The language of dance needs no interpreter.
This will be apparent when Montréal’s Bouge de là brings its award-winning performance of L’atelier (The Studio) to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre on Sunday.
Already a success in Québec, where it was launched, The Studio is being toured around B.C. for the first time.
“The Studio is an ode to the creative spirit that lies within each of us, exploring colours and drawings of motion, transporting young audiences into an enchanting world,” said Nicolas Labelle, one of the performers in the show. “Teenagers, parents and children, everybody likes it. There are so many states of understanding in it that anyone can really appreciate it.”
Set in an artist’s studio, where ideas burst forth, blending together dance, drama, colour and movement, The Studio features Bouge de là’s artistic director Audrey Bergeron, along with Labelle, Jean-François Légaré and Jessica Serli.
On stage, they open a magical treasure chest, playing with everything they find: fabric, frames, paintings and props and accessories of all sorts. With their assorted props in hand, the dancers alter, reshape and transform the objects in a game where there is only one rule — to have fun
“It has a really playful feel,” said Labelle. “We play with everything used for painting through dance.”
Paintings not only spring to life before the audience’s eyes, they transform into movement and dance driven by the whims and imagination of the performers, said Labelle.
“It really is like a game for us as the interpreters in the show” he said. “It’s very colourful and playful and you don’t need an understanding of visual arts or dance to appreciate it.”
A unique multi-media performance, the actions and movements of the dancers are also processed and transformed by image capture software, and are then projected as a live on-stage broadcast, adding a new dimension to the performance.
“There are two cameras on stage filming us dancing and moving,” said Labelle. “It’s transformed through a computer and re-projected on stage and we’re actually creating visual art through video.”
The show has also captured the attention of the theatre world.
Besides a Dora Mavor Moore award, given to Canadian theatres, in the young audiences division, The Studio picked up the Prix Rideau award for touring.
The Studio takes the stage at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Sunday for two performances at 2 and 4 p.m. Tickets are $12 (all seats) at the Ticket Seller box office, 549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca.
