Rock Bottom Movement, a Toronto-based contemporary dance company known for its unconventional and provocative choreography, will premiere its latest full-length work, Landslide, at Fall for Dance North on October 24 at the Bluma Appel Theatre. The performance will run through October 25.

Landslide arises from a deeply personal place for the company: one of its original members recently announced her pregnancy, prompting reflection among the ensemble—comprised of women and non-binary performers of reproductive age—on family planning and parenthood. This collective introspection became the conceptual foundation of the production, which features an original score by composers Jacobi Vanderham and Britta Johnson.

Choreographer Alyssa Martin, who serves as Fall for Dance North’s artist-in-residence and is an artistic producer at the National Ballet of Canada, described the work as “a call to parenthood.” She said the piece focuses less on the decision itself and more on the emotional and physical experience of being immersed in the tension and urgency that parenthood deliberations can bring.

“Parenthood is so deeply personal,” Martin explained, “and the choice is so deeply personal. What’s interesting is investing in the topography of the personal rather than making a universal statement.” She noted the movement vocabulary explicitly explores this internal process through a unique, often surreal physicality centered in the pelvis and shifts in body alignment. The choreography also includes more buoyant and elevated movements than the company’s previous works, including an increased emphasis on jumping.

Martin emphasized how dance offers a particularly intimate way to investigate themes of parenthood, both for performers and audiences. She highlighted that a dancer’s interpretation reveals as much about them as the audience’s response reveals about their perspective, making the art form a powerful medium for exploring such a complex topic.

Addressing broader trends in contemporary dance, Martin advocated for creating works that consider diverse audience attention spans and incorporate varied elements to engage viewers more fully. She stressed the importance of trusting audiences to bring their own interpretations to the performance, thereby fostering a sense of inclusion and connection.

Rock Bottom Movement’s beginnings were modest; Martin recalled that the company initially busked outside theatres in Toronto, including near the Bluma Appel and the Royal Alexandra Theatre, aiming to capture the attention of industry professionals. Now, more than a decade later, the company has established a significant presence in the city’s dance landscape, with Martin balancing roles in contemporary and classical dance as she continues to develop new works that challenge and expand conventional dance narratives.