This February, the renowned dance troupe will shake your world through a ton of rubble.

February 7, 2023 – OTTAWA, Canada – From February 16-18, German dance company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch will present the Canadian premiere of their iconic piece Palermo Palermo, created by the late legendary choreographer, Pina Bausch. NAC Dance is proud to continue its long collaboration with the company and bring this exceptional work for three performances to Southam Hall.

“Palermo Palermo is a work I have wanted to bring to our audiences for many years, and I am thrilled to have this masterpiece in our midst. Through its intense blend of humour and drama, where walls tumble, and women demand their place, the piece offers a serene yet complicated insight into the imperfections of our existence.” –  says Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance.

With daring scenography and thought-provoking moments sprinkled with touches of absurdity, Palermo Palermo is an epic work of dance theatre that formed part of Bausch’s series of pieces inspired by world cities. Created in 1989 after a residency in Palermo, Sicily, her portrait of the city and its inhabitants is presented as dramatic and dreamlike vignettes into the human experience.

Pina Bausch’s choreography has been meticulously passed on to a new generation of dancers thanks to some members of the original cast who are still performing to this day. Amid both the magic and the havoc generated by Bausch’s themes, dancers must perform amongst a ton of rubble left by the mind-blowing opening scene.

Local talent will also be represented in the three performances. Four pianists, one saxophonist, one young dancer, one stage-trained dog and a few white doves will have their moment on stage with the remarkable ensemble.

 

MEDIA PREVIEW

Members of the Press are invited to attend the Dress Rehearsal on February 15 at 7:00 p.m. in Southam Hall. RSVP is recommended. Please contact julie.gunville@nac-cna.ca.

 

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

In-person in Southam Hall
February 16-18 at 8 PM

To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). Please visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit to find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities. 

Click here to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.

 

THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS

NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.

 

ABOUT THE NAC   

The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.  

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