What to see at this year’s Vancouver International Dance Festival

Even if you don’t know a pirouette from a Pirelli, the 2017 Vancouver International Dance Festival has something to boggle the mind, and inflame the senses.

A showcase for local and international choreographers, performers and companies, the VIDF is a hotly-anticipated annual event. This year, from March 1-25, 14 different companies will perform at various venues. Here’s a preview of some of the pieces during the festival’s 17th edition.

Dairakudakan, Paradise (Vancouver Playhouse March 10 & 11) – The 21 members of the Japanese company take a surreal, haunting journey on a white, geometric set.

Kitt Johnson, Post No Bills (Roundhouse Performance Centre, March 23-25, 8 p.m.) – Choreographed and performed by Denmark’s Kitt Johnson, Post No Bills explores the potential of crisis to transform the human condition.

Kaeja d’Dance, lifeDUETS (Roundhouse Performance Centre, March 9-11, 8 p.m.) – This West Coast premiere of a piece from Toronto’s Kaeja d’Dance showcases the collaborative talents of husband-and-wife duo Karen and Allen Kaeja.

Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, To the Pain that Lingers (Roundhouse Performance Centre, March 16-18, 8 p.m.) – The Montreal company presents choreographer Virginie Brunelle’s poetic work, which has been described as “sometimes romantic, sometimes crude, but always informed by her search for our connections to each other, for the links that leave traces and create memories.”

Kinesis Dance somatheatro, In PENUMBRA (Scotiabank Dance Centre, March 1-4, 8 p.m.) – Vancouver’s Kinesis Dance somatheatro marks its 30th anniversary with the world premiere of In PENUMBRA. Inspired by the search for utopia and the penumbra (described in press materials as “the grey area between light and darkness that clouds our quest for enlightenment”), the work incorporates intricate, experimental choreography with video, music, and modulated lighting.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Shostakovich and SAND (Vancouver Playhouse, March 3 & 4, 8 p.m.) – The San Francisco troupe is known for its Known for hyper-physicality and technical brilliance. The Ballet will present two pieces: Shostakovich, which is set to four Shostakovich string quartets; and SAND, performed to the original score of tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd and jazz pianist Jason Moran. Robb Beresford, who has danced with Vancouver’s Joe ink, is a member of the company.

For a complete lineup and ticket info visit vidf.ca.