With Moving alternatives Anne Collod revisited her fascination with innovative American choreographers by delving into the abundant work of Ruth Saint-Denis (1879-1968) and her partner Ted Shawn (1891-1972).
Ruth Saint-Denis and Ted Shawn are considered, along with Isadora Duncan and Loïe Füller, as pioneers of early twentieth century American modern dance. Ruth Saint-Denis was the first to become captivated by East Asian and Indian dances and she and Ted Shawn drew on them extensively to nourish their new conception of dance.
Moving alternatives examines the diverse figures of otherness found in the dances created by these two choreographers and investigates the aesthetic and political issues of reinterpreting these works today, primarily through the prisms of gender and cultural appropriation. How can one create a critical reinterpretation of an American repertoire that emerged from an early 20th century fantasy of India held by a young Ruth Saint-Denis? How can the powerful evocation and invention of the artists be manifested through an issue-sensitive vision of the dances, particularly in terms of their ‘exoticizing’ dimensions?
By reviving three of Ruth Saint-Denis’s solos inspired by Indian Dance, namely Incense (1906) Kashmiri Nautch (1917) and Lazy Nautch (1919), and extracts of group performances by Ted Shawn, The Dôme (1933) and Kinetic Molpai (1935), Moving alternatives opens up a space for investigation and debate that is inhabited by six dancer-choreographers and brings together multiple danced versions and viewpoints that question the impacts of the actions of yesterday on today’s representations.
Artistic Director: Anne Collod
Choreography & Texts: Anne Collod and the performers / Ruth Saint-Denis & Ted Shawn
Performance: Sherwood Chen, Ghyslaine Gau, Nitsan Margaillot, Calixto Neto, Pol Pi et Shantala Shivalingappa
Sound Design: Prieur de la Marne et Vincent Thiérion
Light & Space Design: Florian Leduc assisté de Diane Blondeau
Costume Design: La Bourette
Artistic Collaboration: Cécile Proust, Matthieu Doze
Administration, production, distribution: La Magnanerie – Victor Leclère, Anne Hermann, Martin Galamez, Lauréna De La Torre
Production: Association … & alters
coproduction : Montpellier Danse Festival 2019; EPPGHV La Villette Paris; Nîmes Theatre; Le Vivat, Scène conventionnée, Armentières; La Maison, CDCN Uzès, Gard, Occitania; Le Gymnase, CDCN de Roubaix, Hauts-de-France; CCN de Nancy, Ballet de Lorraine; CCN de Caen, Normandy; La Place de la Danse, CDCN Toulouse, Occitania. With support from the Jean Vilar Theatre, Vitry; Vanves Theatre; and Buda-Courtrai for a residency. With the support of Arcadi, Ile-de-France Thanks to Jacob’s Pillow, dance school and archive centre, Becket, United States
New Production 5th and 5th July, 2019 – Montpellier Danse Festival, La Vignette theatre.
20th - 23rd November 2019 – Salle Boris Vian, Grande Halle de La Villette, Paris.
6th and 7th November 2019 – Nîmes Theatre, Scène conventionnée.
28th and 29th January 2020 – La Place de la Danse, CDCN Toulouse, Occitania – Théâtre Garonne – Toulouse.
3rd April 2020 – Jean Vilar Theatre, Vitry-sur-Seine – Cancelled.
25th and 26th March 2021 - Le Dancing-CDCN, Dijon - cancelled.
8 juin 2021 - Le Gymnase-CDCN, Roubaix for the Latitudes Contemporaines Festival.