CHOREOGRAPHED BY: JEAN-PIERRE PERREAULT
RUN TIME: 80 MINUTES
Nuit (1986) is a piece in which eight performers, grappling with the hurly-burly of everyday life, interact in a “story without a plot.” During this harsh night, the characters push themselves to their limits, different types of interaction take shape and areas of tension emerge among the various materials, masses, volumes and configurations. Dance becomes a “sculptural material endowed with mobility.”
This demanding, fiery piece, performed in half-light, expresses a troubling, subterranean vulnerability. The singular materiality of Nuit and the interpenetration among the multiple components that Perreault created make this a major work not only in Perreault’s legacy but in the history of Canadian choreography.
Artistic Director’s Statement:
The years in which I danced for Jean-Pierre Perreault had a profound influence on my artistry, choreographic sensibilities and later my artistic direction. Since returning to Toronto in 2007 it has been my long-held desire to bring Perreault’s work to audiences outside of Montreal.
Perreault’s 80 min. masterwork Nuit, has touched many lives, resonating deeply with audiences, artists and presenters alike. A work that among many things explores the individual among the collective, Nuit is a piece that is able to sustain the passing of time. In its remount it offers a new generation of artists the opportunity to bring their experiences, stories and artistry to the embodiment of the material and allows audiences to feel its impact in a new context and time.
— Laurence Lemieux
Jean-Pierre Perreault’s Program Note (2002):
It has often been said that dance is an ephemeral art form. The actual performance certainly is, but the choreography and the scenic elements that are so integral to a work, do remain. The interpretation given by a performer is not ephemeral either, because it leaves anindelible mark on the memory and the soul of the spectator. When the lights in the theatre go out and the work begins, the only thing that really matters is the meeting in real time between the performer and the audience.
It is essential for contemporary dance to revisit and put value in its repertoire. It is both a sign of the maturity reached by this art form and will guarantee its renewal and relevance into the future.
— Jean-Pierre Perreault
“Lemieux, artistic director of Toronto’s Citadel + Compagnie, has assembled an exemplary cast to bring “Nuit” back to life. It is a work that demands total focus as well as emotional and physical commitment for every second of its 83 minutes. These splendid artists never falter.”
– Michael Crabb, Toronto Star
Creative Team
Choreography: Jean-Pierre Perreault
Original Lighting: Jean Gervais
Original Music, Set Design and Costumes: Jean-Pierre Perreault
Rehearsal Direction: Ginelle Chagnon
Stage Management: Marianna Rosato
Remounted with the permission of Espace Perreault Transmissions chorégraphiques
Tour Details
- 8 on-stage performers
- 13 people on tour
- Floor Requirements – Sprung Floor. Dancers perform in heavy boots.
- Special Equipment – Hanging Mics (to pick up dancer foot rhythms).
- 80-minute run time
for quotes/inquiries
Laurence Lemieux
laurence@citadelcie.com
647-985-4819
304 Parliament Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 3A4
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about The Compagnie
Led by Artistic Director Laurence Lemieux, Compagnie de la Citadelle is a Canadian professional dance organization that creates, produces and presents works on local, national, and international scales from its home base in a former Salvation Army Citadel in Toronto.
Having created over twenty-five original works, Lemieux continues to refine her choreographic vision with works ranging from intimate solos like A Perfect Day, to large scale ensemble works like Vimy 1917. From 2008-2020, James Kudelka, one of Canada’s finest choreographers, served as the company’s resident choreographer, allowing him to revisit some of his greatest works while making way for challenging new contemporary creations.
Through remount initiatives, the Compagnie is also dedicated to the preservation of important Canadian dance work, making available iconic repertoire to a new generation of dancers, including the work of the late Jean-Pierre Perreault.
Since its foundation in 2000, Compagnie de la Citadelle has toured extensively, travelling to Russia, Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival, and Vimy, France, as well as major U.S. tours to L.A., Louisiana, Portland, the acclaimed Jacob’s Pillow Festival in Massachusetts, and The Battery Dance Festival in NYC.