As the saying goes, “Old age is not for sissies”, and Glynn’s powerful and thoroughly engaging piece is certainly proof of that.  Working with 12 performers – all untrained seniors ranging in age from 60 to 75 – he has created a visually dynamic full-length work that is a poignant, dramatic, and powerful look at the ups and downs (literally) of aging. It’s also quirky and refreshingly upbeat.  The choreographer was inspired by legendary avant-garde dance icon Pina Bausch’s “Kontakhoff” which premiered in 1978 and was remounted by Bausch on senior dancers in 2000.

Dubbing his performers ‘The Company of Angels’, Glynn has been working with the dancers since June of this year. He has built his choreography around the performers themselves – their individual physical capacities, histories and personalities – blended with his own creative vision.

“Dance can be many things from high art to good social foot stompin’ fun,” reflects Glynn.  “This remarkable group of dancers brings to the stage all the humour, dignity and power that a life-lived can offer – along with, of course, a good dose of that foot stompin’ fun,” he adds.

Those who have had a sneak peak at the work are quick to underscore the fact that production is a significant event in the world of Canadian dance.  Susanne Chui, Artistic Director of Mocean Dance was overwhelmed by the scope, professionalism and force of the piece. “ I was totally inspired. This is a professionally staged work created by one of a our country’s celebrated choreographers –– there’s nothing ‘amateur’ about it.”

About Randy Glynn

Choreographer, dancer, and teacher, Randy Glynn has been a significant figure in the world of Canadian Contemporary Dance for over three decades.  A principal dancer with the legendary Danny Grossman Company Based in Toronto, he formed his own company, The Randy Glynn Dance Project in 1987, where he created 20 major works which were produced by his company as well as presented by companies in Canada, Ireland, and the US. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Clifford E. Lee Award for Choreography. In the words one Globe and Mail critic, “You will be amazed by Glynn’s vision and feeling, his ability to dignify and deepen ordinary experience.”

Based in Toronto, Glynn and his wife, Pamela Grundy, spend their summers with their two children in picturesque Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia, where, for many years, they operated a nationally recognized dance school – The Granville Ferry Summer Dance Program.

 
Dancing in the Third Act is a co-production of The Company of Angels with the Annapolis Royal Community Arts Council and King’s Theatre. It is funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Culture and Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts.