International dance icon Margie Gillis celebrates her 35th anniversary as a solo dancer with the premiere of her new work, "M.Body.7," at the Montreal High Lights Festival.

With an all-female cast, ages 11 to 72, "M.Body.7" features Gioconda Barbuto, Anik Bissonnette, Holly Bright, Eleanor Duckworth, Laurence Lemieux, Emily Molnar, Risa Steinberg, Sandrine Bissonnette-Robitaille and Gillis.

"The lineup of women who are dancing in this are a Who's Who of dance," said Gillis, who co-chairs the festival. "I could not be more honored and thrilled in working with them. They have trusted me and given of themselves."

LIFE, DREAMS, WISHES

"M.Body.7" interlaces solos, duets and group work. Gillis choreographed each segment to complement each dancer's unique style via a trance dance.

"I felt the energy of the women and their body tension and type of dance," Gillis said. "I danced what I thought of them and handed them back to them. I embodied the theme, and we constructed and adapted each one of them. It's been really exciting."

Initially, Gillis was going to construct a series of solos.

"M.Body.7" opens with an 18-minute solo, "At the Hem of my Northern Coastal Clouds" performed by Bright to the second movement of Ravel's "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G," as arranged by the legendary Herbie Hancock.

"I choreographed her life, dreams and wishes. She lives in western B.C. (British Columbia). I had a dream about Holly in the clouds dancing."

Gillis had longed to bring the work to eastern Canada.

"She was so astonishing in it. It's a very demanding work and theatrical. It's touching and moving."

ABSTRACT, COMFORTING

Next, Gillis performs a new solo, "By a Silver Thread," an homage to many friends who have died in the past year, including Charles Stokes, a remarkable New York City painter. The work examines her sense of loss as well as her own mortality.

"You either go kicking or screaming. I have known people who have let go of their bodies. It's very abstract and comforting and very light in a dark place."

"Ici," (Here) was created under the auspices of the Margie Gillis Dance Foundation. Set to eclectic music -- Bach to K.D. Lang -- "Ici" taps the tension between society's pressures and individual desires.