Quebec is poised to become a leader in accessible performing arts with the groundbreaking audio description of a circus performance. Danse-Cité is piloting the initiative, bringing the spectacle of Kintsugi, by Machine de cirque, to 40 visually impaired or partially sighted audience members.
“Anne-Marie is standing at the end of the plank, which is resting on the ground. She extends her arms towards Raphaël, who is standing on the shoulders of Francis, just behind her. Évelyne and Damien are running and jumping on the other end of the plank! Anne-Marie is propelled into the air. Raphaël supports her in a hand-to-hand position!”
This isn’t a description of ice dancing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, but a segment of audio narration by Alida Esmail, one of the two describers for Kintsugi. The goal, as Esmail’s vivid description illustrates, is to evoke the same sense of wonder and excitement for audience members who cannot experience the visual elements of the performance.
“We can expect, among the spectators who will attend the acrobatic piece, to hear ohs! and ahs! And that’s the goal of the describers: to ensure that the 40 blind or partially sighted people who will see the show on Saturday can also marvel at the exploits… that have been described to them.”
To enhance understanding of the acrobatic feats and the various circus apparatus, Danse-Cité will host a backstage tour of Kintsugi, including an introduction to the world of circus and a tactile workshop on the day of the performance.
Attendees will receive a primer on the disciplines featured in the show – trapeze, rope, Chinese pole, hair suspension, and the teeterboard – and will have the opportunity to touch and familiarize themselves with the equipment. The aim is to provide a foundational understanding of the circus arts, allowing them to visualize the scenes as they are described. Following the performance, audience members will also have the chance to meet the artists.
The audience comprises 40 individuals, ranging in age from 10 to 80, many of whom have never experienced a circus performance before. They hail from Montreal, the Saguenay region, the Laurentians, and Quebec City. “For about ten of them, it’s their first experience with an audio-described performance,” notes Maud Mazo-Rothenbühler, Director of Development and Communications at Danse-Cité.
At the beginning of the show, the describer will provide a summary of the performance’s concept: Kintsugi, referencing the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold powder, serving as a metaphor for embracing imperfections – particularly within human relationships. The show’s director, Olivier Lépine, has woven the destinies of the characters together to further explore this theme.
An Evolution in Accessibility
Danse-Cité began exploring social issues related to accessibility as early as 2019. Initially, audio description was primarily found in the English-language theatre world, with little to no provision for dance or circus audiences. “We decided to focus on blind and partially sighted people, because there is practically nothing for them,” explains Mazo-Rothenbühler.
A French expert, Valérie Castan, traveled to Quebec to train an initial pool of audio describers for dance. Since then, approximately twenty dance performances have been audio-described in Quebec since 2021. The Duceppe and Rideau Vert theatres have also offered audio description experiences to this audience.
Six individuals have been trained in Montreal, including Alida Esmail and Emmalie Ruest, who will share the describing duties for the Machine de cirque performance – 40 minutes each.
“Our biggest challenge in audio describing contemporary dance performances is to describe a sensory universe that is often abstract.”
Alida Esmail, describer
“How do you guide this audience without frustrating them? That’s the whole challenge. But all the research we do beforehand, the choreographer’s intention and aesthetics – even if we don’t see it – feed us. All the subtext of the performer also helps us,” Esmail continues.
Danse-Cité approached the TOHU three years ago with this project, adds Mazo-Rothenbühler. “I found there was an interesting kinship between dance and circus, and the TOHU embraced it. So we are really looking forward to it, even though we are aware of the many challenges we have to overcome, because everything happens very quickly in the circus. But our goal is to convey the vertigo, the risk, and the wow effect of the circus arts.”
This initiative represents a significant step forward in making live performance accessible to a wider audience, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity within Quebec’s vibrant arts scene.
Kintsugi is presented at the TOHU from to .
