MAINSTAGE 2026-27
Contra
Set within an ethereal world, Contra navigates the endless human journey of self-actualization, revealing the contradictions and complexities of the human condition. A pursuit that exposes the dissonance between opposing extremes of our identities—extremes that emerge fully in response to the striving for this innate human desire for elusive fulfillment.
Contra investigates these extremes through a trio dance, incorporating interactive technologies, multi-laser projections, and a sound-resonant water installation into an ever-changing environment and mental state.
Eric Cheung
photo Alger Liang
TRAILER
ARTIST BIO
Eric Cheung (b. 1996, Calgary, AB) is an experimental dance and interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver. Eric’s current work employs dance and movement as means to create contemplative artworks, recontextualizing dance to produce unconventional installations and performances that blur the boundaries of movement-based practices through emergent systematic approaches and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Working across film, theatre, technology, and installation, Cheung’s projects include the films E_GO (2018), I(n)finite (2023), and Null (2025); stage works iye (2018), Re:1974 (2021), Flux (2024), and Contra (2025); and installation and new media works such as iyeism (2022), Diverge (2023), Liminal (2024), Everlasting (2024), Array (2025) and Converge (2025).
Eric has received recent awards, including the Artist Studio Award - City of Vancouver (2022), the Chrystal Prize Award - Dance Victoria (2025), and the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award - Dance Centre (2025).
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
November 28 / 29 - The Dance Centre (Address: The Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6)
Presented for the Iris GarlanEric Cheung’s class offers an inside look into the creative process of his upcoming full-length work, Contra, premiering on November 28–29 at The Dance Centre. Through sharing movement material and repertoire developed for the piece, the class explores contrasting and extreme movement qualities rooted in and inspired by waving and popping. Participants will engage in foundational drills, partner work, and concept-based freestyle exercises.d Emerging Choreographer Award 2025 by The Dance Centre
Project Created by: Eric Cheung
Key Artistic Collaborators: Choreographer + Artistic Direction: Eric Cheung
Dancer(s): Kinui Oiwa, Tegvaran Sooch
Technical Director: Jack Chipman
Creative Technologist / Interactive Artist: Cristian Gonzalez
Composer: Matthew Tomkinson
Lighting Designer: Jack Chipman
Laser Programmer: Sean Gregor
Costume: Aenrmous, Jiacheng Liu, Bahar Kianpour
Stylist: Yiying Fan
Fabricator: Ole Michel Vezina
Apprentice: Trent Kaiser
Mentors/Dramaturgy: Maiko Miyuachi, Cristina Bucci
Performance type: THIS WORK IS BUILT FOR THEATRE
How do you define this work: Interactive Laser Dance Piece - Multi-Displinary
Dance Genres: Contemporary, Street Dance
Length of performance: 55 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 3
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 4
Availabilities: 2027 Spring Season (Mar - June),2027/28 Season,2028/29 Season
Project Details
General Technical Requirements: Type : Interactive Laser Dance Piece
Material : 4 Laser Projections, Water Basin
Duration: 55 minutes
Number of Dancer(s) : 3
Required amount of time for tech set up: 2 days - 16 hours
Alternative Venues: Theatre Space
Floor: Marley
Outreach Activities
Eric Cheung’s class offers an inside look into the creative process of his uwork, Contra. Through sharing movement material and repertoire developed for the piece, the class explores contrasting and extreme movement qualities rooted in and inspired by waving and popping. Participants will engage in foundational drills, partner work, and concept-based freestyle exercises.
Contact information
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erc.ch/
Website : https://cheung-eric.com/