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Vollmond, by German choreographer Pina Bausch.Laurent Philippe

Lucky for dance aficionados, Cathy Levy, dance producer at Ottawa's National Arts Centre, loves German choreographer Pina Bausch. This year Levy has programmed Vollmond (Nov. 7 and 8), which Bausch created in 2006, three years before her untimely death. "Pina Bausch was simply one of a kind, a trailblazer, a fearless and unflinching creator," Levy says. "When I first saw Vollmond – meaning "full moon" or "high water" – I was left breathless. It is one of Pina's most captivating and poetic works. Her fascination with the layered complexities of men and women is ever present, and immersed in the sumptuous, scenic design of long-time collaborator Peter Pabst, it is simply dazzling in its delivery." The tour de force set that Levy refers to is a waterfall that cascades down around a huge rock. Bausch frequently used water in her dance-theatre works to symbolize life and sex. In Vollmond, the play between the dancers and the water, resulting in slips, spills and falls, creates a danger that gives the work its dark edge.

Vollmond, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, choreography by Pina Bausch, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Nov. 7 and 8.

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