The theme of love is woven throughout Crimson Coast Dance Society’s upcoming season.
The season begins with The Mars Hotel, created by Dumb Instrument Dance. The production is a series of vignettes that explores relationships and strives to unravel the meaning of the word love.
“The show really looks at the intricacies of relating in love, or through love,” said Holly Bright, artistic director of Crimson Coast Dance.
Bright compares the piece to a poem and said the dance production is a response to the book, which bears the same name.
“When the choreographer read the book, she realized the essence of that book was love and she also recognized the timeliness of it,” said Bright “When I watched it, I felt the relating and I saw some of the tangents that are possible in a love relationship and there is humour and there is … fun and interplay”
She invites audience members to watch the show and approach it without expectations to explore what comes up for them.
The Mars Hotel features original music performed by Handmade Blade. It shows Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. at the Port Theatre. Tickets are $27. The show contains nudity.
The theme of love continues during Crimson Coast’s second show of the season Love. Be. Best. Free. The show by Danny Nielson is a story about a man who gives everything up for love, even while risking losing himself. He struggles with the question of what is really important to his happiness.
Love. Be. Best. Free, shows Feb. 19 at the Port Theatre. Tickets are $27.
It fuses comedy, tap dance and athleticism to weave the man’s story.
The society’s annual Body Talk performance is April 2, 8 p.m. at the Port Theatre. The show features the Body Talk Cru, local youths who spend the school year learning how to plan and produce an event.
The season ends with the Body of Water Project, which is a collaborative project amongst Bright: Nicole Mion, of Springboard Performance, Danielea Castell and Genevieve Marton. It involves participants from the community and explores how communities value water.
“We live on an island and are surrounded by water and just magnificence,” said Bright, adding that it important for her to connect dance to the outdoors and create an appreciate for both.
Bright said the project was initiated by Mion and she is excited to work with Castell, founder of the Water Gratitude Project.
“She goes to communities and works with rivers and gets to know the river … then brings the river together with the community and the community together with the river to create peace, understanding, love and respect between this element and the community,” said Bright.
Crimson Coast Dance is hoping to present the show on during the InFringing Dance Festival.
The society’s largest fundraiser the 14th annual Wee Tipple Party: Nanaimo’s Scotch Whisky Festival is March 3 from 7-10 p.m. at the Grand Hotel. Tickets are $95.
The evening includes samplings, hors d’oeuvres and live music by Steve Jones and David Baird.
“This event is another example of how we are standing out in the eyes of whisky aficionados,” said Susie Sirri, director of operations for the Grand Hotel, on Crimson Coast’s website.
She said the hotel has about 140 different labels at the whisky bar, part of the hotel’s commitment to whisky culture.
Tickets for the Wee Tipple and a Crimson Coast Dance Season pass; which includes The Mars Hotel; Love. Be. Best. Free; Body Talk Finale; and Body of Water, for $75, are available at www.crimsoncoastdance.com. Individual show tickets are available at the Port Theatre by calling 250-754-8550 or online at www.porttheatre.com.
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