Great classic of neoclassical and contemporary dance, the Rite of Springby Nijinsky (1913) has had many versions. From Mary Wigman (1959) to Sasha Walt (2013) via Angelin Preljocaj (2001) or Marie Chouinard (1993), it is today the designer Katya Montaignac who is inspired by it for her creation. Consecrate, presented at the Agora de la danse from May 11 to 14. Synonymous with community and emancipation from codes, the Sacredfor meme Montaignac, shares a connection with the spirit of street dancing.
“It had been a fantasy for a long time to see this project on stage, but I didn’t think I would be carrying it,” explains Katya Montaignac, who counts among her many hats those of dance researcher, playwright or even performer. In 2015, Mr.me Montaignac invites dancer Handy Yacinthe, an important dancer on the Canadian street dance scene and known internationally, to explore Debussy’s musical piece, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. A premise for the project Consecrate. “I said to myself: why not continue this research by inviting artists from different street and club dance practices to appropriate the musical score of the Rite of Spring. What would emerge from that? »
In 2019, Katya Montaignac is organizing a laboratory with four choreographers from the world of street dance and elsewhere: Alexandra “Spicey” Landé, Axelle Munezero, Sovann Rochon-Prom Tep and Gerard Reyes, each bringing with them several dancers. For this research, M.me Montaignac guides them with leads and different questions around the Sacred.
One of the performers of the play, Anaïs Chloé Gilles, remembers the beginning of the process very well. ” I did not know at all The Rite of Spring nor Nijinsky! she said laughing. It was completely disconnected from my personal practice, from my culture, but it was a very interesting process of introduction. How do I find myself in this, how do I live with the music? says the dancer who stands out in Montreal’s street dance community, and whose practices more particularly include house, hip-hop and vogue.
As the reflection progresses, Katya Montaignac as well as the various choreographers and performers discuss the format to keep for a show. Finally, they decide together to leave the performers masters of their score. “As dancers, the freestyle it’s their strength,” adds the designer.
Ode to community
“There is a community spirit that emanates from and feeds any street dance or club event. There are rituals, codes, generally very inclusive, which ensure that, whatever your role, whether you dance, whether you watch, whether you are a member of the jury, etc., you play a role within the event that creates a community, a spirit of sharing, of family,” says Katya Montaignac.
There is a spirit of community that emanates and feeds any street dance or club event
For Anaïs Chloé Gilles, the question of community has echoed even more since the pandemic. “We talked about it a lot and it almost lost its meaning. A community is not just about sharing a common space, she explains. There was a lot of talk about dissension during the process and about having a role, but all being different. We don’t all have the same messages, the same opinions, but we are together in this dissensus to come together. Indeed, the artist wanted to emphasize that each dance, such as vogue, popping, break, etc., has its own culture. It was therefore necessary for each performer to identify with and connect with the others in order to exchange, understand and create as a community. All added to a neoclassical musical universe and a symbol of early 20th century dance.and century away from their careers as dancers.
In addition to the community, Katya Montaignac also wanted to express freedom, the same that animated Nijinsky to break the codes of the classic and invite a new gesture. “Street dances were created outside the codes of the institution”.
Anti-show
In addition to dance, Katya Montaignac wanted to include testimonies in Consecrate. During the whole process, she recorded the thoughts and thoughts of the dancers in the moment. On the scenography side, the Sacred is played in a formation of cypher, that is to say a large circle formed by the public and the dancers who can interact in the center. “I don’t want to feel a shift between the research and the production of a show. I am rather “anti-spectacle”, I aim to deconstruct the habits we have, both as an artist and as an audience. I like to honor the process and share this constant research with the public on D-Day, without crystallizing things. This is what makes dance a living art,” she explains.
On the dance side, the designer has launched avenues for artists to inspire them. Questions like “what have we always wanted to do/say/create but never had the chance? », « what is sacred for you in your practice? or “Why are you dancing?” » fed the dancers, as co-creators of the play. Indeed, although there is a certain choreographic canvas, key moments defined among all, the piece is intended to be a real space of possibilities. “We have our journeys, our messages, concludes Anaïs Chloé Gilles. But our dances and our expressions are ephemeral, everything we express will be true in the moment”.