Ballet de Lorraine and the Same Diversity

The proposition is enticing: a program of eight short works by as many different choreographers. Rarely does one have access to as much diversity in one evening as Ballet de Lorraine is offering with its Nuit des interprètes at the Cinquième Salle of Place des arts. As one might expect, the quality of the pieces is a tad unequal, but beyond that the works unfortunately never stray very far from a certain middle ground. Still, three works stand out from the rest.

France’s Ballet de Lorraine, photo by Laurent Philippe

The first is the opening work by Meredith Monk, Break (1964). In it, a dancer plays on the expectations of the audience by bringing slight modifications to the repetition of a movement, whether in time or in place. This playfulness has humorous effects in a piece that is short and sweet.

Despite its rather simple premise, Québécoise Françoise Sullivan’s Dédale (1948) stands out when it comes to choreography. A narrow stream of light first falls on the hand of the dancer, who proceeds to make her arm swing from left to right. It is a repetitive movement that is pushed further and further, until it transforms into another movement, like a pendulum that swings until it executes a full rotation, transforming the body on its way. Vertical rotations give momentum to horizontal rotations, the performer moving across the stage in loops that could perpetuate themselves indefinitely.

However, the highlight of the night may very well be Jean-Pierre Perreault’s Les ombres dans ta tête (1996). It is the first work by the legendary Quebec choreographer to be performed by a foreign company since his passing. It is a duo between a man and a woman where they constantly lean against one another, yet always remain somewhat alien to each other. We are definitely not aiming for symbiosis here; limbs awkwardly protrude from the torso, as if the performers do not know how to be with (or without) the other. It is a relationship of individuals fighting for their independence while desperately trying to maintain a relationship and this paradox is fascinating to watch unfold. What may be even greater is watching Perreault’s work keep on living.

Maybe one of the problems is that all three of these pieces are performed within the first half of the show, leaving us with somewhat lukewarm offerings in the second half. However, all of the works remain relatively safe. Maybe this is because the pieces, coming from a repertoire, are a bit dated? Still, La Nuit des interprètes remains a good way to get acquainted with eight choreographers over the course of one evening.

La Nuit des interprètes plays until Saturday, May 3, at 8pm at the Cinquième Salle of Place des arts. For more information, call 514.842.2112 or visit http://pda.qc.ca