Bastard Fugue features Naoya Ebe of the National Ballet of Canada, and live camerawork by yours truly. It premiered at Fresh Blood, a group show of work by young choreographers hosted by The Chimera Project, on October 29th at the Enwave Theatre in Toronto. The piece is set to a Bach fugue for organ, arranged instead for mixed percussion, and uses live projection to explore fugue structure with a single dancer. Special thanks to Naishi (Kamen) Wang for his valuable participation in the creation process. More credits and special thanks after the jump.

Many people helped midwife this piece. Ryan Fontaine, Robert Stephen, Jeff Morris, and Jenna Savella donated critical eyes, helping hands, and their unfailing pluck and enthusiasm. Adam Pasquella and Emma & Randy Niedzwiecki got me to the church on time; John Coups and Brian Aitken generously shared their technical expertise; Sharon DiGenova was exactly the sort of psychic stage manager the piece needed; and Janelle Rainville and Barb de Kat were their fabulous, supportive selves. I have to especially thank Malgorzata Nowacka for hosting the show and believing in the work. Thanks also to Trinity Square Video, Théâtre français de toronto, Canada’s National Ballet School, and the National Ballet of Canada.

Bastard Fugue fuses live performance and projection to explore fugal composition with a single dancer. The Bach fugue, originally composed for organ, is stripped of melody and becomes a propulsive rhythmic fundament for a powerful performance. Some preliminary special thanks:

• Naishi (Kamen) Wang of Toronto Dance Theatre for his valuable participation in the creation process;
• The National Ballet School and the National Ballet of Canada for donating rehearsal space;
• Malgorzata Nowacka for the opportunity to show this work;
• Jeff Morris and Robert Stephen for participating in the technical workshop which spawned some of the ideas explored in this work.

The ballet consists of five movements, each pairing a musical and literary fragment. Two excerpts of the ballet were presented at the National Ballet of Canada’s Choreographic Showcase in September 2008.

The first and longest fragment is a parable, in which a king invites everyone in his kingdom to his daughter’s wedding feast, save two men: one blind, and one lame. They decide to avenge the slight by vandalizing the king’s garden, acting as each other’s eyes and legs. When the damage is discovered, they protest their innocence: their disabilities make it impossible for them to be the perpetrators. The king realizes they worked together and has them both flogged. The parable is that the soul is accountable for the actions of the body and vice versa.

The second performed fragment is in the voice of God, and translates as “As I find thee, so will I judge thee”; meaning, on judgment day, it is your present state of sin or grace that matters and not any of your life prior to the day.

Archival video of the work exists, but is not available online due to the terms of the collective agreement between Actor’s Equity and the National Ballet.

The excerpts were performed by Catherine Maitland, Joe Welbes, and Aarik Wells.

The work explores friendships and romantic entanglements between a group of young people. Excerpts of the ballet—totalling six movements and fifteen minutes—were performed in the National Ballet of Canada’s Choreographic Lab, an in-studio showing of new work, in August 2006 to positive reaction.

Please contact me if you are interested in viewing archival video of the work; it cannot be made publicly available due to the terms of the collective agreement between Actor’s Equity and the National Ballet.

Details

The work as performed featured eight dancers in six excerpts—each a complete song. The recording used featured Phillip Langridge, baritone, and Steuart Bedford accompanying on the piano.

Full cast: Kevin Bowles, Jordana Daumec, James Leja, Marissa Parzei, Sonia Rodriguez, Jenna Savella, Robert Stephen, Nan Wang

1. “Look, stranger” from On This Island: full cast
2. “The sun shines down” fromOn This Island: Bowles/Leja/Savella/Stephen/Wang
3. “As It Is, Plenty” from On This Island: Leja
4. “Now the Leaves are Falling Fast” On This Island: Bowles/Leja/Stephen/Wang
5. “Nocturne” from On This Island: Bowles/Rodriguez, Savella/Stephen
6. Fish in the Unruffled Lakes: Savella/Stephen

Two Heterosexual Etudes

Set to three pieces from György Kurtág’s Signs, Games, and Messages. Two three-minute relationship studies, one of a father and daughter, one of a husband and wife; the title is meant to be a bit of a footnote as James Kudelka’s Fifteen Heterosexual Duets, while not the inspiration for the piece, served as a model with which to wrestle, argue, and occasionally agree. Created for Ballet Jörgen as part of their Solos, Duets, and Trios program. Performed in-studio at George Brown College in April 2009 by Tara Butler, Cristina Graziano, and Preston McBain. Archival video.

Capriol Suite

Set to two dances from Peter Warlock’s suite of the same name. One duet for a young couple, and one solo for a character dancer. Performed by Mark Dennis & Nikki Holck and Victoria Betram in June 2008 as part of the National Ballet of Canada’s Choreographic Explorations in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the Four Seasons Centre. Archival video.

Sanglôts

Set to the song of the same title from Poulenc’s song cycle Banalités, based on poems by Guillaume Apollinaire. Duet, part of a planned setting of the entire cycle. Performed by Isabella Gasparini and Rodrigo Gonzales in July 2004 as part of of the National Ballet School’s Stephen Godfrey Choreographic Workshop. Archival video.

Private Words

Set to the intermezzo from Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias. Relationship sketch. Performed by Jordana Daumec and François Robichaud in July 2003 as part of the National Ballet School’s Stephen Godfrey Choreographic Workshop. No video.

La dame de Monte Carlo

Set to Poulenc’s solo operetta of the same name. A sort of danced monologue. Performed by Mariline Goodhue and Scott Maybank in June 2003 as part of Gorgeous Little Things, a showing of new work by young choreographers at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in Toronto. Archival video.