DANCE:
Moving experiences

Choreography at the Fringe, the circus, the park and beyond city limits

by MARITES CARINO

For me, summer dance always gets its kick-start with the annual frenzy of the Fringe festival. After perusing the program, the thing that strikes me about this year’s line-up is the high number of newbies on the fest’s dance circuit.

For example, check out Big Moves, one of the new-to-Montreal acts, who call themselves “the only production company and service organization in the world dedicated to bringing more people of all sizes into the dance studio and up on stage.” The Boston group’s cabaret-style offering Big Spender features “plus-size dance” and requires parental guidance.

Also from Boston, inFluxdance interlaces text, modern dance and American Sign Language in This fairytale is not working out, which chronicles the inner thoughts of a fairytale character who’s gradually losing her marbles. From even further away, Brazilian choreographer Marcelo Gabriel performs solo in With the Coat of His Own Skin, an introspective physical theatre piece that grapples with ideas of power.

Coming back to more familiar feet, Montreal’s all-female breakdance collective Solid State confronts confrontation in a work for five It’s not you… it’s me. In another local cast, Pas de Deux Productions presents Le sixième s’est envolé, a work by five emerging women choreographers. The majority of the dance action is happening at the MAI and at the Théâtre La Chapelle, but if you want to get physical yourself, slink over to the Academy Club for Tango Night (June 11) for movement and history lessons with Santiago. Grab all the details at www.montrealfringe.ca

In other news, and playing simultaneously with the Fringe mayhem but further north, L’École Nationale de Cirque puts on its year-end show for the grads at Tohu, la Cité des arts du cirque, with a double program that runs until June 18 (www.tohu.ca).

Park Action

Every year, more than 60,000 spectators gravitate towards that outdoor theatre venue nestled in Parc Lafontaine. Now 50 years old, Le Théâtre de Verdure is mixing things up a bit this summer by programming works by emerging dance artists such as Emmanuel Jouthe with his philosophical work AEternam (July 19) and choreographer Marie-Julie Asselin, who takes inspiration from adolescence and daily life in Les Traqueurs (Aug. 19–20).

But don’t worry, the usual suspects make their popular annual appearances, like Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (July 27–29) with VOX POP, a collection of five works by a trio of choreographers. And Les Grands Ballets Canadiens step on stage Aug. 2–6. Then to close the park dance freebies, Montréal Danse celebrates its 20th anniversary with a special program dedicated to their evolution (Aug. 19–20). For the complete details, visit http://ville.montreal.qc.ca.

Road Tripping

Let’s move on to the Laurentians for another summer dance staple that runs Aug. 3–12. Le Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur is now a decade old and opens with a tribute to European choreographer Jirí Kylián. One of the definite festival highlights is a new creation for Le Jeune Ballet du Québec by Victor Quijada, founder of Rubberbandance Group that morphs ballet, modern and hip hop moves. Another must-see includes a remounting of James Kudelka’s intriguing vocal and movement piece that showcases Canadian countertenor Daniel Taylor. Keep an eye out for the final schedule at www.artssaintsauver.com.

But if you really want to escape Montreal’s oppressive summer smog, steer east, way east to Saint-Jean-Port Joli for the fifth edition of Osez!, a contemporary dance event organized by Karine Ledoyen. Ledoyen invites O Vertigo’s founder Ginette Laurin to work with 16 dancers for four days then to share the results during nightly outdoor performances in this charming town, well known for its vibrant arts scene (Aug. 16–20).