Vancouver Premiere of Cote Danse's X (DIX) Set For This Month

DanceHouse will present the Vancouver premiere of Côté Danse’s virtuosic X (Dix), on stage March 22 and 23, 2024 at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. Choreographed by Côté Danse Artistic Director and Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume Côté, the striking work is a potent exploration of home as a grounding force. Inspired by the mythical Odysseus, X (Dix) makes remarkable use of the foundational materials of storytelling, employing archetypal ideas – from the hero’s journey to the role of home – to create new narratives of life’s journey and the elemental forces of leaving and returning.

“We are thrilled to present the DanceHouse debut of Guillaume Côté’s newly formed dance collective, Côté Danse, with this staggeringly beautiful and deeply contemplative work that explores the idea of ‘home’ as a state of mind,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “Conceived and choreographed throughout the pandemic, X (Dix) is an invigorating reflection of a singular moment in time, when home took on an even greater importance in our lives, as our source of stability, safety, and foundational identity. As travellers were summoned home, Odysseus’ mythical longing for home took on even greater resonance.”

The work received its world premiere in August 2021, as part of Quebec’s Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, the largest summer dance festival in the country, where Côté has served as Artistic Director since 2014. Informed by his classical ballet vocabulary, Côté’s choreography strips back the art form to its most compelling basics, featuring sleek lines and refined athleticism, performed by five virtuosic dancers on a minimalist stage setting, accompanied by the surging and sculptural sounds of American experimental band Son Lux.

Côté has been a Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada since 2004, and a leading male figure of the company and in the dance world. With a keen interest in choreography, Côté has also served as Choreographic Associate with The National Ballet of Canada since 2013, creating eight works as part of the company’s repertoire. He founded his eponymous company in 2021, with the mission of creating multidisciplinary works. Also in 2021, Côté was named Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction awarded by the Quebec government.

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