Photo: Herman Sorgeloos.
Old Brewery New Dance in Poznań presents a piece by French choreographer, Étienne Guilloteau. The showing takes place on Saturday, 28 March (7 pm), at Studio Słodownia + 3. Synopsis of a Battle is the synopsis of an opera, a choreographed tragedy composed out of dance, light, music, poetry and mythology. In his latest creation the Belgium-based choreographer Étienne Guilloteau links music, words and dance to form a whole. Once again Guilloteau works together with the pianist Alain Franco. Two dancers, Claire Croizé and Guilloteau himself, occupy the space. Two is the minimum number of people to establish a relationship, and two is the maximum before it forms a group. They enter into a dialogue and move through space, words and music both together and separately.
The words do not tell a concrete story here, but reveal a trail that leaves room for the imagination. All of the motifs are only hinted at, even the costumes are there only to suggest associations. The construction of the dancers’ movement is modelled on ancient sculptures and Renaissance paintings. As Guilloteau writes: “combining different dance techniques made it possible for us to develop a brand new language, our specific grammar of gestures. In my work I evoke different motifs present in the history of dance to see which are reoccurring today”. It is the energy of the story that plays a significant role here. The audience have a chance to witness the dancers’ hour-long encounter.
The battle of the two dancers is that between soul and body, fate and freedom, passion and principle, mortality and lust for life (Charlotte De Somviele, Etcetera, nov. 2013)
artistic direction: Étienne Guilloteau
dance: Claire Croizé, Étienne Guilloteau
musical dramaturgy: Alain Franco
lighting: Hans Meijer
costumes: Anne-Catherine Kunz, sewn by Maria-Eva Rodriguez
project administration: klein verzet vzw
distribution: Cinzia Maroni
production: Action Scénique
co-production: Kaaitheater, CCNR direction Yuval Pick, Kunstencentrum Buda
in collaboration with: WpZimmer, Takt, apap (Advancing Performing arts project)
with the support of: The Flemish Authorities
duration: 60 min.
Étienne Guilloteau is a dancer and choreographer. In 2002 he graduated from P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels and joined wp Zimmer (www.wpzimmer.be) in Antwerp, which resulted in the creation of a range of pieces shown across Europe, e.g. the duets Sk?n?danced with Claire Croizé (2004; presented at the Old Brewery in 2005) and La Magnificenza(2006), developed with Vincent Dunoyer (dance) and Hans Meijer (lighting). In 2007, in collaboration with Claire Croizé, he created Dido, a video installation performance based on the third episode of Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas. For the past couple of years, his choreographic work has focused on the dramaturgical relation between dance, music and light. This research resulted in the showing of two études: Prima dell’atto, a piece for kids set to Debussy’s music and DAAD, a solo to music by John Cage (Experiences). In May 2010 Guilloteau created for the prestigious Kunsten festival des arts Tres Scripturae, a piece for three dancers developed and performed with pianist Alain Franco and a lighting technician Hans Meijer. The work was presented in Poznań, Poland in 2002. His latest piece Synopsis of a Battle premiered in 2013 at the Kaaitheater in the context of La Biennale of Charleroi Danses. Besides his choreographic work, Étienne Guilloteau danced for several people, such as Vincent Dunoyer, Rosas, Charlotte Vanden Eynde, and especially with Claire Croizé and Marc Vanrunxt, with whom he maintained a sustained collaboration over the past years. Étienne Guilloteau is a leading member of Action Scénique, a company that regroups, supports and promotes the choreographic work of three makers Claire Croizé, Nada Gambier and Etienne Guilloteau himself. Action Scénique is APAP-artist (advancing performig arts project) for the period of 2013?2016.
