As artists, we wanted to compromise ourselves, to put ourselves in a situation where an artistic examination of who we are would also throw light on that which eludes us.
Alain Francoeur and Dominique Porte’s first encounter took place a little more than three years ago, when they were both asked to create a choreography for Anne Lebeau for one of Danse Cité’s Projet Interprète events. This “collision” – both from a human and an artistic point of view – was instantly remarkable and intense, as they discovered their shared philosophies. Despite the fact that their styles and aesthetics couldn’t be more different, they share many questions about the creative process, especially regarding the roles of both the dancer and the choreographer. Their desire for an uncompromising exchange, a sort of mutual contamination of their respective artistic approaches, has led to the realization of the project Un homme et une femme.
Their challenge: to co-choreograph and co-perform an entire opera. For Dominique Porte, this is an extension of a process that explores the dialogue between body and music; for Alain Francoeur, this meant that he would draw upon an existing dramatic structure to develop a poetic exercise, where the body would absolutely come first.
Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle fits the bill: it is a one-act opera for two voices, a man and a woman; it has a palpable dramatic intensity inside a complex musical structure; it is a poetic sphere that explores the complexity of human relations and the search for the other based on one’s own desires, that ultimately leads to loss. This contemporary work presents us with a metaphor for human relationships, where our desire to connect with the other feeds our fear of losing our own identity. Conversely, for Francoeur and Porte, the body is the only vehicle for communication - but how can you dance a tragedy?
In the beginning, our greatest challenge was appropriating the music. Faced with the force of that universe, we had to make certain decisions, in order to avoid being overwhelmed by its intensity. The opera presents two individuals who are inexorably joined by a force that engulfs them, and the music is an extrapolation of their inner states. We couldn’t dance to the music, or parallel to it, or in reaction to it: we had to let it go right through us… And little by little, our work led us to strip down our artistic choices. We scoured every single choreographic idea, in order to find its essence by simplifying its form: the result is the sophistication of the dancing body, with its deepest meaning, where it can express its inner state. Our approach became clear through a series of passages that are as clean as Japanese haiku. While we deliberately did not want to illustrate the story, it remains ever-present, as it is impossible to remove the dramatic fabric from the piece, with its two vocal performances and the musical construction which adds intrigue and complexity to their interaction. Through the characters of Bluebeard and Judith, we are above all ourselves, a man and a woman seeking encounter. This is a collision of 2 genders, going beyond notions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ and bringing us face-to-face with our humanity.
The empty stage is like an invisible drawing, and we are there to reveal parts of its lines and forms. We enter into this dance, not with the intent to take action, but borne by a force that suggests a motivation for repositioning, a spatial tension, in states that resonate within us and impel us to act.
Our collaboration on the Bluebeard project has provoked a genuine examination of the creative process. Addressing this process has sparked an artistic vitality that feeds our respective practices, and challenges us (in the best way) as committed artists.
Un homme et une femme
Première : March 20-24, 2007, Agora de la danse, Montréal
Choreography and dance: Alain Francoeur et Dominique Porte
Music :Béla Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle
Libretto : Béla Balazs
Musical analysis : Charles Papasoff
Dramaturgy : Michèle Febvre
Artistic Advisor: Christine Charles
Rehearsals directors: Christine Charles and Sophie Corriveau
Sound spatialization: Laurent Maslé
Lighting : Julie Andrée T.
Photographers : René Foley, Sylvain Fortin
