Woman of steel, GRACE embodies the fantasy of the mother, big sister, and wife all in one. Through her multiple and manifold presences, she welcomes our fears of a disembodied future and infuses them with the comforting smell of homemade cookies. GRACE possesses the elegance of a peacock, with its flamboyant tail diverting our attention from her fragile feet that struggle to carry her.
In this solo piece commissioned by Laurie-Anne Langis, Marie Béland questions the prevalent feminine archetype in the current robotic field. Sophia, Grace, Aïko, Ameca, Jia Jia: the technology industry has produced a significant number of female humanoid robots, perpetuating the fantasy of a submissive woman, homemaker, mother, sexual object, serving everyone. Do female androids finally grant humans the unrestricted use of women? Can these female robots, in turn, take control of our humanity?
A creation by Marie Béland Performer:Laurie-Anne Langis, who also contributed to the creation process Accompanied by:Sophie Michaud Costume and accessories: Marie Béland and Laurie-Anne Langis assisted by Roxanne Bédard Creation residency:Quai 5160 – Maison de la culture de Verdun, École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, Studio Lucie Grégoire. Premiere date: November 13, 2024 at Quai 5160 – Maison de la culture de Verdun.
Artistic team
Laurie-Anne Langis / performer collaborator
Laurie-Anne is a dance and transdisciplinary artist based in Tiohtiá:ke/Mooniyang and on Anishinaabeg Nitakinan territory. Since 2012, she has collaborated with both emerging and established artists such as Marie Béland, Marilyn Daoust, Louis-Elyan Martin, Anne-Flore de Rochambeau, Sarah Dell’Ava, Bettina Szabo, Frédérique Cournoyer-Lessard, and Ariane Boulet (Mouvement de passage).
Deeply engaged, she questions the boundaries of dance as something that is seen/watched, and thus develops an immersive, multisensory, and transdisciplinary approach. She is also a member of the collective “Au-delà du visuel,” led by Audrey-Anne Bouchard, where she creates and performs interdisciplinary and theatrical works accessible to visually impaired audiences.
Rooted in an ecofeminist perspective, Laurie-Anne creates spaces that nurture the art of presence—within oneself, with others, and in connection to the environment and works on various projects centered around reclaiming the body and voice.
Sophie Michaud began her dance career in the early 1980s. After exploring dance through the means of interpretation and choreography, she made her own the profession of «repeater». By juxtaposing graduate studies (UQAM) and praxis, she deepened her reflection on the role she plays alongside choreographers and dancers. For more than 20 years now, she has worked as an artistic advisor, choreography assistant, rehearsal director and mentor. His main engagements include long collaborations with the companies Cas Public, Manon fait de la danse, Sinha Danse, Corpuscule Danse and Bouge de là. In addition, he collaborated with Lucie Grégoire Danse, Fabrication Danse, maribé – sors de ce corps, Caroline-Laurin Beaucage and Catherine Gaudet, to name a few. At UQAM, she has assisted several teachers and has accompanied many students in their creative process to the baccalaureate, the master’s in dance and the doctorate in artistic practice. Since 2008, the Regroupement Québécois de la Danse has entrusted him and David Pressault with the training program for emerging choreographers. This involvement is one of the actions she favours to renew her practice and contribute to the evolution of the discipline.
