Beside (2019)

A coproduction between companies maribé – sors de ce corps and Montréal Danse

 

BESIDE is the third work in a trilogy led by Montreal choreographer Marie Béland. The piece relies on our repeated attempts to communicate with others through the barrage of information and noise from the media.

Equipped with headphones, the three performers are the only ones hearing the retransmission of the radio stations in the city where the piece is presented. In order to communicate with the public and each other, Rachel Harris, Sylvain Lafortune and Bernard Martin can only repeat the information in their headphones or reproduce a gestual score based from typical TV public affairs shows. Dispossessed of their bodies and their words, they try to live side by side (“beside”) and build the credibility necessary to transmit a little truth where everything is false. If each performance is unique as it relies on live radio, the result is always the same: the media little by little pushes the performers into a void. It remains to be seen whether the public will be able to extricate themselves from it.

 

Teaser

 

Gallery

 


Calendar

Next show:

  • April, 3 to 6, 2024, La Rotonde, Maison pour la Danse de Québec
  • May 14th, 2024 at 1:30 and 7:30 PM, Salle Jean-Louis Millette, Théâtre de la Ville, Longueuil

    Don’t forget to test the RADIOMATON installation before or after the show!

For more information, visit our calendar.

.

Artistic credits

A creation by Marie Béland
A coproduction and artistic partnership between MARIBÉ – SORS DE CE CORPS and Montréal Danse
Performers and collaborators: Rachel Harris, Sylvain Lafortune, Bernard Martin
Performers involved in the creative process: Alexia Martel, Nicolas Labelle, Sophie Corriveau, Catherine Tardif
Dramaturge: Kathy Casey
Light Designer: Karine Gauthier
Costumes:Dave St-Pierre
Booking: Art Circulation
Premiere: March 26, 2019 at Théâtre Panopée in Vanves (France) as part of the Biennale de danse du Val-de-Marne, co-presented by Festival Artdanthé
Creation residencies: Cardiff Dance Festival – Dance4 International Center for Choreography, Nottingham – La Rotonde de Québec – La Corporation Hector-Charland – Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne

Press review

Dystopian ImpressionsThe Dance Current

BESIDE ou le direct exalté (in french only) – Le culte

BESIDE : quand la communication se passe de mots (in french only) – Le Devoir

Artdanthé : Alexandre Roccoli et Marie Béland libèrent les corps et la parole (in french only) – Toute la culture

 

Artistic team

Rachel Harris
Rachel Harris / Performer

Native from Vancouver, RACHEL HARRIS moved to Montreal in 1990 and continued her training at l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. Following her training, she joined Danse Partout in Quebec and co-founded Amorce Danse Théâtre. She collaborates, throughout her career, with the choreographers Blanca Arrieta, Marie Béland, Martin Bélanger, Sarah Bild, Sarah Chase, Estelle Clareton, Margie Gillis, Anne-Marie Giroux, Benjamin Hatcher, Avi Kaiser, Benoît Lachambre, Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, Helge Letonja, Jean-Sébastien Lourdais, Jean-Pierre Mondor, José Navas, Aurélie Pédron, Jean-Pierre Perreault, George Stamos, Mariko Tanabe and Paula de Vasconcelos. She created in 2002-2003 The Coyote Project, a work for four performers, in close cooperation with the Nlaka’pamux community of British Columbia. Since 2011, she has been teaching for women in shelters as part of the Dance Against Violence program.


Bernard Martin
Bernard Martin / Performer

Since 1979, BERNARD MARTIN mixes types and styles, oscillating between ballet-jazz, classical and contemporary dance. He began his professional career in 1991. Since then, he has visited a wide range of companies and collaborated with several choreographers: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, Jiry Kilian, Mark Morris, Georges Balanchine, Fernand Nault and more), Montréal-Danse (Jose Navas, Paula de Vasconcelos, Marie Béland and more) , La Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault, Système D/Dominique Porte, La La La Human Steps (Édouard Lock), Le Carré des Lombes (Danièle Desnoyers), Louise Bédard Danse, Creations Estelle Clareton and Susanna Hood. Since 2009, Bernard Martin has been teaching ballet for contemporary dancers and performing at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. Finally, Bernard Martin was a member of the company La La La Human Steps, directed by Édouard Lock, from 2001 to 2009, with which he performed on the stages of the world’s major cultural capitals. He played prominent roles in AMJAD, AMÉLIA – ballet and film – as well as in LES BORÉADES, an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, choreographed by Édouard Lock and presented at the Opéra de Paris. More recently, Bernard Martin participated in the last creation of Danièle Desnoyers, DÉVORER LE CIEL.


Sylvain Lafortune
Sylvain Lafortune / Performer

SYLVAIN LAFORTUNE has had a professional career since 1979 which has led him to work for renowned companies such as Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, O’Vertigo and Montréal Danse in Montreal, Lar Lubovitch Dance Co., Susan Marshall and Co. and Martha Clarke in New York. Travelling around the world, he danced some of the greatest works of the classical and contemporary repertoire. Now a freelance dancer, he also devotes himself to teaching, both in the circus and in dance. Following his research at the master’s and doctoral level (UQAM), Sylvain Lafortune has for some years become an authority in teaching the work of a dance partner.


Kathy Casey
Kathy Casey / dramaturge

Born in North Carolina, Kathy Casey began in 1979 with the Chicago Moving Company. Established in New York in 1980, she dances for several choreographers before joining the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1984 and Susan Marshall & Company in 1989, with whom she has collaborated since 1981. From 1985 to 1989, she assisted Mr. Lubovitch and Mrs. Marshall in their creative work or in pieces on various international companies. Greeted by Montréal Danse in 1991, she was artistic director of the company in 1996. Now, a large part of her work is to discover and invite choreographers with singular language to create pieces for the company and to assist them in their creative process. In addition to her responsibilities with Montréal Danse, Kathy Casey acts as artistic advisor for several Montreal choreographers.

Photo : George Dutil


Karine Gauthier
Karine Gauthier / Light Designer & Technical Director

KARINE GAUTHIER has collaborated on many projects in different countries. She has been the technical director – and continues for some – of George Stamos, Suzanne Miller & Allan Paivio, Jean Sébastien Lourdais, Sylvain Émard Danse, Par B.L.eux, but also for the company Montreal Danse. Passionate about light, she designed the lighting for the piece Yellow Towel by Dana Michel or The Part by Antonija Livingstone, Fragil by Blanca Arrieta, Metaphysics by Frederic Marier, Husk and Liklik Pik by George Stamos, Soak by Caroline Laurin Beaucage and Martin Messier, and for various artists such as Véronica Mélis, Florence Figols, Érin Flynn, Marie-Claude Rodrigue, José Gagnon, Maria Kefirova, Emmanuelle Calvé, the talented Elsiane, Suzanne Miller & Allan Paivio, the company BBT and The Coregraphers. In addition, Karine Gauthier collaborated with Marco Calliari on his tours Mia Dolce Vita and Al Faro Est, as well as those of artists Richard Séguin and Jorane. Karine would like to continue on this luminous path for a long time.

Related work: PERSONA, BESIDE, Révélations

.


Dave St-Pierre / Costumes

After more than 20 years of creating shows that included choreography, drama, costumes and sets, Dave St-Pierre decided to take a more serious approach to their design. After having created his own universe, he wants to immerse himself in the universe of other artists and give life to their ideas and aspirations. He is a jack-of-all-trades by nature, and especially by curiosity. He has acquired experience after trial and error. He loves to rack his brains to find solutions to problems that can arise during creation. Dave St-Pierre has designed dresses for Brigitte Poupart and Sarah D. Hakim, and created eccentric costumes for the music videos of La Bronze, Ypopcoit and Philippe Brach.

Related work: BESIDE

.


View All