“Others” Marks Emergence of a Dance Company to be Reckoned With

By Janine Theriault, staff writer

MONTREAL (RPRN) 5/30/2009--Montreal’s world premiere of “Others”, presented this week at Sala Rosa, the newest creation from choreographer Genevieve Bolla and her fledgling company Evolucidanse, was anything but novice. In fact, the work – only the third creation by the 23 year-old Bolla and Evolucidanse – heralds the fully realized execution of a remarkably mature creative vision.

Bolla shows her wisdom not only in the all-important movement vocabulary and judgment of an audience’s attention span, but equally in her innovative use of an actor – a comic, really – to provide a needed counterpoint, foil, and some comic relief to a medium that is often given to dramatic over-indulgence.

“Others” - ostensibly exploring the image we project versus the reality of ourselves that we hide – seems to grapple just as much with the relationship between the sexes as any more intimate inter-personal relationship.

With a cast of five excellent female dancers - and one lone, baggy-panted, ball cap-sporting (and woefully boyish) male actor – the group explores first the difficulties inherent in true interconnection between (in particular) young men and women, and then delves into the equally fraught relationship between women themselves.

The device of the young male actor, who rambles monologues about his telemarking job and how he likes summer – and seasons, for that matter – when confronted with the confounding image of a dirt-smeared bare-chested woman, beautifully evokes the tragic-comedy of young men simply not up to the task of dealing with their often more-complex female counterparts; of creation’s little in-joke of leaving them at a natural disadvantage.

But even the women, whether friends or lovers, don’t really support each other; they may provide a temporary shoulder to lean on, or a body to cling to, but the eventual disentanglement is inevitable.

Motivated by breathe (not just as all dance is, but as rhythm and psychological insight), the women pant and puff, somewhere between labor and orgasm, spanning the entire active sexual life of young females in movement. It was truly poignant; showing both the painful vulnerability and amazing strength of the wonderfully communicative dancers and the female sex they represented. This was powerful dance and powerful choreography; you’d have to have been made of stone not to react with strong visceral emotion to the piece.

With the 250-300 people packed in anticipation into the Sala Rosa – that with no advertising to speak of – it won’t be long before the momentum felt at this show spills out and catches more supporters in its captivating net.

EvoLucidanse in collaboration with Ngabo Music presents "Others", May 27 at 8 pm at Sala Rosa, 4848 blvd. St-Laurent, Montreal, QC. Featuring Genevieve Bolla, Emilie Gratton, Ingrid Proulx, Sarah Desrosiers, Isabelle Arcand and Vincent Dostalier-Tarte. Check www.myspace.com/evolucidanse for upcoming shows and events.