Programs

Duration: 1h 10mins

Core/Us is a captivating new group work from Action at a Distance. Choreographed by artistic director Vanessa Goodman, four dancers transverse our perception of how we hear movement and see sound with mesmerizing results. The live score sculpts an ever-evolving atmosphere that builds gravity for the body. Patiently shifting states and layers of momentum define this unique piece marked by its immersive world-building. Performed by Anya Saugstad, Eowynn Enquist, Ted Littlemore and Adrian de Leeuw with lighting by James Proudfoot and sonic mentorship from Brady Marks.

Eowynn Enquist

Eowynn Enquist (She/her) is a dance maker/performer who lives and works on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh). Eowynn was awarded the Amir Algahnand Award In Contemporary Arts from Simon Fraser University in 2016. In school Eowynn grew inspired to create and take part the creation of new dance works, and pursue a physical practice. Eowynn has participated in the Marie Chouinard Intensive 2019, Springboard Danse Montréal working with Stephen Laks (2017) and RUBBERBAND Dance (2019) and Arts Umbrella International Dance Intensives (2015-2017). As an interpreter and collaborator in the Vancouver dance community, Eowynn has worked with many dance companies and independent choreographers such as: Wen Wei Wang (Wen Wei Dance), Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond (Out Innerspace Dance Theatre), Vanessa Goodman (Action at a Distance), Noam Gagnon (Vision Impure), Jennifer Mascall (Mascall Dance), Amber Funk Barton (the response), Paraskevas Terezakis (Kinesis Dance Somatheatro), Mahaila Patterson O’Brien, Rachel Meyers, Anya Saugstad, and Dance Victoria (Emerging Choreographic Lab).

Vanessa Goodman

Vanessa Goodman respectfully acknowledges that she lives and works on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. She holds a BFA from Simon Fraser University and is the artistic director of Action at a Distance Dance Society. Vanessa is attracted to art that has a weight and meaning beyond the purely aesthetic and uses her choreography as an opportunity to explore the human condition. She has received several awards and honours, including: The Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award (2013); The Yulanda M. Faris Scholarship (2017/18); The Chrystal Dance Prize (2019); The Schultz Endowment from Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (2019); and the “Space to Fail” program (2019/20) with partners in New Zealand, Australia and Vancouver. Vanessa’s work has been presented in Vancouver by DanceHouse, SFU Woodwards, The Belkin Gallery, The Firehall Arts Centre, The Dance Centre, The Chutzpah! Festival and The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Presentations further afield include the Fluid Festival (Calgary), Kinetic Studio (Halifax), The Dance Made in Canada Festival (Toronto), On the Boards (Seattle), Risk/Reward Festival (Portland), Offset Dance Fest (New York), Living Things Festival (Kelowna), Crimson Coast (Naniamo) and The Bienal Internacional de Dança Do Ceará (Brazil). Vanessa has been artist-in-residence at The Dance Centre, Dance Victoria, Harbourfront Centre, The Shadbolt Centre and The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, where she was also on faculty. Most recently she was in invited to create, perform and facilitate at Trinity Laban (London, UK). Commissions include Springboard Dansé Montréal, the plastic orchid factory (with Ame Henderson), Votive Dance, Lamon Dance, Modus Operandi and The SFU rep class. This past season’s projects included collaborations with Scott Morgan (Loscil); Caroline Shaw; and Simona Deaconescu. www.actionatadistance.ca

Adrian de Leeuw

Adrian de Leeuw was born and raised in Australia.  He trained with Rider Vierling (Eugene Ballet Company/Ballet Idaho) at Newcastle Ballet Theatre before moving to Victoria, BC where he trained with Bleiddyn Bellis at Victoria Academy of Ballet.  He pursued both a strong contemporary and classical ballet base through both studios. In 2019 Adrian graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco under the coaching of Arturo Fernandez, Maurya Kerr and Christian Burns. During training, Adrian worked with Alonzo King, Bobbi Jene Smith, Sidra Bell, David Harvey, Alice Klock, Chuck Wilt, Gregory Dawson, Wen Wei Wang, Gioconda Barbuto, Christian Burns, Alex Ketley, Summer Lee Rhatigan, Constance Cooke, Tom Weinberger and Toni Rizzi. Adrian participated in Springboard Montreal (2019) where he worked with Anna Herrmann and Simona Deaconescu. In 2019 Adrian moved to Vancouver to pursue a professional career as a multimedia artist working with dance-for-film, photography, choreography and dance. Adrian has since performed with Vanessa Goodman’s Action at a Distance and Gioconda Barbuto. He has worked as a Guest Artist with Ballet BC for the recent performances of Romeo and Juliet, in the role of Paris. Adrian graduates from ArtsUmbrella’s Performance Research Program in 2020, he continues to pursue a career as a multimedia artist. Adrian is currently in his first season as a company member with Ballet Edmonton.

Ted Littlemore

Ted Littlemore is a Musician, Contemporary Dance Artist, and one of Vancouver’s most celebrated Drag Performers. After completing a B.A. in Psychology at McGill University, Ted turned to dance full time, studying in Vancouver and New York City. He graduated from Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Training Program in June 2018, and has continued his training in various intensives and workshops, including Gaga Intensives, Helen Walkley’s Presence of Mind in Motion, Springboard Danse Montréal, Radical System Art, and Company 605. Through his training, Ted performed works by Yossi Berg and Oded Graf, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, La Trèsse, Crystal Pite, Wen Wei Wang, and Sasha Waltz, among others. As a working artist and interpreter, Ted has performed with Action at a Distance, FakeKnot, Justine A. Chambers, Kate Franklin, Kinesis Dance Somatheatro, Ne.Sans Dance Company, Joshua Beamish/The Vancouver Opera, Tara Cheyenne Performance, and Vision Impure. He is also developing his own work, fusing his contemporary dance practice with his expertise in drag. Ted started drag in 2013, under the pseudonym ‘Mila Dramatic,’ as an exploration of the intersection of his musical, theatrical, and dance backgrounds. He (/she!) took the title of Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar in 2016, and continues to perform frequently at local drag venues. Through drag, he has also begun to hone his skills as a stylist, with a particular interest in reimagining found materials to create highly conceptual looks.

Anya Saugstad

Anya Saugstad is a dancer and choreographer living and working on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh’ (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səlílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) and xwməθkwəyə̓ m (Musqueam) First Nations, colonially known as Vancouver BC.

Anya trained at Arts Umbrella, and holds a BFA with honours in Dance from Simon Fraser University. In addition, she has trained with San Fransisco Conservatory of Dance, and with The Performance Research Project under the mentorship of Lesley Telford. Anya has danced for Vanessa Goodman, Lesley Telford, and Rob Kitsos, among others. Anya and her collaborators create live and digital performance works that foster space for women to tell their stories through movement. She has been able to grow her choreographic work through mentorships with the Performance Research Program, The San Fransisco Conservatory of Dance, and Made in BC Dance on Tour. Anya has choreographed works for Simon Fraser University, The Rotary Centre for the Arts, Vines Art Festival, SplitScreen (Boombox), F-O-R-M, and Mt Pleasant Collective, among others.

Firehall Arts Centre. He eventually lit shows for the Firehall Theatre Company amassing over a dozen design credits on diverse projects. Self-taught in the realm of dance lighting, James has contributed lighting designs for dance works to many companies including; Ballet BC, Lola Dance, 605 Collective, Co.ERASGA, Wen Wei Dance, Joe Ink, EDAM, The Contingency Plan, battery opera, Kinesis Dance, Restless Productions, Holy Body Tattoo, Dumb Instrument, MACHiNE NOiSY, Anatomica, Tara Cheyenne Performance, Les Productions Figlio, Karen Jamieson, Trial & Eros, Action at a Distance, Out Innerspace, BJM, the Plastic Orchid Factory, Justine A Chambers as well as the Firehall Theatre Company.

Choreographer/Director/Sound Design: Vanessa Goodman
Created in collaboration with the Performers: Anya Saugstad, Eowynn Enquist, Ted Littlemore and Adrian de Leeuw (with contributions from Sarah Formosa and Shion Skye Carter)
Lighting Design: James Proudfoot
Sonic Mentorship: Brady Marks

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