The Art of Degeneration

Meet the Artists

Photo: Robert McGee

Louis Laberge-Côté

Choreographer | Performer

Louis Laberge-Côté is an Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and rehearsal director. An acclaimed performer with an international career spanning thirty companies, he has created over ninety choreographic works. He won a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Choreography and has earned twelve nominations for performance and choreography.

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His research-creation inquiry encompasses performance, choreography, interdisciplinary creation, dance pedagogy, and collaborative methodologies, with a focus on topics such as kinesthetic empathy, trauma-focused creation, psychological adaptability, and the integration of XR technology. A recipient of funding from arts councils, foundations, and the SSHRC, Laberge-Côté’s work is disseminated through journals and conferences. He previously held leadership roles with the Toronto Arts Council, the Canadian Dance Assembly, the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, and Healthy Dancer Canada. He holds an MFA in Creative Practice from the University of Plymouth and Transart Institute, bridging high-performance physical expression with transformative inquiry.

Show Credits

Choreographer: Louis Laberge-Côté
Performers: Louis Laberge-Côté, Michael Caldwell
Artistic Assistant and Vocal Coach: Fides Krucker
Scriptwriter: Louis Laberge-Côté
Stage Manager: Marianna Rosato
Lighting Designer: Simon Rossiter
Costume and Props Designer: Cheryl Lalonde
Sound Designer/Composer: Phil Strong
Sound Assistant: Claire Smith
Projection Designer: Jeremy Mimnagh

Show Information

The Art of Degeneration is a visceral meditation on the threshold between survival and decay, born from an exploration of the aging body’s aesthetic potential. Originally sparked in 2013 by creative blocks and injuries, this work investigates personal narratives of scars, compulsions, and healing, alongside the public downfalls of icons such as Elvis Presley, Chet Baker, and Marie Antoinette. Centered around the concept of identity, the piece explores its impermanent nature, examining the fluid boundary between our internal narratives on self-perception and the act of performing. This work is fundamentally about performance itself, playing with layers of illusion, delusion, and manipulation, navigating a landscape of stage fantasies and nightmares. As Marilyn Monroe simply put it: “It’s all make-believe, isn’t it?”

This performance is dedicated to the memory of Phil Strong, Tedd Robinson, and Dan Wild, whose creative spirits remain woven into the fabric of this work.

Thank you for joining us in this immersive exploration of our ever-evolving human existence. I hope you enjoy the ride!