Who is more authentic than Jose Navas? After hearing the name from fellow dancers auditioning for his Compagnie Flak, back when I was in ballet school, I only first saw Navas in a photograph, one taken by my Concordia classmate Valerie Simmons. In the simple, static curves of his naked body, he spoke a message so clear that it was beyond words. My next encounter with him, via the film ORA, on which he collaborated with director Philippe Baylaucq, still gives me goosebumps and is among the only times I have seen dance portrayed so truly on film. For his 50th birthday, Navas performed his solo Rites at Danse Danse, pushing his body and his creativity while unabashedly baring his whole self to his audience in his adopted city of Montreal. At Agora de la danse this week, he presents ON, an hommage to his longtime collaborators Marc Parent, light designer, and Alexander MacSween, composer. Evidently, I hopped on the opportunity to witness Navas’ presence once again.
Dance Profiler 