Theatre Forever: Vivons, Tentacle Tribe, Bagsy

Vivons: 'Never 21'
Echoing the hashtag #Never 21 designed by the BLACK LIVES MATTERS movement to denounce the early deaths that gnaw at discriminated youth in poor neighborhoods, with this choreographic piece Smail Kanouté wishes to pay tribute to the young victims of firearms in New York, Rio or Johannesburg… who die before the age of 21.

NEVER TWENTY ONE will be based on the testimonies of the families of the victims who will be partially transcribed on the bodies of the dancers who will become their interpreters and messengers. A body-words-public trilogue will thus be created to pay homage to the missing and keep their memories alive.

Tentacle Tribe: 'Ghost'
In this new work, the free-spirited pair combines elements of contemporary dance, street dance and martial arts in a physical score that echoes the subtle pulse of respiration. Inhalations and exhalations sculpt the group’s gestures and movements. The interconnected bodies form striking human structures that shift, alter, evolve in synergy with the music. The invigorating power of the breath and its circulation in the organism is embodied and magnified by the energetic, almost architectural dance. From technical feats to dreamlike sequences, Ghost is a welcome breath of air.

-|-
Bagsy: 'Surrender'
What does it mean to be a man? What is masculinity? These questions are explored in the piece called Surrender a journey of a man finding his identity in a world of conflicting ideals, racial disparities, and misrepresented communities. Being a MAN should be simple but due to societal constraints it has become a complex topic seldom spoken of. This often leads to depression, poor mental health, various forms of toxic masculinity and in severe cases, suicide in young men. I believe being a man is about embracing all that is male AND female and not fighting the two energies but finding balance with them. Showing emotion is not a sign of weakness or lack of masculinity, it is a show a strength, courage and integrity. Getting comfortable being vulnerable is the basis to this piece that I hope will inspire all men to be wholeheartedly true to themselves.

Ghost
choreography Emmanuelle Lê Phan & Elon Höglund
performers Emmanuelle Lê Phan, Elon Höglund, Victoria Mackenzie, Mecdy Jean-Pierre, Marie-Reine Kabasha, Rahime Gay-Labbé
original music Samuel Nadaï
light design and technical direction Benoit Larivière
costumes Rosalie Lemay (@pretendplay)
rehearsal direction Helen Simard
with the support of Conseil des arts du Canada, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Danse à la carte DAC
and residency help from Arsenal Art Contemporain, CCOV, Maison de la Culture Villeray/Saint-Michel, Maison de la Culture Pointe-aux-Trembles, Maison de la Culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

-|-
Never Twenty One
choreographer Smail Kanouté
dancers Aston Bonaparte, Jérôme Fidelin aka Goku et Smail Kanouté
outside look Moustapha Ziane
scenograph Olivier Brichet
light & sound designer Paul Lajus
body painter Lorella Disez
costumes designers Rachel Boa et Ornella Maris
production La Compagnie Vivons!
coproduction Les Ateliers Médicis – Clichy sous Bois, Espace 1789 – Saint Ouen, CentQuatre – Paris Théâtre de la Ville / Danse Élargie 2020, Caisse des Dépôts DRAC Ile de France, Région Ile de France, Ville de Paris, Adami, Spedidam
corealisation Les Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine Saint Denis