Creative Director/Choreographer Eric Gauthier Brings His German-Primarily based Firm To Toronto

It’s a homecoming of types.

Eric Gauthier studied at Canada’s Nationwide Ballet Faculty after which spent one 12 months with the Nationwide Ballet earlier than decamping to Germany the place he has had a glittering profession, first with Stuttgart Ballet, after which along with his personal firm, the internationally acclaimed Gauthier Dance//Dance Firm Theaterhaus Stuttgart.

When Gauthier Dance opens at Harbourfront’s Fleck Dance Theatre on Apr. 18 for a 3 day run, this system will function three of right now’s most acclaimed choreographers — Marie Chouinard, Hofesh Shechter and Ohad Naharin. It guarantees to be a wealthy night of latest dance.

Once I interviewed Gauthier by Zoom, he was driving on the Autobahn from Stuttgart to Munich, the place he was going to rehearse the piece he had simply created for the younger firm of Munich Ballet. One factor, nevertheless, grew to become very clear throughout our candid dialog — the 47-year-old is a person of many skills.

Let’s return to the start. You have been born in Montréal. How did you get into dance?

My first dream was to be a goalie. I used to be all the time versatile, and will drop simply into the goalie splits, after which I noticed the musical Cats, and I advised my dad and mom that that’s what I wished to do. I used to be already taking part in the piano, so what I wanted was to be taught to bounce.

I used to be despatched to l’Ecole supérieure de ballet du Québec, and a trainer there advised my dad and mom that I had actual expertise, and that I ought to attempt for the Nationwide Ballet Faculty, so I got here to Toronto once I was 10.

I beloved my years on the college, and to honour that, on Apr. 19, my firm is giving a particular efficiency for the scholars, adopted by a grasp class. This system consists of works by Nacho Duato, Alejandro Cerrudo, and myself. I’m additionally doing a workshop on the Nationwide Ballet.

Talking of the Nationwide, you joined the corporate proper after graduating from the ballet college.

Once I was 17, I grew to become an apprentice with the Nationwide Ballet with a promise of subsequent 12 months becoming a member of the corps de ballet. After which inventive director Reid Anderson introduced he was taking on Stuttgart Ballet, and I requested him what about my corps contract, and he invited me to come back with him. He took 4 large stars and me, a lowly apprentice. Reid has all the time been my particular ballet dad.

I nicely keep in mind that raid in 1996 that left the Nationwide reeling. You have been with Stuttgart Ballet for 12 years. You bought promoted to soloist, however by no means made principal. Why was that?

Reid advised me that at 5’9, I wasn’t tall sufficient to be a prince, that I used to be extra of a personality dancer. Alternatively, I used to be all the time first solid for all the fashionable dance items.

I perceive that you’re additionally a singer-songwriter.

On a regular basis I used to be dancing, I saved my sanity by taking part in in a band. At first we have been known as Royal Tease, after which we modified it to Eric Gauthier and His Band. I had some success as a songwriter. I even offered one to Melanie C of the Spice Women.

Once I was 26, I went to Reid and advised him I wished to maneuver to London to grow to be the brand new Mick Jagger. He advised me to assume it over and keep in dance, which I did.

Why did you allow Stuttgart Ballet?

At 30, dancers know that they’re a ticking time bomb. The factor is to attempt to do one thing totally different earlier than your physique offers out completely, so I considered forming my very own modern dance firm.

Even when I wasn’t a principal dancer, I used to be nonetheless acknowledged in Stuttgart. Werner Schretzmeier, the director of Theaterhaus, realizing that I used to be fashionable, and that I wished to begin an organization, provided to make it a resident firm. And that’s how Gauthier Dance//Dance Firm Theaterhaus Stuttgart was born in 2007, beginning off with six dancers. We additionally acquired assist from Luxembourg’s Grand Theatre which gave us $100,000 a 12 months for 3 years.

When did you begin to choreograph?

In the end, most dancers attempt their hand at choreography. I created my first piece in 2005 once I was 27. The next 12 months I made a solo for fellow Canadian dancer Jason Reilly for Stuttgart Ballet’s Younger Choreographer Showcase. It was known as Ballet 101, and it was so successful, that even right now, it’s all the time being carried out someplace on the earth.

The work challenges the truth that there are solely 5 positions in ballet, by creating 101 positions. From place 50 on, they’re all jumps. The narration (which is my voice) creates the ballet by first demonstrating the positions so as, after which calling out the numbers at random. It’s an actual tour de drive for the dancer because the numbers come quicker and quicker.

In the present day, I’ve works in prime corporations in Russia, Holland, and right here in Germany. I’ve additionally choreographed for music movies, showbiz occasions and movie.

What precisely is Theaterhaus Stuttgart?

Totally different homes in Germany have totally different functions. Some usher in reveals, whereas others depend on leases.

Theaterhaus is a cultural centre in a renovated outdated manufacturing unit, with 4 levels, that presents theatre, music, dance, cabaret, comedy, literature and political discussions, amongst different issues. The 4 levels seat 1000, 400, 300 and 100 individuals, respectively, and accommodate 900 reveals a 12 months, which are a magnet for an viewers of over 300,000 individuals.

Werner, the director, is 80 and an outdated hippy. He and his spouse run Theaterhaus like a labour of affection. It’s the kid they by no means had.

What does it imply being a resident firm?

In reality, we’re distinctive in Germany, as a result of we’re an entity in a theatre, however not an official firm of the state. We’re kind of personal, so to talk, however we do have a house, so we don’t must pay hire so as to carry out.

Our annual funds is round $2.5 million. Whereas we get a couple of third from Theaterhaus, and a few funds from town and the state, now we have to lift the remaining on our personal, by performances, touring, sponsors and fundraising. We give 150 performances a 12 months, and that features 60 at house, and we tour greater than every other German dance firm. We’re spending three and a half weeks in Canada, for instance. We’ve realized to care for ourselves.

State corporations, who get 3 times our funding, solely pay again a couple of third of that by ticket gross sales. We pay again all of the funding we get as a result of now we have 90% homes. That’s the true nature of artwork. As nicely, in a smaller firm, every dancer turns into extra related.

Stuttgart Ballet has 100 dancers. We’ve got 16, however now we have confirmed which you can have nice success with few sources when you’ve got ardour and an concept.

Let’s speak concerning the works the corporate is acting at Harbourfront. The primary two items, which type the primary half of this system, you name Swan Lakes.

I all the time wished a Swan Lake for my firm. I had 4 choreographers in thoughts, however once I couldn’t resolve who to decide on, I commissioned all of them to create their model of Swan Lake in 2021. I gave them free rein. We’re deliver two of them to Toronto — the items by Marie Chouinard and Hofesh Shechter. The opposite two choreographers have been Cayetano Soto and Marco Goecke.

Inform me about Chouinard’s Le chant du cygne: Le lac.

Marie’s piece is for eight girls. Simply as swans are majestic creatures that we love to take a look at, so are girls majestic creatures that we love to take a look at, solely on this ballet, they understand they’ve one thing to say.

The dancers have some extent footwear on their left foot and proper hand. They’ve white contact lenses, white wigs and white costumes. In the midst of the piece, they understand that individuals are taking a look at them, and Marie then takes the dance to a complete new place. It’s a work of visible artwork.

Toronto is our first cease on the tour, so Marie is coming to city to rehearse the piece as a result of she hasn’t seen it shortly.

And Shechter’s Swan Cake?

It’s a really athletic piece for 11 dancers. The flamboyant choreography is matched by Hofesh’s personal music rating which is thoughts blowing. If the piece is about something, it appears to be about birds flocking collectively. The purpose is, it’s 25 minutes of thrilling dance.

After we carried out at Jacob’s Pillow final 12 months, we acquired a standing ovation, although it was simply intermission.

Naharin’s Minus 16, which he created in 1999, is, after all, a traditional, and your full firm of 16 dancers will carry out it.

I believe it’s his most iconic work. It’s constructed round excerpts taken from his earlier items, and for every firm that performs it, Ohad modifications it a bit, so that every model is exclusive. The music rating is everywhere in the map, protecting every thing from conventional Israeli people songs, non secular choral music, and a techno Over the Rainbow, to the sound of a single metronome. The piece is loud and spectacular.

It begins through the intermission when a male dancer spends the entire 20 minutes on the stage alone. By the top of Minus 16, the viewers is dancing.

What would you say the aesthetics of Gauthier Dance are?

This program we’re presenting on the Canadian tour incorporates every thing I would like my firm to be, and that’s, the sunny facet of latest dance. German theatre tends to be very severe, however we need to give the viewers an excellent feeling. It’s about sharing the dance.

Within the first 5 seasons of the corporate, we featured 40 choreographers together with myself. I’m all the time on the lookout for choreographers who really feel what I really feel about dance, however who can also create out of the norm. The hot button is ardour. Ardour is contagious.

You may have additionally created COLOURS, an essential worldwide dance competition in Stuttgart.

That is my Diaghilev/impresario facet. COLOURS, which started in 2015, runs each two years, and is the most important dance competition in Germany, and one of the crucial essential in Europe. We function 20 corporations that signify a palette of various dance genres.

After which there’s Gautier Dance JUNIORS//Theaterhaus Stuttgart.

Legions of younger dancers can’t get any work as a result of they don’t have expertise. That’s why we created JUNIORS in 2022 for dancers 18 to 22 years outdated. We had over 2000 auditionees for six locations. This younger firm performs 25 reveals a 12 months and sells out the 300 seat theatre each time.

I need to finish along with your private life as a result of it dovetails with the large success of your organization. I perceive that you just’re divorced.

Sure, we separated in 2020, and a divorce adopted.

We first met in a homosexual bar, and since I used to be a ballet dancer, I needed to work actually exhausting to persuade this stunning girl that I wasn’t homosexual. Laura was in nursing college and was on the homosexual bar as a result of she thought that straight males have been boring. In the long run, we have been collectively for 17 years, and have three youngsters — Carlos, 13, Oscar, 11, and at last, the little woman that I all the time wished, Clara, who’s 8.

It seems we have been complete opposites. Whereas I poured all my vitality into constructing my firm, she wished her man to be house. She has that now, a companion who’s house by 5 each evening. Looking back, I ought to have been extra delicate. I’d be effervescent with pleasure about how my day had gone, when throughout her day, three sufferers had died. In a approach, Gauthier Dance price me my marriage. It took my spouse away. We’ve got an honest working relationship now, in truth we’re neighbours.

When my spouse left, I used to be not a part of a household anymore. My firm is my household now.

Lastly, you went to Germany in 1996, which suggests you’ve spent 28 of your 47 years away from Canada. What’s your relationship along with your homeland, so to talk?

I’ll all the time be a Canadian. Each summer season I take my children house to Montréal.

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