Site-specific dance

The dance scene is increasingly marked by projects where contemporary dance is presented in sites far removed from traditional stages or “black box” performance spaces. Presentations of site-specfic dances and roving outdoor performances in public spaces or parks call for new ways of thinking about dance, the performance space and the relationship with the audience. The panel includes Katya Montaignac of La 2^e Porte à Gauche (Danse à 10 and 2050 Mansfield-Rendez-vous à l’hôtel), Manon Oligny (Où est Blanche-Neige?)  and Lucie Grégoire (Le retour du temps and À ciel ouvert), who will launch a discussion on the issues, distinctive features and the difficulties this type of performance entails. What is the motivation behind “taking dance out of the theatre”? Is it a question of proximity, of democratization, of accessibility? What sort of impact does a site or a specific environment have on choreographic choices and the creation of a movement piece? What particularities of performance face dancers in such situations? How do we attract and hold the gaze of the spectator? Hosted by Manon Levac, a dancer, theorist and professor in the Dance Department at UQAM, the discussion will take stock of the current situation and present-day dance practice.