Mouvemants by Compagnie Marie Chouinard

Composer: Louis Dufort, sound environment: Edward freedman

 Theatre Schouwburg Arnhem, 27^th November 2013
 

Marie Chouinard is a 55-year-old Canadian choreographer whose work is known for its sexually content. She traveled all over the world from New York to Nepal which defiantly influence her diversity art pieces. She created more than 50 solos and group pieces from the 70s’ until nowadays.

The piece “Mouvements” was Marie’s translation to an India-ink drawing book by Henri Michaux (1951), contains poems and drawings of movements presenting multiform figures. The chorography made as precise translation of the book including the poem words as text in the second part of the piece.

It is true that the purpose of dancing drawing forms was probably made before, however, it was fascinating to see the dancers revive the drawing that were screened on the stage. As simple it was it was beautiful. The piece started gradually with Carol Prieur forming the drawings from the book by her body, and slowly more dancers joined the stage. You could notice the complicity of the drawing forms from time to time.

The choreography, costumes and hairstyle by Marie were made until the small details. The ten dancers were wearing a black long tide sleeves shirt and tide pens that made the movements clean and clear. The girls performed with loose hair which interfere the clarity of the movement. I thought It was a shame because the tide clothes were a good decision for the chorography clarity, I did not understand the reason for the loose hair.

Another subject we could question is the poem words that was being red by Carol prieur, unfortunately in French what made me realize most of the Dutch audience could not understand. Did we miss some important information from the poem words?

In conclusion, I would sagest to see a modest and cleaver piece performed by spectacular dancers. They performed in high level physicality, and had these magic good artists have usually on stage.

There is not a lot of space to imagine the book or the drawing because of Marie’s precise translation. Usually I would say it is too much concrete. But in that case Mary had a reason. We can only guess what the reason was; I would say to give an honor to the book writer and drawer, and also to revile an Indian hidden culture.

 Target audience: everyone who likes physicality, rock style, simplicity diluted with sophistication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         reviewed by Daniel Barkan