Current Work

dance OREMUS dance at The Toronto Street Festival,
Saturday, July 10, 2004

P-J Dwyer choreographed and danced solo a suite of dances, appearing with Viola D'amore virtuoso Thomas Georgi of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Both artists appeared on-stage, performing the suite three times during the day. The choreography was based on Ancient Greek dance with movement sequences influences by Tanagra figures, the hieratic gestures of the masterpieces of Greek sculpture and the Isadora Duncan technique and vocabulary of Modern dance.

"Part of the fun of dancing in a street festival for me is having the confidence to improvise in my own style, so I intentionally left some of the choreographic structure open, to react spontaneously to the mood of the audience and deal with the weather as it progressed during the day. Dancing initially at 12:30pm the day was still not so hot, so it was a pleasure. But at 3:30pm the second show the heat was high and dancing for 15 minutes straight is a so small feat, The audience feels the heat the same as I did, so I adjusted the dance sequences slightly, not to make it less taxing for me physically but more a part of the mood in the audience. Finally the last show at 6pm was a totally new variation on the choreography I set, one filled with the regrets of the final adieu and love and joy of the experience."

"Working with Tom Georgi is a pleasure and honour as he is one of the few Baroque musicians in Toronto who has a great love, sympathy and understanding of dance. He has worked in the past with La Belle Danse, one of Canada's greatest Baroque dance companies."

-- P-J Dwyer

Partita in F by Christian Pezold (1677-1733)
for Viola D'amore solo senza basse

1. Gavott (1:42)

2. Gigue (2:10)

3. Bouree (1:30)

4. Air (2:30)

5. Courant (1:56)

6. Sarabande (1:35)

7. Menuet I & II (2:32)

Contact Thomas Georgi at tgeorgi@interlog.com to order his excellent CD "Many Strings Attached: Eighteenth Century Music for Viola D'amore".

dance OREMUS danse would like to thank Thomas Georgi, Joanne Weatley of Toronto Special Events, and the fabulous stage crew at the Journey's In Dance Site (Yonge Street & St. Clair Avenue). See you next summer!