Fostering diverse expressions of Asian aesthetics through dance, the CanAsian International Dance Festival is an annual event held in Toronto. ÉCLATS will offer you a sampling with three short solos, commissioned pieces created in collaboration with three mentors. Three dancers and choreographers were paired with three veterans of contemporary dance: William Yong with Tedd Robinson (Ottawa), Meena Murugesan with Janet O’Shea (Los Angeles) and Tomomi Morimoto with Elizabeth Langley (Montreal). Their works will be presented at MAI – Montréal, arts interculturels, from May 2nd to May 5th.

Inspired by Japanese ghost tales tradition, INHABITATION, by the Montreal-based and originated from Japan Tomomi Morimoto’s, reflects the constant metamorphosis of humankind’s myths. Can our instincts be the basis for another kind of reality that points towards an inner truth? She is covered head to toe with a tangle of white hair. The strange, ghostly figure is transformed from disciplined mover to animalistic, unformed creature.

SPLIT / FOCUS consists in a contemporary Indian dance solo that examines the urban and cultural lives of each of us in their intrinsic complexity. Moving with and beyond Bharata Natyam, through emotion, technique and cultural moorings (mudhra/nritta), Meena Murugesan, who comes from the first generation of Canadian women from South India, emanates a compelling intensity which drives her richly textured movement aesthetic.

GRIST, by the Torontonian born in Hong Kong William Yong, incorporates contemporary dance, voice and design video to create a collection of memories and thoughts on individual identity. An interpretation of intimate dreams and a monologue on a personal experience, GRIST follows a constantly shifting path towards a sense of individuality. Within a circular installation of white rice and a shimmering video projection, his lithe and sinuous movements embody William Yong’s complex psychological journey.