In case you’re like me and thought that Aszure Barton’s latest dance work Awáa was going to celebrate the spirit of Avatar, let me set the record straight for you: it was not. Although it may be the highest grossing (and therefore most popular) film of all time, fortunately for the audience in the Eric Harvie theatre last weekend, James Cameron’s Avatar had no influence whatsoever on Barton’s Awáa creation.
Awáa — pronounced “ah-wah,” instead of Avatar’s “eh-wah” — celebrated the feminine in an intense, sometimes humourous, and incredibly emotional way. I’m no expert on dance, but I was quite happy to kick-start my long weekend with such a moving piece. Each piece flowed perfectly into the next. The underwater projections felt womb-like to me, and I found them strangely comforting. The dancers seemed so strong, yet they captured an essence of fragility. Overall, it was a fascinating, provocative, refreshing piece.
Then I woke up and it was Canada Day! I must say, the perfect way to balance out the weekend after a thought-provoking Saturday, is to spend a lighthearted Sunday in the sun, with friends, celebrating our beautiful country, province, and town. We are so lucky! Check out the photos above to see all that happened.
