‘Growing apart, hanging together’
Troupe explores the long-term relationship
In the grand scheme of things, two years doesn’t seem like that long a time.
But Melissa Monteros credits the fact that she and W&M Physical Theatre partner Wojciech Mochniej are “older and wiser” for their show Triangular Theories of Love having a bit more gravity to it these days than when they first performed it two years ago.
“We’re not that much older and wiser,” she says. “But I think what I realize as I work on a piece is that the first time out I only really get to say some of what is really in my head. What I find in when we go into it again, two things radically change. The first is that the performers are different. They are not all different, but we have different cast members this time around bringing their individual strengths, their perspective, their personalities. The other thing is that Wojciech and I are able to look more deeply at what we’re trying to say. We have a chance to look at it with fresh eyes. I think we both take a look and say ‘You know, I think I understand what we were trying to say in that section.’ ”
It’s perhaps fitting that time brings clarity to Triangular Theories of Love, which deals with an old subject that never fails to be fertile ground for art.
The piece — which mixes dance, drama and video — features five couples who “navigate their way through the strange trappings attached to finding and remaining in a long-term relationship.”
“I wanted to explore the different stages we go through in different ages in our relationships,” says Monteros, who is a choreographer, performer and co-artistic director with Mochniej of W&M. “The hanging on, the growing apart, the hanging together.”
What results is described as both a sensual and tongue-incheek look at love and familiarity. It began as a collaboration between W&M and Calgary’s Poet Laureate Kris Demeanor.
Demeanor was invited to “come and play” in the studio with his guitar and watched the troupe create the piece. Given his busy performance schedule as a singer-songwriter, it was decided that Demeanor would only appear in the piece on video.
“We came up with some ideas of him being several different characters in the piece where he’s a counsellor and a love guru and is having a Skype affair with a woman in the piece,” Monteros says. “So we’ve threaded his participation throughout the work.”
So unlike many pieces of contemporary dance, Triangular Theories of Love has spoken dialogue. But the main thrust is movement, with the performers using choreography and their bodies to tell a familiar story in a new way.
“I think there is so much about the way we are that is less about what we say and more in how we move, how close we stand to each other and how often and what we touch of each other,” she said. “You can’t be as specific as you can with words. But maybe you can say a lot more with movement.”
W&M Physical Theatre has a long history of transcending words with movement. Monteros and Mochniej, who are partners in the theatre and in life, founded the company in 1994 in Mochniej’s native Poland.
They have performed throughout the world in their 20-year existence and have become regular contributors to the High Performance Rodeo.
“In Poland, dance is theatre and theatre is about life,” Monteros said. “I think the Rodeo has really expressed that with the works they bring. There’s this idea that there isn’t this line: OK, that’s dance and that’s theatre. It’s the idea that the body is a really important part of theatre. You see it in the Rodeo’s programming a lot.”
Monteros met Mochniej in Poland in 1993 when the latter was dancing in a production that Monteros was choreographing. They have been together ever since, which presumably means they have had their own experiences “navigating their way through the strange trappings attached to remaining in a longterm relationship.”
Mochniej and his dance partner for this production, Maya Lewandowsky of Calgary’s La Caravan, certainly take inspiration from real life, Monteros says.
“I like them to really visit the edges of a really negative, burned-out relationship and see how we travel back to finding each other again,” Monteros says. “Because I think we’re really happy together, we’re not afraid to visit the dark side and see how far it can unravel and still come back together.”