There are some, who, after a long day, go back home for the purpose of staring into a t.v screen. But us, we go into an old church to make contemporary dance and music.
To each his/her own life.
I season Mathie’s arm aerobics with my non-tonal guitar playing. It’s all a question of dynamics, tone and rhythms. Notes are not so important.
Rafa slams the praying kneelers to the ground with fervor. I drag a chair across the floor for its unique squeak quality and Alex drops noise pads of his own making. Christian shouts into the snare drum. Rhythmicality is optional.
The dancers share temporary stories, wordlessly expressed. They express the spaciality of the church, its natural reverb and our nameless music.
The scripted choreography is non-existing.
It’s total freedom.
Devoid of judgments or second thoughts, we thrive on each other’s inspirations.
Within the confines of this evening, there are no creative limitations.
It’s a visceral celebration of our fundamental freedom of being.
Time dissipates in an ocean of sounds and corporality.
For the first edition, I’m there as a photographer. The perfect opportunity to hone my experimental photography. I let the flow of the moment take over.
At the second one, I am standing upright on one of the mass benches. Guitar in hand, I get inspired by impromptu movements that manifests in my line of sight.
A thought passes through me.
‘’I’d do that of my Life, it makes me so happy’’
This is the kind of thing that I love deeply. I couldn’t do any of it outside of Montréal, city of artists.
Well well well, matter of factly, that’s exactly what I am currently doing with friends I appreciate. Life is well tailored.
Good place, good moment in time and good team.
All of it in an old chapel turned into a center for social and cultural organisms.
There are intangible riches in this world.
It’s not with experimental art that I’ll be able to buy a house by the sea but it sure fills my heart with an untamed sense of celebratory gratitude.
How great it is to be alive!
The other day, during a literary quest at the national public library, I stumble upon a stand bearing the name ‘’talk to an elderly for 25 cents’’
An old guy with gray hair is sitting on a stool. Our eyes meet.
‘’What is this?’’ I ask
‘’Well, sit and find out’’ he says.
‘’what’s your name?’’
‘’Hervey, and you?
‘’Simon’’
We discuss anything and everything in between for a moment. I ask him what has been his life filled with.
Hervey is 77 years old. Father of 3.
He trains everyday. He’s been happily married for 48 years.
48 years…
And to think that, myself, I haven’t retained an intimate relationship for more than 9 months. My curiosity pushes me to ask ‘’how does one maintain an intimate relationship sane and thriving for 48 years?’’
‘’It’s quite simple, you’ve got to have three lives: yours, hers and ours’’
He begins to explain that there must be enough similarities and differences between the two for the relation to remain sparkly throughout the years.
He loves sports
She just started the gym, at 77 years old.
He is very social
She prefers books
Both are passionate about cooking
Both were already parents when they met
You can’t be afraid of trying and failing, he tells me. Constant learning keeps you young and happy.
After our exchange, I put a dollar in the donation jar and say
‘’here’s a dollar, that’ll pay for the next person’’
‘’That is one of the most beautiful things to do in this world’’ he says.
‘’Life is made in such a way that giving and helping without conditions always comes back around. And not necessarily in the ways you’d expect. It is bound to happen. I did it all my life, to pay for the next guy and render services without counting. My life has truly been a profound beauty because of it.’’
‘’Thanks Hervey, I needed to hear that today’’
I get up from my seat.
I shake his hand and truck’ on down the road with a smile on my heart.
