Solid shifts

Helen Simard has been busy these days - so busy, in fact, she's doing our phone interview while biking up St-Hubert to her studio. Simard is one eighth of the Solid State Breakdance Collective, which is in the final stages of putting together their newest full-length creation, It's Not You, It's Me, which debuts at Tangente (840 Cherrier) this week.

From the group's beginning four years ago, breakdancing has been the core of the all-female collective's work. But, Simard says, the group has reached a new point in their evolution. "Our relationship with breakdance is moving in a different direction," she explains. "This show is kind of different from our last one. It's more of a contemporary dance show that's breakdance-inspired." Check it out Oct. 7–10 with matinées on the 9th and 10th, and do call early for tickets as they tend to go fast (525-1500.) » Marites Carino

From eternity
to here

"Aeternam is a Latin term for eternity," explains choreographer Emmanuel Jouthe of the title of his newest work, AEternam. "But here, my specific target is to address everything that could be ephemeral. Instead of concentrating on the big issues, my research is about the opposite."

The performance piece is the second half of Jouthe's choreographic diptych, Dimanche XXIe. In focusing on smaller things, it takes a much different approach from its predecessor, Vitrail, which explored the relationship between human beings, time and space. And where Vitrail involved Jouthe performing in an optician's shop window where the public was free to come and go as they pleased, AEternam, has a more traditional setup at Espace Libre (1945 Fullum). Using video and an assortment of on-stage objects like metal, fruit, water and plastic, Jouthe creates a juxtaposition between the organic and perishable with material goods. The show, which features dancers Eve Lalonde, Claudia Péloquin, Marilyne St-Sauveur, and Chanti Wadge, runs until Oct. 16 (521-4191). » Marites Carino>

'Lectric launches

This Saturday, Kaie Kellough launches lettricity, a collection of poems about the streets and denizens of Montreal. He'll bring his sinewy, rhythmic pieces to life on stage with the help of members of the Kalmunity crew. "I'll be working with different combinations of musicians, small combos building up into a full ensemble," Kellough explains. He's joined by West Coast poet Wayde Compton, who's launching his latest book of poetry, Performance Bond. "He's gonna be doing his turntable poem," says Kellough. "He recorded an oral version of the poem and pressed it to dubplate, and he mixes it with hip hop beats." With special guests Jason Selman, Josephine Watson, Queen, Fabrice and Stephen Thomas. Oct. 9, 9 p.m., at the Main Hall (5390 St-Laurent), $3. » Vincent Tinguely

Spontaneous constructions

La Centrale's Le 6e mois de la performance: special edition schedules in process kicks off this Saturday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m., with an open workshop by local Sylvie Cotton and Finnish artists Essi Kausalainen and Marja Mikkonen at Galerie La Centrale (4296 St-Laurent). These three, together with Cuban artists Tania Bruguera and Glenda Leon and Canadians Tagny Duff, Aiyyana Maracle, Margaret Dragu and Thirza Cuthand are at the brand-new space until Oct. 17 to discuss, create and collaborate on performance art.

As a result of their spontaneous and flexible working process, the artists themselves will generate a daily schedule of actions, interventions, Web and video works open to the public. To follow the programming as it unfolds, consult www.lacentrale.org, call 871-0268, or e-mail galerie@lacentrale.org with "Inform Me" in the subject heading and an e-mail will be sent to you each time an activity is announced. It runs until Oct. 31. » Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

COMFORTABLY NUMB: A surefire way to cut cravings of things that feel good is to take the good feeling away. Such is the philosophy behind Sugar Stop Gum. The gum works by binding itself to the sweet receptors on the tongue, essentially turning them off with an ingredient called Gymneme Sylvestra for a total of 15–20 minutes - just enough time to turn the mind to things other than Reese Peanut Butter Cups. And while the sweet sensation takes a hike, the tongue remains as sensitive as always to salty and sour tastes. Sugar Stop Gum packs a minty-fresh taste, which fades progressively as the ingredients get to work, leaving a numb feeling and bitter aftertaste not unlike a trip to the dentist.

ArtsHole

STRONGMAN REMEMBERED: Robert Pelletier's large-scale sculptures of legendary Quebec strongman Louis Cyr are on display at the Maison de la culture Marie Ugay (6052 Monk) until Jan. 7. • PIECE OF POST-PI: A stage adaptation of Life of Pi author and sometimes Montrealer Yann Martel's The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios dips into the Bain St-Michel (5300 St-Dominique) from Oct. 7–24. Presented by infinitheatre, the one-man play stars local legend Joe Cobden.

ARTISTAT: Number of furniture pieces created by the late Frenchman Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, who ran one of Paris's hippest cabinetmaking and decorating firms of the '20s, in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts retrospective, Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco, which continues until Dec. 12: 30

>> Arts Listings