General 2 — Shannon Litzenberger

“…beautifully conceived and eloquently brought to fruition…HOMEbody should travel the country to big cities and small because it’s Canadian to its roots.”

— Paula Citron, paulacitron.ca

HOMEbody: Lessons in Prairie Living...

About | Creative Team | Gallery | Community Engagement | For Presenters

“HOMEbody is an exploration of identity, belonging and place through the lens of my experience growing up on a Saskatchewan farm and later moving to the largest city in the country – Toronto. While my family’s farm is nearing its centennial anniversary, the property to the north and south of our home quarter has long been vacated, the houses left abandoned – decaying monuments of their pioneering roots. These homes represent not only an abandonment of place, but also characterize the mass exodus of my generation from rural life. HOMEbody is both an intimate portrait of my childhood prairie home and a tribute to the importance of where we come from.”

– Shannon Litzenberger

“Full of evocative images of lives lived on the Saskatchewan prairies. Simultaneously thoughtful and thought-provoking…inventive and playful…poignant and timeless.”

-Bridget Cauthery, The Dance Current

“…a touching image about the journey from rural youth to big city living and how where you come from will always be a part of who you are.”

-Candice Irwin, Mooney on Theatre

Creative Team

Concept, Choreography and Performance:
Shannon Litzenberger

Director and Artistic Advisor: Marie-Josée Chartier
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Set and Costume Designer: Lindsay Anne Black
Sound Designer: Miquelon Rodriguez
Writer: Lindsay Zier-Vogel
Video Images and Editing: Jef Mallory and Mike Rollo
Production and Stage Manager: Marianna Rosato
Production Assistant: Jordana Deveau
Video Consulting: Mikael Kangas

What Audiences Said

“Beautiful, thought-provoking, funny and original.” -Kim Zwolinski, Regina, SK

“… absolutely delightful – simple, stylish and elegant!” -Rosslyn Jacob Edwards, Toronto, ON

“…evocative, moving and creative.” -Sandy Houston, Toronto, ON

“A delightful, insightful, inspired and moving (no pun intended) dance piece that subtly tugs on many of the heart strings that remind us of home. Beautiful staging and refreshingly original use of video, brilliantly incorporated into the dance.” -John Van Burek, Toronto, ON

“I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Everything about it was great! The words were poetic, the lighting was amazing, and the set was used so effectively and dramatically.” -Nathan Payne, Toronto, ON

Gallery

In Performance

In Rehearsal

Community Engagement

The HOMEbody Symposium

In 2015 HOMEbody was the catalyst and inspiration for The HOMEbody Symposium in New Brunswick - a day-long symposium exploring the significance of place. In partnership with Atlantic Ballet Theatre, The HOMEbody Symposium brought together over 270 entrepreneurs, community leaders, students, artists, academics, social entrepreneurs and industry specialists from across the province to share stories and exchange ideas on shaping New Brunswick’s future.

Artist-in-Residence at Yorkton Regional High School’s Anne Portnuff Theatre

During the creation of HOMEbody in January of 2012, collaborators Shannon Litzenberger, Marie-Josée Chartier, Lindsay Zier-Vogel, and Jef Mallory traveled to Yorkton, Saskatchewan as the first-ever artists-in-residence at the Yorkton Regional High School. In tandem with the development of HOMEbody, they animated a unique creative process for Grade 10 and 11 drama students at the Yorkton Regional High School – guiding them through the creation of their own performance pieces that integrate a variety of artistic mediums including dance, theatre, music, and text. Their three weeks culminated with a public performance where the students, Shannon and her collaborators presented their work. In this brief mini-documentary, the students reflect on their experience.