Preludes
A tribute to dance as a liberating force.
In this ode to the ritual aspect of dance, 20 performers surge into the public space. Surrounded by spectators, the sometimes hypnotic, sometimes rapid pacing of this large ensemble piece captures the trance effect that emerges from movement. The energy of the cast ripples through the audience, gripped by this modern-day fluid, ethereal and intoxicating ceremonial event.
Form determines ritual.
Prelude #1 – The Circle
The dancers form a large circle attuned to the rhythmic, rippling undulations of the urban landscape. Nature's most widespread symbol, the circle, an organic form of gathering, evokes a spirit of communion and sharing.
Prelude #2 – The Square
The incarnation of a fixed, balanced system, the square represents a human concept, an attempt at stabilization that echoes the urban world around us, where the right angle reigns virtually unopposed. The square suggests more orderly behaviour, more civilized than the circle, although both these symmetrical forms project a sense of unity. With Prelude #2 the quadrilateral comes to life, pulsating to the heartbeat of the city.
THE MOVIE
Captured on film by director Sandrick Mathurin, Prelude #1 – The Circle was part of the 39th International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) and Light Moves Festival 2021(Ireland). Prelude #2 – The Square, meanwhile, joined the first film at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021, before being presented at the InShadow Festival Lisboa (Portugal) and at the Athens Video Dance Project (Greece).
25 minutes / Prelude
CREDITS
CHOREOGRAPHY Sylvain Émard
DANCERS* Rodrigo Alvarenga, Sophie Breton, Charles Cardin-Bourbeau, Luis Cabanzo, Karina Champoux, Matéo Chauchat, Félix Cossette, Dylan Crossman, Marilyne Cyr, Marie-Michelle Darveau, Aurélie Figaro, Janelle Hacault, Mathieu Hérard, Kyra Jean Green, Christopher LaPlante, Nikita Perruzini, James Phillips, Matthew Quigley, Cara Roy, Marie-Philippe Santerre, Camille Trudel-Vigeant
APPRENTICES Aurélie Figaro, Nikita Perruzini
REHEARSAL COACH Daniel Villeneuve
ORIGINAL SCORE Poirier and Martin Tétreault
COSTUMES Marilène Bastien
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR François Marceau
* Kimberley De Jong, Sara Hanley, Jee Lam, Alexandre Morin, Erin O'Loughlin, Nicolas Patry and François Richard were part of the original cast.
REVIEWS
"Émard’s choreography involves a lot of naturalistic-feeling movements. Watching, it feels as though the dancers are speaking a universal language of physical expression. It’s a nice reminder of dance’s ability to communicate cross-culturally, even when the dancers themselves can’t travel." The Stage, London, August 2021
"Both pieces are hypnotic to watch, and the dancers' technical mastery is tremendous, keeping subtle unity against a fluid, repeating soundtrack. Even as the choreography becomes more curved and intricate, they maintain the crispness of their formation. It creates the effect of a society, individually human, but moving as one." The List, Edinburgh, August 2021
CALENDAR
August 2023 – Prelude #1 – The Circle, Centre sportif du Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup, RDL en spectacles, Canada
September 2022 – Preludes, Esplanade de l'Amphithéâtre COGECO, Trois-Rivières, Canada
December 2021 – Prelude #2 – The Square the film, Athens Video Dance Project (Greece), Cinema Trianon
December 2021 – Prelude #2 – The Square the film, InShadow Festival Lisboa (Portugal), Galeria de Arquitectura
October 2021 – Preludes, plaza of the Théâtre Gilles-Vigneault, Saint-Jérôme, Canada
October 2021 – Preludes, Esplanade, Place des Arts, Danse Danse Hors les murs, Montréal, Canada
September 2021 – Prelude #1 – The Circle the film, Light Moves Festival's official selection (Ireland), online
September 2021 – Preludes, plaza of the Théâtre Alphonse-Desjardins, Repentigny, Canada
August 2021 – Preludes the films, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, online
March 2021 – Prelude #1 – The Circle the film, 39th International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA)'s official selection, online
This creation was made possible thanks to the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
