Small Stage point 5 to Return to Emerald Gore Street, 7/4-5

By: Jun. 10, 2014
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The surprise hit of last fall - Small Stage point 5 - returns for a second installment on July 4 & 5, 2014 at 8pm & 10:30pm at The Emerald Gore Street's swanky, Rat Pack-inspired supper club & lounge. The bold series challenges local independent musicians and dance artists to step outside their comfort zones to create and perform interdisciplinary collaborations. The result is an intimate evening full of experiment, harmony, and surprise.

"Last fall we rolled the dice (which was maybe appropriate, given The Emerald's Vegas-theme). We knew we had an exciting concept, but we had no idea what the results of the collaborations would be - or if they would even work," said MovEnt Artistic Producer Julie-anne Saroyan. "That inaugural point 5 would turn out to be an amazing gamble. Not only did we sell out and add an extra evening, we suddenly found ourselves approached by a number of phenomenal artists who wanted to push themselves in this unique way. We can't wait to see what this installment will unveil."

For Small Stage point 5, MovEnt matches five renowned Vancouver dancers with five distinguished local musicians. The combined roster represents a vast range of styles and disciplines, including tap, hip hop, and burlesque dance and electronic, rock, folk, and R&B music. The artistically diverse duos will have four weeks to develop a shared work process and to create an inventive, integrated five to seven minute piece.

Musician and mover pairings, include:

  • Tariq Hussain, Juno nominated songwriter, Brasstronaut member, and point 5 co-curator, with Farley Johansson, an athletic, curious, and endlessly creative performer, choreographer, and Science Friction Co-artistic Director;
  • Andrea Lo, lead singer of Vancouver's hypnotic Dark-Pop group - The Belle Game, with Jennifer Bishop, a tap-dancer whose work has been seen on commercials, films, and stages including The Arts Club & Vancouver Playhouse;
  • Tonye Aganaba, a boundary-shattering, world-travelling musician with a unique, high-energy take on classic, soul-infused R&B, and Stewart Iguidez, an Urban Fusion dancer combining elements of hip-hop, breaking, house and popping;
  • Christopher Smith, local songwriter and leader of the four-piece Dralms (whose debut single, Crushed Pleats, was recently featured on Contiuum) collaborates with Karissa Barry, a sought-after artist whose has danced with Wen Wei Wang, Amber Funk Barton, Joe Ink, Vancouver Opera, and a vast range of others;
  • Loscil, a composer and creator using technology to build ambient, robust, and complex soundscapes, partners with Burgundy Brixx, Vancouver's internationally renowned queen of burlesque and producer of the wildly successful Kitty Nights Burlesque.

For the July performances, the event will move from the back room to the main lounge of The Emerald, a 172-seat restaurant, cabaret room, lounge, and bar local on Gore Street. Evoking the spirit of a sophisticated 1960's Vegas hot spot, this Rat Pack-style setting incorporates ornate crystal chandeliers and mid-century furnishings into the décor, designed to resemble a space and a time that was extinct in Vancouver.

In celebration of this series, MovEnt and The Emerald will offer dinner + show packages of Vegas-inspired cuisine, in addition to performance-only tickets.



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