‘Great, now I’m going to have to clean these things all over again. Hey, stop dancing, don’t mash those.’

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Just Po Prostu (Just Because) by W&M Physical Theatre
Dancers' Studio West Theatre
Wednesday, November 28 - Saturday, December 1

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Dancers' Studio West Theatre

“It’s definitely a long-term, committed partnership,” says Melissa Monteros laughing. She’s talking about the upcoming performance of Just Po Prostu, a dance piece that explores the relationship between a man and a woman, but she could just as easily be describing her collaboration with Wojciech Mochniej. Together, they’re the co-artistic directors of W&M Physical Theatre, a company they founded in Poland in 1994.

Just Po Prostu, their most recent work, had its debut in Calgary in November 2007, before touring Poland, France and Finland. “It’s definitely Wojciech’s baby,” says Monteros, credited as the piece’s choreographic collaborator. “It came from his vision of life. He was very interested in having the man’s point of view onstage.”

The performance has evolved since its initial show, and this presentation debuts its new look. “When you first put a piece up, you’re still in the throes of exploring the work,” says Monteros. “The performers are still discovering their parts, and their relationships are deepening. I saw it change so much on tour. It’s amazing to see how the performers’ personalities affect the piece. They bring their own spirit, their own history, their own interpretations of the ideas.”

There are four performers in the piece: Polish dancers Mochniej and Basia Czjkowska are joined by Canadian dancers Lisa Hering and Kelly McCann. This kind of cultural crossover is a W&M mainstay. Monteros first travelled to Poland from Canada in 1991, where she met Mochniej. After founding the company, they continued to travel back and forth between Poland and Calgary, mixing Polish and Canadian dancers in their work.

“In Poland, a lot of your training combines acting and dancing, so you’ll see very physical movers that are well-grounded as actors,” says Monteros. “I think the title, and the piece, reflect the reality of who we are. Wojciech and I speak to each other in English and Polish, and when we work in this cultural mix, we have one foot in each part of ourselves.”

In Just Po Prostu (loosely translated to “Just Because”), Mochniej joins three women in a very complex relationship. “When you first meet someone, there are particular things that you really like about them, and about yourself,” says Monteros. “Those things change over time, and the three women in the piece are actually the same woman, but at different times in her life.”

They also share the stage with… a sack of potatoes. “The potatoes are a big part of the work,” says Monteros. “Wojciech was describing to me this woman who is supposed to take care of everything in their lives, and she’s still supposed to be this beautiful, sexy thing. So I said, I think she should carry this big honkin’ bag of potatoes! It symbolizes the responsibilities of her life, the burden of it.”

Last year, W&M took over the operation of Eko Dance Projects, a Calgary-based company that provides a transitional ladder between youth dancers and professionals. “It’s so important for young dancers to have a professional company to aspire toward and to have role models,” says Monteros. “Under the umbrella of Eko Dance, W&M Physical Theatre provides that professional company aspect.”