Cas Public: Can deaf people dance?

"9.2," seen here with Norika Isomura center stage, was performed on Friday night at Williams College.

Of all the -isms that good people are trying to shatter, ableism might be the most stubborn.
 
Cas Public, a Montreal-based ensemble, thankfully weakened the notion that people with physical and mental barriers are lesser on Friday night at Williams College. Its “9.2” – an evening-length work – questioned “can a deaf person dance.” And the answer is, of course. Their language is movement. They dance all the time.
 
The piece, choreographed by Helene Blackburn in collaboration with Cai Glover, who is deaf and a company member, is not only a repudiation that the idea of “disability” but a celebration of all humanity’s abilities.
 
That was immediate clear at the beginning of the piece. Dancers surveyed the audience, inviting members to participate in the show. Those who chose to take part in “9.2,” including a child, were not the typical foils for performers. Instead, they were an integral part the entire dance, including bowing with the company at the end. None of these folks were planted. And at least three of them danced with American Sign Language (quickly taught by Glover.)
 
That’s the thing with ASL – it is a dance. This is the revelation of “9.2.”
 
The work is contained by chairs – normal, child and toy size. Not only do they decorate the stage with a symmetrical design, they also define its limits and serve as a welcoming metaphor. Come, sit, join us.
 
Within its bounds, that the participating audience help to arrange, the dancers reveal their power with snippets from nearly deaf composer Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Arranged by Martin Tetreault, the music is often clipped, not allowing ears to fully get a handle on it. That was likely the point.
 
There is also a video, by Kenneth Michiels, that features children – one of whom has a cochlear implant (as does Glover). Finally, there is a toy Volkswagen Beetle, with a video camera that projects its live images on the screen as it darts between the dancers.
 
And what dancers they are. Dressed in black, they, along with Glover who took out his implant, are fast and sharp. They moved to the highlighted sections of Beethoven’s symphony in spotlights on the blackened stage. The focus on lighted circles emphasized their refined top-to-bottom abilities.
 
Among the standouts were the statuesque Arnaud Mongeon whose fluidity was astounding. He’s a gorgeous dancer that devours the space with clarity. Norika Isomura, dancing both blindfolded and later sighted en pointe, carried herself with authority as she kicked and pas de boureed across the stage. At one point, her legs appeared like a metronome for a piano variation.

Glover was one of the ensemble, but took a central role in audience’s minds. As their spotlighted solos morphed into synchronized ensemble work, Glover was gloriously spot on. It seems ridiculous to point out that Glover is as fine a dancer as others in Cas Public.
 
Yet, that is reason for “9.2.” It’s a lesson I’m glad to learn.