Q & A with George Stamos about the show Situations at Agora de la danse
October 1st 2015
Sébastien Provencher dans Situations - Credit Nans Bortuzzo
In an atmosphere that opens up both the space and the spirit, Situations places five men (and guest artists) in an unusual dance boot camp so as to deconstruct new masculine stereotypes such as the “metrosexual” and the “lumbersexual”. With strength and humour they establish their place and make their mark, casting new light on contemporary masculinity, far removed from sterile preconceptions.
George Stamos answers a few questions about his newest creation being presented at Agora de la danse from September 30th to October 2nd.
What particularly interests you with the question of gender? Why is it important to talk about it?
As an artist I’m interested in reflecting and examining the complexities of the human condition. Gender identity is a major building block in how people see themselves, judge others and construct societal rules for what is (more or less) normal behaviour. Exploring gender and going deeper into the complexities of this topic is a very worthwhile pursuit to me artistically. I feel it is my job to address contemporary culture, and we live in a time when gender fluidity has become a huge part of contemporary culture. To not address gender to some degree in a contemporary dance creation seems unsatisfying for me, as both an audience and a choreographer.
Why did you choose the title Siuations for your piece?
A situation is a set of circumstances in which one finds oneself. By choosing Situations as a title I am pointing towards the complexities of the gender topic. Many factors inform a person’s gender identity and there are more then just two ways (male female) people see themselves. Yes, biology to some degree informs how we see ourselves, but I believe other factors also influence gender identity. Factors like enculturation, sexuality, family circumstances, life choices, and how a person relates to varying belief systems about gender all contribute as well. Choosing Situations (with an s) speaks further to the diversity of identities that exist and the multidimensionality of this topic.
How did the creation process take place? Were there challenges?
In the early research I worked with the men and women separately. I was interested in how the same material would read when performed by women or men. I began to identify trends in differences and looked at how I could challenge or test these perceived differences. It was very rigorous physically and a lot of time was spent building choreography that evoked female empowerment and how men relate to each other. Later in the process I focused more on musicality and humor to build the dramaturgy of the piece. As the cast increased (now 11) we looked into the balance between material that brings people together (unison for example) and how we preserve the message of diversity. Rehearsal Director Sarah Williams and all the collaborators have contributed greatly to this process throughout.
How does this piece differ from or resemble your past work?
Consideration of gender in my work has been a constant for years. In many ways Situations is a natural conclusion to other creations I have made (Schatje, croque-monsieur, Husk, Liklik Pik to name a few). However investigating gender has never been as much a part of the dramaturgy as it is in Situations. This is also the largest amount of male dancers I have worked with and I have never worked with such a large cast in a professional production. It's really exciting for me and I feel very lucky to have this opportunity.
What are your projects and goals after the show takes place at Agora de la danse?
I feel most people do not relate entirely to the traditional (or classical) rules of what men or women are supposed to be, and trying to measure up to these rules can cause feelings of stress and inadequacy for a lot of people. With Situations I want to create an event where everyone in the audience feels free to be the kind of gender being they are, weather that’s outside or inside of those rules. I’d like to liberate the body from these outdated templates.
I feel very inspired, free artistically and eager to continue building my body of work. In October I go to Nottingham in England to begin the development of a new solo piece. It’s going to be quite a shift after working with such a huge cast. I’m sure I’ll miss all the collaborators and I’ll also be able to dig deeper into my own body as a vehicle of expression. I also continue to work as a dancer with Nyata Nyata, a contemporary African dance company. The work with Nyata Nyata is incredibly challenging and I’m very proud to be part of this important Montreal contemporary dance company.
For more info, visit the website of Agora de la danse. http://www.agoradanse.com/en/spectacles/2015/situations
Dancers in the show: Jean Bui, Owen Chapman, Dany Desjardins, Oliver Koomsatira and Sébastien Provencher.
Guest artists: Marc Boucher, Emilie Roberts, Winnie SuperHova, Gabrielle Surprenant-Lacasse, Anouk Thériault and Nate Yaffe.
George Stamos answers a few questions about his newest creation being presented at Agora de la danse from September 30th to October 2nd.
What particularly interests you with the question of gender? Why is it important to talk about it?
As an artist I’m interested in reflecting and examining the complexities of the human condition. Gender identity is a major building block in how people see themselves, judge others and construct societal rules for what is (more or less) normal behaviour. Exploring gender and going deeper into the complexities of this topic is a very worthwhile pursuit to me artistically. I feel it is my job to address contemporary culture, and we live in a time when gender fluidity has become a huge part of contemporary culture. To not address gender to some degree in a contemporary dance creation seems unsatisfying for me, as both an audience and a choreographer.
Why did you choose the title Siuations for your piece?
A situation is a set of circumstances in which one finds oneself. By choosing Situations as a title I am pointing towards the complexities of the gender topic. Many factors inform a person’s gender identity and there are more then just two ways (male female) people see themselves. Yes, biology to some degree informs how we see ourselves, but I believe other factors also influence gender identity. Factors like enculturation, sexuality, family circumstances, life choices, and how a person relates to varying belief systems about gender all contribute as well. Choosing Situations (with an s) speaks further to the diversity of identities that exist and the multidimensionality of this topic.
How did the creation process take place? Were there challenges?
In the early research I worked with the men and women separately. I was interested in how the same material would read when performed by women or men. I began to identify trends in differences and looked at how I could challenge or test these perceived differences. It was very rigorous physically and a lot of time was spent building choreography that evoked female empowerment and how men relate to each other. Later in the process I focused more on musicality and humor to build the dramaturgy of the piece. As the cast increased (now 11) we looked into the balance between material that brings people together (unison for example) and how we preserve the message of diversity. Rehearsal Director Sarah Williams and all the collaborators have contributed greatly to this process throughout.
How does this piece differ from or resemble your past work?
Consideration of gender in my work has been a constant for years. In many ways Situations is a natural conclusion to other creations I have made (Schatje, croque-monsieur, Husk, Liklik Pik to name a few). However investigating gender has never been as much a part of the dramaturgy as it is in Situations. This is also the largest amount of male dancers I have worked with and I have never worked with such a large cast in a professional production. It's really exciting for me and I feel very lucky to have this opportunity.
What are your projects and goals after the show takes place at Agora de la danse?
I feel most people do not relate entirely to the traditional (or classical) rules of what men or women are supposed to be, and trying to measure up to these rules can cause feelings of stress and inadequacy for a lot of people. With Situations I want to create an event where everyone in the audience feels free to be the kind of gender being they are, weather that’s outside or inside of those rules. I’d like to liberate the body from these outdated templates.
I feel very inspired, free artistically and eager to continue building my body of work. In October I go to Nottingham in England to begin the development of a new solo piece. It’s going to be quite a shift after working with such a huge cast. I’m sure I’ll miss all the collaborators and I’ll also be able to dig deeper into my own body as a vehicle of expression. I also continue to work as a dancer with Nyata Nyata, a contemporary African dance company. The work with Nyata Nyata is incredibly challenging and I’m very proud to be part of this important Montreal contemporary dance company.
For more info, visit the website of Agora de la danse. http://www.agoradanse.com/en/spectacles/2015/situations
Dancers in the show: Jean Bui, Owen Chapman, Dany Desjardins, Oliver Koomsatira and Sébastien Provencher.
Guest artists: Marc Boucher, Emilie Roberts, Winnie SuperHova, Gabrielle Surprenant-Lacasse, Anouk Thériault and Nate Yaffe.