Freak show

>> From Diane Arbus to Bouffon theatre, Massimo Agostinelli’s Brume takes inspiration from the fringes

by MARITES CARINO

People on the fringes of society fascinate choreographer-teacher Massimo Agostinelli. His latest solo choreography, Brume, gives us snapshots of the life of a woman famous for having the same predilection.
The work, which makes its Montreal premiere this week, is the first in a series of choreographies by Agostinelli inspired by New York photographer Diane Arbus. Arbus originally started off her career as a fashion photographer, but then veered into photographing the less photographed. Titles of her photographs include “Hermaphrodite and Dog in Carnival” or “Jewish Giant at Home With his Parents.”

“I found it so incredible, her taking amazing photos and bringing out her subject’s character, but she couldn’t bring out her own personal life,” says Agostinelli. “She was a woman hiding behind the camera and suffering by herself.” Having led a troubled life, and suffering from a broken heart, Arbus eventually committed suicide.
Agostinelli created Brume last year in Vancouver for dancer Ashley Battistelli. The solo is a reflection of Arbus’s life, and like Arbus, Agostinelli says, “I’m starting to see things that society says are ugly as beautiful.”

This appreciation for the grotesque began when Agostinelli was first introduced to the European Bouffon theatre style in his early twenties. He’s been teaching this physical and humorous style of theatre to dancers ever since and is one the few in Canada to teach the form.

Agostinelli explains that there are four major families of characters in Bouffon theatre: “There are the hunchbacks, big-bums and big-bellies, dwarfs, and the high priest characters. These people are part of our reality and Bouffon-style theatre makes people realize this.” Although there are no obvious indicators of its influence in Brume, Agostinelli says that having taught this style affects his work at all levels.

On the same bill, choreographer Sonya Biernath along with Jordi Ventura Fabra perform in P/er-tur-b’é, a duet exploring change. And after 10 years together, local dance duo Les P’tites Géantes, made up of Sandra Parenteau and Nathalie Valiquette present Les 2 Mâchoires III, the concluding part of a trilogy interpreted by Nathalie Lebel.

Birthday bash

If you take the stairs up from Tangente, you’ll find yet another anniversary going on. Projet Célébration is the party honouring Danse Cité’s 20th birthday. In a re-mounting of nine short choreographies, emerging dancers of the Montreal dance scene take on works of the past. LADMMI graduate Marie-Ève Nadeau dances in the highlight of the evening, a captivating solo choreographed by Dominique Porte which was originally performed in 2000 by dancer Liza Kovacs. :

Brume, Les 2 Mâchoires III, P/er-tur-b’é at Tangente Jan. 31–Feb. 2, 8:30pm, Feb. 3, 7:30pm, $15–13. Projet Célébration at Agora de la Danse Jan. 30–Feb. 2, 8pm, $23–16, 525-1500