Joshua Beamish/Move The Company 20th Anniversary Gala | Vancouver Playhouse | May 29 & 30, 2025
Joshua Beamish/Move The Company brought together an impressive group of dance artists for this celebration of the company’s first 20 years. Presenting an array of works from across Beamish’s choreographic career, the earliest from 2007 and the most recent from 2022, the evening showed off the range of his choreographic styles, including a tender duet and an upbeat group number set to a Beach Boys compilation.
In a most impressive reprisal, Amber Barton returns to the stage in Trap Door Party to reprise her role 18 years after first performing it. The excerpt of this methodical, metronomic, darkly lit work evokes a calisthenics class as the dancers each sit in a rectangle of light and repeat a sequence of movements. It’s precise and synchronized as they go through the motions, but what it seems to lack is an emotional connection — both among the dancers and with the audience. Barton, along on stage in the final moments, grasps for this connection as she rolls forward into a lunge and reaches her hand forward, a deep breath allows us to stop and consider her entreaty before the lights go out.
Frances Chung (trained in Vancouver, now a principal at San Francisco Ballet) and Harrison James (principal at San Francisco Ballet and National Ballet of Canada) join forces for Lollapalooza, a light-hearted duet full of plucky turns and impressive lifts. The piece evokes a day at the beach with bright pink and orange costumes and sunny lighting. It’s playful and upbeat, and the pair keep up their energy and bright smiles, although their chemistry seems a bit unrefined, not the deep connection that a pair who has been dancing together for years would have. Despite this, both Lollapalooza and Stay, the other duet on the bill, demonstrate that duets are Beamish’s strength, the choreography full of wonderfully inventive partner work.
Marcato, a piece for five male dancers that premiered in 2011, is full of stark lines and bare chests. There is an urgency in the movements and a militaristic determination. This leads to a feeling of emotional vacuity, until a solo that evolves into a duet draws us back in. Although the sharp movements are a stark contrast to the fluid music, there is a striking emotional depth to the partnership.
The most beautiful duet of the evening is Stay featuring Harrison James and Stephanie Petersen (formerly of American Ballet Theatre and The Australian Ballet. They share a beautiful connection as they show off Beamish’s tender choreography. It’s slow, sensual at times, and James and Petersen allow themselves to be taken by it, they are in the moment and provide the perfect pacing and shading to the piece. It was stunning; the highlight of the evening.
Ending on an energetic high note, we’re back at the beach for Endless Summer featuring surfboards, music of the Beach Boys, and good vibrations. Beamish said before the show that 60s Americana seemed like a better programming choice a few months ago (given recent world events), but it has become quite timely in another way with the recent news of Brian Wilson’s death.
Quickly cycling through the Beach Boys hits, the playful choreography moves fast. The surfboard props are distracting at times, but when we slow down for Harrison James’ solo to “In My Room” we have a moment to once again take everything in and enjoy the introspective choreography. A beautiful pas de deux set to “Wouldn’t it be Nice” contains some subversive subtexts, and with a brief taste of so many catchy songs and complex emotional worlds, we’re left wanting more. Here’s to an endless summer and another 20 years for Joshua Beamish/Move The Company.
