Les Taroupes

Les Taroupes, in French, are the little hairs that grow between the eyes, those that seem to stand in opposition like in a duel, their follicles always symmetrically opposite. This is also the metaphor that Karine Ponties has chosen to stage two characters in her first collaboration with Jan Kuijken, composer in residence at Het muziek Lod, presented in the context of Bruxelles/Brussel 2000, European Capital of Culture.

Two identities | Two copies | One in two parts

The tireless intertwining of opposites

The caress of an animated whole

Two men, dressed in black trousers and white shirt, that could be described as rather standard—one is standing, the other’s seated. The music triggers the movement of the first, which in turn sets the other in motion. Moving along parallel paths, they remain distant with no apparent connection and no eye contact. At once identical and opposite, they seem intent on avoiding each other until inevitably they come face to face. They are driven by imperceptible tensions provoked by the other’s presence. Set to live music, this relationship is marked by the movements of approach and rejection, attempt and withdrawal, domination and submission, as two unidentified elements search but fail to acknowledge each other. Their respective gestures and movements remain a source of  mystery, resulting in an endless interplay between opposites. Yet so little would be required to bring them together, to have them hold each other in a unique, furtive form that borders on abstraction. The music is the external element that allows this unity. Played by Jan Kuijken at the piano, this original piece composed during improvisation sessions with dancers Alessandro Bernardeschi and Mauro Paccagnella delivers a subtle and highly organic music. 

To learn more