Opening show: 9

Cas Public/Kopergietery (Canada og Belgia)

Known for its eloquent dance, Cas Public now houses an atypical performer, Cai Glover, who overcame a hearing impairment to become a professional dancer. Choreographer Hélène Blackburn has taken the unusual step of using his disability as a point of departure for her new creation. Perceiving, experiencing, understanding. Our senses allow us to apprehend the world around us. This sine qua non condition is like a window onto what lies outside of us; without it, things elude us in part. How is it possible to capture the monumental grandeur of the 9th symphony – one of the masterworks in the classical repertoire – if, like Beethoven, our hearing is impaired? 9 incarnates this challenge through a bold journey of sensation. In coproduction with Kopergietery, the work is sure to appeal to all generations by pushing back the limits of silence to rise above difference and transform the body into language.

9 is a creation of Cas Public and Kopergietery, coproduced with Spect’Art Rimouski and Place des Arts de Montreal. 9 received a creative residency at Place des Arts de Montreal, at Maison de la culture Mercier (Montreal), at Maison de la culture Frontenac (Montreal), Kopergietery (Gand), the Tarmac – la scène internationale francophone (Paris) and the Banff Center (Alberta).

Credits

Production: Cas Public & Kopergietery
Choreographer: Hélène Blackburn
Playwright: Johan De Smet
Music: Martin Tétreault
Films: Kenneth Michiels
Light: Emilie B-Beaulieu and Hélène Blackburn
Costumes: Michael Slack and Hélène Blackburn
Photos: Damian Siqueiros