You might know what Marie Chouinard is doing, even if you had no idea it was her. Thanks to Youtube, the queen of the avant-garde became famous even for people who are not into contemporary dance.

But it all started a long time ago when, in 1978, she performed in a piece called Cristallisation where she would drop raw eggs on the floor, among others. It was a period of experiments, where artists tried to find a medium in which they would feel comfortable to express themselves. The general atmosphere was one of liberty and experiment when, in 1981 with Danseuse-performeuse cherche amoreux or amoreuse pour la nuit du 1er juin (Dancer-Performer Seeks Male or Female Lover for the Night of June 1) she put herself on sale, through an auction during the show. People were outraged by her act. And it was only the tip of the iceberg, since in Petite danse sans nom there was a scene where someone urinated and Marie Chien Noir included a masturbation scene.

In 1990 she started her own company, La Compagnie Marie Chouinard, and the first performance was Les Trous du ciel, where the dancers were acting like primitives, and language was replaced by some noises. The performance was very powerful and the critics praised it:

She is interested in rituals, and many of her works are around this issue. Starting with 2000, she became more and more fascinated by them, and her works are, therefore, more mysterious and dense in hidden meanings. She puts the body in different contexts, where the body has to adapt do a special condition. Using objects is another way of changing the natural position of a body. How does it change? What rhythm does it take?  In 2005, starting from Henri Michaux’s drawings and poems, she created bODY_rEMIX/les vARIATIONS_gOLDBERG, which won the Gemini Award. It is a highly acclaimed performance through its mathematical form, rhythm and the use of crutches.

photo nakedada.blogspot.com

It is said that the critics try to find new ways of talking about her shows, and that they are at a loss of words. Indeed, it might be difficult sometimes to talk about bodies, especially when the choreographer finds such unexpected means of expressing her ideas. The artist also worked with Marina Abramovic, Laurie Anderson, Robert Wilson, Trisha Brown, Simone Forti.

In 2009 she directed and danced in a performance, Gloire du matin, that was sold out throughout the entire Venice Biennale, since it was a special event: after 20 years she was back on stage.

Gloire du matin
photo youtube.com

In 2013 she completed another performance, called Gymnopedies, based on Erik Satie’s works ,which already started touring, to the excitement of her fans. Yes, it is not a misplaced context to say so, since, indeed, after years of work she already has her fans.

Gymnopedies
photo impulstanz.com

According to impulstanz.com

“eleven dancers from Chouinard’s company immerse themselves in the playful, magic worlds of the danced duet: a one-act ballet to the sounds of three piano compositions jointly called “Gymnopédies” by the French master of modernism, Erik Satie. This brand new piece, which boasts glittering bowls with flickering flames, provides a look into a dreamscape of perfect moments of togetherness.”

photo laplacedesarts.com

Read more about Marie Chouinard and her company: http://www.mariechouinard.com