Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Arts and Culture

Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre staged Next Steps' Vision Impure Photo: Robert.bluesky / Flickr

As a classical ballet lover, I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy something as contemporary as Noam Gagnon's Vision Impure, what the Toronto Star called "a dance-lover's must see." As a dance lover, I was not disappointed. As somebody craving entertainment, I was caught off guard.

Vision Impure is part of Toronto's 2009 Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps Series and played November 6 and 7 at the Enwave Theatre. The show was choreographed by Nigel Charnock, Noam Gagnon, and Daniel Léveillé and performed entirely by Noam Gagnon.

Gagnon is a renowned dancer-choreographer and co-Artistic Director of the Holy Body Tattoo. He called the performance an exploration of "human relationships and the tension that moves us."

His talent for conveying emotion through the most insignificant movement was obvious. The choreography was intense, artsy, strange, and altogether captivating, especially during the show's first half of a three-part series, all choreographed by Gagnon.

Gagnon is a fearless dancer who has no problem taking risks or testing the limits of his body. Against the sporadic backdrop of black and white footage of a bullfight, Gagnon's raw quality of movement and the warm lighting were unsettling and bizarre.

However, nothing in the first section prepared me for what came after the intermission. Gagnon burst from the curtains wearing a black suit and running across the strobe-lit stage to pounding heavy metal and techno music. It was shocking in a completely different way.

The second half of the show was so unlike the first that parts of it actually invited laughs from the audience. Then, as soon as the thudding beats ended, a voice began discussing the beauty of the human body and its relation to the soul. Gagnon's movements were again somber and thoughtful. I was taken aback that such a profound piece could follow an almost-striptease and surprised at how easily the mood flipped from hilarity to solemnity.

The only part of the show that underwhelmed me was the final piece, choreographed by Léveillé. The piece was so simple and understated its message was lost and seemed out of place among such extreme choreography.

The question is whether this show could appeal to those other than modern dance enthusiasts. If the dynamic choreography and excellent dancing do not impress you, or the mere fact that Gagnon performs a physically demanding solo for an hour and 45 minutes, I believe that the sensory overload would be enough to draw your interest.

This is the most contemporary performance I have ever seen, mainly because of the inclusion of video footage, fog, strobe lighting, and partial nudity. As the audience entered, a montage of floating eyeballs played on the screen above. The music ranged from operatic to hardcore rock. Gagnon wore a number of outfits, varying from almost nothing to a Canadian flag wrapped around his waist. All in all, there was entertainment value for more than the elite dance community.

Impure Vision is a performance worth seeing, if only to witness Gagnon's distinctive style of dance. Even though such a modern approach might not inspire everyone, this is the type of spectacle that can at least astonish.

The next Mainstage Series Event is the Larchaud Dance Projects. This performance will run from 3 December, 2009 until 6 December, 2009. For more information contact the Theater Centre at 416 204-1082.

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