April 01, 2004 -

OTTAWA -- France’s Compagnie Pernette performs the North American premiere of Le Nid (The Nest) in the Studio of the NAC from Thursday April 15 to Saturday April 17, 2004 at 20:00. Innovative and exploratory, French dancer-choreographer Nathalie Pernette pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance. Her highly personal vision encompasses intriguing opposites, focusing on the tension between the “diabolical mechanism of the human body” and emotional, expressive movement. Phantasmagorical in nature, Le Nid is a spectacle which evokes fantasy and ordinariness, morbidity and humour. Using lighting, scenic, and sound effects, a provocative and disturbing nightmare world is created onstage, in which five dancers express, confront, and overcome “monsters”, our deepest atavistic fears.

According to Nathalie Pernette, Le Nid is a “phantasmagoria”, a show in which she and her dancers address a ridiculous and worrying world dominated by ancestral fears – fear of disappearing, of transformation, of the dark, of emptiness, of shadow, of threat, of suffocating, of the invisible. The environment she creates onstage gives rise to the desire to awaken a certain anxiousness in the audience, to provoke them by inviting them to be at the centre of a device revealed by light and sound. Nathalie Pernette is interested in the metamorphosis of the body, flights of fancy, wild imaginary beasts, deformation and transformation. She likes to bring the body face to face with a mass of matter, to plunge it into a sea of abandoned clothes, to play on the confusion of the segmenting of the body, on passing from the indeterminate to the structured form. She is particularly obsessed with finding our “monsters”, finding outrage, exaggerating the dance, approaching our limits in order to compose a gallery of grotesque portraits, hybrid animals, mutant dolls caught in a slow whirlpool… all with the logic of a dream, which is to say no logic at all.

“First time outside, first excitement, first fear. At that moment, and for a long time afterwards, man is an animal like the others. For the dancers throughout the piece and for us watching them, this is a lot of fun: creeping like reptiles, leaping like felines, the quick little steps of insects... and even moving about on two legs, every manner of movement forward or backward competes in efficiency and grace. And above all, whether it's about showing the power of emotion or physical strength, attraction for someone else or withdrawing into oneself, the movement is always one of grace, elegance and sensuality.”

Compagnie Pernette performs Le Nid in the Studio of the National Arts Centre on Thursday April 15, Friday April 16, and Saturday April 17, 2003 at 20:00. Tickets are $22, and $12 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card).  Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at (613) 755-1111; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.  Last-minute tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students are $9.50 at the Live Rush Centre in the NAC Foyer after 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid ‘Live Rush’ card.

Photos for all dance events can be viewed and downloaded at: www.nac-cna.ca/media/

Information:
Gerald Morris
Marketing and Media Relations,
NAC Dance Department
(613) 947-7000, ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca

FEARS
The fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of monsters, the fear of emptiness, fear of the unknown, fear of the invisible, the fear of silence, the fear of invasion, the fear of epidemic, the fear of germs, fear of the air, fear of attack, the fear of others, fear of the sky, the fear of suffocation, the fear of being lost, the fear of being prevented, the fear of being reduced, the fear of everything, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of monsters, the fear of emptiness, fear of the unknown, fear of the invisible, the fear of silence, the fear of invasion, the fear of epidemic, the fear of germs, fear of the air, fear of attack, the fear of others, fear of the sky, the fear of suffocation, the fear of being lost, the fear of being prevented, the fear of being reduced, the fear of everything, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of monsters, the fear of emptiness, fear of the unknown, fear of the invisible, the fear of silence, the fear of invasion, the fear of epidemic, the fear of germs, fear of the air, fear of attack, the fear of others, fear of the sky, the fear of suffocation, the fear of being lost, the fear of being prevented, the fear of being reduced, the fear of everything, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of monsters, the fear of emptiness, fear of the unknown, fear of the invisible, the fear of silence, the fear of invasion, the fear of epidemic, the fear of germs, fear of the air, fear of attack, the fear of others, fear of the sky, the fear of suffocation, the fear of being lost, the fear of being prevented, the fear of being reduced, the fear of everything, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past, the fear of ghosts, the fear of leftovers, the fear of waste, the fear of blood, the fear of violence, the fear of pain, the fear of war, the fear of destruction, the fear of metamorphosis, the fear of transformation, fear of the dark, fear of the night, fear of the shadows, the fear of monsters, the fear of emptiness, fear of the unknown, fear of the invisible, the fear of silence, the fear of invasion, the fear of epidemic, the fear of germs, fear of the air, fear of attack, the fear of others, fear of the sky, the fear of suffocation, the fear of being lost, the fear of being prevented, the fear of being reduced, the fear of everything, the fear of growing old, the fear of death, the fear of disappearing, the fear of decomposition, fear of the past…