Montreal's Virginie Brunelle says, “Constantly interrupted by regret, erections make desire swell, all wet with tears.” Compagnie Virginie Brunelle is known for an extreme and unflinching take on male-female relationships in a post-romantic world. With her latest full-length work, Complexe des genres, she explores identity through relationships. Stirring the disjointed romance of three couples, she creates encounters rife with desire, fear, doubt, and frustration. Complexe des genres is performed to the music of Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, Max Richter, Phillip Glass, and Menomena.
Please note that Complexe des genres contains nudity and adult themes and content.
Vignettes from Complexe des genres: three oddly disjointed bodies, wearing white tutus, are seated, nude backs to the audience. The backs belong to women, but the legs belong to men. Bodies soon thrash about, and this first entanglement sets off a series of stormy encounters throughout the piece. Shaky romance is ever-present, and sometimes characters find themselves in a state of calm reverie even if the world is spinning about them. A recurring signature move involves a full-flight physical run and jump by a woman into the arms of a man -- a terrific visual and emotional release. Brunelle’s male-female partnering, imbued with a sense of longing and loneliness, of frustration and discomfort, bristles. There’s sexual freedom in Complexe des genres, as well as urgent confrontation, a clash between bodies and egos. Patterns repeat and the collisions continue.
In summer 2010, an excerpt from Complexe des genres was presented to the Aarhus International Choreographic Competition (AICC) in Denmark. The work seduced the audience with its humanity and humour and won second prize.
Tao Fei wrote in Montreal’s The Rover, an Independent Review of Art and Culture (September 17, 2011),"With her third and latest full-length work, 29-year-old Brunelle cements her local darling status and confirms her talents as a serious dancemaker destined for bigger stages." Victor Swoboda wrote in The Gazette (Montreal), " … a local young choreographer to watch out for. Beyond the boldness and the frankness of rebellious youth, her work shows signs of a personal vision that compels attention."
See a video excerpt of Complexe des genres here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpcefpxaxSs
Compagnie Virginie Brunelle performs Complexe des genres in the Studio on Thursday April 3, Friday April 4, and Saturday April 5 at 8 p.m.