Where Mexico and Canada Intersect

What are the intersections between cultures and art forms? It is with this question in mind that Tangente begins its last programme of the season, titled Crossings. This week, artists from Mexico and Canada join forces to explore the possibilities.

The first work presented in this context is a collaboration between dancers and choreographers Hinda Essadiqi and Aladino R. Blanca. With El fin del infinito, they seek to explore what happens when what we believed to be infinite meets its end. After the end begins something new, in this instance, a new movement.

Essadiqi and Blanca sit across from one another, almost naked, collectively bound in plastic wrap. They begin to pull away from one another until the wrapping breaks and they fall backwards onto the ground.

They then stand on each side of the stage, their heads in plastic buckets hanging down from the ceiling. The image is compelling and, when they start to dance, it becomes fascinating to see how the simple act of wearing a bucket affects their movement. As to be expected, it becomes highly circular, with a few moments where they are pulled up because of the cord that extends from their head to the ceiling.

When Essadiqi and Blanca break away, the buckets hypnotically dangle through the air. At this point, Aladino proceeds to walk naked across the amazing conceptual lighting created by Lucie Bazzo. Her creative use of light is stunning in its ability to constantly reconfigure the space.

The ideas in this first half of the show are so ripe with possibilities that they could have been extended substantially without losing any of their power. The second half further explores the earnest relationship between the two dancers even after they break each other’s trust or become dependent on the other.

The second work, Dialogues entre nomades by the Collective 0.0, is an installation comprised of sound, video, body and movement. Through these means, 0.0 seeks to explore the issues surrounding the displaced bodies of contemporary nomads. Unfortunately, their efforts fall short of their ambitions.

Many artists seem to find satisfaction in modifying the usual space that they submerge the audience in, but so few actually use this new space any differently than a typical one. 0.0 encourages us to move freely, which the audience never does, and with good reason: such propositions are always illusory.

To give the audience the chance to truly move freely would be dangerous because it would entail that you are giving them the possibility to destroy you, to usurp your place as that which is worthy of the audience’s attention. So 0.0 makes sure to re-establish the usual parameters between audience and performers by conventionally performing for us, so that the entire reason to redefine the space in the first place ultimately gets lost.

This could be overlooked if 0.0 offered a strong work, but the superficial treatment of migration very quickly runs thin and the simplistic choreography does not succeed in keeping the audience’s interest. Lasting over an hour, Dialogues entre nomads stretches well beyond its breaking point.

The first Crossings is presented again Saturday, April 21 at 8:30pm and Sunday, April 22 at 4pm. Next week, as part of the same series, Canada’s Mélanie Demers will present her collaboration with South African Boyzie Cekwana. Finally, the following week, the programme will end with five performers from Japan and Canada. Tickets are 13-16$. For more information, call 514-525-1500.