CHOREOGRAPHED BY: JEAN-PIERRE PERREAULT
REMOUNTED BY: CITADEL + COMPAGNIE
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, I think that this is wrong. Perhaps a performance of a dance work is ephemeral, but the choreographic writing and all its scenic elements, that are so integral to a work, do remain.
But even the interpretation given by a performer is not ephemeral, because often it leaves an indelible 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 between the performer and the audience. Many performers have danced NUIT over the years and every one of them has brought and left a little of themselves.
It is essential for the new generation of dancers to put value in repertory. It is a sign of maturity of our art form, and it will guarantee us its constant renewal and its relevance well into the future.
– Jean-Pierre Perreault
“Perreault’s 80 min. masterwork Nuit, has touched many lives, resonating deeply with audiences, artists and presenters alike.”
— Laurence Lemieux
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 La Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault
Tour Details
- 8 on-stage performers
- 12 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
Tyler Gledhill – Touring + Development
development@citadelcie.com
416-882-2163
304 Parliament Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 3A4
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about The Company
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 company 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.