Yvonne Ng’s tiger princess dance projects – Fading Shadows-Returning Echoes

Presented by Peterborough New Dance

Performed by Robert Glumbek and Yvonne Ng
Choreographed by Robert Campanello & Robert Glumbek; Dominique Dumais; Tedd Robinson; and Yvonne Ng

Sponsored by Knock on Wood

“The yin and yang of the dance stage, Yvonne Ng and Robert Glumbeck were born to dance together…” ~ NOW Magazine

The program, Fading Shadows/Returning Echoes, features four selections choreographed and performed by the cream of Toronto’s contemporary dance scene, including tiger princess founder Yvonne Ng, Robert Glumbek, Tedd Robinson, Robert Campanello and Dominique Dumais,

Ng and Glumbek perform all the pieces. The pair are a study in contrasts: Ng is tiny, while Glumbek is tall and imposing; Ng is of Asian background, while Glumbek was born and trained in Poland.

The duo also brings an unusual combination of abilities to the stage: Ng has an extensive background in modern dance, while Glumbek trained in classical ballet and spent ten years with Desrosiers Dance before turning to a freelance career.

Choreographer Bill James has worked with both Ng and Glumbek, and describes them as “stunning dancers.”

“Both Yvonne and Robert are very versatile, very mature and are two of Canada’s top dancers at the peak of their careers,” James said. “People will be amazed by the artistry they bring to the stage.”

The program opens with the solo piece Collection #3: Headdress, choreographed and performed by Ng. The piece reflects Ng’s south Asian heritage and her love for Chinese street opera. Ng grew up in Singapore and continues to explore her cultural past in her current work with tiger princess dance projects.

The second solo performance, Dis/locate (3), is choreographed by Glumbek and Roberto Campanella, a former dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and now artistic director of his own company, ProArte Danza. Glumbek performs the piece, which reflects the concepts of home, homeland and identity.

The two duets – Fading Shadows/Returning Echoes, choreographed by Dominique Dumais, and Stone Velvet, choreographed by Tedd Robinson – take advantage of the physical size difference between the tiny Ng and the much larger Glumbek. The tone of each is vastly different from the other, however.

In Dumais’ piece, Ng and Glumbek work around a single chair to create a series of portraits, punctuated by blackouts, weaving a tale of the intimacy, trust and disappointment embodied in a long-term relationship. A highly physical piece, Glumbek and Ng move, lift, leap and throw, their obvious differences in size and temperament somehow blending to create a marriage of movement that works together perfectly.

In Stone Velvet, by contrast, veteran choreographer Robinson uses whimsy and humour to portray the complicated interchange between two quirky beings interested in each other but protective of their own integrity. The piece is set to Bach’s Violin Concerto in A Minor, and the complicated series of notes forms a template for Ng and Glumbek’s impish performance.