Production infos
55 min | 1 dancer | Creation in 2022 | General audience
AVES is the recipient of the 2023 RIDEAU / Maisons de la culture Award
Tour
Financial support available (arts councils) | Team of 3 people travelling
Set-up
Pre-setup & pre-hanging required | Depends on the venue, +/- 12hrs | Strike 2hrs
Choreographer and dancer: José Navas
Lighting design: Marc Parent
Costumes: José Navas
Fabrication: Sonya Bayer, L’Atelier de couture Sonya B
Production direction & development: Adrien Bussy
Production: Compagnie Flak
Coproduction: Theater im Pumpenhaus, Münster (Germany), Danse Danse (Canada)
Photos: Sasha Onyshchenko
A solo show that celebrates the importance of love and art.
Following his lineage of solo work, imbued with sobriety, abstraction, and simplicity, José Navas continues dancing his life on stage, as he has done for the last forty years.
This show comprises dance solos that will invite the audience into the personal story of José Navas and Bill Douglas. The two artists met and lived together in NYC and later Montreal, sharing life and art until the death of Douglas from AIDS in 1996. The culmination of this artistic relationship, “While Waiting” – choreographed by Douglas and performed by Navas – was recognized in 1994 with a Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award).
The choreographer–soloist will perform on a simple open stage, set with three chairs. There will be movement in the space to the music of James Brown, Bach, PJ Harvey, Billie Holliday, Dorothy Moore, Satie. He renews his longstanding collaborations with light designer Marc Parent and costume designer Sonya Bayer.
AVES is a luminous dance ritual of hope and optimism, Navas’ way to pay homage to Douglas.
Premiere at De Schakel, Waregem (BE), October 26, 2022
AVES is the recipient of the 2023 RIDEAU / Maisons de la culture Award
The Age, Melbourne, octobre 2023
“A wonderfully moving experience. […] A truly exceptional night of dance.” The Age, Melbourne
Montrealrampage.com, octobre 2024
“Navas constantly pushes the boundaries of dance”
“Navas delivers a poignant and luminous testimony through his body”
“A kaleidoscope of emotions unfolds before our eyes when Navas dances”
Les ArtsZé, octobre 2024
“A moving and unforgettable experience, a poignant tribute”
“Navas’s technical mastery is unparalleled, but it is his expressiveness that truly captivates the audience.
“Much more than a dance performance; it is a meditation on love, loss, and resilience.”
“A gem of the Montreal arts scene you won’t want to miss.”
Marc-Yvan Coulombe, journaliste (publication Facebook), octobre 2024
“A dazzling dance of love and resilience”
“It is quite rare for a dance performance to be this accessible to everyone”
Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Culture Club, Radio-Canada, octobre 2024
“Navas is a virtuoso. His mastery of bodywork, the precision of his arms, legs, and spatial angles allows even novices to follow him.”
” He is magnetic on stage. And with this solo AVES, he is remarkably generous.”
Johane Despins, Il restera toujours la culture, Radio-Canada, octobre 2024
“A touching moment of great beauty”
“An easy way to step into contemporary dance”
October 22. 23. 24. 25. 26, 2024
Danse Danse, Cinquième Salle de la Place des Arts, Montreal QC [Infos et billets]
January 24, 2025
Théâtre La Rubrique, Jonquière QC [Infos et billets]
460, Sainte-Catherine West, local 411
Montreal (Québec) H3B 1A7
Canada
Phone : +1 514 876-1313
Mobile : +1 438-886-1149
Email : [email protected]
© 2025 José Navas Compagnie Flak.
