Wen Wei Dance

New Creation (TBD)


Wen Wei Dance’s work reflects a multiplicity of dance and social experiences. Each creation is influenced by the evolution of personal identity, and strives to reflect the underlying experience of social, cultural and personal development. Wen Wei Dance creates provocative performances of a distinctive trans-cultural sensibility. With a highly individual style, Artistic Director Wen Wei Wang fuses precise choreography with stunning visual design and music, turning each work into a rich and unique world.

Since 2003 the company has created a repertoire of full-length works including Two, Ying Yun, Dialogue, Made in China, 7th Sense, Cock-Pit (Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award winner), Under the Skin (co-created with the Beijing Modern Dance Company), Three Sixty Five, Unbound (Isadora Award for Excellence in Choreography winner), One Man’s, and Tao. Wen Wei Dance has performed these acclaimed works across Canada and at festivals around the world.

New Creation (TBD)

Wen Wei Dance will collaborate with Italian choreographer Francesca Lettieri on the production of a new work composed of two 30 min pieces. Francesca is the Artistic Director of ADARTE Company, and of Ballo Pubblico, Festival Internazionale di Danza Contemporanea in Spazi Urbani (International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Urban Spaces). Creation of the new work will begin in Spring 2023.

The two 30 minutes pieces will compare and contrast the artistic and philosophical perspectives of the two choreographers, and their respective cultures. Francesca Lettieri's work references the “continuous flux of the restless, ephemeral, fragile and brutal human state,” a nuanced quality of the human experience that connects with Wen Wei Wang’s “reflection on human connection” and how over the past two years we’ve witnessed “the endless creative possibilities of human relationships and to experience the texture, rhythms, and tastes of the bodily world.”

Performance History

- July 9 & 11, 2021: Live premiere of ‘Two’ at the Dancing On The Edge festival (DOTE).
- September 30, 2021: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at Venables Theatre in Oliver, BC.
- October 7-8, 2021: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at ArtSpring in Salt Spring, BC
- March 25-26, 2022: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at Springboard Performance in Calgary, AB.
- March 30, 2022: Performance of 'Ying Yun' at Live Art Dance in Halifax, NS.

Project Details

Project created by: Wen Wei Wang and Francesca Lettieri

Key Collaborators:

Choreography: Wen Wei Wang and Francesca Lettieri

Dancers:
Alexis Fletcher
Arash Khakpour
Ariana Barr
Matthew Wyllie

Costume Design: Linda Chow
Lighting Design: Jonathan Kim
Sound/Video Design: Sammy Chien

Audience: General Audience

Length in minutes: 60 minutes (x2 30 minutes) - Full length work

Space required: Theatres with full technical capabilities are preferred. The stage surface must be sprung; not concrete or a floor built directly on concrete.

Preparation required: 2 days for set up (1 day prior to the show + the day of the opening: 8hs/day)

General technical requirements: It is too early to know the specific technical requirements. Some likely requirements include a Black Marley floor, special lighting requirements, video projector, props and chairs, amplification and microphones. The work will be suitable for theatres with full technical capabilities.

Availability:

Number of performers on tour including choreographer: 5

Number of support staff on tour: 4

Community Engagement Activities

Wen Wei Wang incorporates workshops and master classes into touring destinations as a way to connect with the local dance community—helping build and strengthen the network of dancers in Canada—as well as bring awareness and appreciation for Canadian dance on an international level. These workshops and master classes typically take place leading up to a presentation and are open to anyone interested in dance. Classes explore various styles and forms including elements of Tai Chi, martial arts, Peking Opera and ballet technique. Through improvisation, dialogue and experiments with physical language, the breath of the rhythm and release technique will be the foundation for creating unique movements to express meanings through the body and mind. Given the style of class, it is recommended that participants have some background in dance. Additional collaborators at workshops often include one or more of the dancers who are available.

Contact: Wen Wei Dance, jonathan@wenweidance.ca

Agent/Manager: Francesca Piscopo, francesca@wenweidance.ca

Website: wenweidance.ca

Facebook: Wen Wei Dance

Instagram: Wen Wei Dance

Photo: Shin Sugino/Sugino Studios