Zeugma Danse from Laval, QC is bringing their raw collective power to Guelph and we can’t wait! This creative, expansive, percussive ensemble work is sure to light up the park and wrap the audience right into the performance. Join us at Exhibition Park on Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6 and Orin Reid Park on Sunday June 7 to catch Errances. Zeugma Company Director, Mario Boucher, shares some insights of building this exciting work!
What motivated the creation of the work you are presenting at the Guelph Dance Festival?
The creation of Errances stems from a desire to move beyond the traditional stage setting and to meet audiences in outdoor spaces. It is part of a cycle of site-specific works initiated by the company, in which the relationship to place, architecture, and the presence of spectators becomes a central driving force in the creative process.
The work also reflects a desire to complete a cycle of three choreographic pieces by bringing together the performers and scenographic elements from the productions Cube (2015) and Aube (2018). This convergence activates a shared memory of movement and rhythm while giving rise to new collective dynamics.
The starting point of the piece lies in the idea of wandering—both as a physical journey and an inner state. How do we move forward, alone and together, in a world in constant transformation ? This question is expressed choreographically through pathways, encounters, ruptures, and moments of synchronization.
Through Errances, we also continue our exploration of rhythm as a unifying language, capable of creating a shared and accessible space where the audience is invited to feel rather than simply observe.
When did you start creating this work? And how has it evolved since its inception?
The creation of Errances began in June 2019, while the company was touring in France. We benefited from a ten-day residency in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, during which the first images of the work emerged. As several projects were underway at the time, it was initially planned to resume the work in the fall of 2020. However, the pandemic disrupted these plans, and the team returned to the creative process as soon as a return to the studio became possible.
The artists and creators then devoted nearly two years to developing this new work, alternating between studio research and the presentation of other pieces from the company’s repertoire whenever possible.
Collaboration has been at the heart of Errances throughout its development. From the earliest stages through to performance, the work has been shaped by a deeply collaborative process in which performers and creators have continuously contributed to its evolution. This approach did not end with the completion of the work; it remains present and active in performance, where the piece continues to rely on the performers’ shared listening, adaptability and collective presence, both in relation to one another and to the space.
Errances was presented to an audience for the first time on July 22, 2022 and, unlike the company’s other creations, has changed very little since its premiere. However, during the creation process, the work was repeatedly reworked and reimagined over time, shaped by extensive studio practice, gradually leading to its final form.
Is there anything you hope the audience will take away from the performance in Guelph?
What we hope the audience will take away from the presentation of Errances at the Guelph Dance Festival is above all the invitation we extend to them to “live the performance” rather than simply observe it from a distance.
The work is designed to break down the traditional separation between performers and audience, allowing spectators to be as close as possible to the action, both physically and sensorially. We hope that this proximity creates a direct connection to the rhythm, musicality, and collective energy that drive the piece.
Through this proximity, the audience can feel the impact of the group’s physicality—the breath, the pulse, the precision, and the raw energy that emerge from the moving performers. The goal is not only to watch dance, but to feel how it vibrates, resonates, and circulates in real time.
Ultimately, we hope spectators leave with an emotional memory of the performance: the feeling of having been immersed in rhythm, carried by the group’s energy, and of having been an active part of a shared physical and human experience.
Don’t miss Zeugma Danse this spring at Exhibition and Orin Reid Park! June 5-7, 2026! See all festival programming below.