2024 | Canada | Conception and creation by Sylvain Émard and mirari | Produced by Sylvain Émard Danse.
A 360-degree immersive installation, 12 life-sized projected performers, and a multilayered sound recording: Chœur is an invitation to immerse yourself in dance—to hear it, feel it, and experience it from within.
Choir is a pulsating round dance that plunges the spectator into the centre of the art form. Surrounded by a 360-degree screen of 30 feet in diameter, the public observes the flowing movements of 12 dancers stream, like a circular wave. The sound layers are interwoven to magnify reality: footsteps, breathing, and music—everything places visitors in the very heart of the work, in the intimacy of the performance. The amplified sounds, combined with the life-size performers, create a hypnotic state as the dance ritual unfolds.
In a soundscape featuring a composition by Éliane Radigue, a pioneer of electronic music, this contemporary ceremonial, ranging from contemplation to exaltation, envelops the enthralled audience. The immersive experience of Choir, a collaboration between Sylvain Émard Danse and mirari, allows the audience to see dance differently, to seize its slightest jolt. The 15-minute choreography unfolds in a loop. The trance effect emanating from this sequence of uninterrupted movements influences the audience, who are in turn captivated by this unique pagan rite.
Techincals specs
Minimum space required : 50 ft. X 50 ft. X 16 ft. high (adaptable) / 15 m X 15 m X 4.9 m high
Setup time : 12 h
Calibration time : 8 h
Technicians provided by the presenter : 6 technicians + video manager + sound manager
Must go through double doors only.
PROVIDED BY COMPANY
- Installation of two structures with projection screens:
- Self-supporting circular aluminum structure, 30 ft. / 9.1 m in diameter
and 8 ft 8 in. / 2.7 m high, with two PVC screens - 14 ft. / 4.26 m diameter circular truss structure to hang on the grid
for installation of 6 Optoma GT 1090HDRx projectors
Video: - 6 Optoma GT 1090HDRx projectors
- Video computer and Madmapper software license
- Cabling, computer, extender and hanging system
Sound: - 6 X 100 W loudspeakers to be installed on the device
- Sound card and network switch
- Computer for control and QLab license
PROVIDED BY THE PRESENTER
- 4 chain hoists (1 ton) and 4 rigging points, 1 ton capacity (or
- system to be validated with technical director)
- Stereo sound system: 4 QSC HPR 152i style boxes and 2 SUB
directly connected to our sound card (or equivalent) - 22 ETC ColorSource PAR and lighting console
- 4 X 15 A circuits for sound and 4 X 15 A circuits for video in the
centre of the installation - Grommets for floor wiring to control room
- Black dance floor and/or black floor (to be approved by
technical management) - 20 cheeseborough pipe clamps: 10 swivels and 10 fixed
Credits
Original idea: Sylvain Émard
Concept and creation: Sylvain Émard and Thomas Payette/mirari
Production: Sylvain Émard Danse
Choreographer: Sylvain Émard
Director: Thomas Payette/mirari
Director of photography 360°: Dominic St-Amant
Dancers: Sophie Breton, Charles Cardin-Bourbeau, Matéo Chauchat, Marie-Michelle Darveau, Janelle Hacault, Mathieu Hérard, Kyra Jean Green, Christopher LaPlante, François Richard, Cara Roy, Marie-Philippe Santerre, Camille Trudel-Vigeant
Music: Éliane Radigue
Set designer: Xavier Mary/mirari
Lighting designer: François Marceau
Soundscape: Mathieu Doyon/mirari assisted by Frédéric Auger
Costume designer: Marilène Bastien
Technical directors: François Marceau and Caroline Turcot/mirari
Executive producer: Hugues Monfroy/mirari
Production director: Roxane Cadillon/mirari
Touring technical director: Clara Desautels
Head of video: Dominique Hawry
With the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Sylvain Émard Danse
Original Idea, Conceptor
A prolific artist of international renown, Sylvain Émard founded his company, Sylvain Émard Danse, in 1990. Initially marked by theatricality, his work quickly evolved toward a more formal approach to dance. From Ozone, Ozone (1987), his first solo, to Rhapsodie (2022), a work for 20 performers, Sylvain Émard explores the realm of human nature through the power of the body. Today, his repertoire includes around thirty original works whose impact extends far beyond Quebec.
mirari
Conceptor
mirari is a studio specializing in the creation of spaces, installations, and artworks that transform audience perception. With its mastery of stage arts techniques, mirari explores and translates societal issues into a sensitive narrative, infusing poetry into the spaces it brings to life. The studio has designed numerous projects for the stage, public spaces, and large-scale events both locally and internationally, forging unique connections between Montreal and Japan, as well as New Zealand, Europe, and Peru.
tp@hubblo.ca
15 min