Fall Dance Preview

The start of the dance season is fast approaching and again this year looks particularly enticing. Going through the fall schedule, I handpicked ten shows that you should watch out for.

From September 13 to 15, Quebec choreographer Benoît Lachambre comes back from Europe for the North American premiere of his latest creation, Lugares Comunes, at Usine C. Strong from his win of the prestigious Bessie Award for his performance in last year’s Forgeries, Love and other matters, it will be interesting to see Lachambre orchestrate a piece for ten dancers.

The same weekend, September 14 and 15, the phenomenal dancer Jacques Poulin-Denis presents his own work at Studio 303. It will be great to see what Poulin-Denis has to offer as a choreographer.

From September 27 to October 7, Tangente presents its annual program titled Extracurricular Dances. Each year, recent graduates from Montreal’s three most important dance schools get the chance to show their stuff. A great opportunity to witness the strong, new talent that Montreal has to offer.

Also, Marie Chouinard will present bODY_rEMIX/les_vARIATIONS_gOLDBERG again at Place des Arts from October 4 to 6. Hailed by many as the best dance show of 2006, those who missed the eye-popping spectacle will get the chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens promises to shine yet again this year in Belgian neoclassical choreographer Stijn Celis’s Cinderella, which is back by popular demand from October 18 to November 3. This fairy tale adaptation for the 21st century is set to Prokofiev’s music, performed by a live orchestra.

From October 25 to 28, Concordia graduate Benjamin Read gets to follow up his highly successful turn in last year’s Extracurricular Dances with his own show, choreographed with Sophie Dales, at Tangente. We will get to see if his new work is just as theatrical and political as the previous one.

British Columbia’s Kidd Pivot will present its new work, Lost Action, at Agora de la danse from October 30 to November 3. If the excerpt that Crystal Pite, one of Canada’s most original choreographers, presented this summer at Moyse Hall is any indication, we are in for quite a treat.

From November 30 to December 15, Paula de Vasconcelos presents her second instalment dedicated to Quentin Tarantino, Kiss Bill, at Usine C. De Vasconcelos continues to blend theatre and dance and has scored one of Quebec’s most coveted actresses, Sylvie Moreau, for this particular show.

A wonderful gift for the holidays: Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon, and dancer Peter Trosztmer bring Norman McLaren’s animation to life in the mixmedia show Norman at Place des Arts’s Cinquième Salle from December 5 to 15. McLaren is the best animator in Canadian history and Trosztmer offered two of the most memorable performances last year at Tangente, so it should be interesting to see him immerse himself in McLaren’s oeuvre.

Finally, it may look like I am jumping the gun, but Dave St-Pierre will present Un peu de tendresse, bordel de merde again in January at Usine C. The show quickly sold out when it played at the Festival TransAmériques this summer and there is little doubt in my mind that it will sell out once more this time around, so get your tickets as soon as possible. Trust me when I say that this is a show you do not want to miss, as St-Pierre is one of Canada’s most urgent artistic voices.

Have a great dance season!