World Stage 2016 to Continue Season with Premiere from William Yong

World Stage 2016 is proud to continue its season with the world premiere of the innovative dance work Steer, choreographed and performed by William Yong, Founder/Director of Zata Omm Dance Projects. Four performances only will be presented from May 11 to 14 at the Fleck Dance Theatre.

Steer imagines a trajectory where the boundary between biology and technology becomes indistinct. Gathering sensory data from the dancer, computer processing interprets the dancer's movements and produces an interactive, immersive digital environment instantaneously. Enveloped in a sci-fi aesthetic, this powerful work considers the merging of flesh and technology and its impact on humanity.

"We are pleased to continue to support William Yong/Zata Omm's work with this presentation of Steer," explains Artistic Director Tina Rasmussen. "The role of the presenter has changed significantly over the last 10 years and we take seriously our artist development responsibility. I look forward to introducing this work to Toronto audiences and also William's work to the world."

Zata Omm (Zen and the Actualization Of Modern Movement) is a forward-thinking contemporary dance company renowned for its ability to humanize technological elements in performance. The Toronto based organization is returning to World Stage after the highly successful 2015 world premiere of the Dora Award-nominated performance vox:lumen.

An early excerpt of Steer received rave reviews from local media:

"A magical blend of choreography, visuals and sound. The work is a ride...through an innovative territory of play and risk." The Dance Current

"Rigorous, virtuosic solo looking...toward a digitalized post-human future." NOW Magazine

Special discussions will complement these Steer performances (free with ticket purchase):

May 11: A pre-show Tea on Opening Night with World Stage's Scholar-in-Residence from Ryerson Unversity, Julia Fawcett.

May 12: A post-show "talkshow" invites the audience to connect with Yong who will answer questions about his performance.

Since its inaugural season 30 years ago in 1986, World Stage continues to present groundbreaking contemporary performances from around the world. The 2016 season, curated by Artistic Director Tina Rasmussen, includes seven international theatre, dance and multidisciplinary performances from Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Palestine.

In addition to Steer, World Stage 2016's impressive and eclectic season includes:

Germinal: January 20 - 23, Fleck Dance Theatre

The World Stage Mirror Ball: January 30, Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Badke: February 17-20, Fleck Dance Theatre

Portraits in Motion: April 13-16, Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Looking for Paul: Inez van Dam vs. the Buttplug Gnome: April 27-30, Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Backstage in Biscuit Land: May 25-28, Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Every Song I've Ever Written: June 9, The Power Plant & June 11, WestJet Stage

About World Stage

Since its beginning in 1986, Harbourfront Centre's World Stage has evolved into a varied season of international performance. With bold curatorial vision, World Stage assembles and presents today's performance leaders to share and develop Toronto's understanding of contemporary performance.

About Harbourfront Centre

Harbourfront Centre is a Canadian charity operating the 10 prime acres of Toronto's central waterfront as a free and open public site. It celebrates the multiplicities of cultures that comprise Canada and enlivens the city through the creative imaginations of artists from across the country and around the globe.

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