The colour purple

>> Choreographer David Pressault plays with hues of Violet

by MARITES CARINO

Over the years, David Pressault has explored solitude through the creation of numerous solos for himself and others. This time around he wanted to tackle the theme of relationships. "We can't grow by doing things on our own, we need other people. This is not the context for the piece, but what I wanted to work with," says Pressault. I spoke to him the day before the premiere of his new quintet Violet, which opens Danse-Cité's 20th season at Agora de la danse.

The show's run has a special significance for Danse-Cité founder Daniel Soulières, who has been involved with contemporary dance in Montreal for over 30 years, as he performs in the work. In 1982, Soulières started Danse-Cité in order to give young artists and choreographers a chance to create. When Pressault met Soulières, he knew right away there was potential. "I have wanted to do this duet for two or three years now and I always knew I wanted Daniel to be in it," says Pressault.

Pressault, a Montrealer who trained and performed with the Toronto Dance Theatre, explains that Violet is made up of two duets and a solo. He says that he wanted to work with a male duet and a female duet because "there's a certain amount of taboo related to that." Soulières dances in the men's duet with Kha Nguyen. "I wanted to have a considerable age difference in this duet," Presseault says of the pairing. When I press him about the exact age difference between the two dancers, he laughs and says, "Daniel might not be too happy about that!"

As for the mood of the male duet, Pressault is willing to elaborate. "There is a young man, an older man... and an attraction, that's how the younger man gets in touch with his masculinity. And between the two men there is a 'Where is the feminine?' feeling. We don't actually see it, but we feel it in the energy."

The female duet, which features Anne Le Beau and Sarah Stoker, Presseault explains, "has a lot more movement. I wanted them to have more energy. While the men are very much in contact, I would say the women are more physical." Vancouver-based dancer Ziyian Kwan links the two groups with a solo.

Pressault started working on Violet last summer, and the idea of taking the theme of that colour came to him in the spring. "That's what my piece was going towards and it's the colour of relationships," he says. With this work, he addresses themes associated with the colour, such as death, and the mixing of red and blue. These themes are further explored by collaborators Angelo Barsetti (costumes and make-up), composer Bernard Falaise and lighting designer Marc Parent. With all this talk of violet, you'd think Pressault had a heavy duty penchant for the colour--not so, says the mysterious choreographer. "I don't know if I have a favourite colour," he replies. "But violet, c'est la couleur des secrets."

Violet at Agora de la danse (840 Cherrier) Sept. 5-8, Sept. 12-15, 8pm, $16-24, 525-1500