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| A word from the co-directors | The contemporary dance | Up Close with Danse Danse | Meet the artists | Bulletins |
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Danse Danse – an unwavering supporter of contemporary dance
For a 12th consecutive season, Danse Danse is continuing its role as ardent supporter of contemporary dance, fostering the creation of new works, providing visibility for choreographers from here and abroad, presenting both renowned and emerging artists and their diverse styles and aesthetic approaches. Contributing to the growth and development of contemporary dance, Danse Danse is extending an open invitation—to the curious, the open-minded and the knowledgeable—to experience dance in the here and now.
Our 12th season
Rebellion, chaos, childhood, humanism, abstraction, formalism, flamenco, romanticism—these are just a few of the themes running through our 12th season. Surprising and diverse, to say the least, they demonstrate the incredible richness of today’s dance. Despite the stereotypical views that some may hold regarding the art, contemporary dance is the unique expression of the vision of its creator. Hence its vitality, its diversity, its broad palette of colours.
It is this very richness, this multitude of styles and aesthetic approaches, that make each of our seasons a thrilling artistic adventure. Our 12th season is no exception. On the 2009-2010 horizon is a series of surprises, discoveries, new creations and past treasures from both local and international choreographers and companies.
The season will open with the young Israeli-born choreographer Hofesh Shechter, who has won over London and the world in record time. Shechter will be followed by an exceptional artist with a huge fan-base in Montreal: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. The Moroccan-Belgian choreographer blazes new trails in a splendid work for Buddhist monks skilled in the art of kung-fu. José Navas is next in line, with a piece for eight dancers set to the ethereal piano music of Erik Satie. In early 2010, Danièle Desnoyers will unveil her latest creation, the result of a “carte blanche” offered by Danse Danse in support of its choreographers. We will then welcome La Otra Orilla, a Quebec-based company specializing in contemporary flamenco, who will waste little time in capturing your heart and soul. In an entirely different vein, the irresistible jewel of Brazilian dance, Grupo Corpo, will once again perform on our stage. The 2009 2010 season will close with the Toronto Dance Theatre, who are returning to Danse Danse with a fanciful work inspired by the theory of elementary particles!
Experience the pleasures of contemporary dance!
Clothilde Cardinal, Pierre Des Marais
Artistic co-directors
Contemporary dance singular or contemporary dance plural?
Contemporary dance can be defined in a thousand different ways, for it is rich, wide-ranging and constantly evolving.
Contemporary dance, above all, is current. It embraces an aesthetic, a way of dancing, a style that is distinct from other dances. It is multifaceted. The question thus arises: is there a single contemporary dance or are there many different kinds? No one has exactly the same way of conceptualizing or representing this dance. Each dancer, each choreographer and each spectator has different definitions and expectations with regard to so-called contemporary dance.
The dance we today call contemporary was born in Europe and the United States after World War II. It followed modern dance and for some began with the currents of postmodernism.
Although all new art is “contemporary,” in the sense of current, for those who experience it in the era of its creation, the term has come to embrace various techniques and aesthetic approaches that emerged in the 20th century. In today’s dance, by common agreement, the concept is limited to choreographies and works that belong to the tradition of modern dance and its offshoots. What was called “new dance” or “young dance” has also been subsumed under the heading of contemporary dance.
Intent on distinguishing themselves from past generations, contemporary choreographers and dancers have taken the concept and made it their own, tacitly recognizing a common approach to the problematics of the body in movement.
Contrary to “contemporary music”, which applies to any work written over the last 50 years, contemporary dance has no precise temporal limits. It is defined either by its line of descent or by its breaks with this line, and almost always employs a common historic-aesthetic approach: borrowing the techniques of modern or classical dance, updating or bending them, or interweaving them with theatre, martial arts, literature, visual arts, circus and other artistic disciplines.
.Up Close with Danse Danse
Before each show, in the hall of the theatre at 7:15 p.m.,1:15 p.m. for the matinees on November 8, 2009 and April 11, 2010. .And it’s free!.
It allows viewers to appreciate certain subtleties that will enhance their understanding of the works.
Since 2008, each performance in the Danse Danse series is preceded by a mini-conference given by a specialist in the field.
Researchers, under the supervision of Philip Szporer: Alexandra Redgrave, Catherine Lavoie-Marcus. Speaker for La Otra Orilla: Stéphanie Brody
Back by popular demand!
Post-performance chats are also scheduled.
Each Friday, you are invited to meet the artists right after the show.
Since 2001, Danse Danse publishes a Bulletin that contains all the information on companies, artists, and the works on its program. Free for subscribers and school groups.
The previous seasons Bulletins are available for consultation in the archive section of this website.
Photo | Clothilde Cardinal and Pierre Des Marais: Martine Doucet
