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 / interprète collaboratrice
Laurie-Anne est une artiste en danse et en art transdisciplinaire basée à Tiohtiá:ke/Mooniyang et sur le territoire Anishinaabeg Nitakinan. Depuis 2012, ael collabore avec des artistes émergent.e.s et établi.e.s comme Marie Béland, Marilyn Daoust, Louis-Elyan Martin, Anne-Flore de Rochambeau, Sarah Dell’Ava, Bettina Szabo, Frédérique Cournoyer-Lessard et Ariane Boulet (Mouvement de passage).
Engagée, ael s’interroge sur les limites de la danse qui est vue/regardée et ainsi, développe une approche immersive, multisensorielle et transdisciplinaire. Aussi membre du collectif « Au-delà du visuel » dirigé par Audrey-Anne Bouchard, ael crée et performe des œuvres interdisciplinaires et théâtrales accessibles aux personnes non voyantes.
Inscrivant son travail dans une démarche écoféministe, Laurie-Anne crée des espaces cultivant l’art de la présence en soi, à l’autre et en reliance avec son environnement et travaille sur différents projets autour de la réappropriation de son corps et de sa parole.
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.
