IN MY BODY – Excerpt 1 min
In My Body is dedicated to the memory of Frosty Freeze, Marjory Smarth, Flash, Don Campbellock
and others gone before – their legacy lives within us.
IN MY BODY, choreographed by Crazy Smooth, is the second creation within the Centre de Création O Vertigo’s long-term residency program.
“On behalf of the board of directors and the entire CCOV team, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Crazy Smooth as the CCOV’s second long-term artist in residence. His application impressed the selection committee by the excellence of his professional career and artistic approach. By selecting an artist from the hip-hop culture, the CCOV is pleased to provide increased visibility to hip-hop and related artistic forms, which play a key role in the dynamism of the Quebec dance community.”
Paul Caskey, CCOV Executive Director
Photos : Jerick Collantes
DANCERS AT CREATION
PERFORMANCE DATES
2023
December 5, 2023 – Brampton (Ontario) Tickets
December 2, 2023 – St. Catharines (Ontario) Tickets
November 30, 2023 – Kingston (Ontario) Tickets
November 28, 2023 – Oakville (Ontario) Tickets
October 28, 2023 – Ottawa (Ontario) Tickets
October 25, 2023 – Brantford (Ontario) Tickets
October 3-4, 2023 – Fredericton (New Brunswick) Tickets
September 29-30, 2023 – Halifax (Nova Scotia) Tickets
September 21, 2023 – Vernon (British Colombia) Tickets
March 4, 2023 – St. Albert (Alberta) – Tickets
March 17 – 18, 2023 – Vancouver (British Colombia) – Tickets
March 23, 2023 – Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) – Tickets
June 2 – 4, 2023 – FTA – Festival TransAmériques (Montréal) – Tickets
*****
2022
Edmonton World Premiere / March 4 & 5 / Brian Webb Dance Company / Tickets
Whitehorse / March 10 & 11 / Yukon Arts Center / Tickets
Toronto / March 17, 18 & 19 / Canadian Stage, dance Immersion, TO Live / Tickets
Ottawa / March 24 & 25 / National Art Centre / Tickets
IN MY BODY
Description
It’s said that the bravest thing a dancer can do is grow old – for a b-boy/b-girl, the experience is approaching heroic. In keeping with hip-hop culture, b-boys/b-girls present a façade of confidence and invincibility as they engage in battles to prove their value and establish their dominance. The resulting vocabulary is one of the most physically demanding and visually impressive of the dance genres and leaves no room for the expression of vulnerability.
For In My Body, dancer / choreographer Crazy Smooth brings together an intergenerational group of dancers and an international creative team for an intensely athletic investigation of the evolution of self and the effects of aging on street dancers.
In My Body is the second production to be developed through the Centre de Création O Vertigo – CCOV’s long-term residency program.
Collaborators
- Assistant choreographer / Rehearsal director Saxon Fraser
- Dancers Julie Rock, Anyo, Jayson Collantes, DKC Freeze, Vibz, Tash, Crazy Smooth, Nubian Néné, Tiffany Leung
- Outside eye Melly Mel
- Costume designer and stylists Sonya Bayer & Melly Mel
- Original Music DJ Shash’U
- Writer Alejandro Rodriguez
- Lights Chantal Labonté
- Creative consultant Sophie Michaud
- Multimedia Designer Thomas Payette (mirari)
- Creative Programmer Charles-Éric Gandubert (The interactive box)
- Set Designer Xavier Mary (mirari)
- Production Director André Houle – CCOV
- Technical Director Jarrett Bartlett
- Video Director Samuel Boucher
- Lighting Director Chantal Labonté
- Tour Manager Claire Bourdin
- Agent Gillian Reid
Executive Producer Centre de Création O Vertigo – CCOV, developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.
In My Body is a co-production of Bboyizm, The CanDance Network Creation Fund, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Brian Webb Dance Company, Yukon Arts Centre, dance Immersion and Canadian Stage, and is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
QUOTES
« [Crazy Smooth] challenges the myth that aging is the death knell for a dancer »
Q, Tom Power, CBC Radio one, Feb, 24 2022
« Powerful multi-disciplinary performance showcases bravery in battle against time »
Andrew Stuetz, The Toronto Observer, March, 5, 2022
« In My Body shows us that age is merely a number and that the bravest thing a dancer can do is grow old. »
Andrew Stuetz, The Toronto Observer, March, 5, 2022
« an impressive cast of intergenerational dancers »
Andrew Stuetz, The Toronto Observer, March, 5, 2022
“In My Body is a major accomplishment for street dance in Canada. Crazy Smooth and crew deliver jaw-
dropping choreography while carrying a powerful message of intergenerational community and resiliency.
Our audiences were as energized as they were moved by the high-level artistry of the production. In My
Body satisfies on every level: the dancing is exceptional, the production values are strong, and the
message is uplifting.”
Brendan Healy, Artistic Director, Canadian Stage (2022)