I have a big obsession with norms and what they represent in different cultures. It’s the heart of my artistic research. I question myself without seeking precise answers, but benefit from what we share in the studio. In September, you shall partake in it simply with your presence. I invite you to observe, reflect, and share this experience with me. Meanwhile, I’ve gathered beings in response to a nightmare that haunts me: a personification of media’s influence. A being so perfect that it has a television for a head. I arrived in the studio with my ideas and obsessions, bringing together completely different people that inspire me so much. We discussed, exchanged, improvised around everything that came out of my dream. For its themes: popular culture and our banality. This piece is a search for gentleness to soothe the anguish I feel. The search for true human contact, community benevolence through our differences. What you will see in September is the result of the encounter between Matthy, Didier, Isabelle, Cédric, Marie-Denise, Laurence, Rasili, and myself.

Interested in theatre and improvisation since childhood, _Demerde quickly learns to play characters and to exploit the expressivity of their body language. In 2011, it’s by chance that they begin studies in both dance and science at Collège Montmorency. There, they develop their critical thinking, a rigour in their work, and a growing passion for movement. In 2018, they complete a BA in Dance (choreography) at UQAM. Their studies allow them to expand their body movement possibilities, from modern dance to partner and floor work, and to acquire a precise vocabulary. You may have seen them perform at Air Festival (2017), at Danses Buisonnières (2018), in some Passerelle 840 events (2016 to today), at Maipoils Cabaret (2019), and in the streets of Montréal (2017 and 2019).

Marie-Denise Bettez completes her professional training at École de danse de Québec in 2013. After graduating, she has the chance to work with several choreographers: Ghislaine Fournier, Mattew Brunel and Elizabeth Suich, Soraïda Caron (Trois-Pistoles). She has performed at Quartiers Danses, at Cercle – Lab Vivant in Quebec City, and at Tangente. Since 2017, she collaborates with the Nyata Nyata company and is currently an apprentice there. This summer, she danced in the production Le Phénix, choreographed by Marie-Eve Lafontaine and directed by author Bryan Perro. She is interested in samba and Brazilian culture, and has a strong entrepreneurial drive.

Didier Emmanuel is a self-taught artist obsessed with television, with what he can learn through a multitude of documentaries/biographies/testimonies and through whatever is new. An improvisation player since high school, in 2015 he created his own improvisation league, La WIM, which produces singular shows combining theatre and wrestling. He has been writing for a long time but started rapping more seriously 3 years ago. Under the name of Wht Rice, he sings on beats and musical arrangements by Badminto and Whatever_Jones.

Cédric Gaillard (Blösch) is interested in art since childhood. He explores a wide range of disciplines: theatre, dance, song, hosting, drag, writing and reading, improvisation, etc. In addition to his excitement for performance, he’s also passionate about all elements of the moving image: photography, scriptwriting, editing, art direction, directing, etc. Blösch claims one thing only, whether he’s talking about the inefficiency of the gender binary, the socially unconscious that needs to be examined, or a banana (let’s say it: it needs to be peeled from the bottom): questioning everything is essential.

Laurence Gratton studies dance at Cégep de Drummondville. She also obtains an AEC in creative dance teaching at the end of her studies. Later, she completes a bachelor’s degree in dance at UQAM. She explores several roles as part of her career: performer, rehearsal director, choreographer. She is also involved in the Passerelle 840 management committee. During her studies, she dances, among others, for such renowned choreographers as Danièle Desnoyers (Carré des Lombes) and Todd Lawrence Stone (Trisha Brown Dance Company).

Upon reaching the age of thirty, Matthy Laroche thought it was time to explore art in all its forms. Since then, he performs, writes, creates, draws, expresses himself. Having an atypical physique (a rare form of dwarfism), he creates a YouTube channel (Le Petit Singe) to talk about the reality of people with disabilities and openness to difference. Fascinated by popular culture, he and his friends set up a cultural blog (Éklectik Média) through which he meets extraordinary people from different worlds. With so much passion, he will continue to grow.

Izabelle Pin is a choreographer and a performer trained at UQAM, where they graduated in the creation profile. Izabelle has the opportunity to perform for Danièle Desnoyers, Mélanie Demers, and Eryn Dace Trudell at Festival Quartiers Danses in 2018. Their practice is tinged with their passion for the visual arts (Certificate in Fine Arts, UQAM), mainly painting and photography, as well as their interest in urban fashion. Their practice is at the crossroads between theatre of the image and multidisciplinary performance, where the performer’s and the spectator’s bodies are both part of the performance.

Born in 1989 in Le Gardeur (QC), Olivier Fiset is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. He begins learning piano at 8 years old, then the drums when he starts high school. He studies Jazz Composition in college, then Electroacoustic Composition at Université de Montréal. This formation has allowed Olivier to master many roles in audio production and musical composition. Professionally, Olivier is a freelance musician for many artists. He is a pianist-drummer for several theatrical improv leagues in Québec and participates in tours across Canada. Since 2017, he has also been involved in artistic projects such as short films and contemporary art pieces, including _Demerde’s Comme tout le monde.

Nanne Springer is a freelance photographer from Germany currently residing in Montréal. Her focus in photography is split between architecture, nature, and collaborations with other artists. She simultaneously works on architectural photography and her personal analogue projects. The world of architecture is focused on spaces, lines, light, and mathematics. The analogue process moves more freely and instinctively. Sometimes, the wind goes a certain way and the landscape takes a hold of her. Often, a person’s movement reminds her of something within herself. In the end, only the moment is left.

This work, deliberately cathartic, is an intimate space in which I initiate a dialogue with my internal conflicts, attempting a reconciliation with my body as well as with my place in this world. The idea of escaping from weight through the quest of a transcendental state, much like the ascetics of antiquity, came naturally. Indeed, I am fascinated by the way of life prescribed by ancient philosophy, so I study somatically and theoretically the ways in which overcoming the will and the human condition can constitute a process of empowerment. Ponos – challenging weight is also the putting into practice of my master’s degree in sociology, for which I study the same subject. This artistic project, which is emotionally challenging for me, is guided by a concern for honesty and transparency. I do only what is necessary to experience the states that I want to share. In this way, approaching the performative act and moving away from the danced simulacrum, I seek to share moments of situated and contextual truths.

Lauranne Faubert-Guay holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts, a degree in contemporary dance and is doing a master’s degree in sociology. She strives to unite creative action and political struggle through analysis, writing and movement, using her work to explore our relationship to the world. Having practiced dance since she was a child, her path has led her to become interested in the different forms of reappropriation of life and bodies. Thus, through a phenomenological approach to movement, her work focuses more precisely on the quest for perfection, asceticism, and voluntary suffering as a way of becoming in the living arts. In addition to her research, artistic work, and dance practice, Lauranne is published by the magazine Inter-art actuel, works as a research assistant at the Centre Cultures-Arts-Sociétés of UQAM’s Dance Department, and is an assistant in bookbinding practice at UQAM’s Visual Arts Department.

Yann Villeneuve, also known as Y POP COIT, is a singer-songwriter and actor. In May 2013, Yann graduated from the Theatre School of the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe. As soon as he left school, he participated in creative laboratories and produced a show, Sexe vu du haut d’un gratte-ciel stoned, a short film, Cosmos Valentin, and an EP, Soap Operas. He also participated, as an actor and sound designer, in the piece Nous serons éternels, presented at Théâtre La Chapelle in 2019. In an experimental, captivating and sensual universe, Yann questions identity, love, sexuality, loneliness, and spiritual awakening.

A choreographer, performer and teacher based in Montréal, Stéphanie Decourteille is solicited for her singular, passionate and physically demanding choreographic language, as well as for her rigorous teaching. She is asked by many choreographers and cultural structures to offer master classes, dancer enhancement and workshops. She is involved in a wide range of activities in the fields of contemporary dance, circus, and urban dance. In 2018, Stéphanie created BIG BANG – intensive training in contemporary dance, developed a program that works closely with the artists on a more individual basis and aims to strengthen their physical and expressive skills.

Audrée Foucher is a graduate of L’École de danse de Québec (2017). Since then, she has been involved in the projects Dare! 2017 and 2018 (Karine Ledoyen) and Ok and then? (Étienne Lambert). She is also collaborating with Marie-Chantale Béland as performer/creator on a choreographic project entitled Tu me colle à la peau. Still alongside Étienne and Marie-Chantale, Audrée is co-founder of the collective Les Corps Célestes, which is interested in in situ work, heritage, as well as somatic and energetic practices. They performed in various events in Quebec City (SOIR 2019, BAM, and Printemps de la musique).

Marijoe Foucher graduated from UQAM’s Bachelor’s in Contemporary Dance program in 2013. Since then, she has developed her practice as a performer with several choreographers. Her collaborations have led her to perform in many festivals in Québec and abroad. With a strong interest in interdisciplinarity and dramaturgy, Marijoe accompanies emerging creators as rehearsal director and creative assistant in dance and theatre. She is also involved with the company Dans son salon as a dance performer (Le Troisième été d’amour) and she is currently working with Audrey-Anne Bouchard and Laurie-Anne Langis on an immersive art piece for people living with visual disabilities.

In search of an interesting, provocative and innovative subject, I began the creation of Psukhê curious to transpose bodily qualities into new bodies and to observe the appropriation of the movement. Through a dream, I discovered that my subconscious mind contains creative content, so I read articles on analytical psychology and more specifically on the collective unconscious. From this discovery and through letting go have emerged a creative process mainly based on daily intuitions. Surprisingly, the different themes tackled in the performance were present from the beginning of the process and this without my knowledge. Most of the sections were created using structured improvisations that provide the performers with creative freedom. The movement was constantly changing and shaping itself as it was carried by different bodies. Initially, the inspiration for the movement came from a solo created in collaboration with musician Thomas Bruneau Faubert.

Kali Trudel is a choreographer and performer with a degree in dance from Université du Québec à Montréal. As part of her studies, she participates in several creative processes such as Comme tout le monde by Ariane Demers (2018), the remount of Quelque chose de sauvage by Melanie Demers (2017), and Danièle Desnoyers’s Danses de société (2016). She also performs in Alice Blanchet-Gavouyère’s piece Gélatine at Festival Soir (2017). In 2018, Kali creates her first solo, Pas L’temps, in which she works in collaboration with musician Thomas Bruneau Faubert to create a soundtrack designed specifically for the piece. Inspired by analytical psychology and the quest for identity, her creative research is inspired by the limits of the body and includes colourful and textured costumes.

Alexandra Kelly is a young performer with a degree in Dance from UQAM (2017). During those three years of training, she participated in creations by choreographers such as Dominique Porte, Todd Lawrence Stone, Armando Meniccacci, and Laurence Lapierre. She has also participated in several creations within the framework of Passerelle 840 as well as in outdoor projects. Currently studying at HEC in Management of Cultural Organizations, she is interested in culture and emerging artists. She wants to pursue her search for movement and authenticity and to maintain her artistic curiosity.

Izabelle Pin is a choreographer and a performer trained at UQAM, where they graduated in the creation profile. Izabelle has the opportunity to perform for Danièle Desnoyers, Mélanie Demers, and Eryn Dace Trudell at Festival Quartiers Danses in 2018. Their practice is tinged with their passion for the visual arts (Certificate in Fine Arts, UQAM), mainly painting and photography, as well as their interest in urban fashion. Their practice is at the crossroads between theatre of the image and multidisciplinary performance, where the performer’s and the spectator’s bodies are both part of the performance.

After his college studies in fashion design, in set and costume design at NTSC, and in contemporary dance at UQAM, Adam Provencher works in both design and the performing arts with a few renowned artists and a lot of emerging artists. Inspired by the living arts, movement, textures, rhythm, and colours, his research is focused on a singular pluridisciplinary practice.

Thomas Bruneau Faubert is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in synthesizers. He has taken part in many international tours as well as the recording of three studio albums with the band Foreign Diplomats. He has also produced musical pieces for UQAM’s Annuel de design and for the dance performance Pas L’temps in collaboration with Kali Trudel.

Élie Raymond grows up with music. In 2011, Foreign Diplomats is created. The band is, to this day, his main creative output, releasing three albums. In 2011, he goes on to study classical singing in college, where he develops his writing and arranging techniques. Still touring internationally with Foreign Diplomats, he composes more and more but tries to get out of his comfort zone by experimenting with new sounds. That is why, in 2018, Raymond begins studying electroacoustic in university, seeking a whole new approach to music production.

This piece is loosely inspired by Astrida Neimanis’s text “Hydrofeminism: Or, On Becoming a Body of Water.”

Lara Oundjian is a dancer and choreographer based in Montréal, with sporadic training in Montréal, Berlin, and Stockholm. She has presented work at the Darling Foundry, at Phenomena Festival/Théâtre La Chapelle, and at Espace Mur Mur. She was an artist in residence at Studio 303 in 2018 and will be artist in residence at the 3rd Floor Project of Usine C in 2019-2020. Lara recently danced for Chloë Lum, Yannick Desranleau and Deborah Dunn in An Autobiography of Air at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.

Ellipses was created as part of Université de Montréal’s seminar Composing and Interpreting Music for Dance, directed by Ana Sokolović and Sarah Bild, where composers and musicians (master’s or PhD) are paired with emerging choreographers to create a contemporary dance piece. After having understood the intersection of their musical sensibilities, Stefania Skoryna and Olivier Alary’s creative process became a true exchange where the musical ideas influenced the gestures and the movements tinged the score. The challenge for violist Victor De Coninck was having to learn three very precise rhythmical voices that were then overlapped. In the studio, the choreographer established a complex structure of motifs and used repetition and their variations to write the first part of the piece. As the performers slowly break away from this elliptical structure, they are carried away by their own melody, which creates three distinct solos. A great work of memorization and musical listening for dancers Miranda Chan, Léna Demnati, and Mathilde Heuzé. The intentions nourish and colour the bodies once the movements are integrated. Ellipses is definitely a process of collaboration where the relation between sound and motion influences every collaborator’s work.

Since graduating from EDCM in 2015, Stefania Skoryna has performed for Mélanie Demers (OFFTA 2016), PETRUS/Jérémie Niel (Théâtre de Quat’sous 2019), and Martin Messier (FTA 2019). Her enthusiasm and initiative also brought her to choreograph for events at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Chalet du Mont-Royal, the exhibition Butterflies Go Free at the Botanical Garden (As They Strike Collective), and to co-produce, choreograph, and perform at Monument-National as part of Zoofest (2015-2018). Stefania participates in several collaborative projects, including Souvenirs de mariage presented in Québec; the dance video Contemporary Christmas, directed by the collective Flamant, which she produced and choreographed; and Les Galanteries Sauvages with Ensemble Volte & Raphaëlle Renucci. Her involvement in the community plays a key role in her practice. She has been teaching for ten years, manages mentoring for the first-year students at EDCM, is a guest lecturer for the graduates, and is a co-founder of the non-profit Nous Sommes L’Été, which has been organizing summer dance laboratories since 2014 in Montréal and Québec City.

Born and raised in Montréal, Miranda Chan started dancing at an early age. Schools she trained at include Sheila Parkins, Extravadanza, Ballet Montreal Performing Arts, Studiodanse Montréal-Paris, and a summer intensive at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. At École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, she had the chance to work with Mélanie Demers, Virginie Brunelle, Ismaël Mouaraki, Catherine Gaudet, and Peter Jasko, to name a few. Since graduating, she has worked with Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, and the OSM. Inspired by both urban and contemporary dance styles, she wishes to explore and research unique, innovative, and creative movement.

Mathilde Heuzé was born in Rouen, France, where she graduated in 2015 with her Technical Baccalaureate in Music and Dance at the Jeanne d’Arc High School in Rouen. At École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, her experience is particularly enriched by the RUBBERBANDance company, Jacques Poulin-Denis, Helen Simard, Manuel Roque, and Édouard Hue. As a creator, Mathilde is interested in the marriage between technologies and movement, using video and projections.

Originally from Ajaccio in Corsica, Raphaëlle Renucci is immersed in the world of classical music from an early age, studying cello and piano for twelve years in various regional conservatories in France. After her Certificate in Choreographic Studies from the Conservatoire Régional de Bordeaux and a university degree in Sports Sciences, she joins UQAM’s Dance Department and then École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, where she performs works by José Navas, Victor Quijada, Helen Simard, Jacques Poulin Denis, and Manuel Roque. Raphaëlle now collaborates with various companies and choreographers, including Compagnie Voix & Omnipresenz (France), Andrew Skeels, and Cirque du Soleil (Manon Oligny).

Olivier Alary is a Montréal-based musician and composer who has released his own recordings, as well as composed for film and exhibitions. Since 2000, he has collaborated with Björk, Cat Power, Nick Knight, Doug Aitken, Yung Chang, Maxime Giroux, the NFB, and the Centre Pompidou, amongst others. For the past ten years, he has also provided soundtracks for over forty feature-length fiction films and documentaries, some of which have received prestigious awards in Europe, the US, and Asia. Currently, Olivier is developing instrumental pieces that explore the intersection of electronic music and post-tonality. Part of this research will soon be released on the 130701 label, which distributed Max Richter and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s records.

Victor De Coninck is a young emerging Franco-­Ontarian artist currently pursuing his doctoral studies with Jutta Puchhammer­-Sédillot and Jean­-Michaël Lavoie in both viola performance and contemporary music at Université de Montréal. An avid chamber musician, Victor is currently the violist for the Bathurst String Trio and Solo Principal Viola of the Bathurst Chamber Music Festival (both since 2015). He has performed on numerous occasions at the Montréal International Jazz Festival, over 160 concerts across Canada with the group SHYRE, and Gérard Grisey’s Prologue pour alto seul with UdeM’s Ensemble de musique contemporaine during the Montréal New Music Festival in 2019. He spends his spare time organizing and getting involved in projects, working on commissions, creating, and studying corporeal mime at L’École Omnibus.

Originally from France, Matéo Chauchat moved to Montréal to attend École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal. Since graduating in 2017, he has worked as a professional dancer for choreographer Sarah Dell’Ava, Production Elian Mata, Martin Messier, and Andréa Peña. His Authentic Movement practice has greatly influenced his artistic signature; deep listening and sensitivity are at the centre of his work ethic. As a dancer and choreographer, he sees creation as a way to reconnect people to their innermost sensations. Matéo has had the opportunity to share his work at many events in Montréal, such as Vous Êtes Ici, Visite Libre, Hors-Lits, and Festival Soir.