After a successful pilot project last year, the Festival Quartiers Danses (FQD) is back this year with its open-air residency program. Throughout the summer, 13 Quebec choreographers and companies will be able to create before the eyes of the public, in the heart of the Saint-Henri district. A way to demystify the art of dance and make it accessible to everyone.
“I had the idea, last year, to set up choreographic laboratories in the city, in a park, so that people could see the artists at work, building a piece. It allows you to understand the artistic process,” explains Rafik Hubert Sabbagh, founder and general and artistic director of the FQD. It was in the midst of a pandemic that Mr. Sabbagh had this idea. With the closure of the studios and the health restrictions, he imagined a new possibility for his festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. “We have always offered residencies for artists who perform indoors. So, for those who unveil their piece in an urban context, what could be more natural than rehearsing outside? he explains.
From June 13 to September 2, artists scheduled for the FQD, which will take place from September 7 to 18, will therefore be able to invest in the Gédéon-de-Catalogne park in the Sud-Ouest borough. “We want dance to be accessible to as many people as possible, and not just to those who already love it, who are curious, who have a certain openness to the arts,” says the general and artistic director. For these same reasons, Mr. Sabbagh has always favored “low prices” for indoor shows. For example, the work The pastoral Malandain Ballet Biarritz will be offered for $20 at the Théâtre Maisonneuve. A room that usually displays prices of up to $150 per seat. “People need culture to grow in their lives, to come out of the shadows. Life is hard for everyone, but it is also wonderful. A moment of poetry is always good,” he adds.
Key word: adaptation
For choreographer Jessica Joy Muszynski, the outdoor residencies offered by the FQD are “a great challenge”. “You have to adapt to the weather, to nature, but also to provide more flexibility if you want to use the voice or even do ground work,” explains the artist, who moved to Montreal in 2019 to integrate the RUBBERBANDance company. This is her first professional choreographic project, family, which she started last year with the FQD and her outdoor pilot project, which she will continue this summer in the park before presenting it during the FQD. “It will allow me to do a longer version, to really dive into the material, to better understand my gestures, my movement…”, she continues. Jessica Joy Muszynski won the Émergence – Découverte en context urbain award for her outdoor work last year at the FQD.
Rafik Hubert Sabbagh explains that it is more complicated to create outdoors. “We must guarantee the safety of the dancers, in particular with adequate shoes and a dance mat”, he underlines. In addition, the target audience is different and more difficult due to the noises and movements of the city. This is also why “some choreographers are afraid to choreograph outside” according to the director. “In the hall, the public is already acquired, they voluntarily took their tickets. Outside, it hits people, we put dance in their face! he said, laughing.
For choreographer Pauline Gervais, who directs the Pauline Berndsen Danse company and has participated in the FQD for six years now, creating outdoors brings more “unexpected”. “As a performer, you can always be surprised. The people passing by, the noises, the weather… you have to be ready at all times to adapt, even if you have a plan to follow”, explains the one who has notably collaborated with Ballet Ouest, Lina Cruz and Johanne Madore.
For meme Gervais, the urban context is also more difficult because of the public who can leave at any time or not be captivated by what they see. “We need a rich and open proposal, which allows [aux gens] to access our work while having a depth, an authenticity in our work. It is the search for this balance that guarantees a work of integrity”, considers the choreographer, who performs both indoors and in an urban context.
“Dance does not exist without an audience”
In addition to providing access behind the scenes of creation with outdoor residencies, the FQD once again presents a multitude of dance styles. A way for the public to “taste everything”. “We want to highlight performance, contemporary ballet, contemporary dance, African dances, contemporary flamenco, in short, all forms of creative dance! adds Mr. Sabbagh. It allows viewers to make discoveries and see what they appreciate. »
It is always in this quest to democratize dance that Mr. Sabbagh has set up outdoor residencies. A goal also very important for the participating artists, in particular Jessica Joy Muszynski. “For me, dance is the physical representation of freedom and freedom of expression. Moving allows us to pass through our emotions; when I create, it embodies what’s going on inside of me, she says. It’s important that everyone has access to this kind of feeling, this feeling of emancipation. »
In his room MMXX, Pauline Gervais is trying to create “another, more direct link with the public”. A tailor-made decision for outdoor creation. “Unlike indoor performances, outside there are no filters or fourth walls, the people are there, you see them. So, I decided to use the gaze, to push it to its maximum to develop a relationship, an intimacy with the spectators,” she explains.
She wants to make the art of dance accessible. “Our trades as dancers, as choreographers, is a sharing. Dance does not exist without an audience. We need to express ourselves yes, but also to give, to make others feel, to create connections, ”she continues. For her, going to see a show is “a moment suspended in everyday life, a way of letting go”. “We need to democratize art and dance,” she concludes. Everyone should be able to experience these journeys,” says the artist.