Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Citadel + Compagnie proudly presents the world premiere of SKOW, January 30–February 2, 2019 at the Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. Choreographed by William Yong of Zata Omm Dance Projects, SKOW is a full-length solo created for Johanna Bergfelt, a Toronto-based dance artist and teacher. Inspired by the things in Bergfelt’s life that inspire a sense of wonder in her, SKOW is an imaginative, theatrical, and visually striking work that creatively explores her inward musings and transforms the familiar into something fresh and provocative. This visual soliloquy of personal experience invites the audience to shed their preconceptions and reflect on the beauty and bewilderment in their own lives.
“I have the deepest admiration for Yong’s work as a choreographer and Bergfelt’s skills as a performer,” says Citadel + Compagnie’s Artistic Director Laurence Lemieux. “With SKOW, these two exceptional Toronto talents have combined their skills to create a solo that is inquisitive and emotionally resonant — a perfect addition to the 2018/2019 Bright Nights series. I have been following the work’s development with great interest for some time, as its original premiere was postponed when Bergfelt started a family. It is a joy to witness the culmination of this creative process and I’m delighted to present it on the Citadel stage.”
“It has been a dream, being able to work on SKOW again,” adds Bergfelt. “The piece offers so many challenges for me as a performer and is extremely close to my heart.”
The title is an acronym derived from the phrase ‘some kinds of wonder,’ and is intentionally enigmatic to engender the first spark of curiosity in the audience. In SKOW, Yong explores the concept of wonder in more than one sense of the word. From the soul-stirring awe induced by masterful works of art, to the feelings of uncertainty aroused in a questioning mind, wonder is a fundamental part of the human experience. It disrupts expectations and uncovers novel understandings of familiar circumstances. Yong will take advantage of the Citadel’s intimate setting by inviting the audience to accompany Bergfelt on an emotional journey that merges the profound with the ridiculous and the quotidian with the sublime.
Yong first received dance and theatre training at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He studied further at the London Contemporary Dance School in the UK, and the University of Kent in Canterbury where he graduated with a master’s degree in dance. His career spans more than 24 years, during which he has performed in 75 cities in 15 countries. Since his first presentation of choreography in 1993, Yong has created more than 78 works around the world. He is Artistic Director of Zata Omm, a contemporary dance company based in Toronto with an objective to create multidisciplinary works using technology and other art forms on stage to provide alternative views of the world and foster a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Bergfelt was born in Sweden and trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. She has performed extensively in her home country, dancing with companies including Östgötabaletten, Norrdans, and Barents Dance Ensemble, before moving to Canada in 2000. Bergfelt has worked with numerous Canadian choreographers and companies, including Toronto Dance Theatre and ProArteDanza. Bergfelt is a highly sought-after teacher and a three-time Dora Mavor Moore-nominated dancer.
Tickets to SKOW are available online at: citadelcie.com/tickets
Citadel + Compagnie presents
SKOW
Dates
January 30–February 2, 2019, 8pm
Ticket Prices:
$20 – $25
Venue:
The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance
304 Parliament Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2Z6
Tickets and Info:
citadelcie.com or 416-364-8011;1
Photo: Johanna Bergfelt in SKOW. ©2018 William Yong.
2018-12-20
Toronto: Citadel + Compagnie presents the world premiere of "SKOW" January 30-February 2, 2019