On the Ice of Labrador
Montreal Danse
October 15 & 16, 2009

On the ice of Labrador is a mystery of relationship between seven dancers. This molecule of seven contains unexpected common elements: aviators, trombone players, mortality on railroad tracks, bodies washed in Hotel Dieu, blood sugar cycles of a young diabetic, a woman from England standing in a hut of rotten potatoes in Interior British Colombia, the journey of Alzheimer’s.... Identity and memory are built up, only to collapse into something more essential, something unnamable that spins at the centre of each of our souls.

Slip

Slip is a piece that reflects Peter Bingham’s long history and commitment to both the dance technique known as Contact Improvisation and the music of J.S. Bach.

This work focuses on the duet form; the Piano and Cello form the musical duet that lives alongside the dancing. Just as Bach gives each instrument equal power of expression, each of the dancers supports and flies in an egalitarian physical exchange. In both the dance and in the music, there are circular and repetitive themes. The dance builds on the flow of weight and momentum. Strength is inserted at critical moments to create suspension and lightness. The bodies work precariously in balance with each other in a constant interchange, mirroring Bach’s extraordinary ability to seamlessly weave to and from lightness and sadness.

Basement Suite in D Minor

In Basement Suite, the physical interplay between the music and me is fundamental. I play at, with and through the music. It is the ground I walk on, or, in this case, the floor on which I dance. I develop each section through improvising with the shifting emotions and mathematics inherent in the music. I originally danced this piece in Calgary a couple of years ago. During the time of creation I was rebuilding the basement suite in my house. This consistently influenced the way I was dancing. The ceiling of the basement is only 6’ 2. This put a lid on everything physical and opened my mind to this very low sky that I will be dancing for you.

Cockpit
Wen Wei Dance
April 27 & 28, 2010

In close quarters, four men play games that threaten to spiral into violence or desire. Inextricably bound together, they are alternately seduced, entranced and thwarted by an elusive female figure, who moves easily between dreams and physical reality. Incorporating anthropomorphic elements, and an insular heated sexuality, that alternates between open combat and tender intimacy, Cock-Pit is infused with all the volatility and pressure of youth trapped in a closed-off world. As secret yearnings and open plays for dominance threaten to erupt, the possibility of escape, like a distant woman moves into an unknown future.