II. FTG is a series of music video-style tableaux presented as dance duets, in which various styles draw inspiration from the poetic power of French-language rap and the dazzling energy of Afrobeat. Several performers feature among the visual references that feed into the creation of the two performers’ multiple alter egos. In this choreographic, visual, and auditory space, assigned gender roles and images are subverted and blurred by the performers so that their own shared language emerges from their sensitivity and individuality, allowing them to express their feelings and connect with one another.
Talkback with the artist following the January 23rd performance
Hosted by Jaleesa Coligny
II. FTG est une production
ABOUT+
Mara Dupas is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice navigates writing, dance, choreographic creation, and movement consulting on the territory of Tio’tia:ke / Mooniyang (Montréal). Through an intimate, critical, and sensory approach, they explore the links between body, memory, and narrative. In recent years, they have created a series of solo performances: Olympia 2.0 and Dépi temps, presented by Tangente Danse and later on tour throughout Quebec, as well as the piece FANM, presented at the Phénoména festival and at OFFTA in 2023. Their writings, published in moveo magazine and Zinc review among others, extend this search for a hybrid language. Their work is rooted in Afro-descendant and queer experiences, drawing on archives and popular culture.
Athena Lucie Assamba is a multi and interdisciplinary artist, performer, and choreographer-researcher of Cameroonian origin. Her practice is rooted in dances of African sources, and she explores the ancestry of movement through traditional and urban forms. A member of the Afrodojomtl collective since 2020, she contributes to the visibility of Afro-descendant dance in Montreal.
She has created the pieces BOSEMBO, NKUL NNAM, and African Celestial Beings, presented at Tangente, in Mauricie, and in Europe at Charleroi Danse and AIITF 2025. Trained at Nyata Nyata and École des Sables, she develops research on the liberation and reappropriation of African conceptions of time and space. A graduate in neurosciences, she explores the links between art, body, and healing.
Aurélie Ann Figaro is a performer originally from Haiti. In addition to training in traditional Haitian dances with Shérane Figaro, she graduated from the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 2022. She has since collaborated with several choreographers including Alexandre Morin, Danièle Desnoyers, Catherine Gaudet, and Helen Simard.
Credits+
Choreography and Artistic Direction: Mara Dupas
Collaboration and Performance: Athena Lucie Assamba and Aurélie Ann Figaro
Sound Design and Music: Djeff Jean-Philippe aka DJ Chef Jeff
Playlists: Mara Dupas and Aurélie Ann Figaro
Lighting Design: Tiffanie Boffa
Set Design: Mara Dupas and Tiffanie Boffa
Styling: Mara Dupas, Athena Lucie Assamba, and Aurélie Ann FigaroSpecial thanks to: Aïchatou Erna Labarang, Trey Prince, Shérane Figaro, Sara Kurz-Martin, Cam Gendron, Jaleesa Coligny, LA SERRE – Arts vivants, Conseil des Arts de Montréal (CAM), MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels)
This project received the support of the CAM + MAI Joint Dance Residency program.