The dynamic interplay between the human body and the light inspires LuminUS, a stunning new work created by fast-rising choreographer Chengxin Wei for his company Moving Dragon. Already known by Vancouver audiences as a charismatic performer with Ballet British Columbia and many other local companies, Wei is also rapidly emerging as a choreographer with a distinctive voice whose beautifully crafted work fuses Eastern and Western aesthetics and techniques.  LuminUS is presented through The Dance Centre’s second Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award, which is awarded every two years to a young choreographer who shows exceptional promise.

LuminUS explores the notion of contrasts – male and female, movement and stillness, light and dark –  and the ebb and flow of relationships, through a series of solos and duets performed by Wei and his Moving Dragon co-director Jessica Jone. The choreography showcases the continuing evolution of Wei’s movement language, reflecting his background and training in classical Chinese dance, ballet and contemporary dance. The lighting is integral to the piece and will be created in collaboration with Kimberly Plough, who has designed productions for companies including Dancers Dancing, Continuum Dance, Shifting Point Theatre and Lorita Leung Dance; she first worked with Moving Dragon in 2007 on their multimedia production Triaspora.

A native of Dalian, China, Chengxin Wei graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy in 1997, where he studied classical Chinese dance for eleven years. He subsequently worked for three years as principal dancer of the Guangdong Provincial Dance Theatre. Since moving to Vancouver in 2000, Chengxin has appeared with various dance companies including Ballet British Columbia, Anatomica, the Lorita Leung Dance Company, MovEnt, Wen Wei Dance and Company Erasga. In 2004 he co-founded Moving Dragon with his wife Jessica Jone: emphasizing cross-cultural exploration, the company seeks to journey through dance, stemming from traditional Asian roots and blooming towards contemporary thought. He has created numerous works that have appeared at Dances for a Small Stage, the Connecting Community Dance Series, Dancing on the Edge, the Roundhouse Community Centre and at the Dance Centre. Most recently, Chengxin received the 2007 Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award.

Jessica Jone was born in Vancouver, and received her early dance training from her mother, Lorita Leung. She later went on to train professionally in Chinese classical and folk dance at the Beijing Dance Academy, and the Guangdong Dance School in China. She is also trained in Western dance, and is a graduate of the contemporary dance program at Simon Fraser University. She is an accomplished dancer and seasoned performer who has won many awards for performance and choreography. In addition to her extensive performing experience, Jessica is also the vice-principal of the Lorita Leung Dance Academy, and is a much sought-after guest teacher throughout the Lower Mainland. She has taught various master classes in Chinese dance at Simon Fraser University, the Dancers Transition Resource Centre, the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, the Goh Ballet Academy, the Dance Centre, and was also guest choreographer for the Runaway Moon Theatre Company’s production of By the River.

Iris Garland was one of the original faculty members at Simon Fraser University, where she founded and developed the contemporary dance program.  Her husband Jim Felter and other friends and colleagues from around North America established the Award in her memory, to support and promote innovative emerging choreographers in BC. The Award is administered by The Dance Centre and is presented every two years to an emerging dance artist between 19 and 35 years of age, who demonstrates exceptional choreographic potential. The inaugural award was presented in 2005 to Amber Funk Barton.

The Dance Centre: Global Dance Connections Series
Fri-Sat September 12-13 Moving Dragon (Vancouver)
Thurs-Sat October 9-11 battery opera (Vancouver)
Thurs-Sat November 13-15 Trial & Eros (Montreal)
Fri-Sat December 12-13 Gioconda Barbuto/Emily Molnar (Montreal/Vancouver)
Thurs-Sat January 22-24 Hiroaki Umeda (Tokyo)
Thurs-Sat February 12-14 Lynda Gaudreau/Compagnie De Brune (Montreal)
Thurs-Sat May 7-9 Wee/Francesco Scavetta (Oslo/Rome)
Thurs-Sat June 11-13 Fortier Danse-Création (Montreal)

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