Jacob's Pillow to Welcome O Vertigo Danse & Quebec Contemporary Music Society, 8/7-11

O Vertigo Danse and members of the Québec Contemporary Music Society bring La Vie Qui Bat (The Beat of Life), a powerful multi-disciplinary work, to the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival August 7-11. Founded by renowned Artistic Director and choreographer Ginette Laurin in 1984, O Vertigo Danse has been a dynamic force in the dance world for over 25 years. Known for their expressive power, the company will dance to composer Steve Reich's masterpiece "Drumming," as performed live by members of the Québec Contemporary Music Society conducted by Walter Boudreau. Lewis Segal of the Los Angeles Times describes O Vertigo as "fearless, tireless, and multi-skilled, they embody an ideal of late 20th century prowess."

La Vie Qui Bat (The Beat of Life) not only offers a new way to view Steve Reich's music, but also provides an opportunity to delve into Laurin's most conceptual work. Created in 1999, as the result of a challenge from Walter Boudreau, Artistic Director of the Québec Contemporary Music Society, this was Laurin's first project made specifically to accompany a musical composition.

With an extremely diverse movement vocabulary-abstract and minimalist at times, yet full-out and vigorous at others-the dancers bring the stage to life in a play of opposites. Laurin develops both subtle nuances and exciting partnering, echoing the dynamic musical score of Reich. As Olga Bibiloni from the Marseilles daily La Provence explains, the piece: "...is all power and restraint. A fascinating balance in the total mastery of movement, down to its most intensive repetitions [...] The whole is very strong."

Based in Montréal, O Vertigo Danse is renowned on both the Canadian and international dance scenes, with a company of 11 dancers from all over Canada, France, and the United States. Each dancer brings a unique collection of experiences, including Cirque du Soleil's production of Love, to the ensemble's celebrated finesse. The company performs alongside the Québec Contemporary Music Society, a contemporary classical music organization also based in Montréal. This percussive ensemble, typically ranging from five to 45 individuals, brings 12 performers to the Pillow, including two vocalists and one flutist. Six of the musicians are also members of Ensemble Sixtrum, a collaborative group of percussionists, focused on creating multidisciplinary art.

"Drumming," by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Steve Reich, is a four-part composition for four pairs of tuned bongo drums, three marimbas, three glockenspiels, two female voices, whistling, and piccolo. Reich, an American composer known for his rhythmic motifs and repetition, created "Drumming" in 1971.

In addition to these six performances at the Pillow, Ginette Laurin and Walter Boudreau will participate in a PillowTalk: Dancing to Steve Reich in Blake's Barn on Saturday, August 10 at 4pm. Laurin will discuss her creative process for this particular work using Steve Reich's composition, as well as her experience screening other examples throughout the course of this project.

Tickets are $39-$59. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office. Under 35 Friday Tickets are available for $19 on Friday, August 9 (ages 18-35), two per person, must show I.D. when picking up tickets. Available by phone and in person only.