Déserts d'amour

Almost ornamental delicacy dances accuses incessant, though discreet, body dissonance.

Choreography: Dominique Bagouet

Music, first of all. It was the first inspiration for this show.

It was performed for the creation by the Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon orchestra directed by Cyril Diedrich; it alternates between the Salzburg symphonies K136, K137, K138 by Mozart and contemporary pieces for a small formation by Tristan Murail, played by the group ‘Itinéraire’.

Thus this choreography is mainly musical. It contains no break, nor anecdote. The dances of “Déserts d’amour”, composed for nine dancers, are prepared in advance through a score of very precise notes giving the choreography the appearance of a meticulous clockwork undergoing constant transformation.

Sources: “Programme of the bagouet company” – 1984

… Arms remaining obstinately vertical, or, when held away from the body, slanting straight, bent bodies refusing verticality as, it is said, to free themselves from classic elevation, chests bowed on their axis, extreme nimbleness of feet, absolutely neat and geometrical patterns of arms and legs – what has been often called ‘the cuneiform writing’ of Dominique Bagouet by analogy with the elegance of ancient hieroglyphs, frequent circlings of hands and wrists, and the diabolically meticulous work done by hands, accurate to within a finger or a millimetre. This enumeration is far from being exhaustive, as the material contains so much unsuspected richness, and this dead straight dance includes so much freedom of invention, prancing directions and meticulous geometrical movements in space.’

Sources: Chantal Aubry, “Bagouet”, Bernard Coutaz ed. – 1989

Credits

Choreography: Dominique Bagouet

Duration: 28’30”

Dancers: Jean-Pierre Alvarez, Dominique Bagouet, Claire Chancé, Sarah Charrier, Nuch Grenet, Michel Kelemenis, Catherine Legrand, Angelin Preljocaj, Michèle Rust.

Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Tristan Murail

Scenery: Christine Le Moigne

Stage lighting: Jacques Chatelet

Costumes: Maritza Gligo

Direction: Charles Picq

Production: Les Carnets Bagouet

Date of création: July 1st 1984, Théâtre de Grammont at Montpellier

Performance recorded in July 2nd 1984, Théâtre de Grammont at Montpellier

Last update: December 2012