Thursday evening took place the premiere of Cantata, the brand new mixed program of the Grands Ballets Canadiens. Composed of four works as original as they are eclectic, it highlights the extent of the talent of the performers through the eyes of renowned choreographers, as well as more emerging ones. A colorful evening that immerses us in worlds, each more interesting than the last.
After introducing each dancer in the company and their geographic origin, the curtain closes. Time for the show! It’s a very original first proposition that begins the evening. Dressed in motorcycle helmets and suits similar to those of a Formula 1 car (a ballet version all the same!), the dancers of the Grands Ballets flood the stage to electronic music. With Podium, the young choreographer Étienne Delorme immerses us in an electric, noisy and unusual universe in classical dance. And yet, it works. The verticality of the points, their sharp profile and their clarity go perfectly with catchy, heady music. The precision of the movements also harmonizes and underlines the subject as well as the sounds. We want to move while being captivated by the clarity and accuracy of all the performers on stage. The effects of groups, cannons, alternation between the ground and the standing posture challenge and grab our attention. The play of light is also interesting and adds a layer of complexity to the work. We understand the frenzy of life, the competitive aspect and the urgency, often present in daily life.
In a second time, In Honor Of, by Bridget Breiner, captures us with gentleness with a remarkably well-crafted pas de trois. It is not two pas de deux trying to combine before our eyes, but a real pas de trois where each element of the trio plays and agrees together. The search for movements and dynamics behind this piece is very elaborate and is beautiful to see. I would even say, it is beautiful to feel. The performers take us with them in their ease and letting go. We feel the softness of their deposited supports, of their suspension in space and time. All in a felt progression, in lightness, but without weariness. A great delicacy and a gentle abandonment emerge from this creation. And the play of light, simple but effective, adds a touch of poetry to the proposal.
Finally, place Nebe, “the sky” in Czech, by choreographers Jérémy Haldeano and Věra Kvarčáková. To music worthy of a thriller film, the performers seem to float in the air. Here again, gentleness is emphasized, but is contrasted more with sharper energies. In this work, the dancers wander between heaven and earth, while raising philosophical questions about the impermanence of life and paradise. Interesting in its gestures, this piece also satisfies us with its group compositions where precision is not essential, but rather spontaneity and the visual effects that it can create. The use of laser effects and smoke coats the proposition, but is not of great interest.
See you in Italy
To close the evening, this is the piece Cantata, by choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti, who invades the theater. First with its traditional songs from southern Italy, magnificently performed on stage by a female quartet. At the opening and closing of creation, these women transport us to their lands and touch us with their voices. Subsequently, the dancers, then barefoot, dressed in loose and colorful clothes, with their hair down, perform on stage as well as in the street. Like a community, they communicate, laugh together and encourage each other to have fun and dance.
Lullabies, pizziche from Salento, Neapolitan serenades, numerous references to Italian popular culture punctuate the work. And all this vitality and energy is contagious. Like a party, we follow the artists in their adventures, we smile with them. The gestures are visceral, sometimes messy and wild, but always authentic. It is here more the truth that we seek rather than perfection. Very anchored to the ground, the movements are free, relaxed and festive. Far from the ballet, we can still see some lifts, as well as the infallible technique of its quality performers. We will also highlight a very beautiful pas de trois which gives a break in the party, and brings a captivating choreographic proposition.
Behind the celebration and the lightness, we can see the drama of human relationships, between jealousy, passion, shouting matches and seduction. Some thoughts, notably on the treatment of women, their role and that of men, are thus raised, but really to a small extent. Celebration remains at the heart of Cantata.
The evening Cantata therefore offers a variety of works, each more surprising than the other, but which each underlines with originality the immense technical mastery of the performers of the Grands Ballets canadiennes and demonstrates that today, ballet is opening its horizons and always seeking to to renew.