By Isabelle Kirouac & Lea Kieffer

New dance and acrobatic stilts performance, ”Like houses through a kaleidoscope” is an attempt to redefine our relationship to home, using the language of acrobatic stilts and dance improvisation as a platform. Lea was born in France; Isabelle was born in Quebec. They both have been on the road for many years. Isabelle and Lea are part of this new generation of urban nomads that I called fortunate homeless; those who created their identities by improvising a shelter made of habits (repetitions, opinions, gestures), memories and relationships. Each time we inhabit a space, we adjust to it, it becomes how we live our life; it becomes part of who we are. “Ours is the century of enforced travel of disappearances. The century of people helplessly seeing others, who were close to them, disappear over the horizon.” This performance has been created in one of the performer’s hometown in Quebec, as an attempt to reconnect to our roots.”Like houses through a kaleidoscope” push the boudaries of contemporary dance and acrobatic stilts by offering a cutting-edge performance that blends contemporary circus, new dance and theater. Supported by the Professionnal Creation and Production Funds of the Municipality of Arthabaska, Office Franco-Québécois pour la Jeunesse and Canada Arts Council, ”Like houses through a kaleidoscope” was created in Quebec (Canada) in 2013 and toured in California and Quebec.

Isabelle Kirouac (Canada) and Lea Kiefer (France) met touring and teaching Contact Improvisation internationally. They are now interested in developing new possibilities in the art of acrobatic stilts, based on their common practice of dance improvisation.