Shay Kuebler's Telementry at Capitol Theatre
By Contributor
The Capitol Theatre’s fourth Season Presentation sees the return of the gravity-defying Shay Kuebler Radical System with their latest creation TELEMETRY on Saturday, October 28th at 7:30 p.m.
Kuebler has performed on the Capitol stage twice: in Karoshi, he took on the work-till-you-die culture of Japan, and the multimedia Glory tackled the rising amount of violence in our world. With Telemetry, he is more about pure movement – a bold departure for one of Vancouver’s most exciting choreographers.
This new piece has taken him back to tap, a form he started out in as a boy. Incorporating interactive lighting and a physical language influenced by tap, swing, jazz and house dancing, Telemetry looks to voice how the human body is an antenna and satellite for sound, energy, and memory.
The score’s skittery electrobeats bounce off tap dancer Danny Nielsen, who reacts with his own clicking maelstrom, which spurs ripples of movement through a corps of dancers who in turn seem to stimulate a new wave of rhythms from Nielsen. Arts editor Janet Smith of the Georgia Straight describes the interaction between the two: “The troupe heaves, rolls, dives, and toprocks, its explosive movement often staggered and fractured like spreading sound waves. Sometimes one of Nielsen’s smashing feet can send bodies recoiling like they’ve received a 400-volt jolt, or it can bring the entire, sweat-soaked corps to a halt.” (Feb 2017).
Kuebler stunning physicality is naturally spot on in his exploration of this concept, but he’s brought in an incredible team of dancers to match and challenge him – Lexi Vajda, Tyler Layton-Olson, Nicholas Lydiate, Maxine Chadburn and Hayden Fong – whose individual flair and strengths are evident throughout. Of course tap dancer Danny Nielsen is in top-flight.
Again, Janet Smith’s review of the show is thumbs up; “Kuebler has reached an extremely high level of play here. These are, without a doubt, exciting dancers to watch; don’t even try to figure out how they’re counting this stuff. The pace is breathless; Telemetry feels like a visceral metaphor for the information overload we are all struggling with in these wired times.
The performance all pulls together in a climax of such all-out intensity that you’ll be left gape-mouthed.” (Feb 2017)
Kuebler is truly buzzing in his element in Telemetry; you’ll leave the show vibrating, feeling like your feet aren’t quite touching the ground.
Tickets can be purchased in-person or by phone at the Capitol Theatre Box Office Tuesday-Friday, noon-4:30 pm – (250)352-6363 – or online at capitoltheatre.bc.ca .
Tickets prices for TELEMETRY are $30 Adult / $24 Student. Season package discounts are also available.
