“Crypto” is a 70 minute dance piece by Guillaume Côté (choreography) and Royce Vavrek (libretto).
It toured Canada in the spring of 2022.
Crypto tells the story of the capture of a mesmerizing beast-like creature by a Man whose married life is just as arid as the desert where he found it. With the arrival of this enigmatic being, the relationship between Man and Woman is changed forever, trapped in monologues with no hopes of dialogue. Their solos become pas de deux, and soon a pas de trois, prompted by the mysterious stranger who stimulated more than their scientific curiosity. Fearing that the physical deformities of the creature will terrify the rest of the world, the Man calls in a plastic surgeon to modify its appearance in order to hide it in plain sight in the modern world. But that transformation has unexpected consequences.
This dark and complex tale, while remaining open to interpretation, addresses contemporary issues and themes such as cultural identity, curiosity, desire, respect, and the Man’s need to control nature in wholly unnatural ways.
From the Côté Danse website.
CHOREOGRAPHY: Guillaume Côté
STORY, TEXT: Royce Vavrek
MUSIC: Mikael Karlsson
CREATION ARTISTS: Drew Jacoby, Matt Foley, Michael Baboolal, Rakeem Hardy, Martha Hart, Kelly Shaw
SET, VIDEO DESIGN: mirari – Thomas Payette and Mylène Chabrol
LIGHTING DESIGN: Simon Rossiter, after Étienne Boucher and Jean-François Piché
COSTUME DESIGN: Christopher Read
ANIMATION MOTION DESIGN: Joshua Ingleby
ILLUSTRATION: Lily Le
CREATIVE ASSISTANT, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR: Anisa Tejpar
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, STAGE MANAGER: Jean-Hugues Rochette
PRODUCER: Etienne Lavigne
The score features clarinets performed by JOSHUA RUBIN
WORLD PREMIERE CAST
Guillaume Côté, Greta Hodgkinson, Natasha Poon Woo, Casia Vengoechea
“The 2022 version of CRYPTO is more minimalist in its sound design, but the blend of classical music, natural sounds and electro from Mikael Karlsson supports the work beautifully and was a real positive point of the creation.” … “The music of Mikael Karlsson clings to this tormented world.” – Sors-tu.ca
“A choreographic language of real power that lets the dancers convey the depth of the emotions at stake with striking intensity.” … “A masterful duet that steadily builds an atmosphere of suspense.” – Chroniques de danse
“For dance lovers, it is 65 minutes spent watching four very different artists, all endowed with immense talent.” – Sors-tu.ca
“The strength of Crypto lies in the dance itself: four artists who perform with brilliance from start to finish.” … “A singular work that opens the door to new, equally bold artistic creations.” – Bible urbaine
“CRYPTO features otherworldly dancing that grips the audience in its bleak beauty.” … “Immersive projections surround the dancers to great effect, and this production is no exception.” – BroadwayWorld
The music is out on all streaming platforms.
Photo by Andrew Ross