The spectacular Motus O Dance Theatre is returning to Revelstoke with a unique show made up of works commissioned by the company over a nearly 30-year time span.
One Hit Wonders includes nine pieces ranging in style and emotion. Some of the pieces are upbeat, some are sad, and some are funny.
“We realized over 20 odd years there were a lot of works that had only been performed once or twice. We thought why not throw together a show and we selected works we thought would work well as a compact program,” said Jack Langenhuizen, one of Motus O’s artistic directors.
Fifteen local dancers will be featured in two of the pieces in the show, Curbed and Musical Ride. Curbed was commissioned by a high school a number of years ago and has since evolved. Musical Rides was commissioned by the RCMP and uses hobby horses in place of real horses.
A company with a focus on being community oriented, Motus O has a history of creating shows that include local performers. A performance by Motus O at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre two years ago included local performers and delighted audiences.
“Everybody adored the show, especially the contemporary dance parts,” said Miriam Manley, executive director of the Revelstoke Arts Council. “Most people came because of community members taking part in the show and were then surprised at how much they enjoyed it.”
Being community oriented is a big part of Motus O Dance Theatre’s focus. Langenhuizen said many of the works included in One Hit Wonders were commissioned for a general audience.
“Our company is very conscientious in making sure it’s accessible for the audience we are performing for,” said Langenhuizen. “The dance audience still gets their enjoyment and the general public can still be challenged. There really is something for everyone.”
One Hit Wonders includes a video as part of the nine works. The piece, Impoverished, features Judy Hazlett a former dancer and figure skater who has Parkinson’s disease.
“We love to work with video and we thought we should include one. The piece was done for TV. Often we will work with video to mix it up, it also provides a break for the dancers and keeps the audience engaged,” said Langenhuizen.
Working with people with disabilities is also a passion of Motus O. Langenhuizen said about 15 years ago he and the other artistic directors, James and Cynthia Croker, began to reflect on the direction the dance company was taking. That led to working with people with disabilities and social service organizations.
“We saw people being transformed within themselves, not as dancers but seeing another part of them come to life. We realized arts has a much bigger place in our society,” he said.
One Hit Wonders will be performed at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit revelstokeartscouncil.com, call 250-814-9325 or email revelstoketheatre@gmail.com. Tickets may also be available at the door prior to the performance.
