“Spectrum of Connection” stands as a fresh, full-length production artfully crafted by Emily Cheung, the Artistic Director and choreographer of Little Pear Garden Dance Company. This innovative creation delves into the intricate realm of globalization and the ever-evolving dynamics of human travel and migration. Cheung skillfully navigates the narrative, examining the spectrum of human communication from its historical roots to its contemporary manifestations. Drawing inspiration from the fluid strokes of Chinese calligraphy, she employs this art form as a metaphorical bridge to traverse space and time, weaving a rich tapestry of expression.
Through “Spectrum of Connection,” audiences are invited to embark on a captivating journey that redefines our perception of communication and reimagines our interactions with one another. Cheung’s choreography peels back the layers of our modern existence, revealing the nuanced interplay between our innate yearning for physical human connection and the omnipresence of technology and the internet in our lives. The production adeptly explores the complexities of societal constraints and the weight of social expectations, shedding light on the arduous quest to unearth one’s authentic self in the midst of life’s myriad connections and encounters.
Little Pear Garden Dance Company’s headquarter, operations, respective members and associates operate within the traditional lands of the three peoples of the Anishinaabe Niswi-mishkodewinan (known in English as the The Three Fires Confederacy) which include the Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawatomi nations, the six peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy: the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk), Onyota’a:ka (Oneida), Ononda’gaga (Onondaga), Gayogohó:no (Cayuga), Onondowaga (Seneca) and Skuarureaka (Tuscarora) nations, the Mazina’iga-ziibing Misi-zaagiwininiwag (Mississaugas of the Credit) the Wendake-Nionwentsïo (Huron-Wendat) and any and all nations recorded and unrecorded. We acknowledge and humbly offer gratitude to the original caretakers and ancestors of the territory we are performing in tonight, known to the Kanien’keha:ka nation as T’karonto “the place in the deep water where the trees are standing” which is questionably and unjustly governed by The Toronto Purchase Treaty No. 13 of 1805. This treaty sought to steal lands and resources from Indigenous peoples who had maintained balance with the earth, the waters and the animals since time immemorial. It is also governed by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Treaty, which was in place between the Indigenous nations long before settlers arrived, and entails the peaceful caretaking and sharing of resources around the Great Lakes. We support and stand in solidarity with the many Indigenous communities who have lived, worked and danced on Turtle Island, and continue to do so every day.
Photo by Ronny Ng
