Collectif La Tresse
Geneviève Boulet, Erin O'Loughlin et Laura Toma
Photo © Valérie Boulet
Creation Laboratory - Modern Myth Making​
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Inspired by archetypes, imagery and metaphor drawn from astrology, mythology, history, nature, and pop-culture, LA TRESSE’s process is rooted in fantastical world-building, shape-shifting, delight and surrender. Over the past 10 years of collaborating together, Geneviève, Erin and Laura have developed a methodology which draws upon each person’s individual strengths; transferring lead fluidly while creating a complementary and human approach to choreography and artistic direction. In this workshop, they will co-lead the participants through a series of exercises and tableaux (both new ideas and existing repertoire material) which emphasize each dancers’ individuality while nurturing interdependence among the group. They will bring forward some of their inspirations (visual art, aesthetics, music, film, etc.) while asking the participants to tap into their own desires, dreams, and personas. As much as LA TRESSE’s practice relies upon an intuitive openness to flow, they also value clarity and detail in the body, often anchored in complex rhythms and physical/spatial patterns. Over the course of the weeklong process, they will create the skeleton of a piece enlivened by the artists within it, considering a poignant quote from Barbara Dilley: “I am different because you are here”. Their hope is that the time shared in the studio will be uplifting, intimate, stimulating, rigorous, flowing, and layered in multitudes.
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Collectif La Tresse
Geneviève Boulet, Erin O'Loughlin and Laura Toma
Creation Laboratory
May 27 to 31
2:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
(20 hours)
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Wilder Building
Studio: to be confirmed
Pricing and
Registration
DAC pro - $ 200 ($10 / hr)
Standard- $ 320 ($16 / hr)
*This workshop may be partially reimbursed through the RQD Dancer Training Support Program . Please verify directly with the RQD.
Collectif La Tresse
Established in 2014, LA TRESSE is a laterally arranged organization whereby the three founding members: Geneviève Boulet, Erin O’Loughlin, and Laura Toma co-choreograph and perform physically driven works that explore interdependence and the transporting power of imagination. Embodying a connection to pleasure, they craft contrasting worlds using imagery and archetypal symbolism, guiding audiences to places both familiar and unknown. With a commitment to intuitive decision-making and collaborative listening, their repertoire includes trios, ensemble compositions, and commissioned pieces. “Beauté Brute” (2015) and “Volume II” (2017), for which they received the Audience Choice Award at Festival Quartiers Danses, laid the foundation for LA TRESSE's artistic journey. Selected by Springboard Danse Montréal as Emerging Choreographers in 2017, they returned in 2019 as Resident Choreographers, earning the prestigious Gibney Company/Springboard Emerge Award. Their works “L’Encre Noire” (2019) and “Prima Materia” (2020) have enjoyed success across Québec and Ontario. Since presenting “L'Encre Noire”, Agora de la danse has been a crucial partner, co-producing and showcasing their latest creation, “KIN”, in April 2023, and supporting the company in their ongoing projects. LA TRESSE’s artistic endeavors have garnered support and residencies from esteemed institutions such as The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, La danse sur les routes du Québec (Salon 58), and Galway Dance Project / Áras Éanna (Ireland) as well as the Conseil des arts de Montreal, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Canada Council for the Arts.
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