It was the impossible show.
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At least, that is what Monumental director Dana Gingras says.
Monumental, the Canadian collaboration between Vancouver dance troupe The Holy Body Tattoo and Montreal rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor, had a few early kinks.
For one, neither groups existed when the idea first surfaced as they were either on hiatus or had been taken over by a different company.
But for this special piece, both groups decided to reunite and will now perform at MOFO in Launceston next year.
“It’s a huge honour and privilege to be a part of the festival,” Gingras said.
It will be the first time the dance troupe has performed in Tasmania.
When the nine dancers take to the Princess Theatre stage, they will be stepping out and onto pedestals, ranging between three and four feet in height.
The height added to the risk, while highlighting the precarious position humanity was in, she said.
“Monumental is a reflection of the times we live in.”
She wanted the dancers to have restricted space to writhe to show they were only human and flawed.
Backed with a soaring live score by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the high energy piece would have dancers teetering on the edges, frantically writhing.
Having live music added urgency to the performance as did text and video, Gingras said.
“It’s a little bit more unstable, it’s alive, always playing on the edge to create synchronicity with the music.”
The piece, which was choreographed by Noam Gagnon and Gingras, is set in a light-sculpted cityscape and explored anxiety in an urban world.
Her work continued to evolve with her curiosity and desire for her work never to repeat itself, Gingras said.
It was the same with cast, which often changed with new people performing in the troupe regularly.
That meant different chemistry and fresh approaches, she said.
The dance troupe was often notorious for its dance-to-exhaustion choreography and boundary pushing dances.
Gingras hoped the Tasmanian audience would walk in to the performance with open minds and hearts
The premiere of the collaborative piece was at the Adelaide Festival of Arts last year.
Since then, Gingras said the different rhythms and textures had emerged in the performance, helping it to evolve.
The show explored the notion of how pedestals have to eventually come down or disintegrate, she said.
- Monumental will be performed as part of MOFO on January 12 and 13 at the Princess Theatre in Launceston. Tickets, which cost between $55 and $65 along with a booking fee, can be purchased online at mofo.net.au