All that glitters

by Genevieve Paiement

Beyond the evil, pin-covered voodoo dolls and scary zombies of clichéd movie lore lies the complex tapestry of real-life Haitian Vodoun or Voodoo. The Saidye Bronfman Centre's Sequined Surfaces: Haitian Vodoun Flags show offers a glimpse at this mythologized faith that mixes African, European and aboriginal Caribbean cultures.

Though the great majority of Haitians live in abject poverty, the Voodoo flag makers manage to create visions of pure opulence with their glittering, incredibly intricate sequined and beaded works that can take months to create. Typically, these beauties portray loas, or spirits, which will be conjured during rituals involving trance-inducing drumming and dance. The exhibit also aspires to incite cultural dialogue with several events happening into January, including round table discussions (Nov. 22, Dec. 6, 6-7:30 p.m.), a symposium (Dec. 9, 2-5 p.m.) and spoken word performances (Jan 6, 2-3 p.m.). At 5170 Côte Ste-Catherine until Jan. 6. Info: 739-2301. :

Sleeping junkie

by Mark Slutsky

A junkie on the nod is perhaps not the first image that springs to mind when the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is invoked, but it makes sense in a way; after all, wasn't it a needle's prick that prompted the maiden's long sleep? The Brothers Grimm fairy tales were always pretty dark, though none of the characters ever tried heroin--until now. Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky's ballet, is showing this weekend in what might be called a pretty non-traditional format.

Choreographed by Mats Ek of Sweden's 51-year-old Cullberg Ballet (a guest company of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal), the production retains Tchaikovsky's original score but pretty much scraps the rest. The show's setting has been changed to Europe in the '50s, and its gentle Beauty is now a wastrel street-kid runaway. Sleeping Beauty runs Friday-Saturday, Nov. 22-24, at Place des Arts' Salle Wilfred-Pelletier (175 Ste-Catherine W.), 8 p.m., $20-56. :

Face off

by Christine Redfern

Down in the bowels of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the video installation "Secret Life" by French artist Henri Foucault. Using surprisingly simple means, Foucault creates a hypnotizing installation. He projects a video of a woman's face onto circular mirrors that reflect the still recognizable image onto the walls, ceiling and floor of the gallery to a soundtrack of industrial train-like noises. The results are so interesting it is hard to believe the multi-coloured, multi-shaped reflections are created solely by the mirrors. In the descriptive text accompanying the work, Foucault states that the piece "alludes to representations of the face in some of the history of cinema's great films." That may be so, but when I viewed "Secret Life" I did not think "cinema," but "disco." At 1380 Sherbrooke W. until Jan. 27. Info: 285-1600.

Savoury sauce

by Vincent Tinguely

It's all about diversity for the editors of Ribsauce, a print and audio anthology co-produced by Véhicule Press and Wired on Words. "I didn't approach it as 'Oh, this is a women's book,'" says print editor Taien Ng-Chan. "We wanted to stay away from being simply celebratory, corny or slushy--often things like this can become very uncritical."

Instead, she and the CD editors wanted the collection to offer a critique of gender, and of genre as well. The book features poetry, prose, drama, monologues and various things between. "It's genre-breaking," says Ng-Chan, "I think that's an important part of it." According to Alex Boutros, who co-edited the Ribsauce CD with Kaarla Sundström, "The diversity is indigenous to the genre of spoken word itself." She found one trait the contributors to the disc shared was the technical savvy for self-production.

The anthology's editors host tonight's gala launch, which features contributors Catherine Kidd, Alexis O'Hara, Skidmore, Victoria Stanton, Mary Elizabeth Grace, Dana Bath and Francesca Lodico. November 22 at La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent, 8 p.m. Free admission with purchase of Ribsauce ($18), $5 without. :

Is it Art?

On the prowl: Listen up all you swingin' single Québécois: there's a new way to keep on top of the sassy 'n' solo circuit: it's called Rendez Vous and it's on newsstands now. This glossy baby comes complete with a calendar of singles events ("L'agenda des célibataires") like bowling, bingo, badminton and breakfasts happening everywhere from Laval to Ste-Hyacinthe. Plus, it's got tips on how to make it known that you're totally available (they suggest showing off your copy of Rendez Vous at the bus stop, the bistro or at work). Plus, learn how to stretch work wear into 5-à-7 flirt-wear for maximum pick-up potential. Visit www.rendezvousmag.com for details. :

ArtsHole

Showing the money: Having returned from performing to rave reviews in Mongolia and other far-off places, Jerry Snell and Nadine Thouin are back in town to stage their multidisciplinary dance show Cash. Without spoken language the show comments on "the anguish of mankind asphyxiated by a culture ruled by monetary ideology." At the MAC (185 Ste-Catherine W.), Nov. 22-24, 8 p.m. Info: 847-6226.