Artist interpreting Art: Compagnie Marie Chouinard’s newest work, based on drawings by Henri Michaux

I had the great thrill and pleasure to experience fantastic dance last night here in Halifax.

Last night was the premier of “Henri Michaux: Mouvements”, the newest piece by internationally renowned Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard. This piece is based on poems and drawings by Belgian artist Henri Michaux (1899–1984). The pen-and-ink sketches, done under the influence of psychoactive substances, are themselves already quite cryptic.

This interest me because of explorations I am currently undertaking myself (not having to do with mind-altering substances, only with my un-ending fascination with everything), but more about that later.

Remaining with the same palette as the India-ink drawings (black dancers before a white wall), the ‘stick figures’ are interpreted by the dancers, first quite literally, and one figure and dancer at a time, as if to ease the viewer into the concept of what is happening here –  the combination of these two art-forms: two-dimensional drawing and three-dimensional dancing.

As the work goes on, the visuals and movements become more complex, the interpretations more creative, and the dancefloor more crowded. I am no dance-critic, but in my observation over the past decade, Couninard’s dancers always execute her choreographies with the utmost acuracy; their speed and precision are astonishing; every detail counts.

I am very interested in the translation of one artform into the other. I love Chouinard’s interpretation of the drawings, because she every so gently leads her audience by the hand into seeing the relationship between the drawings and her interpretations in dance. First, she establishes the language: dancer imitates ink shape. Then, once the basic language is established, she begins to free the interpretation: the movements get wilder and less exactly moulded to the original drawings, the dancers increase in number, and the intensity of Louis Dufort’s soundtrack ramps up. It reminded me of someone drawing a circle, and then getting bigger and bigger and wilder and wilder with the brush.

The local newspaper reports in an interview with the artist that ‘she is very interested in art and goes to museums around the world’.  Chouinard herself is quoted as saying “I approach it from the angle of an artist.”  I can clearly imagine her working with the dancers, experimenting until she’d arrive at the right movement to express each drawing.

I really enjoy contemporary dance a great bit, and it is wonderful that Live Art Dance Productions is bringing so much excellent work to the stages of Halifax (their annual subscription is worth every penny!! I highly recommend it). It was a Chouinard piece (bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS) that made me fall in love with this art form almost ten years ago.

But I suppose I am so fascinated by the process Chouinard goes through because of her talent to fearlessly go out on a limb without loosing balance or view, and because of the absolutely impeccable execution of her ideas.  I have tremendous appreciation for her thorough investigation of contemporary cultural issues within and outside of her own artform, turning over every leaf, paying attention to every single aspect of each piece.

I do have some ideas up my sleeve regarding interpreting one artform with another … you’ll have to stay tuned to find out more! But certainly, Chouinard’s example of fearless investigation, precision and excellence is inspiring!