Maxine Heppner to Bring OLD STORIES to Scotiabank Studio Theatre in February

Award-winning Choreographer Maxine Heppner's lifelong fascination with basic impulses and complicated dancing once again takes the stage in her upcoming dance show "OLD STORIES" which reveals public legends shared by a community of storytellers and the private world of a woman living amongst them. Presented in association with DanceWorks Co-Works "OLD STORIES" opens February 5 and runs through to February 8, 2015 at the Scotiabank Studio Theatre (6 Noble Street, Toronto, ON).

Choreographed by award-winning contemporary choreographer/producer, Maxine Heppner, "OLD STORIES" includes two works. The solo work "Moments in Time", described as "reaching a new state of mind" (Globe and Mail) when previewed in 2008, features soloist Takako Segawa, seen in Heppner's "My Heart is a Spoon" and KRIMA! In the ensemble work "Old Story", the audience members become guests at the tables of an extraordinary cast made up of Maxine Heppner (choreographer, producer, performer, designer), Takako Segawa, Phyllis Whyte, Junia Mason, Lo Bil and Lilia Leon, who dance tales of birth, love, loss, reunion and of sustaining energies that remain universal. Cameron Davis joins as Media and Light Designer and Eric Cadesky joins as Music Designer.

For this production, Heppner transforms the theatre into public and private worlds inhabited equally by performers and audience. Says Maxine: "At any moment a person lives simultaneously inside one's own experience, in relationship with the people around, and in context with the past. These dances are aimed to illuminate the worlds of history, community and individual. The heart of the work is the moving person, her roots are the impulses within her that become her story, branching out to include everyone around her."

Maxine Heppner, a recognized international dance artist, director and teacher of contemporary dance and interdisciplinary theatre, is known for her bold artistic approach and independent spirit. Since the 1970's her award-winning choreography, inter-disciplinary projects and performances have been seen across North America, Asia, Europe and Australia including many major festivals such as the Canada Dance Festival, Danceworks, Dancing on the Edge, Athens Olympic Arts Festival, Indonesian International Biennial and European Cities of Culture.

veryShort Story Fest: Everyone is a writer of their own experience. Personalizing the show, the public is invited to write and send their own 50 - 250 word short story about one of these moments: Serenity, Inspiration, Compassion, Apology, Determination, Joy, Burden, Anger, Desire, Kiss, Love, Past, Present or Future. "Moments in Time" was inspired by these fourteen different moments of experience, and a special onsite public installation of these stories will be presented during the run of "OLD STORIES". Submissions will be accepted by e-mail to oldstories@acrossoceans.org.

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