Canada’s preeminent street-dance company battles Hip-hop culture taboos in award-winning multigenerational exploration of aging and vulnerability in dance
Vancouver, BC – DanceHouse presents the BC premiere of Bboyizm’s celebrated work In My Body, on stage March 17 and 18, 2023 at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. Conceived and created by renowned street dancer and choreographer Yvon “Crazy Smooth” Soglo, In My Body is a profound examination of the effects of aging in a dance genre known for intense athleticism, bravado and the show of invincibility. Three generations of Canada’s top b-boys and b-girls share the stage to embody the dancers’ evolution with fierce physicality and moving vulnerability to the accompaniment of spoken word poetry, multimedia projections, and original music by DJ Shash’U.
“We are excited to present Bboyizm’s DanceHouse debut, and their long-anticipated return to Vancouver,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “In My Body surprises us with the strength in opposites – pairing young with old, energy with calm, faltering with certainty, physicality with spirit. In this high energy yet deeply personal portrayal of growing older in a physical artform associated with the young, Crazy Smooth breaks the hip-hop taboo against showing vulnerability and invites us to reflect on the importance of community, resilience, and grace in challenging times.”
Multiple knee surgeries and his own shifting stamina inspired Crazy Smooth to examine what it means to be a “b-boy forever” in his own aging body and soul. He assembled a multi-generational cast who range in age from their early 20s to late 50s to explore how street dancers persevere in the battle against time. Together they move as one united and supportive community.
Writer Alejandro Rodriguez’s spoken word provides a powerful backdrop of personal stories of survival, triumph, and defeat drawn from interviews that he conducted with the dancers including David “DKC Freeze” Dundas, the oldest dancer in the company (born 1965) and Natasha “Tash” Jean-Bart (born 1971). This large-scale production is further elevated by original instrumental ambient music by DJ Shash’U, and multimedia projections and body mapping by Montreal’s renowned minari studio.
Following its March 2022 world premiere in Edmonton, Alberta, In My Body was awarded four Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Original Choreography, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble and Outstanding Achievement in Design. The production is Crazy Smooth’s largest scale work to date and is the second to be developed through the Centre de Création O Vertigo – CCOV’s long-term residency program.
Dancing since 1997, Crazy Smooth is one of Canada’s top street dancers, performers, choreographers, instructors, judges, and community leaders. The 2020 recipient of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s 2020 Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award, he is the founder and creative director of Quebec-based Bboyizm, the award-winning street-dance company that has been instrumental in the preservation and growth of street dance in Canada and internationally.
Dates: March 17 and 18, 2023 at 8pm
Price: From $35
Address: Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St,
For tickets and further information, visit: dancehouse.ca
About DanceHouse (dancehouse.ca)
DanceHouse connects Vancouver audiences and the local arts community to the international world of dance by presenting exceptional companies that are recognized for their excellence, innovation, and international reputation. Since 2008, DanceHouse has presented vibrant and inspiring companies from Canada and around the world. In addition to the performances on stage, DanceHouse offers a suite of engagement opportunities and a chance for the general public and local artistic community to engage with the presented artists and their work.
