Canada's top ballet companies, international cutting-edge theatre troupes, jazz acts and contemporary artists among 35 new projects joining Cultural Olympiad 2010

    VANCOUVER, June 22 /CNW/ - The inspiring story of Rick Hansen, whose Man
In Motion World Tour is legendary, will take audiences back to the beginning
of this remarkable man's story and make its world premiere as a multi-media
stage production - just one of 35 new projects announced today as part of
Cultural Olympiad 2010, presented by Bell.
    Hailing from Canada and around the world, the new projects, from
cutting-edge contemporary works to ancient traditions with a bold new twist,
are part of the third and final edition of the Cultural Olympiad festivals.
The first 20 projects were announced earlier this spring and many shows have
tickets on sale now at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.
    The extensive program, which starts on January 22, 2010 and runs
throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to March 21, 2010 will
include more than 600 ticketed and free performances and exhibitions in 50
venues in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia's Sea to Sky corridor.
    Audiences are in for a treat. The works run the gamut from Canadian
greats, such as The National Ballet of Canada and Royal Winnipeg Ballet
performing on the same stage for the first time in two decades in a thrilling
once-in-a-lifetime Olympic gala, to Ahke Theatre, the darlings of the Russian
avant-garde arts scene who will bring their darkly comic White Cabin to Canada
for the first time.
    "These latest projects demonstrate the full range of what the Cultural
Olympiad has to offer," said David Guscott, executive vice president,
celebrations and partnerships for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). "This fall, we'll announce
the remainder of the program, which is presented with the support of the
Government of Canada, the home provinces and territories of the performers, as
well as arts organizations and festivals large and small."
    Other highlights include a new stage production called Spine from British
Columbia's Realwheels, the deliciously cheesy trio The Lost Fingers from
Quebec and a theatrical picture story pitting a modern-day Métis journalist
against a famed photographer of Aboriginal peoples in The Edward Curtis
Project. The program also includes an exhibit of 12 Canadian and international
artists exploring new ways of understanding culture in the 21st century as
part of the grand reopening of the University of British Columbia's Museum of
Anthropology.
    "For the last three years, our team has scoured stages, concert halls and
galleries here at home and internationally for the most exciting established
and emerging artists to showcase here in 2010," explained Burke Taylor,
VANOC's vice-president, culture and celebrations. "The theatre troupes, dance
companies, artists and musicians we're bringing here in seven months stand out
because they offer something different, stretching beyond the traditions and
boundaries of their discipline to create something entirely new."
    "These projects will inspire audiences and challenge their perceptions of
what constitutes classical music, what age means, or even what love is, and
we're excited to share them with you," he added.
    The 35 projects, featuring dancers, musicians, playwrights, new media and
visual artists are:

    Rick: The Rick Hansen Story

    The inspiring story of Rick Hansen, whose Man In Motion World Tour
    changed the lives of millions, makes its world premiere in a multimedia
    production from playwright Dennis Foon. Presented with Manitoba Theatre
    for Young People in partnership with Rotary Okanagan International
    Children's Festival and the Rick Hansen Foundation. Commissioned by Arts
    Partners in Creative Development.

    Dance Canada Dance

    Take two of Canada's finest ballet companies and create a once-in-a-
    lifetime Olympic gala. Presented with The National Ballet of Canada and
    Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

    White Cabin

    A surreal and darkly comic work from Russia's Akhe Theatre, White Cabin
    is filled with absurd and often touching "events." The result is a
    chaotic variety show of fantastic images. Presented with the PuSh
    International Performing Arts Festival.

    Spine

    While travelling the online universe, inhabiting various virtual
    realities and identities, a man discovers the intriguing possibility of
    reinventing his physical body through cutting-edge technologies and
    ethically questionable experiments. A Realwheels Society/University of
    Alberta co-production presented with Simon Fraser University. Co-
    commissioned by Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

    The Lost Fingers

    This acoustic trio from Quebec City plays the pop hits of the '80s in a
    swinging gypsy jazz style inspired by their musical hero legendary '30s
    guitarist Django Reinhardt. Presented with the Coastal Jazz & Blues
    Society and Winterruption on Granville Island.

    The Edward Curtis Project

    A theatrical picture story that creates an unlikely dialogue between a
    controversial photographer of Aboriginal peoples in North America and a
    modern-day Métis journalist. Presented with Presentation House Theatre
    and commissioned by Arts Partners in Creative Development.

    Boundary and Translation: New Art Across Cultures

    From video installations to traditional community-based art practices,
    this exhibition of international contemporary art explores new and
    unexpected ways of understanding culture and its translations in the 21st
    century. Presented with the UBC Museum of Anthropology.

    Adrian Anantawan with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

    At age 24, violinist Adrian Anantawan has become one of Canada's most
    sought-after young violinists. His extraordinary musicianship has been
    rewarded with invitations to join the finest orchestras all over the
    world. Presented with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

    An Invitation to an Infiltration

    Reflecting on the nature of competitions, An Invitation to an
    Infiltration makes explicit the rivalry inherent to group exhibitions,
    showing how it can be a productive state of engagement. Presented with
    Vancouver's Contemporary Art Gallery.

    Anthony Braxton 12+1 Tet

    With his extraordinary 12-piece ensemble, revolutionary American jazz
    composer Anthony Braxton moves freely between compositions and
    improvisations, solos and ensemble playing, weaving musical textures full
    of magic and passionate sparks. Presented with the Coastal Jazz & Blues
    Society.

    Anthony Braxton's Sonic Genome Project

    An interactive spectacle by musical visionary Anthony Braxton featuring
    more than 60 instrumentalists, including international improvisers and
    local high school students, exploring the sonic universe over eight hours
    through ensembles that break apart and reform like human cells or
    societies. Presented with the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society.

    At Nightfall

    Auguste, a shoemaker, discovers a magical water forest in this visually
    breathtaking dance performance for families by Sursaut Dance
    Company/Sursaut compagnie de danse. Presented with Surrey Arts Centre and
    Centennial Theatre.

    BASH'd - A Gay Rap Opera

    Irreverent rapping troubadours Feminem and T-Bag tell the tale of star-
    crossed lovers Jack and Dillon in this "Romeo meets Romeo" tale of
    revenge gone wrong, by Edmonton-based playwrights and performers Chris
    Craddock and Nathan Cuckow. Presented with The Cultch.

    Best Before

    Using 200 wireless joysticks connected to one giant screen, the audience
    will create its own unique virtual city with Germany's Rimini Protokoll.
    No two cities/performances will be alike. Presented with The Cultch and
    PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Commissioned by Arts
    Partners in Creative Development.

    Body & Soul

    Fourteen extraordinary women from all across Canada, who auditioned by
    writing a letter to their bodies, share stories about life after 45 in
    this thought-provoking play by award-winning Canadian playwright Judith
    Thompson.

    China

    Part social documentary, part personal observation, photographer-
    storyteller William Yang's China is an unforgettable journey of
    reflection on the meaning of culture and belonging. Presented with the
    PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and Theatre at UBC.

    Crystal Magnets

    Longtime friends and musical explorers Andy Milne (Canada) and Benoît
    Delbecq (France) reunite to perform Crystal Magnets, their sublime new
    jazz project for two acoustic pianos. Presented with the Coastal Jazz &
    Blues Society and Winterruption on Granville Island.

    Dance Marathon

    Amateurs, bring your dancing shoes and enter this endurance
    contest/staged performance event where you'll go head-to-head with the
    dancing pros of bluemouth inc. and celebrities to see who can outwit,
    outlast and out-dance the competition. Presented with Boca del Lupo, a
    Harbourfront Centre commission.

    DBR with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

    Reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz, Daniel Bernard Roumain, or DBR, does for
    amplified violin what Jimi Hendrix did for the electric guitar with his
    rock and hip hop arrangements of classical music. Presented with the
    Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

    The Drowning Girls

    Opening with a splash, three breathless brides emerge gasping from watery
    graves - their bathtubs - to relive the tale of serial Edwardian bigamist
    and murderer George Joseph Smith and how he literally "took their breath
    away." Presented with Gateway Theatre/A Bent Out of Shape production.

    The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan

    The ghost of the infamous Spanish seducer Don Juan comes back from hell
    to harangue the audience in the name of cosmic love. Is he a sinner or a
    saint? With puppets! Presented with Alberta's Old Trout Puppet Workshop
    and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

    Florence K

    Quebec-born jazz-pop chanteuse and pianist Florence K dazzles the
    audience with her vocal and songwriting abilities in many languages,
    including French, English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Presented
    with the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society and Winterruption on Granville
    Island.

    High Performance: Evolution and Innovation in Canadian Design

    Featuring the work of Canadian designers from across the country, this
    exhibition focuses on products for work and play inspired by our
    environment and lifestyle. Presented with Charles H. Scott Gallery.

    KAMP

    In KAMP, Dutch theatre company Hotel Modern blends theatre, puppetry and
    film in an attempt to imagine the unimaginable: the greatest mass murder
    in history, committed in the purpose-built camp of Auschwitz. Presented
    with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

    Monster

    Nightmare landscapes on acrylic, child-like drawings of ghost figures and
    beautiful carvings of mythological spirits are part of Monster, an
    exhibition exploring monstrous sensibilities in contemporary culture. Be
    afraid. Presented with West Vancouver Museum.

    The Passion of Joan of Arc

    Vancouver's innovative Eye of Newt Ensemble perform a newly commissioned
    score to accompany Carl Dreyer's 1928 silent film masterpiece The Passion
    of Joan of Arc, France's most famous martyr. Presented with PuSh
    International Performing Arts Festival.

    Poetics: a ballet brut

    This is do-it-yourself theatre at its most mischievous by the Nature
    Theater of Oklahoma. Common gestures and movements are taken to hilarious
    new heights unhampered by the performers' complete lack of formal dance
    training. Presented with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

    Quilt of Belonging

    Appliquéd butterfly wings, beaded silk, African mud cloth and Salish
    weaving are a few of the materials and techniques used to make this 36-
    metre tapestry a masterpiece of textile artistry. Presented with Surrey
    Art Gallery.

    Son of Chamber Symphony

    One night, three intimate chamber symphonies, including Canadian and
    world premiere performances, played by Vancouver's Turning Point
    Ensemble. The pieces include challenging harmonic works by composers
    Arnold Schoenberg of Austria, American John Adams and Vancouver-born John
    Oliver. Mr. Oliver's composition commissioned by Arts Partners in
    Creative Development.

    Sound of the Ocean

    U Theatre, Taiwan's Tao masters of martial arts and percussion, enchant
    audiences worldwide with a mesmerizing feast of music and movement that
    traces a drop of water on its journey from the sky to the vast ocean.
    Presented with the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association.

    Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

    The rollicking enduring spirit of L'Acadie fused with the swampy southern
    heat of Louisiana fuel the sweet folk ballads and dancehall beats of
    nouveau Cajun musicians Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Presented
    with the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society and Winterruption on Granville
    Island.

    TAO

    TAO's performance isn't just another Japanese taiko show. It's an
    explosive experience with overwhelming power that stimulates the senses
    through its pounding drum beats. It's energetic, muscular, artistic,
    alluring and spectacular! Presented with Global Arts Concerts.

    Tono

    Thundering hooves and shamanic visions are conjured by dynamic percussion
    and the haunting lilt of the morin khuur as leaping dancers take centre
    stage in Tono. An original production by Red Sky Performance.

    Underneath the Lintel

    An uptight Dutch librarian takes off on a globe-trotting pursuit of the
    anonymous person who audaciously drops an overdue library book into his
    return slot - 113 years late! Presented with Chutzpah! The Lisa Nemetz
    International Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts and The Cultch.

    La valse d'Angèle/Because She Hoped: French Canadian Folk Tales

    Traditional French-Canadian folk songs, dancing and storytelling fondly
    revisited and magnificently transformed for the 21st century by a hand-
    picked ensemble of Canada's leading creative musicians under the
    direction of François Houle. Presented with the Coastal Jazz & Blues
    Society and Winterruption on Granville Island.

    The full slate of Cultural Olympiad 2010 events, along with ticket
information, will be available online at
www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad as soon as events are announced.

    Background

    About the Cultural Olympiad

    The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, is a series of
multidisciplinary festivals and digital programs showcasing the best in
Canadian and international arts and popular culture. Launched in 2008, the
program culminates in the 60-day Cultural Olympiad 2010 (January 22 to March
21, 2010), which begins before and continues throughout the Vancouver 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

    Partnerships

    Bell

    Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive
Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games, and the presenting sponsor for the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and
business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Home
phone local and long distance services, Bell Mobility and Solo Mobile
wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite and VDSL
television, IP-broadband services and information and communications
technology (ICT) services. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE).
For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For
corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

    Government

    The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is grateful for the support of the
Government of Canada and the governments of all of Canada's provinces and
territories and their respective cultural agencies: British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince
Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and
Yukon. In addition to the Cultural Olympiad's government and corporate
partners, CODE is proudly supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the
National Film Board of Canada. New Media BC and Wavefront Innovation Society
are also both active participants in the project. The National Presentation
and Touring Program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the
Arts.

    Arts Partners in Creative Development

    Arts Partners in Creative Development (APCD) is a strategic investment
partnership to assist BC arts and cultural organizations create and develop
new works or further develop existing works, with the intent of producing,
presenting or exhibiting them at the highest standard. Organizations can apply
for funding to create, commission and develop original work in the performing,
visual, media or literary arts. With an initial investment of $6.5 million
over three years, APCD facilitates the creation and development of new work to
showcase both locally and worldwide. APCD funding partners include VANOC, the
Province of British Columbia, 2010 Legacies Now, the City of Vancouver, the
Canada Council for the Arts and the Vancouver Foundation.

    About VANOC

    VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging
of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The
2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from
February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic
Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

For further information: Media contacts: Erin Mikaluk, VANOC
Communications, Tel.: (604) 403-2471, E-mail: erin_mikaluk@vancouver2010.com;
Janet Miller, VANOC Communications, Tel.: (604) 403-3546, E-mail:
janet_miller@vancouver2010.com