Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman: "Graveyards and Gardens"

Please note: Latecomers will not be admitted. Due to the intimate staging of Graveyards and Gardens, latecomers cannot be admitted after the performance begins.

Graveyards and Gardens is an unforgettable performance installation conceived, created and performed by composer Caroline Shaw and choreographer Vanessa Goodman.

A stage is filled with lights and cables, plants and turntables. Things begin an array of sounds—some come from tape decks, some from a record player, some from old Edison wax recordings. This auditory wash slowly diminishes until only one part is left; the energy then shifts, and dance mixes with music until they become one.

Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw and Chrystal Dance Prize winner Vanessa Goodman are two artists at the height of their power. Following the World Premiere Livestream of Graveyards and Gardens in January 2021, Music on Main is thrilled to partner with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs to bring this dazzling artistry to center stage.

Graveyards and Gardens has been performed live in Calgary, Edmonton, Portland, and Germany and the outstanding reviews are in:

“It’s a living album that continues to fold and unfold into itself. Digging deep into the beauty of how the body remembers” (Nicole Mion, contemporary artist and curator).

This April, discover a live performance that is entrancing, enveloping, and ultimately liberating. It’s experiential art at its best.

Please note a mild strobing effect will be used during this production.

Friday post show there will be a talk back with the artists, ticket holders from all nights are welcome.

Graveyards and Gardens is co-presented with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs.

Co-commissioned by Music on Main and EMPAC. Created with the generous support from The Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Arts Council, Lēna, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Action at a Distance, SFU Woodwards Cultural Programing Unit, The Scotiabank Dance Centre and CCOV.

Choreographer: Vanessa Goodman

Composer: Caroline Shaw

Sound Designers: Kate De Lorme and Eric Chad

Lighting Designer: James Proudfoot

Lighting Director: Eric Chad