Festival Quartiers Danses  presents

Charles-Alexis Desgagnés / Hoteloko

Charles-Alexis Desgagnés – Mue érable
If we could shed like a reptile, what would we leave behind? What would come of this state of intense vulnerability? Mue érable explores the Granthis, the three knots to detangle in the yogic tradition: the ventral knot, the heart knot, and the head knot, all in an environment allying worrying strangeness and onerism. A space with a whitewashed floor is covered by coloured fabric pieces, representing mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual skins that have been left behind. Willingly or by force.

These fabrics also structure the scenic space, creating geometric forms on the ground following the dancer’s movements and creating space where he too can shed. Charles Alexis Desgagnés is always in search of natural authenticity on stage, of a “balanced middle-ground”. He proposes gestures allying notable physicality and claimed presence; a mixture of athleticism, groove, fluidity, sensitivity, and images. Musical compositions by composer Jean-Michel Blais and sound artist Marie-Hélène Brousseau complete the cohesion of this piece where movement guides experience, as a cinematographic mediation.

HOTELOKO – Absolutely fabulous dancers
“You can be convinced that we are the same as you are, cured from the same clay. We have no other purpose than the one we declared. This is the basic program for our action. If you help us, we will try to achieve this goal together. Can you help?” A fragment of a communistic propaganda speech, 1970’s, Edward Gierek The actress and the choreographer are looking at their artistic roots and their stories together, taking on the topic of identity, education and climate changes. They try to identify what gives them wings and what brings them down. Absolutely Fabulous Dancers seek answers and inspirations in the past, in Polish history, everyday movement, body memory and performative tools. This way create their unique, absurd and slightly bizarre dance style. It breaks down stereotypes and expectations about who the dancer should be. They are asking questions: What has shaped us? Where are we heading? Does anyone know what our lives would look like without the education that we had to go through? Do we have to wake up and unlearn everything we had to learn to go on? Can we find peace, despite the recurring story that comes back like a boomerang?

For information and tickets: www.placedesarts.com  514-842-2112 or 1-866-842-2112