Springing from an extraordinary union between classical music, performed live by the Molinari Quartet, and contemporary dance, Les corps avalés is a moving human odyssey that reveals Virginie Brunelle’s sensitive intelligence and great musicality in all their luminous power.
Against a backdrop of resilience and hope, Les corps avalés explores power relations, inequalities and social upheaval. Mastering the delicate balance between expressiveness and the vigorous physicality of her choreographic language, Brunelle directs seven dancers in a portrayal of a vulnerable humanity in search of gentleness and community. On stage, the Molinari Quartet delivers a radiant performance of selected pieces from the contemporary repertoire. The notes perfuse the smallest parts of the performers’ bodies; they animate, amplify, inspire the movement. Disarray, chaos and torment are thus sublimated. Elegant and intoxicating, Brunelle’s dance is ultimately salutary.
Duration: 65 minutes
Talkback with Compagnie Virginie Brunelle hosted by Judith Garay
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle is a choreographic creation company founded in 2009 that produces and presents original works under the artistic and general direction of the eponymous choreographer. Holding a bachelor’s degree in dance from UQÀM in 2008, Virginie quickly set herself apart in the Montreal dance scene with her distinctive style. The company contributes to the promotion of dance and the appreciation of the arts by the public through about ten works, which have been presented in numerous theaters in Montreal as well as throughout Quebec, Canada, and internationally.
After graduating, Virginie Brunelle created Les cuisses à l’écart du cœur, a choreography for seven dancers that earned numerous awards and mentions. Armed with this initial success, she dedicated herself to creating her second piece, Foutrement, which won the 2017 Prix du public presented by the CAM en tournée (CAM touring program). In 2011, Virginie Brunelle opened La Chapelle’s fall season with the presentation of her third work, Complexe des genres, which received the second prize at Denmark’s prestigious Aarhus International Choreography Competition. Three years later, she presented PLOMB, and in 2016 she created À la douleur que j’ai. These four works have been internationally toured, traveling through Europe and Canada. In the wake of this international recognition, the choreographer was invited abroad in 2018 to create a piece for the Gauthier Dance Theaterhaus Stuttgart company. She gave birth to Beating, initially presented in Germany, but which toured Canada and Europe in 2018-2019. Finally, in 2019, she created Les corps avalés, a piece for seven dancers, accompanied on stage by the Molinari Quartet, presented by Danse Danse at Théâtre Maisonneuve. This work was a resounding success with critics and audiences alike. In the spring of 2022, Virginie presented her most recent creation, Fables, a major work for twelve performers and a pianist, which had its world premiere at the Lugano Dance Project Festival in Switzerland and was subsequently presented at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts in Montreal in December 2022. Then, most recently, Virginie directed her first dance short film entitled Réminiscences, which premiered in the official competition of the Festival Regard and was screened in around twenty dance film festivals, where it garners almost ten international awards. Finally, she completed a second short film called Recipe for Tragedy, co-directed with Nicolas Berzi.
Choreographer: Virginie Brunelle
Dancers: Isabelle Arcand, Sophie Breton, François Richard, Sabrina Dupuis, Chi Long, Milan Panet-Gigon, Peter Trosztmer
Musicians: Molinari Quartet – in residence at the Montreal Conservatory – Olga Ranzenhofer / Violin, Antoine Bareil / Violin, Frédéric Lambert / Viola, Pierre-Alain Bouvrette / Cello
Light: Alexandre Pilon-Guay
Costume designer: Elen Ewing
Set designer: Marilène Bastien
Sound design: Ben Shemie
Dramaturgy advisor: Gabriel Charlebois-Plante
Rehearsal director: Isabelle Poirier
Technical director: François Marceau
Sound engineer: Jean-François Gagnon
Coproducer: Danse Danse
Residencies: Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Danse à la carte, Département de danse de l’UQÀM
Produced with the precious support of: Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal
