursday Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. with a performance of three of Sullivan’s dance works by Ginette Boutin: Dédale (1947), Black and Tan (1947-48) and Je parle (1993). The evening will also feature a conversation between Sullivan and Louise Déry who is the director/curator of the Galerie de l’UQAM in Montréal. Also in attendance will be Allana Lindgren, who authored a 2003 book called From Automatism to Modern Dance: Francoise Sullivan with Franziska Boas in New York. Admission is free.
Following that, there’s the dance work Misfit Blues. It’s co-presented with Le Conseil culturel fransaskois and Dance Saskatchewan, and involves a performance by choreographer Paul-André Fortier and Robin Poitras that explores the inherent comedy in human relationships. It will be held at the MacKenzie Gallery on Jan. 29-30 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets for that are $30 adult, $20 students & seniors, $10 13 and under.
As outlined on NDH’s website, many more events are planned after that. The residency will run until April 10.
