DANCE

ARTS Quijada proud to rediscover his Rubberband roots

by Charlie Smith

Choreographer Victor Quijada first became interested in dance as a child growing up in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Hip-hop culture was on the rise, breakdancing was the rage, and he had no shortage of opportunities to express himself.

“My real initiation into dance was in those circles…after school and on the street corner and in garages as a teenager,” Quijada tells the Straight by phone. “That became a very important part of my life.”

In his late teens, he was in clubs or ciphering at underground hip-hop events. He toured as a dancer for rappers, which is where his identity as “Rubberband” originated.

“That name was given to me because of the style of dance I had,” Quijada says.

But he was also living in a parallel universe of more conventional artistic expression. It came from his last two years attending a high school with a strong focus on arts. There, Quijada was exposed to artistic movements, including cubism, minimalism, and abstraction. He learned about the great choreographers, as well as postmodernism and butoh. .

Quijada’s talent was eventually recognized by legendary U.S. choreographer Twyla Tharp, who invited him to join her company in 1996. That resulted in Quijada moving to New York where he refined his skills as a contemporary ballet dancer, soaking up all that the city had to offer. But Quijada couldn’t forget his roots as Rubberband. It was in New York that the seeds were sown for his eventual decision to create a company called Rubberband two years after moving to Montreal in 2000.

“The Rubberband method is the consolidation of not just movement, it’s a philosophy,” Quijada says. “It’s a bridge between very distinct approaches.”

His choreography incorporates styles from the street, juxtaposing this with contemporary ballet and movement approaches from theatre, martial arts and other areas.

Quijada notes that, sometimes, a professional ballet dancer will say that street dancers have no discipline. But he believes that street dancers sometimes put in twice as many hours as a ballet dancer until they master a certain move. As the choreographer bringing these two dance forms together, Quijada acknowledges that he sometimes finds himself in the middle, telling dancers that he recognizes himself in both of them.

Rubberband’s new show, Ever So Slightly, addresses the dichotomy between hip-hop and contemporary dance. According to the veteran artist, there are moments of virtuoso and explosive athleticism. At other times, his dancers perform in a calm and vulnerable way. “The audience will project their stories onto these faces and the situations that these people are going through—or fighting to get out of,” Quijada says. “In that way, there are many narratives possible.” g

Veteran choreographer Victor Quijada connects the dots between contemporary ballet and hip-hop culture in his personal Rubberband show Ever So Slightly. Photo by Marie-Noëlle Pilon.

DanceHouse will present Rubberband’s Ever So Slightly on October 21, 22, and 23 at the Vancouver Playhouse.

NOW ON VIEW | BOOK TICKETS AT VANARTGALLERY.BC.CA

Major Sponsor: Generously supported by:

Naudia and Mark Maché

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Organized by the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art, Montréal, and presented in collaboration with the Vancouver Art Gallery