Newfoundland Festival of New Dance

The Newfoundland Festival of New Dance. St. John’s, NL, Sept. 16 to 25, 2010

Reviewed by Paula Citron

The Newfoundland Festival of New Dance is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It’s a small dance community but it tries to bring in the brightest and the best from the rest of the country, as well as showcasing its own choreographers.

For this 20th anniversary, the out-of-towners includes Daniel Léveillé and Martin Bélanger from Montreal, Heidi Strauss and Peggy Baker from Toronto, and Lee Su-Feh, Jennifer Mascall, and Mira Hunter from Vancouver – and nobody is going to argue with that starry line-up.

I’m here for the last two days that features the Atlantic region choreographers. I caught Andrea Tucker’s very first choreography, and still to see are Louise Moyes, Gwen Noah and Tristan Rehner.

As to what subjects of interest make up dance on the East Coast – well relationships, for one, and individual stories, this being a great storytelling part of the country.

What’s particularly great is the newly renovated LSPU Hall, the festival’s main performance space which is now state-of-the-art.