Ultra Violets
Mar 26, 2026 | 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Created by Alexandra Caprara
Through a physical exploration of the ways queer club culture, plant growth cycles, and sapphic intimacy intersect, ULTRA VIOLETS frames queer becoming as a cause for celebration. In this 55-minute dance-theatre work, an ensemble of queer dancers moves through phases of transformation on both individual and collective scales while inviting audiences to witness this process at hyper speed, moving through rot, rebirth, and everything in between. Set in a world that is part greenhouse, part underground dance club, the piece draws from disco aesthetics and ecology alike, unapologetically celebrating sapphic love and collective acts of resistance. With integrated design, plenty of disco balls, and dirt, ULTRA VIOLETS offers a glimpse into the process of becoming while asking one simple question: Do you want to dance?
What Is the Inspiration For Your Piece? (The seed of inspiration)
ULTRA VIOLETS began at the intersection of seemingly distinct interests: plant life, sapphic history, and queer spaces, all connected by the notion of “becoming.” Throughout history, plants have often been likened to queer individuals for all the wrong reasons; yet, like plant life, queer communities have persisted despite adversity, creating spaces to grow and be seen authentically. This inspiration is grounded in the way plants thrive under bright, violet light in greenhouses—light not unlike that found in queer clubs. These two spaces, the greenhouse and the gay club, become intersecting sites of growth and transformation that shape this work’s exploration of what it takes to become oneself. Through integrated design, the piece functions as an act of extended agency, creating visibility onstage that subverts expectations and celebrates the nuanced, ongoing process of self-discovery.
An additional inspirational anchor for this work is a quote from bell hooks: “‘Queer’ not as being about who you’re having sex with (that can be a dimension of it); but ‘queer’ as being about the self that is at odds with everything around it, and that has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.”
What Point In Process Is Your Piece At? (What stage of growth is your piece at)
This project is fully realized. Edmonton is the first-ever tour stop.
Approximate or Estimated Duration
55 minutes
Artist Credits (Whole Team Involved)\
Director / Creator – Alexandra Caprara
Production Manager: Gillian Hanemayer
Sound Designer – Charlie Cooper
Lighting & Set Designer – Alexandra Caprara
Stage Manager – Claire Brown
Performers – Sydney Bluck, Desiree James, Aisha Wewala, Natalia Martineau, Nastaha Dennison
Rehearsal Direction – Anna Wang-Albani
Costume Creation – Anna Wang-Albani
Choreography – Co-created by Alexandra Caprara, Sydney Bluck, Desiree James, Aisha Wewala, Anna Wang-Albani, and Charlotte Samuel
Please note: this work also features ten community ensemble members, who will be cast locally from Edmonton closer to the festival.
Special Thanks
Erika Latta, Rob Kitsos, Wlad Woyno, Arthi Chandra, School for the Contemporary Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and the Expanse Festival team.
Where to Find the Artist
Website: alexandracaprara.com
Instagram: @itsalexandracap
All tickets are Pay What You Will (PWYW). The suggested price is $35 but any amount is accepted.
More information about access at Expanse 2026 will be coming soon. Any access inquiries and/or feedback can be sent to Carly@azimuththeatre.com.
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