Montreal/Margie Gillis Dance Foundation – M.Body.7

by Paula Citron.
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M.Body.7
Margie Gillis Dance Foundation
Place des Arts
In Montreal
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This season marks Margie Gillis’ 35th anniversary as a professional soloist, and I wanted to adore every minute of her Montreal celebratory concert. While there are sublime moments in the program, there are, sadly, also artistic concerns about the choreography.

Ici looks at women both as individuals and as a collective, particularly the struggle between their own distinctive natures and societal pressures that sap their singularity. For this piece, Gillis has assembled a stunning line-up of dancers age 11 to 72. The solos are at the heart of Ici and perhaps show the different sides of the same woman.

At the Hem of My Northern Coastal Clouds is a solo for Holly Bright while Gillis has a new solo Par un fil d’argent.

All in all, the evening is a bit of a disappointment. While the works are worthy in concept, they seem to languish in development by over-focusing on one visual image. That being said, Gillis remains a revered original.

Photo credit: Michael Slobodian
(Margie Gillis in Par un fil d’argent)