Onde de choc: Ginette Laurin's upcoming creation

Rehearsals are forging ahead at the O Vertigo studio in preparation for the premiere of Ginette Laurin’s new creation, Onde de choc (Shock Wave). In this work, the choreographer brings raw, primary emotion to the surface from its deepest recesses by wiretapping the very breathing and heartbeats of the performers. To accompany her in this adventure, she has called on eight seasoned dancers and a number of stand-out artistic collaborators. In particular, we should mention the welcome arrival of James Phillips and Marianne Gignac-Girard, who join company dancers Rémi Laurin-Ouellette, Chi Long, Robert Meilleur, Gillian Seaward-Boone, Audrey Thibodeau, and Wen-Shuan Yang. Ginette’s collaborators include British composer Michael Nyman, well known as the musical director of almost every film by Peter Greenaway, and electro-acoustic vibes from Montrealer Martin Messier will provide a counterpoint to Nyman’s lyrical flights. Three renowned conceptors round off this exceptional team: lighting designer Martin Labrecque, costume creator Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt, and make-up artist and hair stylist Angelo Barsetti.

Onde de choc will be presented in its world premiere at Festival TransAmériques in Montreal on May 28, 29, and 30, 2010 at l’Usine C.

To see previews of shows at Festival TransAmériques.

Two films by Ginette Laurin shown in New York

The short film Coppia 2 (2008) and the feature-length film la chambre blanche (2009), both directed by Ginette Laurin, will be shown at the upcoming edition of the Performance Mix Festival. This festival, organized by New Dance Alliance, presents the work of some thirty artists committed to the exploration of new avenues in dance, music, video, and multi-disciplinary performance. Coppia 2 will screen on the opening day of the festival on Tuesday, April 13, and la chambre blanche will be highlighted at the Breakfast Mix the next day. This screening will be followed by a discussion with Ginette Laurin, moderated by Deirdre Towers, artistic director of the Dance Films Association.

To view the complete program of the Performance Mix Festival.

A huge thank-you to everyone who attended the benefit gala

O Vertigo would like to extend its warmest thanks to all those who supported the company by attending this year’s benefit gala, which took place at the beginning of February at the Cinémathèque québécoise. The many people present at the avant-premiere screening of la chambre blanche made the event a great success; the evening brought the company more than $25,000. We are also very pleased to announce that Essilor, world leader in high-tech lenses (Varilux, Crizal, Airwear, Xperio) will be our partner for the season.