Bygones gone,
Ballets back

That you could find bare breasts on a Ste-Catherine street stage would hardly raise an eyebrow these days, but back in 1965 when Les Ballets Africains were pulled for performing topless, it caused quite a stir. Authorities at Place des Arts put an abrupt halt to the show and the dejected Guinean dance troupe swore they'd never come back to Montreal.

It seems the situation has had enough time to cool down, though. Les Ballets Africains are coming back for a one-night-only performance - one that compiles the best moments of the company's history.

Choreographer and company founder Keita Fodeba was deeply involved in Guinean politics - so much that it eventually cost him his life during the country's war for independence when he was murdered in prison 34 years ago. But Fodeba lives on through his dance company, which is now celebrating its 50th birthday. The 35-member troupe uses traditional West African music, theatre, dance, acrobatics and storytelling to showcase Guinean culture this Sunday, March 14, at 8:30 p.m., $32-$48, 790-1245 for more info. » Marites Carino

String fever

John Cusack's character in Being John Malkovich may have been the ultimate drip, but damn, his puppets were dope - real high-end stuff with articulation to spare. Local puppeteer Chris Godziak, a puppet-maker and manipulator since 2000 when, in Edmonton, he and his friend Sheldon Woloshyn caught the bug, works with the same type of marionettes. (You should see the crazy, ergonomic handgrip he made for himself.) He's inspired in particular by the Czech Republic's tradition of puppetry, aims to "create shows that involve contemporary choreography with marionettes," and is holding "interactive and hands-on" marionette-building workshops in the coming days, as part of the Art Matters series. They're on the mezzanine of Concordia's Hall Building, Monday through Wednesday, March 15-17, 1:30 p.m., and they're free. » Rupert Bottenberg

Roots stoke

The National Campus and Community Radio Association is launching the Dig Your Roots spoken word comp with a Canada-wide series of gigs, starting next Thursday at Café Silencio (3645 Notre-Dame W). Featuring sets by Odessa "Queen" Thornhill, Khyro and Ève Langevin, the three Montrealers on the disc, the show's being Webcast and picked up nationally by participating NCRA stations, including our own CKUT. Says Thornhill, "I'm excited about the live show - my family in Halifax and Ontario know I perform but they haven't heard me yet!" March 18, doors 8 p.m., broadcast 9-10:30 p.m., $5. » Vincent Tinguely

Performance theory

In its purest form, performance art is an ephemeral event involving a flesh-and-blood performer. Often all that remains is a snapshot or video footage documenting the process. But "pure" ideas don't take long to mutate, and many artists have blurred the line that separates the document from the performance act.

Curators Michèle Thériault and France Choinière focus on this hybrid work in two consecutive group exhibitions at Dazibao (4001 Berri). Now on view is POINT, a collection of work made between 1968 and 1981 by seminal international artists Vito Acconci, General Idea, Suzy Lake, Arnulf Rainer, Paul Wong and Max Dean. The important issues raised by these early practitioners still resonate in contemporary art practices. How these past ideas are being reinterpreted and reworked by today's artists will be the focus of the next exhibition, SHOOT, as well as a day-long performance event, La lumière comme surmoi, organized in collaboration with Sylvie Cotton. POINT runs until April 10. » Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

SECOND SKIN: There are a couple of new products from Elastoplast we should get to - if not only to balance the leverage Band Aid™ has in being the Kleenex™ of cut covers. First off, then, is their Spray Bandage, a clear aerosol substance that forms a kind of second skin over wounds. It feels and smells something like nail polish when applied, but dries quickly and, for better or worse (worse), won't wash off (fuck!). It is breathable though, and would certainly come in handy for hard-to-bandage places like knuckles. One can is said to be good for 40 applications and retails for $12.99 (32 cents a spray). Stay tuned next week for Elastoplast's Silver Healing™ band aids... er, bandages.

ArtsHole

HARDCORE POLITICS: Local multi-disciplinary artist Hermès links the Internet, the dangers of "anal-barebacking" and the connection between Christina Aguilera and gang bangs in true politico-hardcore style in Where Are the Weapons of Massive Seduction, a group show also featuring visual artists Alain Bonnes, Marc-André Jutras and Adele Zanni. It's at Galerie Artus (988 Rachel E.) from March 15-27. • SACRED AND SUBCONTINENTAL: Ginette Dion-Ahmed, Manijeh Ali and Namchi Bazar present Rasa, a one-day-only performance of movements inspired by sacred Indian dance today, March 11, 8 p.m. at the Maison de la culture Frontenac (2550 Ontario E.), www.danserasa.org for more info.

ARTISTAT: As Montrealers buy, buy, buy, the number of people expected at this year's Montreal National Home Show, a showcase of design, landscaping, renovation ideas and more at Place Bonaventure, March 19-28: 200,000

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