Shrouding the set in dim light and haze for most of the 55 minute program replicates the uncertainty inherent in the search for meaning in the present through a past that is unclear and for the most part unknown. Lemieux uses blackouts several times in an attempt to express the stages this personal journey goes through.

The choreography is very restrained, controlled, repetitive. There is extreme tightness to every movement. It is not a joyful journey and yet some movements expressed by Lemieux seem to convey an epiphany. A breakthrough maybe of understanding. Because this is such a personal piece without any guideposts of props one has to try to find the meaning being explored. Without props it is reminiscent of abstract art where representation is pared down to strokes alone. Through the strokes of movement in the choreography Lemieux reaches out to Anne or it could be interpreted that Lemieux takes the form of Anne, Lemieux’s ancestor from the Ile d’Orleans, an island in the St Lawrence River, the western tip of which is east of Quebec City. The word Ile d’Orleans is written on the floor of the stage in light before the program starts giving the audience a reference point for Anne. Through the course of the 55 minute performance a search for something seems evident. Is it a search for meaning in the present through the ancestors of the past or is it a longing for understanding oneself in the present world? At the conclusion of the piece Lemieux’s facial expression reflects knowledge. One could interpret that as a meaningful conclusion of a personal journey.

© 2026 Nancie Ottem