Juliet Palmer and Yvonne Ng at Artword Theatre

Back To Artword Productions 2002-2003

In the Artword Theatre mainspace
December 5 to 8, 2002

princess productions and Juliet Palmer present
Cypress,
Flotsam & Jetsam
an evening of interdisciplinary music
and dance works

Thursday-Saturday at 8pm and
Sunday at 2:30pm
Tickets $17 ($12 students, seniors, CADA)
Ticket reservations: 416-533-8577

Composer Juliet Palmer and choreographer Yvonne Ng (princess productions) combine forces for the first time to present two performance works featuring dance and live music:
the world première of Cypress, Yvonne Ng’s latest choreography performed by three dancers to live music composed by Palmer;
and the Toronto première of Flotsam & Jetsam, a multi-media new music dance-opera conceived and composed by Juliet Palmer.

Cypress – World premiere
Conceived and choreographed: Yvonne Ng
with the creative input of
Performers: Justine Chambers, Susan Lee and Susanne Chui
Composer: Juliet Palmer
Musicians: Peter Pavolovsky (double bassist), Robert Stevenson (clarinettist)
Costume Designer: Heather McCrimmon
Lighting Designer: Glenn Davidson

The initial inspiration for Cypress by Yvonne Ng is a dream Ng had that made reference to the Chinese legend of the Three Friends – bamboo, plum trees and either pines/cypress or stone. They do not die; they remain constant and blossom before the spring comes. The cypress symbolizes longevity, a core aspect of friendship. The dancers fill the space with flowing movements that are both strikingly awkward and yet starkly organic. In this work, the dancers become the ever-shifting, ever-sifting landscape, creating and disarming their boundaries and conjoined limitations.

Flotsam & Jetsam – Toronto premiere
Creator-directors:
concept, music & co-direction: Juliet Palmer
choreography & co-direction: Bill James
video: Nick de Pencier
costume design: Evelyn von Michalofski
original lighting design: Paul Mathiesen
lighting design : Glenn Davidson
Performers:
Piano (movement, voice): Nicole Bellamy
Mezzo-soprano (movement): Vilma Vitols
Dancer (voice, piano): Susan MacPherson

Flotsam & Jetsam, conceived, composed and directed by Juliet Palmer, is an interdisciplinary new music dance-opera for mezzo-soprano, pianist and dancer. Premiered at Canada's Open Ears Festival in May 2001, Flotsam & Jetsam crosses boundaries between dance, music and video, bringing together some of Toronto's most innovative artists.

In the 1920's Juliet Palmer’s grandmother played piano for silent films in the tiny New Zealand town of Takaka. Weaving together her grandmother's memories of the underwater world of Australian silent film star Annette Kellerman, Flotsam & Jetsam features mezzo-soprano Vilma Vitols, filmmaker Nick de Pencier's stunning underwater footage of dancer Susan Macpherson choreographed by Bill James, artist Evelyn von Michalofski's fantastical costumes of metal, plastic tubing and felt transform the performers into high-tech mermaids. While the music is leading the work, all the performers dance and sing, play percussion, swim and do whatever else is necessary to bring the ideas alive.

		In the Artword Theatre mainspace December 5 to 8, 2002 princess productions and Juliet Palmer present Cypress, Flotsam & Jetsam an evening of interdisciplinary music and dance works Thursday-Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm Tickets $17 ($12 students, seniors, CADA) Ticket reservations: 416-533-8577

Composer Juliet Palmer and choreographer Yvonne Ng (princess productions) combine forces for the first time to present two performance works featuring dance and live music: the world première of *Cypress, Yvonne Ng’s latest choreography performed by three dancers to live music composed by Palmer; and the Toronto première of Flotsam & Jetsam, a multi-media new music dance-opera conceived and composed by Juliet Palmer.*
	Cypress – World premiere Conceived and choreographed: Yvonne Ng with the creative input of Performers: Justine Chambers, Susan Lee and Susanne Chui Composer: Juliet Palmer Musicians: Peter Pavolovsky (double bassist), Robert Stevenson (clarinettist) Costume Designer: Heather McCrimmon Lighting Designer: Glenn Davidson The initial inspiration for *Cypress* by Yvonne Ng is a dream Ng had that made reference to the Chinese legend of the Three Friends – bamboo, plum trees and either pines/cypress or stone. They do not die; they remain constant and blossom before the spring comes. The cypress symbolizes longevity, a core aspect of friendship. The dancers fill the space with flowing movements that are both strikingly awkward and yet starkly organic. In this work, the dancers become the ever-shifting, ever-sifting landscape, creating and disarming their boundaries and conjoined limitations.
Flotsam & Jetsam – Toronto premiere Creator-directors: concept, music & co-direction: Juliet Palmer choreography & co-direction: Bill James video: Nick de Pencier costume design: Evelyn von Michalofski original lighting design: Paul Mathiesen lighting design : Glenn Davidson Performers: Piano (movement, voice): Nicole Bellamy Mezzo-soprano (movement): Vilma Vitols Dancer (voice, piano): Susan MacPherson *Flotsam & Jetsam,* conceived, composed and directed by Juliet Palmer, is an interdisciplinary new music dance-opera for mezzo-soprano, pianist and dancer. Premiered at Canada's Open Ears Festival in May 2001, *Flotsam & Jetsam* crosses boundaries between dance, music and video, bringing together some of Toronto's most innovative artists. In the 1920's Juliet Palmer’s grandmother played piano for silent films in the tiny New Zealand town of Takaka. Weaving together her grandmother's memories of the underwater world of Australian silent film star Annette Kellerman, *Flotsam & Jetsam* features mezzo-soprano Vilma Vitols, filmmaker Nick de Pencier's stunning underwater footage of dancer Susan Macpherson choreographed by Bill James, artist Evelyn von Michalofski's fantastical costumes of metal, plastic tubing and felt transform the performers into high-tech mermaids. While the music is leading the work, all the performers dance and sing, play percussion, swim and do whatever else is necessary to bring the ideas alive.