Translated as "my own history of dance", La Dance, Une Histoire a Ma Facon is a solo performance by Beau Geste Company's Dominique Boivin. The work is an expression of his personal relationship to the great masters of dance with a humorous twist. Guru spoke with him ahead of his performance which is part of French-Thai cultural fest La Fete:
HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN DANCE?
When I was 16, I was madly in love with life and being on stage. Before that I took dance classes without even being aware of being in contact with a sort of artistic expression. Finding myself suddenly in love with life and being able to articulate it through movement literally threw me in the role of the actor and the interpreter. It was at that moment I felt the force of this art and the possibilities of dance as a form of expression.
WHAT IS YOUR PERFORMANCE ABOUT?
The show is about the history of dance and how Western dance has evolved. It is a journey into the past in attempt to shed light on the present and perhaps the future because there is a desire to connect. Like all other art forms, dance cannot avoid time; there are trends, tendencies.
WHAT ASPECT OF HISTORY ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO PRESENT?
The question is to identify the situation of dance in France and take a look at its evolution. My job is to answer this question and remain as integrated as possible, but not as an historian. Of course I hope that the public, after having seen this solo, will realise that dance, like any other mode of representation, evolves with the time.
IS DANCE UNIVERSAL?
One might think that dance does not need translation to the extent that it doesn't involve words. However, different cultures have their own readings of the body. Today the world is changing fast and information flows more easily, thanks to the internet. Thailand is a large country with a strong culture. With this solo, I am sharing with the public of Bangkok a way of re-examining history and also the dance.
WHO OR WHAT ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
I have many, and they do not necessarily belong to the artistic world. It is always a question of state of mind rather than form. I deeply love the people I consider "awake and settled" and I love those who live their lives with "panache"! But to answer more seriously your question, four people have particularly influenced me. Merce Cunningham for giving dance an opportunity to cross the 20th century with intelligence. Alwin Nikolais for his sense of abstract theatre, his openness to the other arts and universal education. John Cage for giving me the opportunity to believe that "nothing is forbidden" in art and finally Jacques Tati for offering me the opportunity to understand that one could speak of human beings without necessarily being into pathos or caricature.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST REACTION YOU'VE HAD FROM AN AUDIENCE?
Once, when I mentioned Martha Graham, a child in the room shouted, "It's Batman!" Laughing inside, I thought that the way the public sees the shows is always based on their knowledge. For this reason, it is impossible to say that the spectators in the same room, seeing the same show at the same time, all see the same thing.
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED AND INSPIRED?
I am very happy that dance always surprises me and that my motivation [to do it] remains linked to my curiosity. The inspiration is not for me a will, but instinctual and intuitive.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE OUT OF THE 3,000 OR SO THAT YOU'VE DONE?
I remember an outdoor performance for the opening of a new French cultural centre in Bangui, Central Africa. I rehearsed all afternoon and performed in the evening in front of a group of fully armed soldiers. There were riots in the city centre. These soldiers were there to protect the building. As I rehearsed throughout the day, I could see their faces. They were severe and didn't smile. I realised for the first time it was very intimidating to perform in front of the military and the show became almost derisory and ridiculous with those machine guns at the ready.
Dominique Boivin will perform La Dance, Une Histoire a Ma Facon on Mar 9-10, 8pm, at Patravadi Theatre (69/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amarin Road). Tickets are B400, B600; B100 (students), and are available at the venue or at Thai Ticket Major (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). For full La Fete programme, visit www.lafete-bangkok.com.
