Student showcase offers a wide variety of dance pieces, now on stage in Toronto

The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (STDT) presents IMPULSE 2019 at the Winchester Street Theatre, showcasing work from all three years of their professional training program. Celebrating fifty years of dance education, the modern/contemporary conservatory program produces some of Canada’s top performers.

Since it’s a student showcase we’re not offering a traditional review, but instead an overview of the piece. Giving you a flavour of what to expect.

Opening the night is a work from STDT alumni and long-time Toronto Dance Theatre performer, Kate Alton. “Whatever Life is Left” is a youthful, fun and quirky work with a strong underlying message. The students begin by asking each other their ‘firsts,’ referring to different momentous life memories from their first kiss to their first drink.

Choreography is set to instrumental versions of the National Anthem, and Coldplay’s bright “Viva la Vida.” Throughout the piece, they reveal a sort of ‘insiders process,’ as they ask each other if they think the audience is ‘feeling it,’  or give notes regarding their overall performance before changing sequences.

It’s beautiful to see their personalities shine through with this work, especially as they lightly touch on different prominent topics seen in the news this year, like the young climate activists that captured the world’s attention, which point back to the work’s title.

“Remanence,” choreographed by Marc Bovin, focuses on the imprint of human contact, and the resonating effects after their disappearance. Dancers push, pull and place each other through different movement sequences. The piece has a consistent slow build through its eerie feel. Dancers wear uniform black clothing, with hard-to-deceiver patterns, as they manipulate each others’ position, with an interesting manipulation of facial features.