The National Arts Centre (NAC) is proud to be presenting its fourth edition of Face 2 Face, a series that puts the spotlight on rising stars of the contemporary dance world. From February 24 to 27, brilliant artists from various countries will share some of their best work in an intimate setting, either at the NAC Studio or at the Ottawa Dance Directive’s ODD BOX.

“This year’s Face 2 Face brings distinct, eclectic creators to the fore in a fascinating collection of works, juxtaposing ideas of contemporary expression in Dance”, says Cathy Levy, NAC Dance Executive Producer. “All of these artists are names on the rise, and all for good reason!” 

The artists and works featured in this year’s Face 2 Face series are Company Wang Ramirez in Monchichi and in double bill: Ima Iduozee (This Is The Title) and Idan Sharabi & Dancers (Ours) as well as Daniel Linehan (Not About Everything) and Joanna Kotze (It Happened It Had Happened It Is Happening It Will Happen).     

IMA IDUOZEE (Finland) – This Is The Title 
IDAN SHARABI & DANCERS (Israel) – Ours 

February 24 at 7 p.m. / February 26 at 9 p.m. / February 27 at 4:30 p.m. 
Venue: NAC Studio

ABOUT THIS IS THE TITLE 
On a blindingly white dance floor This Is The Title unfolds with fluid elegance. The distinctive approach to movement comes from choreographer Ima Iduozee’s background in both break-dance and contemporary techniques. As we watch his sculpted and ever-moving body, he becomes a prisoner of the precise space he has created for himself. Subtle lighting and sound design complete this minimalist world, where the power and grace of the performer captivate our imagination and senses.

CHOREOGRAPHY AND DANCE: Ima Iduozee 
LIGHTING DESIGN: Jani-Matti Salo 
SOUND DESIGN: Kasperi Laine 

ABOUT OURS
For the past five years I have been exploring the concept of “Home” in my choreographic work. Recently, I started interviewing people about it, asking them: What is home for you? Where are you from? Where do you live? Do you feel at home now? All interviews interpreted home as different things, creating opportunities to discuss broad concepts such as origin, identity, society, body and more. It became clear to me that people perceived themselves as the reflection of their homes; their language, family, occupation, possession, injuries, love, etc. Eventually, when starting my creation process with Dor, I interviewed him as well. As a result, I felt the need to find a new home for both of us. Ours is our little opportunity to find our home together, and share it immediately with the audience. – Idan Sharabi

CHOREOGRAPHY & SOUNDTRACK: Idan Sharabi 
MUSIC: Joni Mitchell 
WITH RECORDINGS BY: Idan Sharabi 
DANCERS: Eyal Dadoun, Idan Sharabi 

DANIEL LINEHAN (Belgium) – Not About Everything  
JOANNA KOTZE (United-States) – It Happened It Had Happened It Is Happening It Will Happen    

February 24, 26 & 27 at 8:30 p.m. 
Venue: O.D.D BOX, Arts Court, Ottawa Dance Directive (Co-producer)

ABOUT NOT ABOUT EVERYTHING  
A single body enters the space and begins to turn. The turning begins gently, but it gradually transforms into an insane gyratory motion. Within the singularity of his obsessive circular motion, performer Daniel Linehan introduces a series of variations, accelerations, and subtle shifts, creating a funny and complex dance. He subjects himself to strenuous physical and mental processes involving multiple simultaneous tasks: to speak, think, react, address the audience, etc., without ceasing his perpetual spinning. Linehan tells us that he is not speaking about desperation, endurance, or government policy; he is not speaking about celebrities, virtuosity, or metaphysical problems. Yet even though his words seem to negate, he calls to our attention these issues that evoke a world far larger than his contained little circle. Endlessly spinning around in the center of a shifting network of ideas, Daniel Linehan creates an inverted black hole, a space of disorienting vertigo perhaps, but also a space of thoughtful reflection where all of these ideas can flow and resound.

CREATION, PERFORMANCE: Daniel Linehan
ORIGINAL LIGHTING: Joe Levasseur
DRAMATURGY: Juliette Mapp

ABOUT IT HAPPENED IT HAD HAPPENED IT IS HAPPENING IT WILL HAPPEN    
IT HAPPENED IT HAD HAPPENED IT IS HAPPENING IT WILL HAPPEN is a trio confronting the seductiveness of classifying, ordering, and structuring, while attempting to hold onto the character of the unnameable, vulnerable, and imaginable. The different approaches to knowledge—empirical vs. intuitive—are explored through varied movement. Through dynamic pacing and propulsive movement this trio uses interconnected rhythms, sounds and combinations of dancers. Fragments of motion are reassembled to produce a persistent drive. The sound of silence alternates with distant music, each acting as a backdrop for stomping, clapping, slapping, and breathing bodies. Comical gestures are juxtaposed against languid passages and sequences of movement. For IT HAPPENED..., the audience sits on three sides of a large dance space, simultaneously containing the space, the dancers and themselves.

CHOREOGRAPHY: Joanna Kotze in collaboration with the dancers    
PERFORMERS: Stuart Singer, Netta Yerushalmy, Joanna Kotze
COMPOSER: Dave Ruder
COSTUMES: Reid Bartelme
LIGHTING DESIGN: Kathy Kaufmann

COMPANY WANG RAMIREZ (France / Germany) – Monchichi

February 25, 26 & 27 at 7 p.m. 
Venue: NAC Studio

ABOUT MONCHICHI
The bedrock piece by duo Wang Ramirez creates a portrait of a new, urban, mobile and intercultural generation. Here, they choose their artistic language as freely as their life partner even if he/she speaks a foreign language… or several. Dance is their language, but so are words. Sébastien, French with Spanish origins crosses choreographic paths with Honji, born in Frankfurt to Korean parents because, in this open-minded world, everyone can be a cultural mix with blended origins. Honji brings suppleness and Asian musicality to her movement, and Sébastien brings his Mediterranean vivacity. Together, they tackle Monchichi as they construct their life together – in perfect balance between masculine and feminine. Their dance puts its virtuosity at the service of a quest for truth where nothing is left to conceal doubt or the difficulties in communicating, let alone the joys of togetherness. In the end, Monchichi is a piece full of humor and self-deprecation, a joint self-portrait that testifies of daily life with as much humour as poetry.

ARTISTIC DIRECTION, CONCEPTION, CHOREOGRAPHY & DANCE: Wang Ramirez 
DRAMATURGY: Vincent Rafis 
LIGHT DESIGN: Cyril Mulon 
SET DESIGN: Ida Ravn
COSTUMES: Wang Ramirez 
COMPOSER: Ilia Koutchoukov alias Everydayz /+∞
ARRANGEMENTS: Fabien Biron
ADDITIONAL MUSIC: Carlos Gardel, Alva Noto, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis

TICKETS AND PERFORMANCES 

Face 2 Face takes place on Wednesday February 24, Thursday February 25, Friday February 26, and Saturday February 27, 2016. Performances are at various times in the National Arts Centre Studio and ODD Box -- details are shown above. Tickets for This Is The Title, Ours, Not About Everything and It Happened It Had Happened It Is Happening It Will Happen are $25 for adults and $12.50 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card). Tickets for Monchichi are $31 for adults and $17.50 for students. 

Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices; to reserve your seats, call 613 947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Tickets are available for purchase:
• In person at the NAC Box Office
• At all Ticketmaster outlets 
• By telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS) 
• Online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC’s website (http://www.nac-cna.ca) 
• A service charge applies on all purchases made through Ticketmaster

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Alexandra Campeau
Associate Communications Officer 
NAC Dance
613 947-7000 x508
alexandra.campeau@nac-cna.ca