Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre – Wintersong: dances for a sacred season

reviewed by Paula Citron
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Wintersong: dances for a sacred season
Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre
Choreographed by Deborah Lundmark, Kim Frank, Carol Anderson and Andrea Nann
Fleck Dance Theatre
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The annual ecumenical tradition of Wintersong: dances for a sacred season by Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre began 20 years ago as an antidote to the crass commercialism of the Christmas season. The concert is rooted in spirituality – as first inspired by the winter solstice – and in the faith of our ancestors whose rituals gave birth again to the sun.

The two new works for me were Deborah Lundmark’s “Unquiet Dreams,” which premiered last year, and Andrea Nann’s “Sun Stand Still.” The former is a well-designed work centred around the Gaelic Samhain when the crack in time separates light from dark, epitomized by two alter egos. Nann’s work depicts a solstice ritual searching for the light, mirroring solar magnetic activity. I liked the challenging rhythms and patterning of the dance, but I found the little flashlights attached to the costumes to be a little gimmicky.

Over the years, Wintersong has grown to be a very beautiful concert performed by accomplished young dancers.