MWON’D
RHODNIE DÉSIR
RD Créations
December 7, 8 and 9, 2022 — 7 p.m.
December 10, 2022 — 4 p.m.
With MWON’D, the choreographer Rhodnie Désir puts six bodies into motion – five performers plus a gigantic sheet of aluminum – to portray in slow motion the acceleration of climate change.
MWON’D – of Creole and French origin: moun (human, being), world, mwen (me) and anmwe (cry of distress) – is an appeal for transparency and a sane response as regards the contradictory actions that shape our humanity. Accumulate. Support. Multiple movement. Onstage, humans and materials, spirits and metals reach out to engage in a dialogue that ranges from chaos to higher realms. Each element is an essential voice, all united in support of the organic aspect of nature. Together they reveal the divine aspect of each, and the vulnerability of all.
“In MWON’D, we rise outside the human world to try to solve the equation of catastrophe.” – Rhodnie Désir
Her choreography-as-documentary approach is part of her research process, whereby she consults specialists and researchers for information on a particular subject. In this case, that led to a comprehensive vision of the acceleration of climate change. An astrophysicist, a water specialist, a botanist, an entomologist, a volcanologist and a mycologist all shared their knowledge in intimate conversations, all of them focused on a pressing concern – the environment. The choreographer passed on their testimonials to the dancers, thus enriching their choices of movement and gesture. Arts and science, often viewed as separate domains, are brought together here in a moment of shared knowledge, research and passion.
Credits
Company RD Créations
Choreographer, artistic director, compositor et vocal performer Rhodnie Désir
Performers Elisabeth-Anne Dorléans, Aurélie Ann Figaro, Jessica Gauthier,
Gregory “Krypto” Selinger, James Viveiros
Rehearsal Director Isabelle Poirier
Artistic Senior Consultant Philip Szporer
Compositor Engone Endong
Costumes designer Vincent la Kuach
Lighting designer and scenography consultant Öykü Onder (From the original scenography of Hubert Lafore)
Co-production Agora de la danse
Residencies Agora de la danse, Place des arts, Créateurs en mouvement (Danse Danse et l’Arsenal art contemporain)