Harbourfront Centre presents Kaeja d’Dance’s 31 (TouchX + I am the Child of)

Kaeja d’Dance celebrates 31 years with two new dance works created by Artistic Directors Allen and Karen Kaeja. Grounded in memory, Karen Kaeja’s TouchX and Allen Kaeja’s I am the Child of investigate the complexity of our lived experiences. Community, perspective and a fascinating take on augmented reality technology generate evocative worlds in this double bill show. With over 25 collaborators, these works devise movement from deeply personal stories, examining the universal power of reflection, resilience and touch.

TouchX is a contemporary moving image of the thought, memory, fragility and ephemeral nature of touch. Directed and choreographed by Karen Kaeja, the dance work is a multi-sensory visual world of what remains in the body through wanted and unwanted contact, contrasted with when our hearts have been touched. An ensemble of dancers is joined by a brave collection of everyday community folk, who boldly take space in a complex world of protection, disassociation, fantasy, surrender and connection. TouchX holds a fertile immediacy and essentiality in a time when the human need for touch is unmistakable.

I am the Child of embodies personal experiences, bringing them forward in dance. This multimedia production features physical investigations of childhood memories, resulting in unflinchingly honest stories of resilience. I am the Child of is ever-changing, with structured moments interlaced with a responsive immediacy of movement, creating an unpredictable experience within every performance. Allen Kaeja collaborates with Bruce Barton and Vertical City to develop different perspectives and perceptions for the audience using augmented reality technology and multiple camera angles filmed live by the dancers. It’s a show where mobile devices are welcome and part of the viewing experience!