Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY presents the world premiere of @giselle, a technology-driven, contemporary reinvention of the beloved romantic ballet classic, this September at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Giselle danced by Catherine Hurlin, American Ballet Theatre and 2019 Erik Bruhn winner. Photo Credit: Craig Foster
Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY’s @giselle
Where: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver) When: September 5 to 7, 2019 at 7:30pm Tickets:Available online now. VIP tickets are also available that include a reception.
Born out of Reimagining Giselle, a shorter work commissioned by The Royal Ballet in London, UK, this full-length narrative work will be brought to life by ballet superstars from American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of Canada, and Pennsylvania Ballet. Directed and choreographed by Vancouverite and company founder Joshua Beamish, this innovative production will explore the connections and parallels between the original classical ballet and our understandings of love, sex, and relationships in a world mediated by dating apps, digital illusions, and fleeting encounters.
The original version of Giselle, which premiered in 1841 — by what is now known as the Paris Opera Ballet, is based on a German legend, and follows a young peasant girl’s journey through the many dimensions of love and betrayal. Giselle dies of a broken heart after discovering her lover, Albrecht, is betrothed to another. The Wilis, a group of mystic and supernatural women who dance men to death, summon Giselle from her grave.
@giselle updates the narrative to present day by telling the story of a character named Giselle who is betrayed, isolated, and ghosted by her romantic partner on social media. In a state of heightened anxiety, Giselle livestreams her untimely death. Later in the work, she returns to haunt her male tormentors in motion-captured animated data particles projected onto the bodies of the live dance artists, creating a haunting tension between live and digital realities.
Win a Date Night
I’m giving away a Date Night experience that includes:
A pair of tickets to attend the opening night performance of Joshua Beamish / MOVETHECOMPANY’s presentation of @giselle on September 5th
A one night stay for two guests at The Westin Bayshore, a seaside Downtown Vancouver Hotel offering a gateway to romance and inspired revitalization.
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a Date Night with @Movethecompany and @WestinBayshore #movethecompany #joshuabeamish #giselle_MTC #giselle2019 #gisellepremiere http://ow.ly/P99930pmmhE” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
The SeaWheeze Half Marathon is 21.1km (13.1 miles) of breathtaking scenery, salty ocean air, high fives, and Vancouver vibes happening this weekend with pre-run festivities and post-run concert.
SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Sunset Festival
Over 10,000 runners will descend on Vancouver to sweat it out over a weekend of yoga, running, and one an awesome party.
It all starts with the PreWheeze Party on Friday, August 16th from 7:00am to 8:00pm at the Vancouver Convention Centre. That’s where participants can pick up their run packages, do some yoga, enjoy live music, do some meditation, and catch a film screening.
The SeaWheeze Half Marathon is Saturday, August 17th from Hastings and Burrard, starting at 7:00am. The run is followed by a brunch and then the SeaWheeze Sunset Festival over at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park (with shuttles running 3:30pm to 11:00pm). The Festival will have food and drinks, yoga, and performances by Big Wild and Kaskade.
Notable closures: On Saturday, August 17th from 6:00am to 11:00am the Seawall will be closed from English Bay (at Bidwell St.) to Lumberman’s Arch. Bike and pedestrian detours will be in effect. The Burrard Bridge will also be closed during these hours on Saturday. The Dunsmuir Viaduct will be closed on Saturday, August 17th from 5:00am to 9:00am, as will Water Street between Abbott and Seymour.
From Friday, August 16th at 6:30am until Saturday, August 17 at 6:00pm, Canada Place Way will be closed between Cordova and Burrard, with local access provided for hotel guests.
In April, Vancouver Art House Society sent out a plea to help bring the dude back to Dude Chilling Park and I’m pleased to report that, despite a fundraising shortfall, the Dude abides.
The Dude, Chilling
The Dude Returns to Dude Chilling Park
In 2012, artist Viktor Briestensky’s replaced Guelph Park’s signage with an official-looking prank sign that read “Dude Chilling Park” which was a reference to Michael Dennis’s 1999 sculptural installation, “Reclining Figure” [Source: Scout Magazine]. Since that time, the natural cedar sculpture which inspired Dude Chilling Park (Guelph Park) has suffered extensive deterioration. In 2017 it was transported to Denman Island for much needed repairs and to be cast in bronze.
When: Saturday, August 17, 2019 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm Where: Dude Chilling Park (Brunswick and E 8th, Vancouver)
The artist will be on hand, along with civic and Vancouver Park Board officials. The Undercoverswill be performing, hot dogs and bratwurst will be served along with refreshments. Donations will be welcome.
We’re in the thick of summer, the weather is nice and this weekend there’s a half marathon, a concert by the beach, and free outdoor movies (this Saturday it’s The Lego Movie 2 in Holland Park) and more! Your full list of things to do in Vancouver this weekend is below:
The rain didn’t stick around for long at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam, which was good news for Kaleidoscope Arts Festival vendors like Rocky Point Ice Cream – whose line grew with each parting cloud. It was another sunny Saturday in Coquitlam for the annual arts festival, filled with crafty wares, music, and entertainment.
This year’s free festival took place on Saturday, August 10th with the Lafarge Lake fountain splashing behind the main stage where acts like Royal Canoe, Terra Lightfoot and Current Swell performed.
