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Inspired by a once-in-a-lifetime wilderness journey in Canada’s Yukon, Christopher House’s Severe Clear is a cool, urban response to the wild beauty of the North. Whimsical, spontaneous and deeply spiritual, Severe Clear evokes the feelings, stories and astounding physicality of the mythical North.

In July of 2000 Christopher House participated in the innovative Yukon Journey Project. Severe Clear, a commission resulting from this experience, follows a group of nomads through the northern landscape. Dancers morph into animals and back into humans, with movement ranging from frisky leaps to gloriously sustained adagio. Risky partnering, effortlessly performed, contrasts with inventive solos and ensemble work. The mood ranges from joyous to serene, from playful to profound.

Phil Strong has created a brilliant sound design, using nature sounds recorded on the Yukon Journey along with an infectious techno/groove, a cappella harmonies from the TDT dancers and an incisive spoken text by House.

Visually, Severe Clear is magic. Water and ice are present throughout the piece, both in the score and onstage, presented and transformed in beautiful and surprising ways. James Robertson’s inventive décor of constantly in motion. Roelof Peter Snippe’s lighting design is glorious, evoking the Northern Lights and the deep shadows of the tundra.