Left of PuSh festival

Oh Well

Emmalena Fredriksson

Jan 28, 6pm Left of Main   postponed :[

A dance duet by Emmalena Fredriksson that explores our relationship to romanticism and what it means to be together in two’s, both on stage and in romantic partnership.

Two dancers wearing identical costumes, move in perfect unison, through complicated impossible tasks, independently and in co-dependence. The dance is intersected with texts based on previous relationships, romantic experiences, fairy tales and online dating dialogues. Drawing its title from Cinderella and with music and movements that pull on our heart strings, “making a dance piece about love and romanticism may seem cliché” says Fredriksson, “but the truth is we’re all faced with preconceived ideas and expectations around love and romantic relationships.”

Entering her 30’s, Fredriksson was surprised how often she would get asked if she was married and if she had or wanted kids, compared to her male colleagues. “I felt like I needed to fulfill a social status of a heteronormative partnership in order to be truly successful, that no matter how good I am at my job, I would always be seen as better off if I was ‘rescued by a prince.’

Fredriksson got together with dancers Lexi Vajda and Francesca Frewer to talk, dance and explore individual and social ideas around love, from online dating to childhood stories, futuristic clones and dreams — the result is Oh Well.

created by Emmalena Fredriksson, in collaboration with...

dancers Lexi Vajda and Francesca Frewer

composer Kiran Bhumber

dramaturge Raïna von Waldenburg

video Nancy Lee

Developed with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, The Happening Dance, What Lab, British Columbia Arts Council, New Works and plastic orchid factory

photo Erik Zennström

We acknowledge that we live, work and play on the unceded territories of the xwmǝθkwǝy̓ǝm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. We strive to learn from, and be allies with, Indigenous Peoples.