 |
 |
 |
|
Danse Danse – an unwavering supporter of contemporary dance
For a 13th 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.
It is with renewed enthusiasm that we invite you to join us for a seductive and diverse 2010-2011 season featuring icons of international dance, up-and-coming artists, butoh, ballet, various forms of contemporary dance, choreographers from here and abroad, breathtaking works – in short, vibrant examples of current dance certain to satisfy the most demanding.
We are proud to inaugurate the season with the long-awaited return of the much admired group Sankai Juku, which attracts crowds wherever it performs. Ushio Amagatsu‘s iconic dance company will be presenting Hibiki, a highly refined, enigmatic piece. A highlight of the 2010-2011 season will be a performance by The National Ballet of Canada under the direction of Karen Kain. Thirty-eight of her sensational dancers will present pieces by Marie Chouinard and Crystal Pite. Audiences will also be eager to see one of our favourite companies, BJM DANSE MONTRÉAL. The BJM director Louis Robitaille will introduce Montrealers to the work of choreographer Annabelle López Ochoa, one of the best kept secrets of the European dance scene, as well as a work by Mauro Bigonzetti. Another big moment will be the first appearance of Wayne McGregor / Random Dance in Canada. Fascinated by digital technologies and science, which he puts to brilliant use, McGregor is residence at the Royal Ballet in London, and its company, in residence at Sadler's Wells. The presentation will no doubt be quite a revelation. French choreographer Jean-Claude Gallotta will be bringing back to life the “erotic years” of Serge Gainsbourg with L’Homme à tête de chou, an ode to sex and the ‘70s underpinned by the voice of Alain Bashung. To close the season, we invite you to join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of COMPAGNIE MARIE CHOUINARD with three programs presented in a tribute to an exceptional artist.
A source of novel, exciting sensations, dance seeps into the body and stimulates the mind. It surprises, delights, shocks and stirs up memories. But above all, dance anchors us in a profound humanity, for it is a physical experience that resonates beyond ages and borders.
CLOTHILDE CARDINAL, PIERRE DES MARAIS
ARTISTIC CO-DIRECTORS
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.
Whenever possible, Meet the Artists sessions will be held on Friday evening in the theatre right after the performance.
Meet the Artists Schedule
Friday, 21 January 2011
Meet the artistic director of BJM DANSE MONTRÉAL, Louis Robitaille
Friday, 11 February 2011
Meet the dancers of Random Dance
Friday, March 11, 2011
Meet Jean-Claude Gallotta, the choreographer of L’Homme à tête de chou
In our 2010-2011 season, Danse Danse will take advantage of the opening of the Grand Foyer Culturel at Place des Arts to renew the format of its Up Close with Danse Danse chats.
A pre-show chat will no longer take place systematically before a dance presentation. In its stead will be an interview Saturday afternoon with the choreographer (or the Artistic Director). At these sociable “happy hours”, the new Up Close with Danse Danse chats, hosted by an experienced moderator, will be preceded by a quick review highlighting the accomplishments of the artist and/or the company and will be concluded by a discussion with the audience.
NOTE that this new series of chats will be in French. When an artist is not confortable with French, the event will take place in English with partial translation into French. It will be the case with Ms. Kain chat. Interviews will last approximately 1h15.
Hope to see you there!
PS. The first dance chat will take place Saturday, 16 October 2010 at 5 p.m. with Karen Kain, Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada. As the renovation of the Grand Foyer Culturel is not complete, this interview will exceptionaly take place in the Piano Nobile area of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts. The bar will be opened.
Schedule of Interviews
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Karen Kain, artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada
Moderator: Philip Szporer
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Louis Robitaille, artistic director of BJM DANSE MONTREAL
Moderator: Philip Szporer
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Jean-Claude Gallotta, choreographer and artistic director of the Centre chorégraphique national de Grenoble
Moderator: Fabienne Cabado
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Marie Chouinard, choreographer and artistic director of COMPAGNIE MARIE CHOUINARD
Moderator: Stéphanie Brody
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.
Bulletin Winter 2011 - vol. 10 - no. 2 [pdf]
Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Gallotta/Gainsbourg/Bashung, COMPAGNIE MARIE CHOUINARD
Bulletin Fall 2010 - vol. 10 - no. 1 [pdf]
Sankai Juku, Ballet national du Canada, BJM DANSE MONTRÉAL
-Les ballets Jazz de Montréal
The previous seasons Bulletins are available for consultation in the archive section of this website.
Choreographer-In-Residence program at the Centre Segal
The Danse Danse series and the Segal Centre for Performing Arts has established a major three-year partnership to present a at the Segal Centre. Each residency will include a public presentation of the artist’s new work that is still being developed, followed by a talkback with the audience.
The program’s mission is to support the development of contemporary dance while bringing the public into the artistic process. The Segal Centre will provide its Lab and Studio spaces to ten locally and internationally-recognized dance artists as a place to develop and workshop new material. Danse Danse, through its creative support “Carte Blanche” program started in 2006, helps artists at critical points in their careers by giving co-production shares that are invested directly into the new work.
Together, Danse Danse and the Segal Centre are ensuring the continued growth and vitality of this dynamic art form.
Choreographers-in-residence include so far José Navas, Dominique Porte, Edgar Zendegas and Chanti Wadge.
About the Segal Centre for Performing Arts
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is a meeting place for all of the performing arts, showcasing the best professional artists from here and abroad and playing a leading role in the artistic development of Montreal’s youth and the creation of its cultural legacy. The Segal Centre is setting a broad vision by recognizing the importance of building bridges through the arts and supporting multicultural projects in Montreal. The Centre’s commitment is to ensure that creativity resonates within our community and that it remains accessible and inspiring each and every day, leading the performing arts world of tomorrow.
Artists biographies
Born in Venezuela in 1965, José Navas is recognized internationally as both a choreographer and charismatic soloist. After completing his dance training in New York, he settled in Quebec in 1991. The founder and Artistic Director of Compagnie Flak, he has created over thirty works either as an independent choreographer or for his own company.
Intense, precise, and virtuostic, France-born Dominique Porte has performed works by Marie Chouinard, William Douglas, and José Navas, and made her mark as a dancer of remarkable talent. In 1999, she founded the company Système D to delve more deeply into her own language. As a choreographer, Dominique explores a broad range of musical styles, though for her the first music has always been the music of the body.
Originally from Mexico, Edgar Zendejas has been evolving as both interpretive artist and choreographer over two decades of dedicated work in the dance community. His vision of a better world through choreography was realized in 2006 when he co-founded EZDANZA. Since then the company has been evolving as an open space focused on research, creation and dissemination.
The ecclectic works of Chanti Wadge range from movement-based performances, videos, installations, drawing and collage, photography and writing. Her works span a diverse universe and invariably explore a playful dance between the contemporary and the ancient, the profound and the pedestrian, the ironic and the intuitive. Since beginning her career in 1999 in Vancouver, Chanti has presented her work across nationally and internationally.
Project Submission Guidelines [pdf]
Photo Clothilde Cardinal and Pierre Des Marais © Andrée Lanthier. Photos Meet the Artists and Up Close with Danse Danse © Maude Léger, Katia Gosselin, Andrée Lanthier. Photos Choreographer-in-residence, Chanti Wadge © Suez Holland - Edgar Zendejas © James Kelly - Dominique Porte © Tony Chong - José Navas © Valerie Simmons.
