Benoît Lachambre’s Lifeguard is an intimate stroll of a piece, the first of a triptych to examine our notions of presence and the resonance of movement. A piece that will work to build a very intimate atmosphere, Lifeguard allows for a minute examination of movement, and questions our projections of relationships.

With a syncopated choreographic vocabulary and undulating movements, Lachambre offers a new register for the body’s expression, bringing us along on a search for sensory co-habitation. A subtle connection develops, between the audience and the performer, a mixture of playful trance and vulnerability, and on the stage the body will flow with tangible dexterity.

While examining the role of the artist, the passivity of the spectator and the subtlety of our affect, Lifeguard is an uninhibited discussion about so many aspects of existence.

Benoît Lachambre

Active in the dance community since the 1970s, Benoît Lachambre first learned about Releasing in 1985. This kinesthetic approach to movement and its use of improvisation became an important influence on his choreographic work. He decided to immerse himself in an exploratory approach to movement and its sources, to seek out the authenticity of movement. His work, both as a choreographer and a performer, has at its centre the hyper-awareness of the senses, and the connection between the somatic and the artistic is central to his practice.

He founded his own company in Montréal in 1996, christening it Par B.L.eux, ‘B.L.’ for his own initials and ‘eux’ for the artists he chooses to collaborate with, and who have become central to his artistic process.

Benoît Lachambre is one of the foremost artist-choreographer-performers of his generation. He has created 17 works for his own company since Par B.L.eux was founded and participated in more than 20 productions by other companies, in addition to some 25 commissioned works.

Media

Once Dance Rediscovers the Body: Interview with Benoît Lachambre (Art Circulation, 11.6.2018)