bang bang
Manuel Roque (Montreal)
No spoken language | no age restriction
‘BANG BANG is torture,’ explains Manuel Roque with a wink. In any case, it's a case of onomatopoeia. The title already suggests the constant pounding of feet in choreographed motifs, whose relentless repetition requires not only athleticism but also intense focus. The Montreal-based choreographer even compares the dancers to ‘kamikaze pilots’. He originally performed this ‘personal and therefore universal ritual’ alone on stage. His performance’s subtle intensity led to BANG BANG immediately being voted production of the year in Quebec, Canada. Now, two dancers expend themselves in it, rocking themselves into a state between gravity and weightlessness, martyrdom and ecstasy. Soon, the body becomes the sole measure of all things and reveals its full resilience, while the characters transcend themselves and the human condition. Since the intensity of the moment and fragility within the challenge of fatigue and precision is experienced in the solidarity of a duo, the music of Chopin and Debussy creates even more vulnerability – coupled with beauty. BANG BANG reflects Roque's extensive experience the most prominent choreographers in Montreal, one of the world's most exciting dance scenes. As its current rising star, he constantly pushes the boundaries of dance and the body, making an artistic and social statement with each of his works. The poetic BANG BANG philosophically questions the meaning and absurdity of our existence.
Biography MANUEL ROQUE
In addition to an exciting and diverse career as a performer with leading dance companies such as Marie Chouinard, Dominique Porte, Sylvain Émard Danse, Fortier Danse-Création, and Daniel Léveillé, Manuel Roque is also an accomplished choreographer. He created RAW-me (2010) and Ne meurs pas tout de suite, on nous regarde (2012) in collaboration with Lucie Vigneault.
In 2013, he founded Compagnie Manuel Roque and presented Project In Situ at Montréal’s Place des Arts. This was followed by Data, presented at Usine C and at the Festival TransAmériques (FTA) in 2014, before embarking on an international tour.
During the 2014–2015 season, he participated in Migrant Bodies, an international research initiative, where he created Black Matter (2015). That same year, he choreographed Aurora for the students of EDCM and premiered the quartet 4 OR (2015), presented by Tangente and at Parcours Danse.
In 2015, he undertook a two-month creative residency at La Fabrik in Potsdam, supported by the CALQ. That same year, he was named a «Bearer of Hope» in the annual selection of the prestigious Tanz magazine. His solo bang bang premiered in Lyon, then at FTA 2017 and Festival June Events in Paris, earning the Best Choreography Award at Les Prix de la Danse de Montréal 2017.
In 2018, he was awarded the Studio du Québec à Paris, a six-month residency for research and artistic development, offered by the CALQ and the Cité internationale des arts. His most recent solo, SIERRANEVADA, initially delayed by the pandemic, premiered in 2021 at FTA in Montréal.
Manuel Roque’s creative universe combines kinesthetic virtuosity with a polymorphic questioning of the contemporary human condition. His interest in the body in movement is expressed through the notions of integrity, curiosity, attention, kindness towards others and oneself, and generosity in physical engagement.
Press reviews
“Manuel Roque is delivering a real manifesto through [...] bang bang; a study, almost a warning, about the endless spiral that can be, in dance, the search for endurance, overachievement, physical performance—for virtuosity, if you will …—, and its potential danger as a mechanism to shred the humanity of a performer to pieces.” Le Devoir, Montréal, June 3, 2017
“How can one dance yet disappear at the same time? Manuel Roque raises the question in his new creation, bang bang. His answer is revealed in a stripped-down, sombre work, in which the outline of the self dissolves under the blows of repetition.” La Presse, Montréal, June 3, 2017
“There is something dynamic about watching this nuanced [...] dance, his intention, his work with gravity and his fulfillment of the task at hand. Roque uses his body logically and intelligently, and his technique has an articulate, disciplined complexity.” The Dance Current, Toronto, June 13, 2017
Credits
Chorography Manuel Roque Performance Nils Levazeux, Manuel Roque Rehearsals + Artistic Support Sophie Corriveau, Lucie Vigneault Costume + Stage Marilène Bastien Lighting Marc Parent Soundtrack Manuel Roque Production Management Mégane Trudeau
Production DLD - Executive/ Delegate Production + Development Co-Production FestivalTransAmériques (FTA) Funding Conseil des arts du Canada, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec et Conseil des arts de Montréal Unterstützung Fabrik Potsdam, Maison de la culture Frontenac, Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique, Théatre Hector Charland, Les Subsistances, L’Agora de la danse
Guest Performance Support with the support of the Québec government's representative office in Berlin
Creation Les Subsistances, Lyon, 30 March 2017
Gastspielförderung
Vertretung der Regierung von Québec in Berlin
Main Supporters
euro-scene leipzig is institutionally supported by the City of Leipzig and the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Culture and Tourism. Co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.