Le vent se lève
Manuel Roque (Montreal)
No spoken language | no age restriction
It's about to get turbulent: ‘Le vent se lève’ is a metaphorical French expression referring to more than just a natural phenomenon. It can also relate to political or social protest. Manuel Roque's daring feat of physicality is just as multi-layered as the title: a search for balance between force and wisdom. How does a dynamic unfold? How do we overcome immobility and initiate a centrifugal force? A man whirls in the wind to the point of exhaustion, driven by the force of a tornado. Or is the storm raging only inside him? Roque's solo works with the dynamics of an abyss while being a deeply optimistic work. Even when everything seems to stand still, the next outburst is already foreseeable, and moments of stillness are always answered by Roque's virtuosity. The Franco-Canadian dancer and acrobat from the famous Cirque Eloize knows better than anyone how to shine on the edge of balance. With all his strength, he brings an imaginary wind to life, hovering on the line between falling and flying. In infinite lyricism, he poses the question of all questions: surrender or rebel? And what about our relationship with nature? Roque merges with its wonders and accepts his wounds as a declaration of love for the supposed chaos of the uncontrollable. Fully conscious of our cultural awareness, he shares with us and communicates to us our strength and our endearing fragility.
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 an athlete, it has to be said, pushing the limits of his body and the repetition of his movements to a paroxysm that is hard to grasp. His breathing and his steps become rhythms and music, his arms that split the air become propellers, this dancer is unique.” Jordan Dupuis, Quartier Général, 13 November 2024
“And it is to this strange and pleasant music that, for an hour, the artist produces a physically demanding performance for the audience, made up of repeated and delicately modified movements, with great gentleness and a distinct beauty.” Sophie Jama, Pieuvre, 13 November 2024
“The wind rises is absolutely a piece that celebrates, through a luminous and joyful aesthetic, the passage from inertia to momentum.” Jacqueline van de Geer, Les ArtsZé, 14 November 2024
Credits
Choreography, Performance Manuel Roque Understudy Nils Levazeux Costume Marilène Bastien Lighting Design Karine Gauthier Soundtrack Manuel Roque Mix and Sound Consulting Pablo Geeraert Artistic support, Dramaturgy Sophie Michaud, Lucie Vigneault Production Management Mégane Trudeau
Production DLD - Executive/ Delegate Production + Development Coproduktion La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines Funding Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal (CAM) Guest Performance Funding with the support of the Québec Government Office in Berlin
Creation La Chapelle, Montreal, 12 November 2024
Gastspielförderung
Vertretung der Regierung von Québec in Berlin
Main Supporters
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