Betroffenheit (2015)
Choreography: Crystal Pite
Music: Owen Belton, Alessandro Juliani and Meg Roe
A state of shock and bewilderment encompasses you in the wake of a disaster. It is a timeless, liminal space where you return again and again even as you struggle to gain and maintain distance, and where you keep responding to the disaster long after it has subsided. Here, a crisis-management team is keeping your emergency situation alive and present, a trusted voice is urging you to come to terms with the past, and a steady supply of “The Show” is available for all the distraction, escape and pleasure you crave. In one sense you’re the survivor and this is your refuge. In another, you’re the disaster waiting to happen. This new creation by two of Canada’s most celebrated companies is an innovative, boundary-stretching hybrid of theatre and dance.
“The choreography and performances…were enthralling, I was so engrossed I nearly forgot to breathe…an evening of dance/theatre that’s as thrilling as it is affecting.” – Mooney on Theatre
“Betroffenheit is rare and staggering.” – The Globe and Mail
“All we can say is, ‘Wow.’” – The Georgia Straight
“Pite is an image-maker of rare distinction.” – The Australian
“Jonathon Young is radiant. This guy always looks like he’s lit from within.” – Georgia Straight