With more than thirty years of professional dance under her belt, Montrealer Margie Gillis’s reputation is no longer to be made. This week, she continues to take the stage at Agora de la danse and presents A Stone’s Poem, a solo show that was originally meant to be performed by two dancers.
Choreographed by Gillis and American collaborator Paola Styron, A Stone’s Poem, like its title indicates, finds its inspiration in nature. Gillis and Styron created the show in the natural landscape of three different countries: Canada, the United States, and Norway. Rocks and tree branches from these places bring them a little bit closer to us by gracing the four corners of the stage.
The prelude is slightly alienating. An imposing dress hides Gillis’s legs as she floats from held position to held position. Less than human, barely more than marionette, her body strikes positions as the piano keys are likewise stricken. Her body becomes a musical partition. In her eyes, feelings can be perceived, yet they are not transported over to the spectator.
When she comes in contact with the natural elements of the mise-en-sc
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