By Roanne Ward
Dancer, choreographer, teacher and speaker Crazy Smooth
Dancer, choreographer, teacher and speaker Crazy Smooth (Yvon Soglo) takes his inspiring mission to illuminate the tradition of street dance culture to the world of performing arts. Smooth’s ambitious goal is to prove that hip hop is a legitimate, professional contemporary dance form. From working as an acrobatic instructor for Cirque du Soleil to performing at the Nancy Jazz Festival in France and winning the Most Valuable B-Boy award at the 2006 Kings of NY Competition, Crazy Smooth is a force to be reckoned with on the international street dance scene. He was the first B-Boy to receive a grant from the Canada Council to study B-Boying and other forms of street dance in New York and Philadelphia. The articulate, fluently bilingual, Benin-born dancer says his new show IZM, which plays at The Cultch from April 24-29, “transcends age, race and gender, reaching below the surface where emotions live.”
This year, as part of International Dance Day on April 29, the Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) asked Crazy Smooth to author the Canadian message that celebrates dance in our community. In his inspired message, he writes:
“Consider the enthusiasm of children as they express themselves through movement; the joy adults exude after a ballroom dance class; the profound emotional response of audiences and their reflections after a powerful dance performance; the incredible energy generated in a room when everybody starts to boogie; and the passion and history reflected in traditional and cultural dances. Imagine how desolate a world without dance would be. Dance speaks to the mind, body and soul in a way that goes beyond the power of words, and its social impact and capacity to engage should be celebrated. As an art form dance can be impressive but expression is its fundamental nature.”
Created in 2010, IZM has been heating up provinces across Canada for the past few months, performing to sold-out shows and receiving critical acclaim. Brian Webb, Artistic Director of The Canada Dance Festival commented:
“When IZM premiered at the Canada Dance Festival, the sold out audience went wild! And, they have good reason to…. Crazy Smooth and his dancers hold nothing back, they dance full out and they give every audience member an authentic high!”
More than anything else, Crazy Smooth aims for the audience to have an ‘experience’ during the show rather than simply being a passive spectator. Whether it’s on an intellectual level or through a physical compulsion to jump out of your seat and join in, the energy flying out of IZM‘s talented ensemble is compelling to say the least!
Rehearsing before the tour:
IZM is just one of the many performances and events happening in Vancouver to celebrate International Dance Day, which has actually turned into Dance Week – it seems we have too much talent in Canada to pack into one day! Find out more about workshops and performances and to read Crazy Smooth’s entire message.
Leap into your sneakers and catch IZM at The Cultch from April 24 – 29. Tickets are from $16 and can be purchased by visiting http://tickets.thecultch.com/show.asp, calling the Box Office at 604.251.1363 or by visiting us in person at 1895 Venables St, Vancouver.
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