Hope’s Insights on Procession

I’m delighted to welcome you to Procession, a new creation from Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, two artists whose work sits at the intersection of theatre, music and dance. Their collaboration brings an entirely different energy and perspective to our company, one that’s intimate, searching and profoundly human.

The Creators

Bobbi and Or are partners in both life and art. Their path has taken them from Batsheva Dance Company to LA Dance Project and beyond, shaping a shared language that’s at once rigorous and deeply emotional. They move fluidly between stage and screen and their work often feels cinematic, as though built from the textures of real life, where every gesture carries history. Procession will mark our first collaboration with this contemporary dance power couple as we continue to broaden our collective theatre experience.

The Themes

Procession takes inspiration from the rituals that bring people together: the quiet, collective movements that mark transition, celebration, mourning or renewal. It’s less about where we’re going than how we move through something together and what is revealed in that journey.

The Music

The score, arranged by Coleman Itzkoff, draws on Baroque influences but expands into something timeless and alive. Coleman also performs as solo cellist, joined by a mezzo-soprano whose live voice adds an immediate, visceral layer to the experience. The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra is an integral presence as a living part of the storytelling.

In closing, Procession is a work unlike anything we’ve ever done before, a merging of movement, music and emotion that invites the audience into the work’s unfolding. It’s both theatrical and deeply human and I can’t wait for you to experience it.

I look forward to seeing you in the theatre!

Warmly,

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director

Procession is Onstage November 1 – 8

Top Photo: Hope Muir. Photo by Ted Belton.