Arriving in Toronto for the first time after being performed in more than a hundred cities worldwide, Bodies in Urban Spaces is a moving trail choreographed for a group of local dancers.
The colourfully-clad performers use their bodies to explore, and respond to, the city’s architecture, leading audiences on a breathtaking tour through Toronto’s streets. As passersby join in, the collective experience grows, setting in motion a chain of temporary physical interventions. Performers’ bodies, entangled with one another, are tucked into the gaps between buildings and stacked on stairways, evoking awe and disbelief, and inspiring the viewer to perceive a familiar place in a new and different way – on the run.
Dorner’s work creates unexpected interventions in the urban environment that highlight the unique nooks, niches, and crannies of our streets and alleyways, that are often overlooked. Bodies in Urban Spaces also points to the ways our movement and behaviours are restricted in public space. By playfully misusing public space, the performance invites us to reflect on our relationship to public space, and who and what it is for.
Bodies in Urban Spaces was originally commissioned by Festival “Quartier d’été” / Paris.
PERFORMANCE DATES
» Thursday, May 26 at 7:00pm
» Friday, May 27 at 7:00pm
» Saturday, May 28 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm
About the Artist
Willi Dorner lives and works in Vienna, where he develops his artistic works, which go on international tour. His projects include pieces for the stage, site-specific performances, and installations. Willi Dorner is also active in the field of short films, visual arts, and stage photography. Most works are created in collaboration with artists and scientists from various fields.
Besides his internationally touring dance performances, Willi Dorner is keen on creating events that give the audience the opportunity for new experiences, insights, and a different perception of everyday life.
Choreographic Assistant: Esther Baio
Participating Dancers: Andy Wang, Amelia Ehrhardt, Barbara Simms, Bradley Eng, Eilish Shin-Culhane, Jayson Collantes, joey eddy, Kaelin Isserlin, Karissa Fyrrar, Krista Newey, Libby Sparks, Liisa Smith, Mandy Lam, Maria Riano, Mary Patsiatzis, Matthew Morales, Rumi Jeraj, Sofia Ontiveros, Tavia Christina, Zachary Bastille