For our 25th Anniversary, a re-creation of BAGNE.

More than 20 years after the original creation of Bagne, co-creators Pierre-Paul Savoie and Jeff Hall revisit their most acclaimed success. Confined in a huge metal structure, two men embrace under the watchful eyes of captivated spectators. In this intense and moving amalgam of dance and theatre, a humanly brutal force transforms to a universal tenderness. The imprisoned beings entwine in raw and sensitive movement. It is a hymn to liberty and the power of love.

In offering this creation to a new generation of male dancers and inviting the first-time collaborators to revisit the work, a fresh reality and timelessness is achieved, infusing the original statement. A re-creation whose universality profoundly touches the audience while being discovered by a new public and new generations.

« Un must et ce, que vous aimiez la danse, le théâtre, la vie… Une œuvre universelle, qui pourrait être présentée absolument partout et toucher à peu près tout le monde.
Chapeau. » Anne-Marie Lecomte, La Presse (1992), Montréal

Workshop “The Chairs”

In addition to its performance of The Chairs, PPS Danse is giving choreographic initiation workshops at schools and community centres, based on Eugène Ionesco’s play, The Chairs, in a choreographic adaptation by the company.

The aim of these workshops is to spark participants’ interest in contemporary dance through the process of creating choreography in a theatrical setting. The workshop activities include reading excerpts from Ionesco’s play, exploring gestural movements, devising a choreographic sequence and, finally, staging a mini-performance. Participants assume the roles of actors and choreographers, becoming members of the cast and production crew too. In this way, they are stimulated to explore their interests and talents, trying out mini-roles in the fascinating worlds of choreography, acting and dance.

To create bridges between the artist and the public, the workshops offer access to contemporary dance through literature, theatre and music. They take the form of one or more group gatherings with half-hour workshops led by professional actors and choreographers.

Workshop “The Chairs” for children:

Workshop “The Chairs” for retired persons at Villeray :

View our workshop with retired people on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/74880162

Workshop “Tales”

Along with its performance of Tales for Naughty Children, PPS Danse offers a series of choreographic initiation workshops for elementary school students. Based on stories by Jacques Prévert, these beginner workshops in choreography spark participants’ interest in contemporary dance and the process of creating choreography.

Presented in the form of a game, the workshops use animal movements from Prévert’s Tales for Naughty Children as the subject of the choreography. The workshop activities include reading a story, exploring gestural movements, devising a choreographic sequence and staging a mini-performance.

To create bridges between the artist and the public, the workshops offer access to contemporary dance through literature, theatre, music and song. Presented at schools and community centres, they take the form of one-hour workshops led by professional actors and choreographers.

Photos “Tales for Naughty Children”workshop held in Mexico during our tour in 2014.

The Chairs

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A theatrical-dance production for all ages, from 8 to 88

In this choreographic tragicomedy, an elderly couple, aged 94 and 95, to ward off boredom, solitude and isolation, welcome a steady stream of imaginary guests at their door. Among them we find a colonel, a Sleeping Beauty, a group of children, animal reporters and even the King himself.

An absurd melee ensues with an endless shifting of chairs for the phantom guests. Then suddenly, for all to hear, the awaited Orator arrives!

To everyone’s surprise, it is a dancing deaf-mute child who, through the language of dance, speaks a universal message, conveying the shared thoughts of the elderly and the children, and their hopes for a future world. This original adaptation of Eugène Ionescu‘s play seamlessly integrates dance, theatre and music.

« Un petit bijou …»
Mélanye Boissonnault, Radio-Canada (Montréal)

« Avec son adaptation des Chaises, le chorégraphe Pierre-Paul Savoie s’approprie avec bonheur, tendresse et sensibilité un joyau du théâtre mondial pour le jeune public. »
Olivier Dumas, Monthéâtre.qc.ca

« Toujours aussi pertinente la pièce… fait résonner plusieurs couches de sens … Leurs dialogues et monologues font valser le sublime et l’ordinaire. Leurs petites routines et querelle, et surtout leurs gestes de vieux un peu fourbus par la vie faisaient bien rigoler le jeune public… Car la danse se mêle aux dialogues surtout sous forme d’acrobaties livrées avec la drôle de maladresse que leur âge impose.

Décors, costumes et maquillages, tous en noir et blanc, font un clin d’œil à une esthétique expressionniste, jouant à la fois sur le clownesque et le grave. Des changements de registres qui plaisaient visiblement aux jeunes spectateurs. »
Frédérique Doyon, le Devoir

Crédits

Adaptation and dramaturgy: Lise Vaillancourt
Choreography and staging: Pierre-Paul Savoie
Choreographic collaboration: David Rancourt
Performers: Sylvain Lafortune, Heather Mah and Marie-Ève Carrière
Music: Benoît Coté
Sound: Thierry Gauthier and Benoît Côté
Set design and lighting: Jocelyn Proulx
Costumes: Linda Brunelle
Make-up: Florence Cornet
Accessories: Rachel Tremblay and Ève Turcotte

Downloads

Tales for Naughty Children

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This stage adaptation of eight stories from Jacques Prévert’s book, Tales for Naughty Children, fuses dance, theatre, music and song to create an imaginative work where fantasy and surprise set the pace of the journey. A delightful tribute to childhood.

Chosen for the poetic and human qualities expressed by the author, these Prévert tales offer an eccentric cast of characters and exotic animals who transport the children, 3 to 6 feet tall, through exciting adventures. In this exuberant show, a bell-eating ostrich chats with Tom Thumb, the antelopes are melancholy and a dumbfounded dromedary is irked at being called a camel, while an elephant seal lolls on its belly, juggling unlikely items. It’s a sight to see!

Tales for Naughty Children celebrates the world of children and critiques the adult world for its human exploitation and destruction of natural riches.

Production Credits

Texts: Jacques Prévert, Tales for Naughty Children
Original idea: Pierre-Paul Savoie
Adaptation, choreography and staging: Marie-Josée Chartier and Pierre-Paul Savoie
Dramaturge: Lise Vaillancourt
Music: Benoît Côté
Performers: Mathilde Addy-Laird, Dany Desjardins, Amélie Rajotte, Edward Toledo
Costumes: Marie Muyard
Accessories: Claude Rodrigue
Lights: Valérie Bourque
Set and lighting consultant: Jocelyn Proulx
Production Managers: Arnold Brookhuis, Valérie Bourque
Length: 50 minutes

The Chairs in Philadelphia and on tour in Québec

In performance or showcased at a location near you, our 2015 schedule already offers an exciting list of activities:

In January, PPS Danse was in Philadelphia to present our English version of The Chairs as part of the “Spotlight” series at the International Performing Arts for Youth 2015 (IPAY).
On February 15th, The Chairs was presented at the Bourse RIDEAU 2015, followed by an informal discussion with the audience.
In 2015, The Chairs takes to the road around the province of Quebec. From Ste-Thérèse to Le Bic by way of Quebec City, check our tour dates for this great show! Dance and theatre merge to portray the imaginary whims of an elderly couple beset with boredom. Don’t miss this tragicomedy by Eugène Ionesco, a must-see for kids and adults alike!

Watch this recent Interview clip with Pierre-Paul Savoie and Heather Mah, produced by Alejandro Jiménez (English version).

Flashback on 2014: festivals, conferences, tours and workshops…

2014 wrapped up on a high note for the PPS Danse company. With 14 presentations last fall, our works delighted audiences here and abroad, including performances of Tales for Naughty Children in Mexico.

Amid our various missions, conferences and talks (collgiums), Artistic Director, Pierre-Paul Savoie, also devoted his time and talent to creating two new works. Add to this some 75 Introduction to Choreography workshops that captivated and inspired participants young and old.

Catch some of the action in this video clip produced at a workshop in partnership with Salle Pauline-Julien, the CHSLD Vigi Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Danse sur les routes du Québec.

Video of cultural workshop at CHSLD Vigi in Dollard-des-Ormeaux

Caption: Video d’un atelier culturelle au CHSLD Vigi à Dollars-des-Ormeaux (par xxx yyy).

The PPS Danse team wishes to thank all its partners, technicians, artists and designers who so generously give their talent and enthusiasm to achieve the company’s artistic projects. To our audiences and collaborators, we wish you a joyous festive season. May 2015 be a year of exciting creativity for everyone!

Danse Lhasa Danse

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Lhasa De Sela left us in 2010, but her enchanting songs and music remain with us. Danse Lhasa Danse was created to honour the late Lhasa De Sela, whose spirit and soul shall ever remain in our hearts.

Artistic Director, Pierre-Paul Savoie guides this performance as if for a choir in a cathedral. Words, music and dance harmonize in a single voice as a moving tribute to a beautiful being who called us to fully celebrate life. Five musicians, four singers and seven dancers touch our hearts in a soaring affirmation of Lhasa De Sela’s words and music.

« Pas besoin de mots (…) ici il n’y a que la véhémence du geste, l’émotion du chant, l’impalpable de la musique pour rendre hommage à une œuvre forte et éternelle ». Marie- Christine Trottier, Espace musique

« Au final, une soirée magnifique, où la danse a su montrer comment elle peut exprimer ce qui ne peut être dit, en paroles ou en chanson. Un contexte qui ne pouvait être plus parfait pour Lhasa, qui portait, audelà de ses mots, ce supplément d’âme qui a touché tant de personnes à travers le monde. » Iris GagnonParadis, DFDANSE, 15 novembre 2011

« (…) et le coup de maître de Pierre-Paul Savoie qui a porté la danse à Coup de cœur francophone avec le très réussi Danse Lhasa Danse. » Fabienne Cabado, Voir, 22 décembre 2011

Crédits

Conception and staging: Pierre-Paul Savoie
Artistic directors: Pierre-Paul Savoie and Louise Beaudouin
Choreography: Pierre-Paul Savoie, Myriam Allard, Hélène Blackburn, David Rancourt, Roger Sinha and Edgar Zendejas
Singers: Bïa, Alexandre Désilets, Alejandra Ribera and Karen Young
Dancers: Myriam Allard, Sébastien Cosette-Masse, Tom Casey, Élise Legrand, Roxane Duchesne-Roy, Sara Harton, David Rancourt
Musicians: Frédéric Darveau, Denis Faucher, Sheila Hannigan, Pascal Racine-Venne and Jocelyn Tellier

For our 25th Anniversary, a re-creation of BAGNE.