In my body, dance to accept old age

On stage, five men and four women between the ages of 23 and 57 embody the effects of aging on the body, mind and soul of street dancers (street dancers).

Throughout my career, I have had to think about aging and injuriesexplains Yvonne Soglo. I started from my own experience, but soon realized that it was the experience of many people as well.

” The “heroism” of aging is that when we become proficient in this dance, it’s like signing a contract that tells us we’re going to be superheroes. But in very small cases it is written that it will not last long, and we do not take the time to read it. »

In his work, the Gatineau resident is primarily concerned with the different perspectives of performers regarding the idea of ​​aging.

Nobody can escape from it [au vieillissement] Everyone has a different reactionhe argues. There are people who find other ways [de continuer à danser]. There are those who will say to themselves: “If I can’t do what I did when I started, it’s not worth it anymore.”

Building bridges between generations

The nine dancers gathered on the stage represent three generations.

DKC Freeze and Tash [NDLR : qui ont franchi le cap de la cinquantaine] I danced in the ’80s, when I was four or five years old, and young people would go to the Olympics, [ce sont] them, and starsexplains a Gatineau resident.

” If we drive away the elders, we have no direction, nor do we know where we are going. If you take away youth, there will be no more energy. Every element is necessary for coexistence in our world streets danceAnd the [et] If we settle, it also reflects society. »

Yvonne Soglo considers himself in his forties that the dancers of his generation make bridge between these two poles.

In the eyes of young people, we are close to them, but we are not going in one direction, but in the other. So we often have connections with old peopleHe says.

accept old age

“In My Body” combines dance, poetry, multimedia projections and music.

Photo: Rita Taylor

in my body He is also interested in the idea of ​​an endless cycle of dancers, who will continue to fuel the street dance system. Because when older performers leave the stage, they will be replaced by Yvonne Soglo’s cohort who will be replaced by today’s youth.

We live in a culture where we encourage the vitality of young peoplethought the choreographer. The most impressive movements, for the most part, come from the little ones. Except that the maturity and quality of the movements, they often come from people with more experience.

Thus, the choreographer and dancer in his forties today better accepts the idea of ​​aging.

” We will all grow old and lose some of the abilities we had. But it’s a beautiful thing, in my opinion, because when you kiss it, you sometimes dance better than you did before. »

In the meantime, he is happy to present his creation in my body in the area in which he grew up.

when i started [en 1997]I often walked down Elgin Street and saw the big one billboards And the artists who came to give performances, that’s me. It’s a dream come trueConcludes.

With information from Kristel Damours