Tangente’s Rhythmic Remix

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The final show of Tangente’s 2015 season had an original and fun concept. Sarah Bronsard, a flamenco dancer, and Nancy Gloutnez, a folkloric gigue dancer, decided to “remix” (that is, rework and reinterpret) one of each other’s previous pieces and present the results as two new works in their own right. In addition, after spending so much time together reworking each other’s pieces, they also decided to create an entirely new collaborative piece as a product of both their creative worlds merging.

The first piece was titled “Ce qui emerge après (4kg) – Remix,” and was originally created by Sarah Bronsard. Nancy Gloutnez reworked it by integrating robotics and disparate sound elements. Bronsard danced while Gloutnez operated a computer attached to mason jar lids that generated high metallic sounds to ornament the heavy rhythms of the flamenco dance. The technical elements of the piece were not concealed from the audience; instead, the computer, wires and microphones were displayed on stage within the dancer’s space, making it just as fascinating to observe the small mason jar lids producing sounds as the impressive precision of Bronsard’s flamenco footwork.

“Les Mioles – Remix,” the second piece, was originally created by Nancy Gloutnez but was then reworked for the feet and hands by Sarah Bronsard. The piece featured four dancers whose movement was led by Gloutnez like an orchestra conductor. The dancers created rhythms with their feet by tapping their heels and toes in different ways: sometimes in unison, other times in counter-rhythms. The dancers progressed through their rhythms, starting by using their feet, then tapping their thighs, then lying on the floor pattering their fingers lightly, yet still in unison. They were all dressed in black and no elaborate lighting was used because the piece’s primary purpose was to transmit sounds created by the body.

The final piece titled “En attendant le pick-up,” was a collaborative project between both artists, and was probably the most experimental piece of the evening. The dancers both played with rhythms from their respective dance backgrounds but came together in unison for certain parts. During the entire performance, children’s toys, mostly trucks and tiny race cars, were sent flying across the stage, some of them manually operated and others electronically. The dancers would often stop to interact with the cars, in mid-dance. Although a bit confusing, it did make me want to go home and find my old toys and play with them.

Tangente will be presenting pieces by Gabrielle Bertrand-Lehouillier and Cecilia Moisio in late January.