Kaeja d'Dance Presents X-ODUS and CRAVE as Part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps, Now thru May 11

Toronto's Kaeja d'Dance, the award-winning company led by husband-and-wife choreographers Allen and Karen Kaeja, presents the world premiere of X-ODUS and Crave, a new double-bill that delivers two takes on intimacy - one from each half of this passionate couple. X-ODUS and Crave probes unsettled solitude and the attempt to reconnect for an evening of deeply resonant, dynamic encounters from tonight, May 7 to Saturday, May 11 at Enwave Theatre as part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps.

Allen Kaeja's X-ODUS features his "trademark stamp of hyper physical, high impact choreography" (Toronto Star) with Karen Kaeja and four other electrifying performers. Taking risk to the next level through explosive and intimate struggles, the five dancers journey to find closeness, vulnerability and depth. "To arrive one has to leave."

Dancers: featuring Karen Kaeja along with Michael Caldwell, Zhenya Cerneacov, Merideth Plumb, Stéphanie Tremblay-Abubo.
Dramaturge: Bruce Barton Composer: Edgardo Moreno
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell Costume Designer: Cheryl Lalonde

Karen Kaeja's Crave exposes the beauty and chaos of intimacy in a haunting duet of racing hearts that navigates loneliness, unsettledness and the hope that keeps us hanging on. Solitude, disconnection and trust become awkward interfaces that are magnified by a life full of efforts to reconnect.

Dancers: Michael Caldwell, Stéphanie Tremblay-Abubo.
Dramaturge: Pil Hansen
Composer: Sarah Sugarman
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Costume Designer: Cheryl Lalonde

Now entering its 22nd year, Kaeja d'Dance has had an exceptional 2012. The Globe & Mail honoured Karen Kaeja's vision for Porch View Dances this past summer as the "Best Site-Specific Work" of 2012, "exploring the very essence of what makes us humanŠa poster child for site-specific dance done right." The Kaejas won the inaugural Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) "I Love Dance" Community Award and were finalists for the CDA "I Love Dance" Innovation Award.

Founded in 1991, Kaeja d'Dance has established a reputation for innovative contemporary dance performances, site-specific works with extreme numbers of dancers, acclaimed screen dance and in-demand education and outreach programs. The Kaejas have created more than 140 stage works and 26 films, received commissions worldwide and toured over 20 countries. Faculty members at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and Ryerson University, Karen and Allen Kaeja have published two books, and their films are in the Permanent Collections of the MoMA (New York), Yad Vashem (Israel) and many university libraries. The Kaejas won the inaugural Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) "I Love Dance" Community Award and were finalists for the CDA "I Love Dance" Innovation Award. They were also finalists for NOW Magazine's 2011 Best Local Choreographers Award. www.kaeja.org

Pictured: (top) Allen Kaeja, Karen Kaeja. Photo by Zhenya Cerneacov. (side) Michael Caldwell, Stéphanie Tremblay-Abubo. Photo by Aria Evans.

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