Dave St-Pierre’s groundbreaking creation La Pornographie des âmes (Bare Naked Souls) runs in the NAC Studio January 27 to 29, 2011. The performance is sold out, but those still interested should check for last minute returns.

Agent provocateur Dave St-Pierre stuns his audiences with raw energy, intensity and a willingness to tackle taboos. In this work, the first installment of a triptych on humanity, love, life and death, 14 dancer/actors seethe and vault through 26 scenes of desolation, violence, tenderness and prejudice, in a symbiosis of dance, theatre, text, and video set to music by Björk, Coldplay, Maria Callas and others.

The performers play out everything from suicide to rape to fat jokes, challenging the watcher to experience the extreme vulnerability and complexity of human life. This is dance that leaves you weak at the knees, breathless and wanting more.

St-Pierre describes the work as a “hymn to mankind, celebrating the beauty and the ugliness of the human race, its profundity and its superficiality.” In 2005 the piece won the prestigious Mouson Award in Frankfurt, the first work by a Canadian choreographer to receive that honour.

"St-Pierre mixes up dance, theatre and performance art.., he loves to provoke the audience who, after watching the bold and brutal show, often feel a range of emotions from inspiration, to violation or confusion."  Montreal Mirror

Please note: there is nudity in this performance.

Choreography:                         Dave St-Pierre

In association with:      Eugénie Beaudry, Enrica Boucher, Geneviève Bélanger, Julie Carrier, Karina Champoux, Francis Ducharme, Sarah Lefebvre, Véronique Lavallée, Camille Loiselle D’Aragon, Ève Pressault-Chalifoux, Julie Perron, Marie-Ève Quilicot, Emmanuel Schwartz, Patrick Simard

Lighting:                      Alexandre Pilon-Guay

Music:                          Jeanne Moreau, Björk, Arvo Pärt, Tchaïkovski, Bach, Verdi, Chopin, Coldplay, Rob Zombie, Nina Simone, Goran Bregovic, Olivia Newton-John, Demon, Mosque Blue, Maria Callas, Arianne Moffat, Josh Wink

Text:                            Rodrigo Garcia, Yves Reynaud, Juan Pedro Guetierrez, Abdulah Sidran, Cyril Collard, Julie Carrier, Dave St-Pierre

This piece received support from: Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, Agora de la danse, Tangente, Cirque du Soleil, Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec and Ministère des Relations internationales.

La Pornographie des âmes (Bare Naked Souls) runs in the Studio of the National Arts Centre on Thursday January 27, Friday January 28, and Saturday January 29, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.06 for adults and $15.88 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card).

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (including one intermission)

Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices; to reserve your seats, call 613-947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca. 

Tickets are available for purchase:

• In person at the NAC Box Office
• At all Ticketmaster outlets
• By telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS) new!
• Online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC’s website (www.nac-cna.ca)
• A service charge applies on all purchases made through Ticketmaster

This production is eligible for the Live Rush program. Full-time students aged 13-29 with a valid Live Rush membership may buy up to two tickets per performance at the discounted price of only $12 per ticket. Live Rush tickets are available from 10 a.m. on the day before the performance until 6 p.m. on the day of the performance. This includes all available seats, including the best seats in the house. Check out liverush.ca for information on the Live Rush program.

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For more information, please call:
Eleri Evans
Marketing and Communications Officer, Dance
National Arts Centre
613-947-7000 ext. 379; e-mail: eevans@nac-cna.ca
or visit the NAC website at www.nac-cna.ca