The history of painters and artistry of dancers are explored this weekend The ACT Arts Centre through a RUBBERBANDance performance and a screening of the documentary film The Impressionists.
RUBBERBANDance Group (RBDG) attempts to redraw the boundaries of contemporary dance with Vic’s Mix, an original blend of 1990s West Coast hip hop and classical ballet on Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m.
The title and inspiration of Vic’s Mix is taken from RBDG founder and choreographer, Victor Quijada, and is set to music including excerpts from Stravinsky’s Firebird, and other classical composers, Prokofiev, Verdi, Bach, and Vivaldi.
Curtis Pendleton, executive director at ACT Arts Centre, said the group is currently on a tour through B.C. and the United States, and their Maple Ridge stop will be a treat for audiences.
“RBDG has really carved out a niche for itself in the country and especially Montreal. They were part of a B.C. showcase and were fabulous on so many different levels,” Pendleton explained. “They cross the line of hip hop and break dance and blur it with the rigorous classical language of ballet – it is quite accessible to people who like both.”
The premier of Vic’s Mix took place in 2016 and has been regularly toured across Canada and performed by the Quebec-based dance group.
With both humorous and serious moments, the show acts as a “best of” spanning the immense creative territory explored by Quijada, extracting jewels from the choreographer’s repertoire.
“They’re quite funny and touching. We have straight ballets later on in the season like The Nutcracker, and for people who may not necessarily be interested, this show might change that for them,” Pendleton added.
Sunday, Nov. 3, ACT Arts Centre will host an Exhibition On Screen, a 90 minute showing of The Impressionists and the Man Who Made Them.
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The documentary, stemming from a partnership with Cineplex, acts as an up close and personal exhibition on 19th-century Parisian art collector Paul Durand-Rue, the man credited with inventing impressionism as it is known today.
“We became a site for encore broadcasts of programs like the National Theatre Encores broadcasts,” Pendleton said. “This whole series takes people into the most famous art galleries and museums. This one will be quite popular, people love the Impressionist era and this really takes a look at how the art business and dealing with a promoter came to be.”
With explorations and revealings of works by Monet, Cézanne, Degas, Renoir, the film unveils the unknown career stories of art’s greatest revolutionaries.
The film is the second of four art history exhibition films and screens at 3 p.m.
Both events take place at the Mainstage Theatre in the ACT Arts Centre, 11944, Haney Place.
Pendleton encouraged interested audience members to look at the ACT’s upcoming line-up of shows and performances, saying this was without a doubt the biggest season yet in the centre’s history.
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