U>Waltz
2015
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
Burnaby, BC
This work is a study in contrasts between utopia and dystopia.
Terezakis says “In this work I continue a creative path in the use of the story of the Odyssey as a metaphor for discovery and adventure – more specifically the search for Utopia (U as in Ulysses or Utopia).”
Utopia is often symbolized by light as an unachievable ideal. The insatiable desire to reach Utopia can bring out the best and the worst in people as we are easily misled or manipulated in our quest – forced to struggle with innate desires, often creating Dystopia as a result. A persistent irony in this notion is that humans have pursued it not only through acts of goodness, but also through human suffering such as violence, suicide and aggression.
The concept of Utopia has provided humanity with hope, a soothing balm to a battered and brutalized ego. The darker side, the dystopic side of this quest is what prompts Paras’ exploration. In our world today, many artificial versions of the perfect world abound as shown by our attempts to display luxurious excess as bliss.
Collaborators
Choreography, Concept & Direction:
Paras Terezakis
Interpreters:
Arash Khakpour, Elissa Hanson, Hyoseung Ye, Ralph Escamilla, Renée Sigouin
Video Artist:
Josh Hite
Lighting:
James Proudfoot
Music/Sound Score:
Nancy Tam
Set Concept:
Paraskevas Terezakis, Mark Eugster
Assistant to the Artistic Director:
Claire French
Rehearsal/Research for U>Waltz.
Extract of U>Waltz.
Dancers: Arash Khakpour, Elissa Hanson, Hyoseung Ye, Ralph Escamilla, Renée Sigouin
We acknowledge the financial support of The Province of British Columbia.
U>Waltz was also made possible with the support of The BC Arts Council, The Vancouver Foundation, The Hamber Foundation, Freedom 55 Financial, The RBC Foundation and Timmins Gold Corp.
We would like to acknowledge that we are gathered and are creating on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.