Imagine a world in which we lose our ability to see, hear, smell, taste or feel touch - and imagine what that would look like on the stage.
A Port Coquitlam choreographer is turning that idea into dance in Five Senses: A Society Without, at the Terry Fox Theatre on March 28. Performing in the show will be young dancers in the senior elites class at the Burnaby-based Avant Dance Co.
"It's based on the premise of what do we do as a society if we lost our senses, and we explore it based on dance," said Jocelyn Wozencroft, Avant's owner and choreographer.
Wozencroft allowed a few liberties when crafting the piece to tailor it to a dancer's perspective - balance stands in place of smell, the sense of touch is told through a pas de deux performed with a guest male dancer and a sense of voice is used for sound.
"We explore these five dancers and how they're functioning in society, how they lose their senses, the emotional fallout and the response," Wozencroft said. Choreographing the piece was a challenging process as well, she said, with each sense "heightened" while she was crafting that part of the show.
The result is a contemporary ballet based on the rigorous training in classic fundamentals the dancers are engaged in on a a near-daily basis.
"We're really pushing the boundaries on this piece," Wozencroft said. "There's no set and very minimal costumes to highlight the technique, training and their unique artistic style."
Wozencroft is also working closely with the Terry Fox Theatre's lighting director to perfect several lighting effects that will enhance the piece. Musically, Wozencroft is using everything from classical pieces to Jennifer Lawrence's "Hanging Tree" from the Hunger Games.
The results will appeal to a broad audience, whether they're watching their first ballet or have been a fan of the art for many years.
It will also give the dancers, who range in age from 13 to 17 years old, one of their first glimpses into the world of performing.
Wozencroft said the dancers are competing regularly but she wanted to give the senior dancers, many of whom are already investigating plans to enter professional ballet companies within a year or two, some true performance experience.
The Five Senses ballet is giving them a chance to learn the stage craft, lighting and costume design, the life of a professional dancer - including the need to pick up choreography quickly and train intensively to be ready for a show in a short amount of time - and, down the road, what it's like to go on tour.
The dancers are already training at a high level six days a week, logging about 30 hours weekly at the Burnaby studio, honing their skills and developing their own artistic style, and Wozencroft feels the performance experience will go a long way to helping them make the transition to professional dancers.
"I would eventually like to turn this into a multi-evening show, take it on tour and to schools, to rural places in B.C. that don't necessarily get the company tours and introduce the art into a new generation," Wozencroft said.
She's also hoping this show becomes a catalyst for future ballets created by guest choreographers.
Wozencroft trained with the Goh Ballet Academy and Richmond Academy of Dance, as well as the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and the Boston Ballet School.
She began her career with the Banff Professional Dance Company, followed by Ballet Central in England and was a principal dancer with several companies in England and Canada.
Wozencroft has obtained her registered teacher status with the Royal Academy of Dance, one of the highest standards in teaching.
Five Senses: A Society Without is at the Terry Fox Theatre (1260 Riverwood Gate, Port Coquitlam) on Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. Visit www.avantdance.ca for more information.
@spayneTC
