We are pleased to present on EC2 the creative process for the choreography of La chute, a piece by the collective Vâtchik Danse, made up of Nasim Lootij, choreographer and performer, and Kiasa Nazeran, dramaturg, both Iranian in origin. Drawing inspiration from traditional Iranian dance and a major cultural initiative to bring together Iran’s different ethnicities around a common identity, the artists were committed to creating a decidedly contemporary piece.
The first entry in the production notebook shares the sources of inspiration for the project and the many dimensions of Iranian music and dance. Plus, a beautiful video by Frédérique Rivest documents a creation session with Nasim Lootij working with artistic dance consultant Sophie Michaud.
Nasim then continues her work on her solo creation, under the watchful eye of José Navas. The result is an astonishing conversation between the two artists about identity, culture and “accents” in dance, as well as the notion of “dirtiness.” According to José, the “dirtier” an artist is, the more interesting his or her work. To witness how La Chute is taking form, read this second excerpt from Nasim’s production notebook, and watch an excerpt or her full conversation with José.
This project, coordinated by the FJPP, is being developed as part of the Conseil des arts de Montréal’s DémART-Mtl program, in cooperation with Tangente, Flak and Louise Bédard Danse.