Virtuosic Dance—Bill T. Jones 

TORONTO — Legendary American dance troupe Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company returns to Toronto, April 16 to 19, with the Canadian premiere of Chapel/Chapter, as part of Harbourfront Centre's World Stage 2008. Through spoken word, live music and a brilliant company of dancers, Chapel/Chapter is an exhilarating experience performed in-the-round, an intimate setting draped in red fabric reminiscent of the sanctuary of a church. Rigorous and joyful, tragic yet uplifting, Chapel/Chapter vividly contrasts evil deeds with beautiful, at times, elegiac movement and music in this captivating and emotional multi-media performance. "Chapel/Chapter is a riveting experience.the visceral impact of the piece is inescapable," says The New York Times.

Chapel/Chapter is performed from April 16 to 19, at 8 p.m., at the Enwave Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 231 Queens Quay West. Matinee performance takes place at 2 p.m. on April 19. Single tickets: $40. 13/13 rush ticket

Based in Harlem, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is world renowned for its politically driven, socially charged performance works. Continuing to push the envelope, Jones proves once again that he is one of the most powerful voices in contemporary dance today. In Chapel/Chapter, three stories-two highly visible news items and one personal confession told in movement, words and music-set the narrative mood for an intimate exchange between the audience and one of the world's top dance choreographers, Bill T Jones. An emotionally powerful work, Chapel/Chapter will long linger in audiences' memories.

"To me, Chapel/Chapter asks the very real question 'Can there be good in a world so full of evil?' The inspiration for Harbourfront Centre's focus on Sacred throughout the spring, this remarkable dance work allows us to experience these disturbing stories on a visceral level while finding refuge and ultimately hope in the beauty of the performance," says Dance Programmer Jeanne Holmes.

Chapel/Chapter's spirit is conveyed through live music performed by an ensemble of contemporary musicians: singer/multi-instrumentalist Lipbone Redding, who has been variously described as a vocal trickster and experimental cowboy; cellist Christopher Lancaster, who creates multi-layered, textural music through the use of real-time samplers and effect processing; and soprano Alicia Hall Moran, a classical singer whose influences range from opera to jazz.

Choreography by Bill T. Jones. Collaborative musical score composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain, Alicia Hall Moran, Christopher Lancaster and Lipbone Redding. Video by Janet Wong. Scenic Design by Bjorn Amelan. Lighting by Robert Wierzel. Costumes by Liz Prince. Cast: Asli Bulbul, Antonio Brown, Peter Chamberlain, Leah Cox, Maija Garcia, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, LaMichael Leonard, Erick Montes, Charles Scott, and Andrea Smith. (For additional information on the company, please visit billtjones.org.)

Harbourfront Centre's World Stage 2008 presents a diverse collection of innovative and exciting performing arts events in one visionary series with a number of world and Canadian premieres of some of the world's most exceptional artistic endeavours.

Other upcoming World Stage performances: world premiere of Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry-Daniel Barrow (Winnipeg), presented as part of the 21st annual Images Festival, April 10-12; Canadian premiere of Damascus-Traverse Theatre Company (Scotland), April 22-26; Toronto premiere of Short Works-Black Grace (New Zealand), April 30-May 3; and Toronto premiere of The Space Between-C!RCA (Australia), May 6-10 who also perform 46 Circus Acts in

45 Minutes on May 7.

FOCUS: Sacred

From January to June, Harbourfront Centre asks the big question-What do you hold Sacred? Part of an ongoing exploration of ideas in programming at Harbourfront Centre. Our Lens. Your View. Harbourfront Centre - divine culture.