LE PATIN LIBRE
Le Patin Libre is a contemporary ice skating company from Montreal. This performance art uses ice, skates and glide as medias. Some people see our work as a form of “contemporary dance on ice”. The first collective was founded in 2005 by ex high-level figure skaters. They regrouped with the intention of transforming their athleticism into a mean of free expression. Far from sparkles, stereotypes and champions’ demos, the creations of Le Patin Libre propose real works of art exploiting the amazing choreographic and theatrical potential of glide.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
Since 2005 and its first demonstrations on frozen ponds, Le Patin Libre evolved a lot. What started as a little spontaneous explosion is now refined into an intelligent artistic project. “The new skating style” slowly became a new performance art form in its own right. At the base of our work, there is one great question: “what is skating?” Until now, our research projects always bring us back to the same thing: glide. Glide is the possibility to imprint movement on immobile bodies. It is the uniqueness of our dance. It is the magic we play with, until it becomes a vertigo, for our own enjoyment and the one of our public.
INCLUSIVE EVENTS
Between play, sport and dance, ice skating is an activity that has the ability to gather people in an extraordinary way. Even though we are focussed on ice skating's potential as a choreographic medium, we embrace its identity as a leisure and as an important part of the popular culture in which our project was born. So, we use ice skating as an entry door to arts and as a way to create unforgettable events. Our artists often become animators. They initiate beginners and experts alike to their passion for glide. They transform ice rinks into dance floors and inclusive playgrounds. So, wether it is for a winter carnival, a participative activity on ice or an ice dancing party after the show, we will grab the opportunity to welcome people into our universe.