The Threefold Transformation of Louise Lecavalier’s Body

This week at Centre Pierre-Péladeau was the much anticipated return of dancer Louise Lecavalier to the Montreal stage. After having forged an international reputation as part of Édouard Lock’s La La La Human Steps for almost twenty years, Lecavalier returns with three wildly different works by three Canadian choreographers.

I was especially excited for the opening choreography by Crystal Pite, Lone Epic, since I had fallen under her charm last year with Double Story, a collaborative work she had choreographed and performed under the umbrella of Kidd Pivot. Again, she did not disappoint. Though thematically different from Double Story, this new work is similarly highly theatrical. As such, Pite’s piece also differs from that of the other choreographers.

Three rows of music stands are aligned in a slightly curved fashion. Blank white cardboards take the place of music sheets. Lecavalier walks in wearing a dark blue suit, turns her back to the audience, and takes a position akin to that of a music conductor. When the orchestral music comes on, her body movement is a caricature of a conductor’s movement that is strangely reminiscent of Bugs Bunny.

She turns the cardboards around to reveal a single word on each of them that together compose “What is her true desire?” She proceeds to throw the music stands on the ground, which are then magically pulled to the back of the stage. Pite’s piece becomes a struggle for the desire for complete artistic freedom in the midst of boundaries that are constantly and unavoidably reinstated.

The second, brief piece by Tedd Robinson, Lula and the Sailor, is a duo where Lecavalier is joined by Éric Beauchesne. Still, most of the attention remains on her. A white square is at the center of the stage, with lights gracing its four corners. Beauchesne mostly evolves on the edges of the square while Lecavalier explores its insides.

At the beginning their movements are mirrored, but soon their connection is ruptured. Lecavalier’s movement is the most dynamic of all three pieces and is greatly enhanced by Yannick Rieu’s strong, original music that establishes an enticing mood through repetition.

The last piece, Benoît Lachambre’s “I” Is Memory, is less successful than the first two, but not because it has any inherent shortcomings. Actually, Lachambre’s choreography is a minimalist, yet complex work that is undeniably demanding for Lecavalier’s body. Wearing a hoodie, track pants and sneakers, Lecavalier proceeds to seemingly dismantle her body, rendering it dummy-like.

This desire to undo the body is often reminiscent of hip-hop. In fact, it sometimes looks like popping slowed down to such an extreme that the actual popping ceases to occur. The problem is that Lachambre’s piece is too small for the big space of Centre Pierre-Péladeau. It would have been a much stronger piece if it were to be performed in a smaller space like that of Tangente, so that the public could have an intimate proximity with Lecavalier.

Still, in all three pieces, Lecavalier’s talent shines through. Starting March 7, Louise Lecavalier will be presenting the show across the province. For more information, visit http://www.ladansesurlesroutes.com/programmation06-07.htm