After 18 years working together, we wanted to reflect on the aging body through the lens of an outside choreographer. We chose Tedd Robinson for his caring, unconventional and innovative perspective on dance, movement, and life. With the support of a Canada Council for the Arts grants in 2021 (Creation) and 2023 (Production), we commissioned a 30-minute dance duet – A Song of Years; duet that Tedd completed in July 2022. Sadly, our collaboration on this work with Tedd was completed just before his untimely death. With composer Charles Quevillon, who worked with Tedd for years, and light designer John Carter, we completed the music and lighting this past fall 2022 with a presentation at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo. The completed piece was presented on July 6th 2023, as part of the Crimson Coast Infringing Dance Festival Main Stage Presentations with newly created costumes.

A Song of Years is a poem in motion acknowledging the cycle of life. It evokes the unwrapping of our past to reveal our presence in the present moment. It offers a metaphor of the aging body dancing as it is now, letting go of what once was, sharing a lifetime of embodied memories. Through explorations of functional movement, the use of balance to create visual beauty and performative tension, and his commitment to sharing tangible and intangible archives, Tedd Robinson invested the creative process with a unique sensitivity that weaves itself into the choreography. He would wish for the audience to experience their own story with this work, drawn from the poetic metaphor of their own life.
This work can open with a 17-minute art-film documentary by Genevieve Johnson (or a 4-minute excerpt), in which Tedd talks about creative process and the aging body. This film can also be shared online as a preparation for audience prior to see the live show, helping them understanding the creative process behind contemporary dance.