Springing from an extraordinary union between classical music, performed live by the Molinari Quartet, and contemporary dance, Les corps avalés is a moving human odyssey that reveals Virginie Brunelle’s sensitive intelligence and great musicality in all their luminous power.

After the highly acclaimed presentation of Beating, her first international production, created with Gauthier Dance // Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Virginie Brunelle tackles her most ambitious work to date. Against a backdrop of resilience and hope, Les corps avalés explores power relations, inequalities and social upheaval. Mastering the delicate balance between expressiveness and the vigorous physicality of her choreographic language, Brunelle directs eight dancers in a portrayal of a vulnerable humanity in search of gentleness and community. On stage, the Molinari Quartet delivers a radiant performance of selected pieces from the classical repertoire. The notes perfuse the smallest parts of the performers’ bodies; they animate, amplify, inspire the movement. Disarray, chaos and torment are thus sublimated. Elegant and intoxicating, Brunelle’s dance is ultimately salutary.

Compagnie Virginie Brunelle was founded in Montreal in 2009. From the start, Virginie Brunelle has acted as its Artistic and Executive Director. The company’s repertoire now includes five works: Les cuisses à l’écart du cœur (2009), Foutrement (2010), Complexe des genres (2011), PLOMB (2013), À la douleur que j’ai (2016). These productions have been presented on local, national and international stages, in 10 countries and in over 50 cities, notably Aarhus, Amsterdam, Bassano del Grappa, Beirut, Bruges, Budapest, Mexico, Milan, Montreal, São Paulo, Seoul, Turin and Vancouver. With authenticity and human emotion, as well as through her themes and choice of performers, Virginie wishes to establish an intimate connection with her audience, stirring them with singular and powerful pieces. Her work can be recognized in the sensitive but raw performances, the cinematic tableaux and a vocabulary that seeks to deconstruct traditional codes, using staccato rhythms and coarse movement, constantly alternating between tension and release. Above all, Virginie is interested in humans, their emotions, and the poetry of everyday existence.