NEWS photo Mike Wakelield

FOR her fifth annual Kiss Project, creative director Judith Marcuse (right) has
brought together 18 of the best Kiss Creations from the past four years.
Vancouver choreographer Sandra Botnen (left) is among the contributors.

Projeci cel

ebrate

with 18 Kisses

Layne Christensen

News Reporter

layne@nusnews.com

JUDITH Marcuse’s Kiss Project
may be the pertect antidote for arts
fans who balk at the notion of “con-
temporary dance.”

“Its a no-risk program.” jakes the artistic
director of Dance Arts Vancouver and creator
of che fitth annual festival ot
dance, theatre and music. “TE
you don’t like one piece. is
over in tive minutes.”

For this vear’s festival, Feb.
2-14 at Performance Works,
Marcuse bas selected IS) ot
the more than 70 five-minute
Kiss Creations she has com:
missioned in the past four
years.

Renimning are Jennifer
Maseall’s 1998 choreography
The Brutal Telling and David
Earle’s “%6 creation
Elsewhere, which premiered
as a full-length work in Toronto this past year.
Lez Eider’s 1998 Kiss creation [fT Was he Last
Man is returning after touring festivals across
Canada.

“There is quite a different sense of things
this vear.” says Marcuse, referring to the return
of these and other proven crowd-pleasers.
“There is a calmness around the work, a quict

“It’s a no-risk
program.

If you don’t
like one piece,
it’s over in five

minutes”

sease of celebracear boqaise Gvervene Knows
that the work ts goed.”

The Riss Project is vide
peopie who are sophisoated
alse tor these who have never set teat insides
theatre.” says Marcuse

The Creations are just ang aspect at the Riss
Project. Dance and drumming, workshops.
which have been held at Performance Work all
this past Week, are another,

But what has Marcuse really excited is Hot
Cuban Kisses, a Cuban dance
Party tomorrow. 9 punt at
Performance Works.

The Riss Project has brought
in wwe of Cuba's top: dance
artists, Manuel Vasquez
Robaina and Marav
Gutierrez, both oof the
Havana-based Danza
Contemporanea de Cuba, to
rumba with | Vancouver's
vight-picee band Shango Ashé
under the direction of Jack
Duncan.

“They are extyaordinary per-
formers,” savs Marcuse of the
two dancers who have been leading advanced
workshops in: Cuban dance all this week at
Pertormance Works.

Tickets for Saturday's party are $25 az the
door or through ‘Ficketmaster at 280-3311.

For a complete schedule of events, call the
Kiss hotline at 606-6434 or visit the website at
<www.mesquared. com/DanceArts>.

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heatre goers but

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