April 12 and 13, 2013, 8:30 p.m.
Tigertail will present the acclaimed Montreal-based Compagnie Marie Chouinard on Friday & Saturday, April 12 & 13, 2013, at 8:30 p.m., at the Colony Theatre, in two identical concert evenings featuring Chouinard’s newest work, Henri Michaux: Mouvements. Each evening will open with Etude for Duets.
Mouvements is inspired by a book of poetry and drawings by the Belgian poet and artist Henri Michaux. Brilliantly imaginative, Michaux’s work often wrestles with the conflict between one’s inner and outer lives. The idiosyncratic book, published in Paris, 1951, is comprised of a 15-page poem and 64 pages of India-ink drawings depicting multiform figures that Marie Chouinard took delight in reading literally, from left to right and page to page, like a choreographic score. Inspired by Michaux’s “feast of bursting lines, spots and kaleidoscopic arms,” Chouinard originally conceived the work as a solo piece and choreographed only a few pages of drawings and poetry depicted by the artist.
Marie Chouinard is a choreographer, dancer, performer, and occasional set, costume, sound and light designer. Based in Montreal, she has worked since 1978 to build a diverse choreographic body of work that has earned her a central place in the contemporary dance and art scene. Compagnie Marie Chouinard was established in 1990 and has performed many times on all the great stages of the world and participated in prestigious international festivals. Chouinard has received numerous awards for her contribution to the world of dance and the arts. Most recently, The Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec has awarded her the first CALQ award for best choreographic work of 2011-2012 for The Golden Mean (Live). Her travels, her curiosity, her eclectic studies, and her understanding of various techniques allow her to explore the body in unique ways. Her works reflect her view of dance as a sacred art and her respect for the body as a vehicle of that art. Her work is marked by virtuoso approach to performance and the invention of a different universe for each new piece. Dubbed the “high priestess of the avant- garde,” Chouinard unites the sensual and cerebral in her stark, iconoclastic, visually stunning works. She continues to add to her repertoire of more than 50 different and highly distinctive pieces exemplifying her idiosyncratic humor, sexuality, meticulous construction and performance aesthetic.
In 2011, Chouinard decided to revive the work using the drawings and poetry of the entire book on her Compagnie. In the performance, Michaux’s black against white drawings are projected against the stage backdrop. The dancers, dressed in black and dancing on a white floor, become a three-dimensional, visual echo of the artist’s sketches. Whether reciting Michaux’s mystical poetry or moving in frenzied control, the dancers form a stunning silhouette to the projections, and exude a haunting sense that they, as Michaux, have connected to “the strangeness of natural things and the naturalness of strange things.”
These concerts are presented by the non-profit Tigertail Productions, a South Florida leader in innovative cultural work. “Tigertail is very excited about bringing Marie Chouinard’s company to the Colony Theatre for the third time,” said Mary Luft, Tigertail’s Executive Director. “We presented them in 2007, then two years later brought the company back to perform their thrilling Rite of Spring. This company is among the favorites of our dance audiences over the years.”
Note that the concerts include partial nudity. Tickets are $35 General Admission; $50 VIP ticket (priority entrance and seating); $25 Students and Seniors (65+) w/ ID, and artists. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tigertail.org or by phone at 305.324.4337.
Tigertail at the Colony Theatre
1040 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.324.4337
www.tigertail.org
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