The door opened west

Bashfully, he walks to the front of an empty stage, as though he was venturing into the land of his own memory. With his hands and words, he summons vibrant light beams from the darkness, erecting the delicate architecture of his life story. Whether by sharing tender childhood memories or by recalling his father’s terrible illness, Marc Boivin bares himself in this autobiographical solo inspired by various conversations and excerpts from his diary. The veteran dancer trades his virtuosity for a humble language of the heart, in a dialogue with darkness and light.  

Slowly developed over five years in collaboration with Boivin, the choreography by Sarah Chase is reminiscent of the refined and intricate geometry of a life narrative. Using repetition and superposed movements, words, light sequences, and sound environments, and integrating elements of nature, The door opened west alternates between apparition and disappearance and gracefully celebrates the language of the body, a treasure trove of memories.  

Produced by Marc Boivin + Sarah Chase 
Choreographed by Sarah Chase 
Performed by Marc Boivin with the participation Caleb St-Jean 
Soundscape Antoine Bédard 
Lighting Design James Proudfoot   

Music
La Javanaise
Performed by Madeleine Peyroux
Courtesy of Rounder Records, a Division of Concord
Impromptu #3 in G flat Major
Franz Schubert
Performed by Michelle Mares
Winter 2
Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons (2012)

Creative residencies Agora de la danse + Place des Arts

Presented in association with Agora de la danse + Tangente

Thanks to Francine Bernier + Raimund Hogue + Mia Wood + Lloyd House + The Chapman family + Ellen and Robert Silverman + Lucas Liepins + Mackie Chase + Jacinte Armstrong + Edna Boivin + Robert Paquin

Written by Elsa Pépin 
Translated by Luba Markovskaia + Jeff Moore

Premiered at Festival TransAmériques, Montreal, on June 2, 2021