Gravity and Other Myths

Venue: Vancouver Playhouse

DanceHouse and The Cultch presents Gravity and Other Myths - The Mirror

The corporeal glory of bodies, full of sweat, heat and power, forms the meat of The Mirror, the newest work from Gravity and Other Myths. The Australian company more than lives up to its title, suspending the laws of physics in order to generate a new kind of dance, infused with elements of circus, cabaret, and a light spanking of kink.

Offering much more than a metaphorical peek behind the curtain, The Mirror strips bare the architecture of performance itself. From the grunts, shouts and onstage banter to the price paid for pushing the body to its absolute limit, this is heart-in-your-throat territory, leavened with a hefty dose of humour and some more outré elements from torch songs to sexy underpants. Scaling the heights of elegance before descending into near-Exorcist contortions, The Mirror loops in the audience for some gleeful conspiring, backstage access and a wee bit of interactivity.

The feats of strength and balance are staggering enough, but in amongst the fleshy tangles of arms and legs is something more than raw spectacle. A spiritual dimension is also present, created by sheer bodily effort, it is the stuff of awe that soars towards the sublime.