Media Release

Despite the name-recognition of the great male dancers of the 20th century — stars like Rudolf Nureyev, Merce Cunningham, Mikhail Baryshnikov — there aren’t many stories about the male experience in dance. In January, in a collaborative work that will explore the effects of a lifetime of dance on men’s bodies and lives, The Banff Centre hosts the world premiere ofThe Three Men Project: Full Bloom.

Conceived and choreographed by dancers Robert Glumbek, Kevin O’Day, and Luches Huddleston Jr., Full Bloom will explore the lives of male dancers, particularly as they get older — perceptions of sexuality, aging, and the self-realization that comes with many years in dance. “At 44, I am looking back on my achievements and my life as a dancer, and also looking forward to further exploration as a choreographer, performer, and collaborator” Glumbek says. “We three are eager to begin exploring the perceptions of how men age in and within the physicality of this art form, and how we can create a work that will challenge those perceptions.”

Glumbek adds that the physical demands of dance can become all-consuming for aging bodies, and in fact he will not dance in Banff as planned. After injuring himself during his last performance, Glumbek’s role will be danced by Roberto Campanella, his long-time collaborator in the Toronto company ProArte Danza. The three choreographers will be in Banff for two weeks to complete the choreography and vision the staging and lighting for the piece, which will be toured later in 2010.

Winner of The Banff Centre’s Clifford E. Lee Award for choreography in 2008, Robert Glumbek has created works for the National Finnish Theatre, Ballett Mannheim, and ProArte Danza. He danced for 10 years with Desrosiers Dance Theatre in Toronto, and has taught at the National Ballet of Canada. Glumbek is currently artistic associate with ProArte Danza.

Originally from Phoenix, Kevin O’Day trained with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York before joining the main company of the Joffrey Ballet. In 1984, he began a long association with Twyla Tharp, and later became a soloist with American Ballet Theatre, later dancing with the Frankfurt Ballet and the White Oak Dance Project. As a choreographer, he has created work for companies including New York City Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and the Royal Danish Ballet. Since 2002 he has been artistic director of Ballett Mannheim in Germany.

Luches Huddleston Jr. trained with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and has danced with the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company and with Ballett Mannheim and Joyce Trisler Dance. In 1991 he won the Hanover Choreographic Competition Prize, and has since choregraphed other works for Ballett Mannheim and Nationaltheatre Mannheim.

Upcoming performances in The Banff Centre’s Visiting Artists’ Series include Green Thumb Theatre’s Wired (January 16 – 17), Pierre Brault’s Five O’Clock Bells (January 29 – 30); Kidd Pivot (February 13) Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Edgar Meyer (February 14), Corb Lund (February 23) Manitoba Theatre for Young People’s Beneath the Banyan Tree (February 27 - 28), Suzanne Vega (March 5), Anton Kuerti (March 6), and more.

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• More information on The Banff Centre’s 2010 Visiting Artists’ Series