For me Montréal was "the place to be for impro theater" (with the famous "match d'impro"/theatresports created there in the 70's). Younger, I was in a theater group in Lyon and I really enjoyed it. But finally, Montréal is also great for dance, so my interest changed and I focused my practise on Dance improvisation.
So I went of course to the CI jams, and fall in love of the Montreal CI community; a very good group is managing all CI event, the ACI:
- every Wednesday, 20h-22h15, Focus Jam (nice souvenir of 1 warm-up given by Catherine Lessard) at Studio Caravane or Fleur d'asphalte
- every Sunday, 11h30-14h30, great jam at Studio S'temps d'art africain
And I had the opportunity to participate to the Global Underscore, 22th june noon, outdoor in a Park.
What is the Global Underscore?
The underscore has been created by Nancy Stark Smith and she defines it as "a framework for practising and researching dance improvisation that I've been developing since the early 1990s."
It is a score that guides dancers through a series of "changing states", from solo deepening/releasing to sensitizing to gravity and support; through group circulation and interaction, CI engagements, opening out to full group improvisation with compositional awareness, and back to rest and reflection". For the past 12 years, a Global Undersocre has been occurring near the summer solstice. Conceived by French dancer Claire Filmon, dancers at many sites around workd practise the Underscore simultaneously.
Amazing deep feeling to be connected with my CI dancer friends from everywhere in the world, dancing all togehter in the same place: the Earth.
during this event came to me 2 gifts:
- my first meeting with Benoît Aubertin and Elizabeth Cooper who became dear friends. 2 amazing dancers and human beings very involved in CI and Community life. We meet again in Earthdance, New York Jam and Dance Camp of New England...
- Eryn Dace Trudell, teacher of CI, Skinner releasing technique and baby-mama dance. She proposed me to participate to a workshop she would give in Lasqueti Island (Vancouver) in July... I accept soo happy!!!! It looked just amazing, dancing and helping in eco-building/gardening!!!
In Montréal, I also participated to a week Workshop with Jacques Poulin-Denis "By all means" in the studio 303.
Enjoying all the warm-up with him (using meditation, braith, body visualizations), during the week we worked on the improvisation using our body, our voice (using also Action theater exercices), awareness of the space, the rest of the performer, the group... Laughing a lot... Fully satisfied!!!
After this workshop, I didn't really feel to take more classes/workshops. In Germany, I didn't have the chance to really perform I was very focus on my training. But in Montréal, I felt that at this moment I didn't need more training but to let my body move and express itself!!!
Lucky, in Jacques' workshop, I met Mélanie, amazing improviser, she offers me to stay in her appartment (in the French area, Mont-royal) 1 month during her trip in France...Pure generosity... Love
Thanks to her and Valérian, I was in the best conditions for the preparation of my next 2 performances: "Passons par ici" and "Presence & Absence" in July!
Ah I would like to share here Valérian' story; many years ago, he and a friend made a bike-circus-world trip!!!! They just improvise themselves clowns and share it Everywhere!!! ya ya ya ya!!!! BEAUTIFUL. Take a look to their website http://spectacleautremonde.free.fr
New york was not so far from Montréal. So I went with part of my dear Family to spend a long week-end there.
It was important for me to have this first contact with New York. Improvising the rest of my journey...
I had to decide between West and East coast fall:
- Seatle (SFDI, high level CI festival), San Francisco with an amazing Dance impro community
- New England (Earthdance, Northampton, Boston, Dance Camp), New York (Klein technique with Susan Klein and Barbara Malher, lovely CI community)...
So walking a lot in New York, Brooklyn, dancing at the Williamsburg bridge promenade,
participating to a Sunday workshop (with Jen abrams) in the Movement Research (Manhattan). mmmmmmh Yeahhh for New York!!!!
There I met Haruka from Japan who loved my origami gift ; )
Let's live for a while in New york!!! decision taken but for the moment, starting my summertime in Montréal!!!
So I went of course to the CI jams, and fall in love of the Montreal CI community; a very good group is managing all CI event, the ACI:
- every Wednesday, 20h-22h15, Focus Jam (nice souvenir of 1 warm-up given by Catherine Lessard) at Studio Caravane or Fleur d'asphalte
- every Sunday, 11h30-14h30, great jam at Studio S'temps d'art africain
And I had the opportunity to participate to the Global Underscore, 22th june noon, outdoor in a Park.
What is the Global Underscore?
The underscore has been created by Nancy Stark Smith and she defines it as "a framework for practising and researching dance improvisation that I've been developing since the early 1990s."
Amazing deep feeling to be connected with my CI dancer friends from everywhere in the world, dancing all togehter in the same place: the Earth.
during this event came to me 2 gifts:
- my first meeting with Benoît Aubertin and Elizabeth Cooper who became dear friends. 2 amazing dancers and human beings very involved in CI and Community life. We meet again in Earthdance, New York Jam and Dance Camp of New England...
- Eryn Dace Trudell, teacher of CI, Skinner releasing technique and baby-mama dance. She proposed me to participate to a workshop she would give in Lasqueti Island (Vancouver) in July... I accept soo happy!!!! It looked just amazing, dancing and helping in eco-building/gardening!!!
In Montréal, I also participated to a week Workshop with Jacques Poulin-Denis "By all means" in the studio 303.
After this workshop, I didn't really feel to take more classes/workshops. In Germany, I didn't have the chance to really perform I was very focus on my training. But in Montréal, I felt that at this moment I didn't need more training but to let my body move and express itself!!!
Lucky, in Jacques' workshop, I met Mélanie, amazing improviser, she offers me to stay in her appartment (in the French area, Mont-royal) 1 month during her trip in France...Pure generosity... Love
Ah I would like to share here Valérian' story; many years ago, he and a friend made a bike-circus-world trip!!!! They just improvise themselves clowns and share it Everywhere!!! ya ya ya ya!!!! BEAUTIFUL. Take a look to their website http://spectacleautremonde.free.fr
New york was not so far from Montréal. So I went with part of my dear Family to spend a long week-end there.
It was important for me to have this first contact with New York. Improvising the rest of my journey...
I had to decide between West and East coast fall:
- Seatle (SFDI, high level CI festival), San Francisco with an amazing Dance impro community
- New England (Earthdance, Northampton, Boston, Dance Camp), New York (Klein technique with Susan Klein and Barbara Malher, lovely CI community)...
So walking a lot in New York, Brooklyn, dancing at the Williamsburg bridge promenade,
participating to a Sunday workshop (with Jen abrams) in the Movement Research (Manhattan). mmmmmmh Yeahhh for New York!!!!
There I met Haruka from Japan who loved my origami gift ; )
Let's live for a while in New york!!! decision taken but for the moment, starting my summertime in Montréal!!!