Confession Publique

Confession Publique

Performance

Duration: 70 minutes

Trigger Warning: relational violence, sexual violence, rape

Description

With a title that serves as a promise, Confession Publique delves into ambiguity and paradox, scrutinizes the noble and the vulgar, and oscillates between grace and brutality. Choreographer Mélanie Demers makes her longtime collaborator, Angélique Willkie, her muse. Together, these two creative soulmates excavate the act of unabashed self-disclosure. The result is a hard-hitting solo, where anecdotes morph into painful secrets, and the body reveals as much, if not more, than words.

The profound trust emerging from the deep connection between these two artists allows for complete vulnerability, a courageous laying bare. Onstage, Willkie—both the raw material and subject of the performance—cannot escape the gaze. Alongside her, an enigmatic presence, at times devoted, at times hostile, shapes and organizes the space. With her commanding voice and captivating presence, the performer bares the beauty and depths of her soul, balancing strength and fragility.

Biography

Multidisciplinary artist Mélanie Demers founded the company MAYDAY in Montréal in 2007, exploring the potent interplay between the poetic and the political. Her fascination with the interaction of word and movement crystallized with WOULD (2015), which won the CALQ Prize for Best Choreography.

Following the success of her ambitious project Danse Mutante (2019), she embarked on a new creative cycle with La Goddam Voie Lactée (2021), Confession Publique (2021), and Cabaret Noir (2022), all presented in prestigious venues and festivals. In 2021, Mélanie Demers received the GRAND PRIX de la danse de Montréal, recognizing her unique impact on her era. The following year, she was awarded the CALQ Prize for Best Choreography for Confession Publique.

Expanding her reach, she ventured into theater, directing Déclarations by acclaimed author Jordan Tannahill, which was a finalist for the Jovette-Marchessault Prize. In 2024, Mélanie Demers co-created and performed in Affaires intérieures at Espace GO and was awarded the NAC Prize as part of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.

To date, she has choreographed 30 works presented in over 40 cities across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Credits

Direction and Choreography: Mélanie Demers

With: Angélique Willkie, Anne-Marie Jourdenais

Rehearsal Direction: Anne-Marie Jourdenais

Dramaturgy: Angélique Willkie

Original Music: Frannie Holder

Additional Music: Henry Purcell, The Fairy Queen (excerpt), performed by Angélique Willkie

Set Design: Odile Gamache

Lighting Design: Claire Seyller

Costume Design: Elen Ewing

Technical Direction: Hannah Kirby

Production Management: Adèle Saint-Amand

Teaser Video: Stefan Verna

Coproduction

La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines + Agora de la danse + Centro per la Scena Contemporanea/Operaestate Festival (Bassano del Grappa)

This creation is part of a doctoral research-creation project in the Department of Art Studies and Practices at UQAM.

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