Harbourfront Centre kicks off the second season of TORQUE, an international contemporary dance series, with the Canadian premiere of Simulacrum. Presented by Norwegian company winter guests, Simulacrum is a striking juxtaposition of the formality of Kabuki (classical Japanese dance-drama), the energy of Flamenco and the emotion of contemporary dance theatre. The performance is based on the real-life experiences of two legendary award-winning dancers: eighty-year-old Shôji Kojima, who moved to Spain from Japan to train and become a master of Flamenco, and Argentinian Daniel Proietto, who travelled to Japan to study the female role of Kabuki.

Choreographed by Alan Lucien Øyen, one of Norway’s most exciting artists, and chosen by Japan Times as one of the best new productions of 2018, this visceral performance displays the personal and intercultural complexities of the characters who started life in adversity. Themes of memory, passion, identity and mortality make this performance a sincere and mesmerizing tale.

Following a successful first year, Harbourfront Centre’s TORQUE returns with six world, Canadian and Toronto premiere performances, showcasing some of the most exciting emerging and established choreographers today. Harbourfront Centre will explore international perspectives and cultures and foster a global-local dialogue through multidisciplinary dance performances, some heightened with theatrical elements and live music.