Buší mi srdce z té krásy, smutním, Miriam!
Tento text reaguje na květnový večer pro Pitínského (možná spíše od Pitínského) v divadle Husa na provázku, komponovaný v rámci festivalu Divadelní svět Brno...
Finding the mutual and different in energy that stirs all the dust
Since 2005, the dance-performative group La Fleur (translated as Flower) has been engaging in transcontinental dialogue between European, African and American ethnicities. The plurality and heterogeneity of languages and cultural roots are what become the main sources of information during the creative process. The admirable power and dynamics that the discourse way of production brings in the search for what unites or differentiates us, became the driving force behind the energetic production Trio. For the beauty of it.
During the dramaturgical introduction, festival dramaturg Viktorie Knotková did not hide her admiration and enthusiasm for the work of Monika Gintersdorfer, the founder and director of La Fleur. After a short presentation of the ensemble’s core values, Knotková did not want to comment on the production’s description. With a convincing smile on her face, she anticipated the energy of the performance could not be translated into words, and the best would be to let it affect us. The communication through the physicality of individual movements and energies turned out to be the most intelligible and essential with the linguistic plurality of the performers. After all, the first scene already deals with the subject of communicating with one’s own body.
In addition to the three dancers/performers (Alex Mugler, Carlos Gabriel Martínez Velázquez, Pohe Cedric Kevin Bah), Timon Litzenberger comes on stage as a DJ and in a slow, amused voice interprets the movements of the individual dancers into the microphone. In the same way, everyone takes their turn. With simple movements the dancers express random and recurrent French words, for example, eat, satisfied, pigeon, chicken, etc. The audience does not need to know French to understand what the dance is about. Strong facial expressions with which the performers work and thanks to which their demonstration can be easily resolved are also expressive. Despite the considerable overexpression, however, all of them exude a confident trueness. And so, another big topic of the production comes to the forefront – empowerment. Each of the three dancers comes from a different cultural background, which can initially seem distinct. They do not share collective language, music and, to some extent, not even movements and gestures. Gradually, it is becoming more and more evident that first appearances can be deceiving.
Each of the performers brings along not only dance style but also cultural style. Alex Mugler works in the vogue scene in New York, where he is one of the top inspirations for big pop names such as Rihanna. During the performance, he takes the floor the most and is not afraid to sell his show with everything he has. His movements mix classic elements of vogue style (hands performance – fast linear arm and hand movements, duckwalk – a squatting movement in which he jumps forward, catwalk – model-like walk, floor performance – various drops and spins on the floor) with more spiritual, slower movements. Even in his speeches, which increase especially in the second act, he is not afraid to mix the high with the low – for example, Freud’s ridiculous quote about a girl’s jealousy of her boyfriend because of his penis with the encouraging philosophy of rapper Lil’ Kim.
The other dancers do not fall behind the New York star. The performer, who calls himself Ordinateur, comes from the Ivorian diaspora in Paris and engages in the dance style Couper Décaler, defined by its African influences and percussive movements accompanied by deep tones. Carlos Martínez, the last of the trio, comes from the Mexican Sonidero culture, known for several-hour parties of Latino pop hits. His tremendous energy and enthusiasm, along with his honest admission of his advanced age and specific dance expressions make this dancer a sensation. Both Ordinateur and Martínez describe in their native languages the roots of their cultures and their political background, which adds even more depth to the performance.
The energy flowing between the stage and the auditorium is unstoppable. The fourth wall, which seemed to be missing during the performance, finally comes down when (at the very end) the dancers challenge the audience to join them in their loosened-up dance. It doesn’t take long for the people to rush out to the dance floor by themselves to let their energy flow out as well. And that’s the beauty of it.
La Fleur/ DE, FR, MX – Trio. For the beauty of it. Director: Monika Gintersdorfer, choreographer: Franck Edmond Yao, sound designer: Timon Litzenberger. Performers: Carlos Gabriel Martínéz Velázquez, Alex Cephus, Pohe Cedric Kevin Bah, Timor Litzenberger. Premiere: 2017. Based on the performance on May 23, 2024.
Johanka Formánková, student of the Department of Theory and Criticism (DAMU). Translation Tereza Planetová
