- Choreographer Virginie Brunelle
At the heart of the vision of the Festival Danza Lugano, to which Compagnie Virginie Brunelle has been invited, lies the desire to draw on the rich history of the region. For the festival’s inaugural edition, the choreographer was inspired by Monte Verità, the famous mountain that was the cradle of an idealistic micro-society of artists, philosophers and scientists who initiated major social transformations in the early 1900s.
Among these upheavals, Virginie immediately felt drawn to feminism and utopia, two cyclical concepts that resonate today and will form the basis of her choreographic project. Working with a large group of performers on stage, Virginie will translate into movement this image of a “social body” in constant tension between two physicalities: construct-bodies locked into a rhythmic mass movement, and free-bodies that break loose and detach themselves from the system.
Company
Founded in 2009 in Montréal, Compagnie Virginie Brunelle has performed in more than 50 cities in 10 countries around the world. Since its foundation, Virginie Brunelle has been its artistic director and general manager. Foregrounding humanity and authenticity both in her themes and in the stage presence of the performers, Virginie seeks to forge an intimate bond with the spectator through works that reflect our behaviours and actions.
Her work is known for movements that constantly alternate between tension and release, brutality and subtlety; for its evocative imagery; and for the musicality of her choreographic writing. But above all, Virginie is interested in humans, their emotions and the poetry inherent in everyday life.
Creative team
- Choreographer Virginie Brunelle
- Costumes Elen Ewing
- Set designer Odile Gamache
- Lighting designer Martin Labrecque
- Dramaturgical consultants Nicolas Berzi and Gabriel Charlebois-Plante
- Production director Charlotte Ménard
- Technical director François Marceau
National Creation Fund investment
The investment from the National Creation Fund's investment of $140,000 supported Compagnie Virginie Brunelle in developing cohesion between the choreographic score and the stage elements by allowing it to work extensively on the set and costumes in a large creative space. In addition, the investment allowed the establishment of an artistic advisory committee to take a critical look and deepen the thematic considerations that inform the work's choreography.
Credits
Co-producers: Lugano Arte e Cultura, Danse Danse, National Arts Centre, Harbourfront Centre
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
Past performances
| Presented by Lugano Dance Project | May 27 2022 | Lugano Arte e Cultura (Switzerland) |
| Presented by Danse Danse | Nov 30 - Dec 3, 2022 | Théâtre Maisonneuve (Montreal) |
| Presented by Le Carré 150 | Nov 13 2024 | Salle Les-frères-Lemaire (Victoriaville) |
| Presented by CINARS | Nov 14 2024 | Centre Pierre-Péladeau — Salle Pierre-Mercure (Montréal) |
| Presented by Centre de Création Diffusion de Gaspé | Nov 16 2024 | Centre de Création Diffusion de Gaspé |
| Presented by Centre culturel de l’Université de Sherbrooke | Nov 19 2024 | Salle Maurice-O'Bready (Sherbrooke) |
