OMNI

SUPRAMORPHOUS fashion designers Ana Carpio and Luis Padilla and choreographer Angela Blumberg have joined forces to create OMNI, a contemporary dance choreography. Performed by a stellar cast of four dancers including Irvin Chow, Sarah Fregeau, Sahara Morimoto and Kaitlin Standeven OMNI takes place from July 27-29, 2018 at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, 304 Parliament, Toronto. Inspired by the question What do you see? OMNI explores the topic of perspective employs dance, text and music by four of Toronto's up and coming composers Domenic Jarlkaganova, Quinn Jacobs, Matthias McIntire, and Augusto Monk.

What do you see? is the motivating question behind OMNI. I see myself in it. It looks like me. It looks exactly like me. How can something not look like me? How can it be free from what I project onto it? Why should it be free from it? Every glimpse looks like me and then it closes. Some people believe you should leave a space empty so that God can rush in. I'm an atheist but I like the open concept and the idea that anything can rush in at any moment. What medium captures the dichotomy between abstraction and story-telling better than dance? Despite its commitment to seeing dance as an abstract entity, OMNI can't avoid narrative notions and if it had a mantra it would be: rhythm becomes emotion becomes rhythm becomes motion.
OMNI is performed by the magnificent Irvin Chow, Sarah Fregeau, Sahara Morimoto and Kaitlin Standeven. I also would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. -Angela Blumberg 

photography: Aria Evans

choreography: Angela Blumberg

A L A S 

Abdul Latif's 2018 Joyce Theater Ballet Festival - NYC

Costumes displayed at GALLERY 151, NYC

The Joyce Ballet Festival premiering Alas, by Abdul Latif. A contemporary dance production that looks into the idea of the feminine divine. Through infusions of contemporary dances like voguing, Latif aims at showcasing the various marginalized groups that are underrepresented throughout the world. Allowing viewers to view dance and theatre from a completely different angle.

Apart from the various contemporary and classical dance influences that intertwine together throughout Alas, the intermingling of contemporary and classical music to create something truly special. Mixing genres like jazz and hip-hop with a reworked version of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Season’s masterpiece Spring, the production takes on an entirely new identity for itself among other contemporary showcases.

To top of the artistry of Alas, designers Ana Carpio and Luis Padilla behind the brand SUPRAMORPHOUS were asked to create beautiful and memorable dance costumes for the male and female dancers. Incorporating all of the aspects which make Alas unique in terms of dance and song, Luis and Ana were able to create truly outstanding works of moving art to elevate the sensory overload that is Alas.

-Novella Magazine