- World Premiere: February 2012- The Cultch
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Direction: Dana Gingras
- Film: Dana Gingras and Yannick Grandmont
- Original Cast: Amber Funk Barton, Lisa Gelley, Shay Kuebler, Josh Martin, David Raymond
Sound Design: Roger Tellier-Craig
Photography: Yannick Grandmont, Rob Sondergaard
Directed by commissioned choreographer Dana Gingras (Holy Body Tattoo, Animals of Distinction), New Animal is a ferocious work created with and specifically for 605 Collective, exploiting the supreme versatility of its five dancers. Suffused with raw, unbridled energy, groove, ludic interaction and a hunger for movement, the performers reclaim their animal bodies as a means of becoming fully human. Both playful and intimate, New Animal walks a tightrope between fleeting moments of control and radical shifts in dynamics. The tension between flesh ultimately pushes the structure towards the edge of chaos and entropy. The collective effort to maintain form under pressure requires a resultant acceleration of energy from the feral performers, and willingness to adapt against imminent disorder.
“…New Animal is its own world where the dancers appear beholden to prevailing forces: internal back-of-the-brain animal instincts versus an external invisible hand. Technically impressive with their universal ability to fast-forward, rewind and stop on a dime, 605 attacks New Animal’s contrasts between explosive physicality and moments of suspended animation…” – Jessica Barrett, North Shore News
“The aftermath of the production looked a bit like a couple of molting grizzlies had just finished a food fight. What had actually transpired was an equally wild animal show. Choreographer Dana Gingras had encouraged the troupe members to unleash their inner beasts, and to their credit, her young charges committed fully to the task. (…)The choreography can best be described as “urban jungle” – primeval movement with a hip contemporary edge… But the theme is driven by an animal hunger that pushes into strange new territory for all artists involved.”– Janet Smith, The Georgia Straight
New Animal was made possible through generous co-production support from Animals of Distinction, residency support from Stable (Montréal), and funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council and City of Vancouver. Also, a thank-you to Sasha Kozak, who was a part of the work’s early research phases.
Film stills by Yannick Grandmont
