Our existence on Earth evokes in me two paradoxical experiences: on one hand, it sparks an admiring curiosity, as it bears witness to the nature of life and everything around us, shaping our universe; yet, on the other hand, human progression also triggers a certain anxiety about its future, the generations to come, and the conditions of life on Earth. It was the reading of Humanity 2.0: The Bible of Change by Raymond Kurzweil that prompted me to further question the reality of our existence, what already exists, the future of humankind, and its place on "its" planet. What technologies (digital tools, machines, electronic devices) have I seen evolve, and over what period? What comparisons can I make between generations in terms of their impact on life? If Kurzweil has been able to accurately predict up until now, does this mean he will be just as accurate about the future of our existence?
Since graduating from the Montreal Contemporary Dance School in 2018, I have explored the concept of the semi-human, semi-machine by creating Hypotypose (contemporary dance and digital projections, 2018), Souffle au Chalet du Mont-Royal (contemporary dance, rhythmic gymnastics, and music, 2019), and Enveloppe (video-dance, 2021). The Antilope process is a logical continuation of my previous works, further exploring my thoughts on transhumanism and its impact on human evolution.
It is essential for me to convey, through my creations, the progression and evolution of our species through the mediums and disciplines I work with. The performance of Antilope, for example, is structured in three progressive stages: the past, the present, and the future. Isotone, with Bar Rubinstein and Hugo Fournier, multimedia creators, successfully developed a constantly changing set using a Kinect. This tool captures movement and transforms it into a projected form on a backdrop. This technology, combined with the technique of suspended dance, contributes to the idea of an augmented body, a fusion of the body and artificial intelligence. Indeed, elastic movement provokes extraordinary gestures that transform my way of dancing and give the dancer’s body a new place in the stage space. It was, therefore, obvious to me to use this technique in the performance to evoke, through my character, a part of the evolution of our body that we are currently experiencing, and perhaps even beyond, our future.
With my shorter performances, less than 30 minutes, I focus on the relationship between my character and the audience, and I make my ability to fly feel like a natural extension of my body. With Sea Effect and Earth Effect, for example, my character offers a very gentle gaze toward the humans around her, inviting them on a journey into the heart of human nature and its roots.
Alongside my artistic projects, I co-direct, with Claire Jeannot and Natacha Viau, Mouvement Vertical, a non-profit organization working to promote vertical dance both in terms of its discoverability and accessibility to the public through performance and training.
