Tara Luz Danse

Founded in 2006 by Franco-Ontarian choreographer Anik Bouvrette, Tara Luz Danse is a contemporary dance company in residence at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa. The company’s approach operates on two fronts: on the one hand, the creation and presentation of works for audiences of all ages, with a focus on young audiences; and on the other hand, cultural outreach in schools and the community that encourages the discovery of contemporary dance.

Tara Luz Danse presents playful, vivid, and poetic works that reflect choreographer Anik Bouvrette’s organic and intuitive approach. Her works, deeply imbued with feminine sensitivity and energy, explore women’s lived experiences. The name Tara Luz, in fact, evokes this approach. Tara is a woman’s name also associated with “terra,” the Latin word for Earth. Luz means light in Portuguese. Tara Luz means “a woman’s light.” To date, the company’s repertoire includes the works Les souliers d’Angélie (2013), Les billes (2012), Ludivine et Sariana en galerie (2011)—presented in conjunction with the exhibition Récits (é)mouvants by visual artist Reid McLachlan—the film Lustrale (2009), produced in collaboration with videographer Izabel Barsive, and Ce souffle qui m’habite (2008).

In addition to its creative work, Tara Luz Danse is committed to inspiring people to move and helping them discover new facets of their creativity. To date, the company has developed and launched two creative projects in schools—“Impro en mouvement” and “Croisée”—as well as the participatory event “En studio avec nous,” which combines the presentation of works with active audience participation from all ages. Tara Luz Danse’s repertoire also includes two works of movement improvisation set to live music—“Les bâtons” (2015) and “Hippopotame” (2009)—which were originally created for educational purposes.