Les Noeuds de Gustav

Les Noeuds de Gustav is a multidisciplinary work where dance is finely interwoven with music, a narrative and an interactive scenography.

Whether it is a family, a career or a physical heritage, the ambition to build a legacy is above all a human trait. What compels an astronaut to travel into the unknown? Why do we build pyramids, cathedrals, monumental creations beyond the span of a lifetime?  Whatever they are, however grand or inconsequent may be their result, ambitions can define us, unite us and build us. 

The solo follows the character Abbacus, who tries to build, rebuild and construct themselves; who explores their ambitions and navigates through doubt and adversity.  The narrative appears, among other things, as a voice-over sometimes speaking directly to Abbacus and sometimes in a more abstract fashion. The voice is intrinsically linked to dance, music and lights to reveal the inner world of Abbacus.

In a sense, Les Noeuds de Gustav is an ode to his own creation and underlines the ambition to create an independent contemporary dance show in Moncton. The creative process withstood the duration of four years, a pandemic and the birth of a child. The work brought together over 16 artists from different artistic disciplines, forged important links in the local dance community, initiated dialogues with the public along the way and was greeted by a vibrant ovation on both nights of its premiere presentations.

«During the premiere of the show, this weekend, the public was conquered as much by the intensity and the sensitivity of the interpretation as by the beauty of the work.»

-Sylvie Mousseau, Acadie Nouvelle, October 18, 2022, Moncton (FR)