TDT premieres Christopher House's Latest Work in February

Toronto Dance Theatre is proud to present the World Premiere of

Pteros Tactics

A major new work by Christopher House

Toronto, December 30, 2009- Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT) is proud to present the world premiere of Artistic Director Christopher House's latest work, Pteros Tactics, running Tuesday, February 16 through Saturday, February 20, 2010 at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre.

Pteros Tactics examines "the instant of desire" as described by Anne Carson in her essay Eros the Bittersweet. Carson describes the arcs and triangulation of desire in richly physical terms, starting from a fragment of poetry by Sappho: "Eros once again limbloosener whirls me sweetbitter, impossible to fight off, creature stealing upŠ"

Inspired by and created in collaboration with TDT's ten extraordinary dancers (Alana Elmer, Syreeta Hector, David Houle, Yuichiro Inoue, Pulga Muchochoma, Kaitlin Standeven, Brodie Stevenson, Nai Shi Wang, Sarah Wasik and Linnea Wong), Pteros Tactics promises to be a vibrant and playful work that examines the space of desire between the lover and beloved. The metaphor of Eros Ballplayer, with his golden sphere, provides the central methodology for House's response to Carson's ideas. 

Pteros Tactics marks the continuation of the successful collaboration between House and Dora-winning composer Phil Strong. Throughout the process, House will also collaborate with Belgian dramaturge Guy Cools; this is their second collaboration, following the success of their work together on Dis/(sol/ve)r. Lighting is by Roelof Peter Snippe, a veteran of more than thirty-five years of collaboration with Toronto Dance Theatre, with scenography by long-time TDT designer Cheryl Lalonde.
 
Before its premiere in Toronto, TDT will participate in a two-week residency with Dance Victoria culminating with a lecture-demonstration at the MacPherson Theatre in Victoria, BC.

Artistic Director of Toronto Dance Theatre since 1994, Christopher House is one of Canada's most enduringly inventive choreographers, an artist with a voracious appetite for new ideas and in the full maturity of his powers. His playful, intelligent productions speak directly to the audience about the big questions of our lives.
 
Christopher House has transformed TDT into a company known internationally for its fresh, intelligent and provocative dance. He has been Resident Choreographer of TDT since 1981 and has contributed over fifty works to the repertoire including Glass Houses, Four Towers, Early Departures, Vena Cava, Nest and Sly Verb. He has also created choreographies for Portugal's Ballet Gulbenkian, the National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Ballet British Columbia, and for soloists such as Peggy Baker and Guillaume Côté.  House is also an Associate Dance Artist of Canada's National Arts Centre.
 
Christopher House's recent works include Dis/(sol/ve)r, Chiasmata and Timecode Break for TDT. Timecode Break, a commission from the Canada Dance Festival and a co-production with the National Arts Centre and the Banff Centre for the Arts, went on to top four critics' Top Ten lists for 2006, including being named "Best Canadian work" by The Globe and Mail, and "Best new contemporary dance" by the Toronto Star. In June 2007, it won three Dora Mavor Moore Awards including Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Production.

"Never underestimate choreographer Christopher House." - The Globe and Mail

Toronto Dance Theatre presents the world premire of

Pteros Tactics

Choreographed by Artistic Director Christopher House

Music and sound by Phil Strong, Lighting design by Roelof Peter Snippe, Scenography by Cheryl Lalonde.

Part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps

February 16-20, 2010 at 8pm nightly

at Harbourfront Centre's Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto

Regular Tickets: Adults $25, $32, $38 (Students/Seniors $19, $25, $32)

Box Office: 416-973-4000 OR online at tdt.org

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PLEASE ADD TO LISTINGS UNTIL FEBRUARY 20, 2010.
Media refer: Dianne Weinrib, DW Communications  416-703-5479 dw@dwcommunications.net

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Dianne Weinrib
Director, DW Communications Inc.
Communications for the Arts
54 Wolseley St., Ste. 204
Toronto M5T 1A5
416-703-5479

Strike of Foreigners in Italy, 1st March 2010

1st March 2010 Strike of Foreigners in Italy*

Growing call for general strike of foreigners in the country
23rd December 2009: A group which was formed on Facebook and is now gaining support of associations of foreigners in Italy has called for a general strike of foreigners in the country.The group called "1st March 2010 Strike of Foreigners", is open to people of all races, gender, faith, education and political leanings, immigrants, descendants of immigrants and native Italians. "We are brought together by awareness of the importance of the social, cultural and economic contribution of immigration to our country. We are outraged by the smear campaign against foreigners in Italy, which has led to a barbaric, racist atmosphere and the adoption of discriminatory laws which are far from the principles and the spirit of our Constitution," says the Manifesto for "1st March 2010 Strike of Foreigners".
The right to emigrate, the group says, "is recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that human history is the history of migrations, without which there would have been no civilization process in the world and development of cultures."
The group calls for recognition and appreciation of the daily toil of immigrants who are committed to work in Italy and for the country, often under very harsh conditions, and whose most basic human rights are often violated. "We reject stereotypes, racist laws and measures, institutional anti-immigrant campaigns, the use of discriminatory terms and images and, the misuse of calls to return to cultural and Christian roots to justify local and national policies of rejection and against reception of immigrants.
"Immigrants are not a shapeless mass of parasites and opportunists. They are not mechanical manual workers and suppliers of cheap labour. They are hardworking people who perform essential tasks for the maintenance of a complex and articulated society like ours," the group says.
It emphasises that immigrants are individuals with ideas, feelings, interests and desires. The general strike of foreigners is also aimed at making the country hear the voices of foreigners and feel how the country would be without them.
The strike which is still at the initial stage of planning, may take place in different ways including abstention from work; going on a shopping strike; avoiding to use the public transport for a day; or by simply being present in a Square.
Ms. Cristina Seynabou Sebastiani, one of the promoters of the initiative is disappointed that there was no serious reaction from the public when the Parliament was discussing the Security Bill which finally introduced the offence of illegal immigration. This silence, she says, may be due to a widespread feeling of inferiority and lack of knowledge of people's value, as well as the fatalistic conviction that nothing can be done against the forces of evil.
"We are convinced that action is the most effective way of affirming our convictions and above all, of saying: we are here, you can't ignore us," she says.
Ms. Sebastiani adds that Italy moves ahead thanks to the work of millions of immigrants, yet the country is ashamed of them. "That's why the country tries to ignore them, to lock them out, drown them in the sea as if they were very noisy puppies," she says.Ms.Sebastiani acknowledges that not all have the energy to join active politics and doesn't believe it is necessary for all to do so. She, however, says that "there are moments when a simple gesture supports and motivates a big change and in such moments, the presence of all is necessary."
Deputy Speaker of the Senate Emma Bonino has supported the idea of having a 24 hour strike of foreigners in Italy. In an interview with Radio Radicale, Ms. Bonino said the success of such an initiative depends on how much publicity it gets, and how communities of foreigners manage to organise themselves.

* pubblicato da Stephen Ogongo su AfricaNews