Kidd Pivot

Assembly Hall

2023-11-02 19:30 2023-11-04 20:40 60 Canada/Eastern 🎟 NAC: Kidd Pivot

https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/33704

In-person event

From the team that brought you the ground-breaking, award-winning Betroffenheit and Revisor comes Kidd Pivot's latest creation, a dance-theatre hybrid that promises to deliver the company's trademark wit and ingenuity.   Co-creators Crystal Pite (Kidd Pivot) and Jonathon Young (Electric Company Theatre) bring together eight superb performers in a new work that explores our need for a sense of togetherness and belonging. In a setting somewhere between a...

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Babs Asper Theatre,1 Elgin Street,Ottawa,Canada
November 2 - 4, 2023
November 2 - 4, 2023

≈ 90 minutes · No intermission

Last updated: November 2, 2023

A note from the Executive Producer, NAC Dance

Dear audience,

Avisit from CrystalPite is always a cause for celebration. TheVancouver choreographer first visited the NACStudio in 2004, shortly after forming her own company, Kidd Pivot. NACDance has supported her ever since, and continues to do so today, to the delight of Ottawa audiencesit’s a beautiful love story!

Idlike to take this opportunity to mention the NAC Creation Fund, which supported the development and creation of Assembly Hall. TheFund gives artists the resources they need to achieve their goals, to take the magic of the performing arts, the magic of dance, to the next level.

Let us be carried along together by the ingenuity of CrystalPite, JonathonYoung and their wonderful associates and performers, by their clear and thoughtful view of life in all its depth and complexity.

Id like to join the NAC Dance and NAC teams in wishing you a wonderful dance experience.

  

caroline-ohrt
Executive Producer, NAC Dance Caroline Ohrt

Message from the Creators of Assembly Hall 

Sometimes these things begin with a concrete premise or proposition, but we were starting from scratch. It was early spring, and we were meeting over coffee one bright morning for the first conversation about our next project. Neither of us knew what the other was thinking and both had come with only the faintest inkling about what terrain we might want to explore next.

By the end of that meeting though, a group of individuals had assembled in our imagination. They were gathered around the remnants of an old story – a story, it seemed to us then, that they were caring for and keeping alive. Were they Historians? Folklorists? Conservators? How had this story drawn them into its orbit? What was the connection? Perhaps these people needed this story as much as the story needed them. Or perhaps the story itself was secondary to that age-old human need to congregate; to participate in a communal activity; to be recognized and feel a sense of belonging. Then Spring became Summer, and Summer, Fall. Then Winter came and before we knew it, a year had passed.

A quick scan through our various exchanges over the course of that year reveals something of the meandering route we took to arrive at Assembly Hall. Although many signposts were left along the way, with headings written in bold above paragraphs of what seemed essential information at the time, the truth is, many of the paths we so eagerly blazed are now overgrown. Here are some examples from the trail: 

The Shirt of St. Louis. The Lund Astronomical Clock. An Automated Display of Two-dimensional Figures. A Collection of Fragile Artifacts. An Unexpected Reunion, by Johann Peter Hebel. 

“The spirits that I summoned I now cannot rid myself of again.” Goethe 
The Quest to Fail, the Medieval Presence in Modernist Literature, by Jonathan Ullyot. 
From Ritual to Romance, by Jessie Weston. Perceval, by Chrétien De Troyes. 
The Chapel Perilous. The Harrowing of Hell. The Hour of Recollection. 
“Absence is the form God’s presence takes in this world.” Simone Weil 
The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. A History of the Elks.
The Society for Creative Anachronism.
“There is no death.” Guy W. Ballard.
Roberts’ Rules of Order. Ten Laws for Great Governance. A Bunch of Amateurs by Kim Hopkins.

A small community hall used by a variety of different groups. 

Was there a more obvious, more direct route to get here? It may have been more efficient to avoid the forest and stay on the road. Then again, if we’d taken a different route, with a different group of people, this particular hall might never have been found. Despite its many mysteries, Assembly Hall emerged from familiar memories. It’s as though we spent some of our childhood here attending recitals, or fundraisers, or ceremonies, or pageants, or potlucks. It was built by a group of people who came together on a common quest; A group of people who sat together, hour after hour, conjuring it, sketching it, speaking it into existence, listening for how it sounded, and for what it might say. A group of people who struggled to maintain and restore it when it seemed on the verge of falling apart; A group of people who believed in it and fought for it at each twist and turn. A group of people who, through the passing of seasons, filled this little hall with life. Welcome. We’re grateful you’re here.

– Jonathon and Crystal 

bjm-crystal-pite-credit-rolex-by-anoush-abrar
Choreographer (Angels' Atlas) Crystal Pite
jonathon-young
Writer/Director Jonathon Young

About Kidd Pivot Company

World-renowned for radical hybrids of dance and theatre, Kidd Pivot creations are assembled with a keen sense of wit and invention. Led by Canadian choreographer and director Crystal Pite, the company is unflinching in the face of such challenging and complex themes as trauma, addiction, conflict, consciousness and mortality. Pite’s bold and original vision has earned her international acclaim and inspired an entire generation of dance artists. 

Kidd Pivot strives to distill and translate universal questions into artworks that connect us to profound and essential parts of humanity. “Running through all of our work is the question of what moves us,” says Pite. 

Kidd Pivot tours internationally with critically acclaimed works such as Betroffenheit and Revisor (both co-created with playwright Jonathon Young), The Tempest Replica, Dark Matters, Lost Action, and The You Show

Since 2015, Kidd Pivot has measured its touring carbon footprint and offset over 1000 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), enabling Kidd Pivot to be one of the first dance companies to tour carbon neutral. 

Artists

  • bjm-crystal-pite-credit-rolex-by-anoush-abrar
    Choreographer/Director Crystal Pite
  • jonathon-young
    Writer/Director Jonathon Young

Creative Team

  • Original Music Owen Belton
  • Composition and Sound Design Alessandro Juliani
  • meg-roe
    Composition, Sound Design and Voice Director Meg Roe
  • jay-gower-taylor-2018
    Reflective Light Backdrop Concept and Design Jay Gower Taylor
  • nancybryant
    Costume Design Nancy Bryant
  • Reflective Light Backdrop Design and Lighting Design Tom Visser
  • cybele-young-headshot
    Video Design Cybèle Young
  • eric-chad-four-eyes
    Show Control and Sound Programmer Eric Chad
  • eric-beauchesne-four-eyes
    Assistant to the Creators Eric Beauchesne
  • 06-jeff-harrison
    Production Manager / Technical Director Jeff Harrison

Performers

  • brandon-alley-four-eyes
    Woody Brandon Alley
  • Portrait of Livona Ellis
    Gail Livona Ellis
  • rakeem-hardy-four-eyes
    Boyd Rakeem Hardy
  • gregory-lau-four-eyes
    Dave Gregory Lau
  • Shaun Doug Letheren
  • rena-narumi-credit-four-eyes-website
    Bonnie Rena Narumi
  • Mae Ella Rothschild
  • Glenda Renée Sigouin

Voices

  • ryan-beil-website
    Dave Ryan Beil
  • Gail Marci T. House
  • Composition and Sound Design Alessandro Juliani
  • meg-roe
    Composition, Sound Design and Voice Director Meg Roe
  • Glenda Gabrielle Rose
  • Mae Amanda Sum
  • Woody Vincent Tong
  • jonathon-young
    Writer/Director Jonathon Young

Production Team

Assembly Hall

World Premiere: October 26, 2023 
Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver, Canada

Approximately 90 minutes. No intermission.

by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young

Produced by
Kidd Pivot

Choreographed and Directed by
Crystal Pite

Written and Directed by
Jonathon Young

Composition and Sound Design
Owen Belton
Alessandro Juliani
Meg Roe

Scenic Design
Jay Gower Taylor

Costume Design
Nancy Bryant

Lighting Design
Tom Visser

Video Design
Cybèle Young

Show Control and Sound Programmer
Eric Chad

Assistant to the Creators
Eric Beauchesne

Additional Music
Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23, TH. 55 - I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito performed by Alice Sara Ott · Münchner Philharmoniker · Thomas Hengelbrock ℗ 2010 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin

Performers
Brandon Alley as Woody 
Livona Ellis as Gail  
Rakeem Hardy as Boyd 
Gregory Lau as Dave 
Doug Letheren as Shaun  
Rena Narumi as Bonnie  
Ella Rothschild as Mae  
Renée Sigouin as Glenda

Voice Director
Meg Roe

Voices
Ryan Beil  as Dave 
Marci T. House as Gail 
Alessandro Juliani as Boyd  
Meg Roe as Bonnie  
Gabrielle Rose as Glenda 
Amanda Sum as Mae  
Vincent Tong as Woody 
Jonathon Young as Shaun 

Production Manager / Technical Director 
Jeff Harrison 

Stage Manager 
Yvonne Yip 

Audio and Show Control Operators 
ilvs Strauss & Eric Chad 

Wardrobe Supervisor
Donnie Tejani 

Set Construction 
Great Northern Way Scene Shop 

Scenic Artists 
 
Charlie Easton 
Barry Kootchin 
Sharon Sloan

Patrick Spavor 

Prop Builders
Monica Emme 
Jay Gower Taylor 
Heather Young
Jen Hiebert 

Aluminum Armour 

Rob Valentine & Valentine Armouries 

Cutter 
Janet Dundas 

Costume Assistants and Builders 
Alaia Hamer 
Nicola Ryal 
Alice Devonshire 

Stitchers 
Tracey Gauvin 
Eloise Pons 
Jayme Cline 

Dyer and Builder 
Tessa Armstrong 

Rehearsal Assistant 
Nasiv Kaur Sall 

Executive Producer 
Jim Smith 

Producer 
Francesca Piscopo

For full bios and photos of dancers, voice actors, and crew, please visit kiddpivot.org 

Kidd Pivot would like to thank:

Artemis Gordon, Barry Kootchin, Charlie Easton, Kevin Macdonald, Niko Taylor, Arts Umbrella, Ballet BC, The Dance Centre, Studio 58, Ostrom Climate, and the generous financial contributions from the Friends of Kidd Pivot. 

Co-produced by Edinburgh International Festival (Edinburgh, UK), Sadler’s Wells (London, UK), Théâtre de la Ville (Paris, France), Centro Servizi Culturali Santa Chiara (Trento, Italy), National Arts Centre (Ottawa, Canada), Seattle Theatre Group (Seattle, US), Canadian Stage (Toronto, Canada), DanceHouse (Vancouver, Canada), Danse Danse (Montreal, Canada), Le Diamant (Quebec, Canada), Electric Company Theatre (Vancouver, Canada). 

A special thanks to the Y.P. Heung Foundation, Zita and Mark Bernstein Family Foundation, and Bonnie Mah for their generous support.

Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund. 

Kidd Pivot benefits from the support of BNP Paribas Foundation for the development and distribution of its projects

Kidd Pivot gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, City of Vancouver, and countless individual and business supporters. 

KIDD PIVOT Company

Artistic Director
Crystal Pite 

Associate Artistic Director
Eric Beauchesne 

Playwright-in-Residence
Jonathon Young 

Executive Director
Jim Smith* 

Producer
Francesca Piscopo* 

Special Projects
Sabine Rouques* 

Communications and Marketing Manager
Jonathan James* 

Accounts Manager
Ann Hepper* 

Production Manager
Jeff Harrison 

Fundraising Associate & Company Manager on Tour
Brent Belsher 

Fundraising Coordinator
Tammi Tsang* 

Administration Assistant
Kevin Soo-Locsin* 

Representation for Kidd Pivot Eponymous (Canada)
Menno Plukker Theatre Agent Inc. (International) 
Menno Plukker, assisted by Magdalena Marszalek and Isaïe Richard 

* Eponymous 

Eponymous gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

KIDD PIVOT BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

President
Ainslie Cyopik 

Vice President
Barry McKinnon 

Treasurer
Fiona Hanington 

Secretary
Dory Dynna 

Past President
Guy Riecken 

Directors
Valerie Jerome 
Derek Porter 

NAC Dance Team

Executive Producer   
Caroline Ohrt 

Senior Producer   
Tina Legari

Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer   
Mireille Nicholas 

Company Manager   
Sophie Anka 

Education Associate and Teaching Artist   
Siôned Watkins 

Technical Director   
Brian Britton 

Communications Strategist   
Alexandra Campeau 

Marketing Strategist   
Marie-Chantale Labbé-Jacques 

Marketing Strategist 
Marie-Pierre Chaumont 

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees