Something About the Clouds Review

Man dancing Embrasement Synaptique de Zachary Bastille

What an exceptional and varied evening! I had the opportunity to discover a contemporary solo by an Icelandic artist set to baroque music, followed by an electrifying solo by Zachary Bastille. To close the evening, the festival featured a poetic piece by Cai Glover exploring themes of water and movement.

The evening began with Ólöf Ingólfsdóttir presenting Something About Clouds. This versatile artist from Iceland, who has been on stage for 30 years in dance, theater, and singing, explores a unique performance style. Her new solo creation, Something About Clouds, combines baroque music and contemporary movements to offer an immersive experience. The piece explores our connection with baroque art and the intense emotions it expresses. Baroque art, with its overflowing emotions, invited us on a journey to the heart of the human soul. This piece invited us to dive into baroque art and feel the intensity of the emotions it evokes. It was a unique experience and a great opening of another wonderful evening of Festival Quartier Danse.

Next was Zachary Bastille with Embrasement Synaptique, a short 10-minute performance. This choreographic piece is part of the artistic journey of Zachary Bastille, an artist based in Montreal. His work Embrasement Synaptique explores the personalization of neurons in the human body in their transmission of sensory information, capturing the electric and impulsive nature of nerve flow. The piece depicted the primary reactions and impulses of modern man, raising questions about our humanity and our internal mechanisms in the face of evolution. An intense, lively solo where the body and senses dictated the rhythm. The powerful and striking music by Ben Yoganathan reinforced this raw energy.I loved the movements, sometimes off balance and sometimes dynamic and in control!

After the break, it was Cai Glover’s turn with 3 Frames of Worry. The creation began with the artists moving as we discussed the meanings revealed by our dancing bodies. The work was imbued with life, full of anxiety and beauty. This piece explored themes of anxiety and the search for meaning through metaphors related to water and movement. This first phase of Cai Glover’s creation looked promising! A touching moment was the opening of the piece in which the dancers translated a poem in sign language. The beautiful movements transported us into an intimate world of the strong ensemble of young talented dancers.

In short: dive into the program and enjoy this lively festival!

Quartiers de Danses takes place until September 14. Info HERE.