Tessa Virtue’s career has been characterized by control for the most part of her life. She mastered the art of finding balance on the ice and executing challenging moves with ease alongside her partner, Scott Moir. Together, they redefined ice dance with their storytelling that combined speed, precision, trust, and emotion, resulting in three Olympic gold medals and a lasting legacy in Canadian sports.
However, Virtue is now venturing into unfamiliar territory by stepping out of her comfort zone. Her upcoming contemporary solo dance, choreographed by Alyssa Martin from the National Ballet of Canada, will debut at the Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto on October 15. This marks Virtue’s first major stage performance, returning to her initial passion for dance.
While excited and honored for the opportunity, Virtue admits to feeling a mix of emotions. She describes the experience as both thrilling and daunting, which adds an electrifying and invigorating element to the endeavor.
Dance has always held a special place in Virtue’s heart, serving as a source of comfort throughout her skating career. Transitioning from ice dance to the stage, she acknowledges the distinct demands of each form, emphasizing the need for a different bodily relationship in dance.
Embracing a more spontaneous and vulnerable approach, Virtue is moving away from the controlled perfection of elite skating toward a freer and riskier style. She views this shift as a cathartic experience for her nervous system, embracing the raw emotions and imperfections of the art form.
Despite initially considering a duet with Moir, Virtue is now embracing a new partnership within the dance community and the rehearsal room. The solo is choreographed to Céline Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” a song that resonates with Virtue’s powerful performance style.
Robert Binet, the festival’s artistic director, praises the collaboration as a bold artistic risk that aligns with the festival’s mission to promote innovative performances. He hopes audiences will witness Virtue’s versatility beyond ice dance and appreciate the universal language of movement and self-expression.
Virtue encourages audiences to approach her performance with an open mind and heart, emphasizing the emotional connection over technical knowledge. As her solo premieres at Fall for Dance North on October 15, Virtue remains open to new challenges and opportunities, guided by courage rather than unwavering confidence.