Calligraphy on Beat Street

If you're into the hip hop dance scene, you may have noticed that there aren't nearly as many women involved as men. French choreographer Mourad Merzouki, who made the same observation, wanted to examine this dearth of women, along with the themes of writing, dance and male-female relationships through his hip hop/contemporary company KÄFIG.

As a starting point for his new work, Merzouki collaborated with Algerian calligrapher Hachmi Mokrane. Then, using an interesting blend of calligraphy and choreography, he came up with a work for eight, Corps est graphique, part of the annual winter Montreal High Lights Festival. The piece brings dance from street to stage combining the graceful motions of calligraphy and human movement with a touch of humour and an urban feel. The group, which is in the midst of a Canadian tour, makes a stop at Usine C (1345 Lalonde) from Feb. 25-28.

You may have seen Merzouki's hip hop dance troupe when they made an impressive first Montreal appearance in 2001with several sold-out performances. Tix are going fast for this one too; call 521-4493 to reserve. » Marites Carino

Ascent stretches out

It's Montreal, and what's that poking out of everyone's handbag or tucked under everyone's arm? Yoga mats are the new baguette! In the thick of it all, local magazine Ascent recently scooped up the 2003 Utne Independent Press Award for Best Spiritual Coverage. "Living up to its tagline, ‘Yoga for an inspired life,'" reads the praise, "this fresh Montreal-based quarterly looks at spirituality through the lens of social action."

While new-age yogic cousins spread like bad karma and many practitioners draw the line at yogaerobics, Ascent seeks a wider balance. "Other magazines tend to focus on the physical aspects - health, beauty and image," says managing editor Juniper Glass. "We're into finding interesting stories and we have a social-activist bent. It's more reflective and I think Utne saw that."

Ascent, which was born in rural B.C., set up shop in Montreal in 2000, where they also run rad'a gallery and a yoga studio. "There's an emphasis on art, family and community here," says Glass, "as opposed to say Toronto or Vancouver, where personal advancement is more important." Ascent is $5.95 at newsstands, www.ascentmagazine.com. » Matthew Woodley

Doing the domestic

Studio 303 slips into the residential zone this weekend with Home Show III, a dancing-in-domesticity series with 10 charming hosts. Sarah Febbraro's Crackpot digs into the domestic lives of two real-life couples - their board games, TV make-out sessions, naps and the like. Dayna McLeod's Sex Accidents and Home Repair is a décor show where sexual safety is top priority. In Revelation, Andrew Brouse uses an electroencephalogram machine to reveal the interactions between humans, plants and computers. And there's much more… cozy up from Feb. 20-22, 8:30 p.m. at Studio 303 (372 Ste-Catherine W., #303), $10-$12. » Matthew Woodley

Geek launch

The little townshipper that could, Zoe Whittall, made the mid-'90s Montreal scene with zines, the raucous all-grrl open mic, Girlspit, and right-on rants. Now living in Toronto, where she's a curator at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Whittall has just put together an amazing prose anthology, Geeks, Misfits and Outlaws. "I wanted to compile the work of writers I admired who wrote about weird and fascinating people, or who were weird and fascinating themselves," Whittall explains. "I wanted the writing to be experimental, funny or dark prose about geeks, misfits, outlaws; they are the people I most identify with and am drawn to."

Whittall will be reading at the Montreal launch of Geeks, Misfits and Outlaws, along with local legends Taien Ng-Chan, Trish Salah and Sherwin Tjia, Toronto titans R.M. Vaughan and Lisa Foad, and host Tara-Michelle Ziniuk. It happens this Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent), for "under $5." » Vincent Tinguely

Is it Art?

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR: Jesus was a carpenter. While this is likely inspiring to many carpenters, it does nothing for kids who dream of a pro-sports career. Leave that to Jesus Inspirational Sport Statues. The handpainted resin figures on a solid wood base portray J.C. actively participating in several sports with a male and female Caucasian child - shooting a few hoops, skiing, playing baseball, tennis, ballet, soccer and hockey (in which Christ wears neither visor nor helmet). There's more to come, notes retailer Catholicshopper.com, now that they've expressed requests to manufacturers for a wider variety of sports and participants of other races. The statues are available at www.catholicshopper.com/products/inspirational_sport_statues.html, $19.95 (U.S.) apiece.

ArtsHole

FACES OF CHANGE: Sukaina Kubba shows 25 of her newest portraits expressing her "fascination with the mutation of a person's appearance, behaviour and gaze over a long period of time," Descriptions, at Galerie Espace (4844 St-Laurent) from Feb. 20-29. • OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN: A Britney Spears fan sings, dances, struts and speaks like her idol on video, all orchestrated by Barbara Prokop as part of her play on celebrity mania, Britney: Still Me, showing at Articule (4001 Berri, #105) until March 14. • DWELLERS OF THE DEEP: Philomène Longpré gets into the links between people and their environments through her multifaceted video/installation, Octopus, running at Oboro (4001 Berri, #301) from Feb. 21-March 20.

ARTISTAT: Number of art/performance/etc. activities spread over 30 shuttle-bus-linked venues in the Montreal All-Nighter, an "eclectic, round-the-clock marathon" celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Montreal High Lights Festival, Saturday, Feb. 28, www.montrealhighlights.com: 50

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