Danse Lhasa Danse - Coup de coeur francophone

© Filippa Lidholm Danse Lhasa Danse: created as a tribute to Lhasa, whose soul remains deeply entrenched in our hearts. A show put together by Pierre‐Paul Savoie in which, like a choir in a cathedral, dance, lyrics and music merge into one voice to echo the work of one who calls us to celebrate life without hesitation.
Singers
Bïa/Geneviève Toupin ‐ Alexandre Désilets ‐ Alejandra Ribera ‐ Karen Young Dancers
Myriam Allard/Aurélie Brunelle ‐ Jean‐Daniel Bouchard ‐ Tom Casey ‐ Danielle Denichaud Roxane Duchesne‐Roy ‐ Sara Harton ‐ Jocelyne Montpetit ‐ David Rancourt Musicians
Philippe Brault ‐ Denis Faucher ‐ Joe Grass ‐ Sheila Hannigan ‐ Pascal Racine‐Venne Danse Lhasa Danse is a co-production of Coup de cœur francophone and PPS Danse.
"No need for words… here there is only power of movement, emotion of song and the intangible qualities of music to pay tribute to a strong and eternal body of work." Marie‐Christine Trottier, Espace musique Genviève Toupin, Bïa et Thomas Hellman © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 "Ultimately a magnificent evening in which dance was able to show how it can convey what words or lyrics cannot express. A context that could not be more perfect for Lhasa, whose extra bit of soul that touched so many people around the world transcended her lyrics." Iris Gagnon‐Paradis, DFDANSE, november 15th, 2011 "… and the masterpiece by Pierre‐Paul Savoie, who brought dance to Coup de cœur francophone with the highly successful Danse Lhasa Danse show.” Fabienne Cabado, Voir, december 22nd, 2011 Myriam Allard © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 David Rancourt, Sara Harton, Julien Gagnon, Danielle Denichaud et Kevin Delaney © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 Roxane Duchesne‐Roy et Rocky Leduc Gagné © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 Alexandre Désilets, Bïa et Geneviève Toupin © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 Jocelyne Montpetit © Jean‐François Leblanc, Coup de cœur francophone 2011 2
SINGERS
Bïa
With her mesmerizing voice and sultry rhythms, Bïa weaves connections between the cultures of her native Brazil, France and Quebec. Her first three albums, La Mémoire du vent (Grand Prize of the Académie Charles Cros), Sources and Carmin combine original songs, covers and adaptations. The next recording, Cœur vagabond, was awarded the Félix for Best World Music Album in 2006, while her fifth production, Nocturno, features delicate poetry and music that fuses many flavours with her Brazilian folk influences. Bïa has also had the opportunity to sing duets with Yves Duteil, Georges Moustaki and Gianmaria Testa, and has brought her multicultural songwriting talent to other voices, such as those of Henri Salvador and singer‐
guitarist Yves Desrosiers with whom Bïa toured in 2010 and presented an intimate concert that was featured in a live recording. Bïa, who is currently preparing her next album, worked closely with Lhasa for over a decade. Together, they recorded the duet Los Hermanos for Nocturno. © André Guérette Alexandre Désilets
Propelled to centre stage in 2006 after participating in a string of competitions and picking up many awards along the way, Alexandre Désilets soon garnered interest with his refined singing style. His first album, Escalader l’ivresse, released in 2008, created a real shockwave. Alexandre’s fusion of pop, soul and atmospheric rock, to which he adds his finely crafted soaring vocals, boosted him to new heights. The gifted melodist has also written film soundtracks (Le baiser du barbu, Tromper le silence) and taken part in group works to explore every dimension of his creativity. In 2010, the songwriter released La garde, featuring enchanting grooves and contagious melodies, and received the best album award in the Adult Contemporary category at the 2012 Independent Music Awards. Alejandra Ribera
Born in Toronto to an Argentinean father and a Scottish mother, singer‐
songwriter‐composer Alejandra Ribera’s musical style reflects her rich origins. Seamlessly going from jazz ballads to Mexican folk tunes to alternative pop, she sings in English, French and Spanish. Alejandra Ribera stands out for her distinctively deep voice and wild vocal range that she typically uses to create unique and evocative universes. She is currently working on the production of her second album with producer Jean Massicotte, who collaborated on two of Lhasa’s three albums: La Llorona (mixing) and The Living Road (producer). Although she did not know Lhasa personally, Alejandra’s unique voice and intense stage presence are reminiscent of the artist, along with the fact that she sings in three languages. 3
© Dita Kubin Geneviève Toupin
Geneviève Toupin is part of the new Montreal folk scene. The Manitoba‐born singer‐songwriter, who is known for her La tournée des cafés Web series, she has won several awards since the 2009 release of her first self‐titled album, including a Western Canadian Music Award (Best Francophone Recording) and the Edith Butler prize awarded by SPACQ (Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec). Since then, Geneviève Toupin has continued to take her songs to a myriad of stages, receiving rave reviews along the way. In October 2012, she will release her first all‐English album, The Ocean Pictures Project, co‐produced by Benoit Morier and featuring several guest artists. Lhasa de Sela is one of the artists who have inspired Geneviève. © Michel Pinault Karen Young
A singer, songwriter and arranger, Karen Young is one of the most prominent musical figures in Quebec. This eclectic artist has explored a variety of musical styles throughout her career, first dabbling with folk and moving on to jazz and bebop as part of the Bug Alley Band. After playing lead roles in musicals, she began a successful partnership with bass player Michel Donato in the 1980s. The duo produced four albums, received a Juno nomination and a Félix award in addition to touring in France, the United States and England. Karen continued her musical exploration, ranging from classical to world music, and including country, chanson and rock. In 2007, she released Âme, corps et désir, featuring medieval music, for which she was awarded another Félix; two years later she released Electro‐Beatniks, an electro‐jazz album, with bass player Éric Auclair. 4
CHOREOGRAPHERS © Lumanessence Photography Myriam Allard
Grounded in a superb mastery of the most orthodox flamenco tradition, the dance of Myriam Allard reflects her relentless research and the ongoing creation of a personal style. After several years of academic training in Seville and Madrid, she began dancing professionally at the tablaos flamencos in Spain and in Japan, and her early experience culminated in her participation in the creation of Galvanicas with the Israel Galvan company. Since then, Myriam Allard has been a guest artist with various European and Canadian companies, working with such artists as Fani Fuster (Toulouse), Marco de Ana and Antonio Arrebolla (Seville). In 2005, Myriam moved to Montreal to found La Otra Orilla with singer Hedi El Moro, and has since continued her artistic exploration within the company, as artistic director and choreographer. © Rolline Laporte Hélène Blackburn
Giving a greater place in choreographic research, Helene Blackburn has, and still is, renewing the approach of contemporary dance. Even so CAS PUBLIC is the result of a constant effort of its choreographer; the company wants to be the pillar for the artists revolving around a common research in dance. Recognized for its impetuous and powerful dance, CAS PUBLIC’s reputation was built thanks to the exceptional quality of its creations and an assiduous presence on the national and international scene. The company has entered with great success in the creation for young audience; CAS PUBLIC is definitely today a company of contemporary dance for the greater general audience with the characteristic to address itself to all the public ones. © Aska Koseki Jocelyne Montpetit Jocelyne Montpetit founded her company in 1990. Built around her singular art dancing solo, her choreographic approach showcases her incomparable talent as a dancer; one has inspired the other over the course of many works created, produced and presented, with unfaltering inspiration, for over two decades. Jocelyne Montpetit’s creative universe is marked by both Western and Eastern influences. It examines the inner life of women, borrowing from buto as much as from mime, classical dance and theatre, not to mention the inspiration she always takes from literature. As artistic director of her company, Jocelyne Montpetit has systematically collaborated with artists in other media, but she has always maintained definitive control over the direction of her works, intervening as much in the choreography as in their lighting, set design, costumes and staging. Her works have won many awards and have toured Mexico, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, Japan and Italy.
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© Normand Marcy David Rancourt A native of Abitibi‐Témiscamingue, David Rancourt has resided in Montreal since the summer of 1999. After completing the contemporary dance performance program at LADMMI in 2003, he became a member of Marie Chouinard’s company for three years and continues to participate in its projects on an occasional basis. He has also danced works by Sylvain Émard, José Navas, Annie Gagnon, Chanti Wadge, Alan Lake, among others, as well as by Paula de Vasconcelos, with whom he has been collaborating for over six years. David Rancourt has been practising Qigong with Marie‐Claude Rodrigue for many years, and is now on the teaching team at the Fragments Libres studio. Recently David Rancourt has been investigating his own choreographic approach, creating The Sorrowful Sons with Clara Furey, Techniques for the Quartiers Danses festival, and Bijoux, by invitation of the Mandala Sitù company. His performance at the Danse Lhasa Danse event represents the second time he has worked with PPS Danse; he will dance two short works, El Payande and Rising, as well as works by Edgar Zendejas. © Michael Slobodian Roger Sinha Roger Sinha, artistic director, choreographer and dancer founded Sinha Dance in 1991. The histories of Sinha Danse and its creator are linked together. His choreographic journey began with Burning Skin (1992). His work uses the universality of the body to explore cultural harmony and dissonance created by the collision of East and West. Sinha Danse's vocabulary merges the classical Indian dance with contemporary dance, martial arts and Bharata Natyam, a dance from southern India. Stories are important in Sinha's work, stories from poets, writers and stories of his own. Roger has participated in numerous commissions, such as the piece Tono for Red Sky Performance, which was presented in both the Beijing and the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 and the Canadian Pavilion in Shanghai. Roger Sinha is also a writer, a filmmaker and winner of the popular vote for his film Haters 'n Baiters: The culture collision for the Radio Canada International Roots competition. Edgar Zendejas
Mexican born Edgar Zendejas has been evolving as both interpretive artist and choreographer over two decades of dedicated work in the dance community. Beginning his interpretive career in Chicago, Edgar performed as a member with such notable companies as: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Giordano Jazz Dance. In the early nineties, Edgar was engaged by Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal where he found himself evolving as both artist and choreographer. The company's varied repertoire and frequent international tours helped to nurture Edgar's emerging interest in the creation. After the successful premiere of Zendejas' first work "Breve Enlace", Louis Robitaille offered him the position of associate choreographer with a commission for a new work entitled "Besame. Besame Mucho!" in 2006. Edgar Zendejas's choreography was further recognized at the Festival Danse Encore where he was presented with awards for his work. This recognition has led to further choreographic commissions in Mexico and the United States, most notably from Jacob's Pillow. Recently, Edgar was selected as a winner of the Hubbard Street ?National Choreographic Competition 2010?, a finalist for the Genesis International Choreographic Competition from Milwakee Ballet creating MARA and a first commision work with the Circus Starlight in Switzerland. 6
CREATORS
Pierre-Paul Savoie © Rolline Laporte original idea and art direction
Quebec choreographer, dancer and director Pierre‐Paul Savoie founded his company, PPS Danse, in 1989. Renowned for multidisciplinary works that feature strong images and raise relevant issues, Pierre‐Paul Savoie has worked for the stage, film and television and has often collaborated with major theatre, music and circus institutions. In 1996, the Canada Council for the Arts gave Pierre‐Paul Savoie the Jacqueline Lemieux Award for Bagne, a work that has found its place in the collective memory and history of Quebec dance. In 2004, he received the Attitude Award from ROSEQ (Réseau de diffuseurs de l’Est du Québec), recognizing his contribution to dance presentation, and in 2008 he was honoured with the Rideau Hommage award for his contribution to the development of Quebec dance. In 2007, Pierre‐Paul Savoie intuitively began applying the “openness to the outside” approach that now characterizes the works of his company, PPS Danse. More than ever, they are produced in collaboration with artists from Quebec and elsewhere. Over the years he has become progressively more interested in helping new generations emerge by including works for young audiences in the repertoire of PPS Danse. Louise Beaudoin art direction Hailing from the Ottawa valley area, Louise Beaudoin has a Bachelor of Music and Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa. For more than 10 years, she has scored a variety of "concept shows" for Coup de cœur francophone of which she is also artistic director. Some of these shows include Les ratés sympathiques (2006 and 1998), Ils chantent et content (2002‐2006), Quand on aime et Outrage aux Sinners (2002), as well as Chasse, pêche et rock'n'roll: coup de chapeau à Serge Deyglun and Libérer le trésor (2001). A manager, designer, composer and artistic director, Louise Beaudoin also worked as the director of variety programming at Radio‐Canada in Ottawa. She wrote the music for several theatre works, including La Dame aux camélias (TNM – Théâtre du Nouveau Monde), Caravansérail and Jouliks (Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui). 7
CO-PRODUCERS
4430, rue Parthenais Montréal (Québec) H2H 2G5 T 514.272.1198 F 514.524.9977 www.ppsdanse.com info@ppsdanse.com To create, stimulate and unite
PPS Danse was founded in 1989 by choreographer, performer and stage director Pierre‐Paul Savoie. To this day, the company has presented around 400 performances with twenty creations in ten or so countries in North America and Europe. No matter which cycle of creation they belong to, each of these works is marked by interdisciplinarity in form and humanity in content. Openness, creativity, humanism, sharing and commitment are the forces that continue to drive the company’s activities. These values are manifest in the production of original choreographic works and in PPS Danse’s involvement for the democratization of contemporary dance. By investing the fields of creation, cultural initiative and disciplinary development, PPS Danse confirms its position as a pillar of Quebec’s dance community. Creation
PPS Danse favors exchanges between local and international creators through invitations, collaborations, co‐creations and co‐productions. Nonetheless, the company continues to assert its own particular signature by producing interdisciplinary works that renew the choreographic vocabulary by integrating dramaturgy and theatrical elements. Whether they are intended for adults or for young audiences, its poetic and accessible creations illustrate the human condition and social issues. Cultural initiative
Cultural initiatives conducted by PPS Danse since its’ foundation have been guided by three main ideas: openness, dialogue and interaction. Each work is an opportunity to provoke new encounters and to initiate lively exchanges, adapted to the life contexts of different audiences. In order to promote a larger audience for contemporary dance, the company strives to awaken curiosity, to pass on keys for understanding the work and to develop tastes and critical observation. These faculties are stimulated through performances, workshops, conferences and discussion forums animated by Pierre‐Paul Savoie in various schools, community centers and professional milieus where partnerships have been established. Disciplinary development
Through his involvement in the community, Pierre‐Paul Savoie has contributed to the development of dance, its visibility and the improvement of its conditions of practice. He has always made it a point of honor to support younger generations of dance artists. For this reason, PPS Dance offers mentorships, shared resources and residencies to help emerging companies in Quebec with their artistic development and their management issues. 8
2030, boulevard Pie‐IX Bureau 303 Montréal (Québec) H1V 2C8 T 514.253.3024 F 514.253.8031 www.coupdecoeur.ca coupdecoeur@coupdecoeur.ca Founded in Montreal in 1987, Coup de cœur francophone is a festival dedicated to the discovery of new artists and promoting songs in a wide range of styles. Presented every November in Montreal as well as in more than 30 other Canadian cities, it brings together national and international performers in a program line‐up that features up‐and‐coming, bold and creative artists. In 1995, Coup de cœur francophone created its "traveling festival" component by establishing the Réseau pancanadien, a Canada‐wide network that today has 10 active partners in Canadian francophone communities. Spanning six time zones, the event presents roughly 200 shows across the country each year. The Réseau pancanadien showcases francophone creation and provides presentation opportunities for artists, many of whom are from francophone minority communities. It also gives communities access to diversified programming that gives prominence to emerging trends. Coup de cœur francophone is a festival like no other that has taken to the high seas to steer French song through Canadian and international francophone channels. 9
TECHNICAL RIDER
French version
http://bit.ly/LZUfta English version http://bit.ly/L17UEQ PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
https://vimeo.com/42628139 FURTHER INFORMATIONS
Pierre-Paul Savoie Alain Chartrand General and art director pps@ppsdanse.com General and art director achartrand@coupdecoeur.ca PPS Danse
Coup de cœur francophone
4430, rue Parthenais Montréal (Québec) H2H 2G5 T 514.272.1198 F 514.524.9977 www.ppsdanse.com 2030, boulevard Pie‐IX Bureau 303 Montréal (Québec) H1V 2C8 T 514.253.3024 F 514.253.8031 www.coupdecoeur.ca
SALES OUTSIDE QUEBEC
Bernard Lagacé General director orbite.mtl@videotron.ca Montréal en orbite
7122. rue Waverly Suite 210 Montréal (Québec) H2S 3J3 T. 514.274.3901 F. 514.274.7928 10