Approaching choreography through a wide variety of movement philosophies,

Montreal-based dance duo Tentacle Tribe

concocts uncommon dance works with a contemporary approach. 

Drawing from their wide scope of dance experience, co–founders Emmanuelle Lê Phan and Elon Höglund create conceptual hip–hop with a contemporary twist, while intermingling organic influences from earthly creatures.

This Canadian-Swedish creative alliance experiments with intricate partnering, refined musicality and a saturated dose of physical choreography. As b-boy and b-girl, present in the street dance community and as seasoned stage performers, the duo combines movement techniques that transcend style boundaries and create works that express the embodiment of music beyond technique.

Their repertoire includes magnetic duets and group pieces such as Ghost, Threesixnine, Nobody Likes a Pixelated Squid, Origami Mami and Fractals of You, which have toured internationally.

Although the two performers have worked together since 2005, it wasn’t until 2012 that Tentacle Tribe was formed when they performed their first official collaboration choreographed for the Cirque Du Soleil stage in Quebec City. This duet was adapted into a short film, Elon & Emmanuelle, by director Natalie Galazka.

Their first full–length piece, Nobody Likes a Pixelated Squid, was sought after and performed over 80 times in more than 60 international cities. They followed with Fractals of You, a voyage through consciousness using video mapping projections imagined by artist Gene Pendon.  

In 2016, the company expanded and transposed their duet research onto group pieces. It started off with Origami Mami, a powerful female trio that toured Hiphop festivals internationally, soon after followed by Threesixnine, a sextet prized for "Best Choreographic work of 2017-2018" by the CALQ. 

In 2018 they created the intricate ensemble work Ghost, a physical score that echoes the pulse of respiration.  Ghost has toured Canada, Europe, South Korea and the USA.  2019 marked another year of expansion with shorter works such as Synecdoche, Fil Rouge and Puzzle, which casted larger groups of up to 10 dancers.            

Their choreography was adapted into award–winning dance films Vanishing Points (2014), Crack the Cypher (2016), Mami Origami (2018), directed by Marites Carino, which have been screened at more than 60 festivals internationally. In 2019 Ghost was adapted into a full feature by director Jean-Sébastien Ouellet and was featured on Radio-Canada’s Ici Tou.TV.  A new short, Offspin Cycle (2022) directed by Marites Carino is set to premiere soon, explores intricate intermingling choreography with connected sweaters.

The duo has been hired as an act for Special Events with Cirque Du Soleil in Quebec City and Turkey and with Cirque Éloize in France and Montreal’s Géants.   The group work has also bee showcased at the renown C2 Summit. As choreographers, they've made commissioned work for Vancouver’s OURO Collective, Norway's Urban Moves Festival, the 100 LUX Festival, Stockholm's DOCH (Dance and Circus University program), Toronto's York University, the Arizona State University, the École de danse de Québec and Montreal's National Circus School.

Their most ambitious production is entitled Prism, a kaleidoscopic voyage through an illusory set design that premiered at Danse Danse in March 2023. Another site specific project that is part of Jouer Dehors is called Miroir Boudoir by Lê Phan, exploring reflections in set design.  And the upcoming creation, Dirt by Höglund, is a group piece reflecting on both the essential and primal connections to the earth, to dirt itself. Dirt is set to premiere at Agora de la danse in April 2025.

With 9 stage productions, 6 films, and significant national and international recognition, Tentacle Tribe aims to expand its efforts in the development of street dances by establishing the urban dance festival Coro Casse, in the city of Québec.